Luggage can't swim
We've been in this business a long time and thought we'd heard it all, but we were wrong. Our friend Chris Elliott, a widely published writer who we've found to be very even-handed in his commentaries on the travel industry, was contacted for help by a cruise passenger whose bags the cruise line literally dropped overboard.
You can read Chris' whole story at the link below, but the summary is that the cruise line acknowledged sending the passengers' luggage for a swim during disembarkation. The customers say they got verbal assurances that divers would retrieve the luggage and that, among other compensation, they would receive a free cruise. After months of run-around the passengers never got their luggage back, and received a paltry $500 in compensation and no free cruise.
We're sad to say we're not surprised at all to hear how poorly the cruise line dealt with this. While the cruise lines do a phenomenal job when it comes to delivering a wonderful on-board product, when a problem does crop up, especially if it pertains to a verbal commitment or something out of the ordinary, they revert to big-company run-around mode. This is one reason you should work with a high-volume reputable cruise specialist who can be your zealous advocate (check for starters your cruise specialist's record with the Better Business Bureau, and make sure they participate in the more-stringent BBB Online Reliability Program).
For example, in the very small percentage of our cruise bookings that have a problem, we will move heaven and earth on our customer's behalf to try to rectify it promptly. Everyone here, right up to the president of the company, will work our high-level cruise line contacts when it's needed. Plus, please, buy high-quality travel insurance!
MSNBC.com: Luggage goes diving on a cruise
You can read Chris' whole story at the link below, but the summary is that the cruise line acknowledged sending the passengers' luggage for a swim during disembarkation. The customers say they got verbal assurances that divers would retrieve the luggage and that, among other compensation, they would receive a free cruise. After months of run-around the passengers never got their luggage back, and received a paltry $500 in compensation and no free cruise.
We're sad to say we're not surprised at all to hear how poorly the cruise line dealt with this. While the cruise lines do a phenomenal job when it comes to delivering a wonderful on-board product, when a problem does crop up, especially if it pertains to a verbal commitment or something out of the ordinary, they revert to big-company run-around mode. This is one reason you should work with a high-volume reputable cruise specialist who can be your zealous advocate (check for starters your cruise specialist's record with the Better Business Bureau, and make sure they participate in the more-stringent BBB Online Reliability Program).
For example, in the very small percentage of our cruise bookings that have a problem, we will move heaven and earth on our customer's behalf to try to rectify it promptly. Everyone here, right up to the president of the company, will work our high-level cruise line contacts when it's needed. Plus, please, buy high-quality travel insurance!
MSNBC.com: Luggage goes diving on a cruise
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