Luggage tip!

[cheribelle]

Just came off the Disney Fantasy Saturday. On Friday night as I was putting our luggage out our stateroom door for pickup, I noticed a lot of luggage had "scarves" or some kind of ribbon on the handles. Every cruise I notice this and say I will mark my luggage with some kind of identification to make pick up easier in port. But rushed for time I chose not to.

Picking up luggage at port, my main suitcase is no where to be found. With some cast members, we searched everywhere but it was gone.

Noticed in the same area as my luggage was an identical suitcase but it was not ours. Cast member said more than likely the other guest picked up my luggage by mistake.

Lots of tears leaving as all my clothes and souveniers were in the suitcase but the only thing they would do is have me fill out a lost and found report.

On the drive home (we live in NJ) I received a call from a Disney Cast member at Orlando International Airport saying my luggage was there! A guest did pick up the wrong luggage and turned it in to them. Now there was no way to turn the car around as we were too far into our trip. Disney said they will ship the bag back to port Canaveral and they will ship it home. But I had to call port Canaveral and do all the leg work to make arrangements. Which I did by leaving several messages for various cast members. Finally spoke to a live person and they said they will ship it Tuesday once they receive the bag back. (holiday and UPS is closed). Not happy as I still have no confirmation that they actually have the bag and they won't give me a direct number. And my poor teen age daughter has no jeans for school this week (teen age girl =lots and lots of drama about this).

Keeping my fingers crossed this ends up well.

So my new tip is to mark your luggage with some kind of fabric on the handle. Even the scarves from pirate night will do! There are a lot of identical suitcases all stacked together and mistakes happen.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Just came off the Disney Fantasy Saturday. On Friday night as I was putting our luggage out our stateroom door for pickup, I noticed a lot of luggage had "scarves" or some kind of ribbon on the handles. Every cruise I notice this and say I will mark my luggage with some kind of identification to make pick up easier in port. But rushed for time I chose not to.

Picking up luggage at port, my main suitcase is no where to be found. With some cast members, we searched everywhere but it was gone.

Noticed in the same area as my luggage was an identical suitcase but it was not ours. Cast member said more than likely the other guest picked up my luggage by mistake.

Lots of tears leaving as all my clothes and souveniers were in the suitcase but the only thing they would do is have me fill out a lost and found report.

On the drive home (we live in NJ) I received a call from a Disney Cast member at Orlando International Airport saying my luggage was there! A guest did pick up the wrong luggage and turned it in to them. Now there was no way to turn the car around as we were too far into our trip. Disney said they will ship the bag back to port Canaveral and they will ship it home. But I had to call port Canaveral and do all the leg work to make arrangements. Which I did by leaving several messages for various cast members. Finally spoke to a live person and they said they will ship it Tuesday once they receive the bag back. (holiday and UPS is closed). Not happy as I still have no confirmation that they actually have the bag and they won't give me a direct number. And my poor teen age daughter has no jeans for school this week (teen age girl =lots and lots of drama about this).

Keeping my fingers crossed this ends up well.

So my new tip is to mark your luggage with some kind of fabric on the handle. Even the scarves from pirate night will do! There are a lot of identical suitcases all stacked together and mistakes happen.

I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this. What a pain!

I use strips of colorful Duck Tape on my luggage to make it easily recognizable.

 

[cheribelle]

I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this. What a pain!

I use strips of colorful Duck Tape on my luggage to make it easily recognizable.

Perfect! Next cruise I am definitely bringing something.

Actually last year they broke one of our cases. And now this one is missing. Thinking next cruise in may just lug it all off myself!

 

[GoofyLovingFamily]

I so agree! I had marked a couple and forgot the last one. The one big black bag that looked like the rest. It took forever to go through every black bag.

 

[bcwife76]

Oh dear, I hope you get your luggage back ASAP! We have been putting ribbons on our luggage for years now. And one great FE gift we received on our last cruise were fabric luggage handles that snap on, fabulous!

 

[CamColt]

Great tip! I'm sorry you are going through this aggravation though. I hope it does work out for you.

I know this wouldn't have helped you but also check the name on the luggage tags before taking any bags, even if you are sure it's yours. This goes for at the airport too. It seems like such an obvious thing but as you saw first hand, people don't always do that. A lot of headaches could have been avoided if the person who took the bag checked to see if their name was on it before leaving.

 

[phinz]

We had an embroidery company that specializes in custom marine work do red tags with white letters for us that had our names on them. We used zip ties to attach them. There's no way you can mistake them.

You could always do what Casey Neistat does with his bags.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Crummy way to end a trip, but at least the luggage has been found. In her later years DMIL left her walker behind on a cruise, then left a carry-on bag with $1500 cash in it (and dirty laundry) at an airport. Both found their way home, fortunately.

 

[monarchsfan16]

We have hardsided suitcases. We're also from NH, which has just one area code and is frequently referred to by its area code. We happened to find those round stickers that typically have places on them, with the area code. We slapped those on the side of our suitcases. There was no mistaking them Prior to hardsided luggage, I always had a scrap of ribbon on my suitcase handle. My grandparents use flag tape.

 

[bumbershoot]

There are a lot of identical suitcases all stacked together and mistakes happen

See, to me, it's. It a "mistake" to not check the tags to make sure it's your bag. I don't think it's criminal, but it's nearly a deliberate oversight, a sloppiness, that causes problems. If everyone checked the tags before taking a bag these things wouldn't happen.

You could always do what Casey Neistat does with his bags.

I like it.

 

[cheribelle]

Thanks all! Lots of good suggestions above and next cruise I will take better precautions.
Just spoke with DCL, she said she is getting tracking number together now and hopefully I will have it soon! As I sit here unpacking, I realized my new DCL Dooney purse is in the luggage and I so desperately want it back!

 

[tinkerone]

I made pompoms out of a bright yellow yarn years ago. They are attached to the handles of our luggage and are pretty hard to miss. I made a few dozen of them so they get put on new luggage as it comes along. Makes it hard for others to pick our luggage in error and makes it easy for DH to find our luggage at the airport carousel. They remain on our luggage even when it is packed away. We are always ready.

 

[noahdove]

I use bright duct tape even on my new luggage
I put a strip on at least 3 sides. I also have 2 luggage tags...

 

[Amanda129]

The last time I went overseas, I saw a couple who had tied socks to the handle of their luggage. Genuis! Who else would have socks on their luggage?

 

[Steamboat Marti]

First time cruiser and I have too many obvious questions - but I'll keep with the luggage theme. Do you have to leave the luggage in the hall overnight before you get off the ship?

 

[Ralph&Pam]

We have 2-inch wide colored straps (currently using one bright blue on my green foldover softsided case and one purple on DW's black wheeled pullman bags) that we wrap around our checked bags. I can usually spot our bags as soon as they hit the luggage carousel at the airport. The straps have the additional advantages that they are reusable and provide additional support on the exterior of soft-sided luggage. We've had these for 15 years or more. We used to tie colored ribbons to the handles, but found that a lot of other travelers had done the same and that many black bags look alike.

 

[Dug720]

First time cruiser and I have too many obvious questions - but I'll keep with the luggage theme. Do you have to leave the luggage in the hall overnight before you get off the ship?

You don't HAVE to, but if you don't then you are expected to be in the self-disembark group which is the first off, and you must be able to handle your own luggage as there is no one to assist you.

 

[Steamboat Marti]

You don't HAVE to, but if you don't then you are expected to be in the self-disembark group which is the first off, and you must be able to handle your own luggage as there is no one to assist you.

Thank you! As it is only DH and I - and we've been told to pack lightly - we may do this.

 

[MunFam]

We put red and white polka dot ribbon bows on the side handles and custom (DIY) luggage tags on the tops. THEN...I took a picture of each bag. When we arrived in San Diego, one of our bags was MIA. I was able to show the baggage handler my picture, and then her took my phone and showed a few others and within minutes, I had my bag. We were the first group off the ship, so there was a TON of baggage, but they found it quickly.

This Etsy seller was the inspiration for my tags.

 

[tinkerone]

We put red and white polka dot ribbon bows on the side handles and custom (DIY) luggage tags on the tops. THEN...I took a picture of each bag. When we arrived in San Diego, one of our bags was MIA.

That is an absolutely brilliant idea! We travel a lot and only had one issue (our last DCL cruise as it were). We were asked to describe our suitcase and it was a pretty standard reply. Hard sided, dark grey, yellow pompom on it.....other than the pompom it could be 50% of all luggage. If I had a picture it would have been so much easier to show her rather than try and describe.
Yup, brilliant idea and I will be using it so thanks.