Royal Caribbean customer service is top notch- My horror story from Symphony in June 22 thanks to airlines

[kspam]

Last year was our first year back cruising after the Pandemic.  Cruising is the only vacation I care to do.  It had been post poned 2 times because of the pandemic.   We are the type that that books and pays a year in advance.  We pack in advance and are a little OCD about making sure we have everything we need to have.  We get to our airlines 2 hours early even though we are in a tiny airport in ICT.  The night before we were supposed to leave, we get a call from RC saying the hurricane is messing things up and we were going to lose a day.  SAD but okay.  Then an hour later another call from RC they booked us FIRST CLASS on the new airline for the following day.  COOL.

 

I wore a sundress with NOTHING under it and crocks.  I wanted that first picture to be great.  We had so much fun flying first class and drinking Mimosas at 5 in the morning.  We fly to Georgia and are so frikin excited and happy.  Have another mimosa and talk to some other passengers that were also cruising for the first time since pandemic.  We were sad about losing a day but after 3 years we didn't care at all~

 

Get to Florida and both of hubby's bags come right away.  Then my smaller bag comes. and we wait and wait and wait.  And wait and wait and wait.  I get near the flap where the luggage comes out and hear voices and yell into there I'm missing my bag.  Guy yells back says check baggage claim as that was all he had.  I go to baggage claim and start the process.  I am in there for an hour while they call Georgia.  bla bla bla  at some point the guy in baggage claim says I should run to walmart to get stuff.  I didn't know what was in each bag other than my shoes were in the bigger bag.  Meanwhile, RC representatives to drive us to the pier are saying we gotta go....

 

We make the decision to go on.  Have the numbers for luggage info and baggage claim has our ship number and that is about I can do at that point.

 

We get to our state room.  Both hubby's bags are there.  Now my one and only bag isn't there.  I am melting down now.  It is really ugly.  I went to customer service and GOD bless that lady I pray for her daily!  She got me 2 white extra large shirts and a toiletries bag to get me started.  The entire cruise she called daily to see if my suitcase came on a plain.  (ALWAYS have your DECK TAGS on your luggage)  

 

By night time my one suitcase showed up.  I realized I had no shoes and no tooth powder (dentures -gotta get them to stay in put) I had 1 formal dress and a swimsuit and socks and undies  3 pair of shorts and shirts so I could get buy.  Most nights in the evening I just walked around in socks.  

 

1st nigh tof dinner I had my newly given WHITE tee shirt and hubby's black swim shorts and black crocks to eat dinner in the MDR.  I felt so under dressed.  Hubby to break the ice told everyone he had been trying to get me out of my panties for years   

When we were in Plya I found come cool tennis shoes that I wear a lot now so I could have something other than crocks.  

 

We had a fantabulious cruize.  But I especially want people to know that RC guest services will go over and above what they can when they can.  she called me every day with a new status.  

 

NOW-I never got my 2nd suitcase until a month after we were home and the suitcase was beat the hell up .  I got all my clothes back and all my new makeup I had just bougnt for that cruise.  bUT Delta also bought us new luggage.   

 

Lesson learned.  Wear tennis shoes on plain and split between suitcases .  One swimsuit in each suitcase.  thanks like that.

 

 

 

If it hadn't been for my lady in RC GS I might have pouted the whole cruise.

[ChessE4]

Pre-covid we had a similar lost luggage story, although we all got ours about 3 days into our cruise. We found Royal's lost luggage team top notch.  Now I put a little extra into carryon...

[OCSC Mike]

So sorry you went through that. Props to you for making the best of it!

[twangster]

Another strategy is mixing clothes with your travel partner.  Put some of their clothes in your luggage, put some of your clothes in their luggage. 

Next time it might be your travel partner that has a lost bag. 

By mixing stuff between both of you at least you both have something. 

[tjcruisers]

To hedge my bets, if we're taking more than one suitcase I divide it so we each have clothes in each suitcase in case one gets lost. If they all get lost, well it wasn't meant to be

[PPPJJ-GCVAB]

11 hours ago, kspam said:

 

I wore a sundress with NOTHING under it and crocks.  I wanted that first picture to be great.  

Glad your story ended pretty well!  I must admit when I first started reading your story…that sentence about the sundress piqued my attention!!!  I had to keep reading!   

[Murmer]

My number one packing advice is to always pack a change of under garments in your carry on...shirts, pants, and swim suits can usually be gotten somewhere on board...but the underthings are not so easily replaceable. So glad that you had a very helpful RC guest service on the ship.

[mk-ultra]

5 hours ago, twangster said:

Another strategy is mixing clothes with your travel partner.  Put some of their clothes in your luggage, put some of your clothes in their luggage. 

Next time it might be your travel partner that has a lost bag. 

By mixing stuff between both of you at least you both have something. 

@tangster’s advice is spot-on about splitting things between bags. I also ALWAYS split one form of ID and a credit card / cash. One set in my pocket and one set in my carry-on backpack.

Its one hell of a shock to think you lost your wallet right before needing to check into a hotel.

Fortunately I found mine after I’d left the ship… stuffed into the wrong zip pocket in my backpack.  Definitely a high-BP moment though.

[Cakemeister]

Normally I would think that I can just wear Mrs. Cake's clothes if my suitcase is lost  but now that I think about it she can't wear my clothes, so I think mixing clothes between the suitcases is best.

[kspam]

6 hours ago, Murmer said:

My number one packing advice is to always pack a change of under garments in your carry on...shirts, pants, and swim suits can usually be gotten somewhere on board...but the underthings are not so easily replaceable. So glad that you had a very helpful RC guest service on the ship.

There is NO WHERE to buy panties and bras close by.  We laughed and said that we should start a shop for all ships featuring under clothes, shampoos and stuff.

 

The ONLY swimsuit on the ship was a M and my bust is a bit bigger than that.  It was a full one piece as well.  No two pieces and no big busted items

 

I have to buy 2 pieces.  XL for the top and size 8 for bottoms.  Sigh...

[kspam]

I have lost 60 lbs since then so the new clothes I never got to wear, I still can't wear.  

 

Oh well, guess I get more clothes 

[Allen2]

Lost luggage: been there - done that, and our sympathies. One suggestion: if you have Apple phones, purchase Air Tags.  Air Tags are four for $89 on Amazon.  When you arrive with no luggage, you will at least know "where" the luggage sits.  If it is not going to make it in time for boarding, you might have a chance to do some shopping for necessities.  Plus you can have a base of knowledge when dealing with the airline claims people - who usually can give you some toiletries and maybe some clothing. For us, Air Tags saved the day when I was able to tell cruise ship employees that one piece of luggage had still not been loaded on board ship prior to a delayed departure for a 14-day cruise.  The luggage was found still on the pier!  Combine this with the prior tips of splitting clothing in luggage, your stress level will decline (although not go away).  The earlier tip about splitting credit cards among pockets and travelers can also be critical.  For us, spouse carries two cards and I carry two different cards.  

[Montemy2419]

That is my biggest fear in traveling is the luggage not making it.  I am paranoid so I have a luggage tag on the outside and inside of our suitcases.  I do hand carry my medicine because I think I could replace the other items easily enough.  Now you have me thinking because I have one small suitcase that has all of my Gluten Free oatmeal and snacks.  I think that will now be a carry on as well because I can easily replace clothes but to find gf oatmeal and snacks in another country would be hard.  I know I can eat on the ship and I do but if I want a cookie after the show I would be one grumpy lady.