> Cruising Questions & Advice > Questions/Answers > What happens if luggage is lost before ship sails

Hi, we've just booked first ever cruise to the Eastern Med with Royal Caribbean. Our flights, organised by RCI, are indirect from London to Venice via Dusseldorf with Lufthansa. What happens if luggage doesn't make it onto the second flight?

Joodee, will they let you collect the luggage at Dusseldorf and re check it in to Venice I know it is a nusiance but at least you would know it had made the flight. I have been on cruises where people have boarded with no sign of their bags and they wait at every port to see if it turns up. Usually it does arrive but you see them wandering about in outfits they have bought on board and it must be so annoying when you have packed special items for your holiday and you don't get to wear them. Try and pack a small selection of essentials in hand luggage.
Hopefully it will all be fine and you will have a wonderful time but things do sometimes go wrong..Carol

Likelihood is your luggage will be tagged for Venice so you won't be collecting your cases until then. The luggage tags are bar coded and if you are worried and it depends on the staff at Düsseldorf but they can check the bar codes you were issued with and they can tell they are on your plane for Venice, I have always found Lufthansa very helpful and if you explain to the staff your concerns your first cruise etc they may scan the bar codes to confirm all is well. I have done it a few times on odd occasions they said they were to busy but on one occasion it did confirm one suitcase was not loaded due to aircraft changes but we were on our way home and it arrived about 8 hours after we got home. I am fairly certain all will be well and stop worrying and look forward to your cruise and have a great time.

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Bill Byth-Sailed with Solstice & Equinox and soon Eclipse

This happened to a friend on a cruise to Alaska. Her husband's case was offloaded from the plane but hers wasn't and she had a 12 day trip with just what she could buy at various ports and on the ship. It spoiled her holiday unfortunately which was to celebrate a special occasion.

Since then we've each packed our own case and then taken out half and swapped it so that if it ever happens to us we'll at least have some clothes to wear.
Liz

we usually fly indirect, as we book with the cruise company also, our luggage has always made it to our destination OK. however we always mix our clothes into both suitcases, just incase. I know it's hard not to worry, but try not to.

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don't want to work just want to cruise

On the "Brilliance" repositioning cruise to Dubia in Jan this year 12people were without luggage for 5 days and one a German for 8 days.It isnt often that this happens and the only way that it can be narrowed down is to travel the day before.Because in this case the flights were organised by RCCL they would accept a moral responsibility for lost luggage.Putting extra labels on the cases stating the details of the Cuise may help.

As the Cruise is to the Eastern Med it is relativly easy to rejoin passengers with their luggage,because of the frequent flights in that area but can understand your concerns.

Even travelling the day before is no guarantee. Two years ago we flew to Los Angeles on BA to join QE2 and travelled the day before. Two of our four cases did not arrive and it took two weeks before they caught up with us. We travelled day 3 after the opening of Terminal 5. We were the lucky ones, some people didnt get any luggage.
Brian

As has already been mentioned, it can and does often happen... not to many people but enough.

Some are more unlucky than others... out of 25 cruises - mine's gone missing twice... on both of those occasions the flights had been with the cruise company and to be fair they were very helpful... Luckily I suppose, being in the Caribbean it was not a problem for day wear (looked a propper buggar but life's too short to worry about that) - evenings took more effort until our dinner companions took pity and arranged a clothing parcel for me - in fact... in spite of the nuisance factor it was nice being a bit of a celebrity and it did make socialising around the ship far more interesting as word spread (small ship)...

My 1st bit of advice is to split your clothes between 2 cases as already suggested and hope that 1 of them does arrive *obviously harder for a single traveler*

My 2nd ... if it does happen.... Don't get angry or upset about it... take it as much in your stride as possible ... DON'T spend every minute of the day trying to sort it out (you'll just waste your holiday)... if you have the means (and its REALLY gonna bug you) just allocate a few hours on your first port day to splash out on your credit card and then make the most of your trip....

ON a brighter note - I LIKE it when it happens on the return journey... once you've established it's not going to arrive at the airport - you can make your way home in the knowledge it will either turn up in a few days (to your door in a taxi you've not had to pay for) or you can go shopping with the insurance money) - either way you've NOT come home to a whole load of washing

atb
Mark

Thanks to everyone who replied. We are fairly relaxed about it I just wondered if it often happens. We'll be clever with our packing just in case!

Good tip about splitting the suitcases

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