No, not me. Again, not me. I have everything I started out with. So far I have met three people whose luggage didn’t make the ship.
The first is a retired engineering type from Vancouver who was caught in the 1 March additional requirement by St Maarten for obtaining a pre-authorization certification for entry. Apparently, I have one of the few travel agents who made the extra effort to ensure that I knew about the requirement. In fact, my agent both phoned me and sent me an email complete with the link so that I could comply. Even so, at this point I always double check entry requirements before leaving home. He, and several others on his first flight were lucky enough to manage getting through the St Maarten website and getting an email back while waiting to check in. But he said it was a run for the gate; his luggage didn’t make the flight. Not all airlines fly in everyday. As a result, he spent all of Friday dealing with the mess and repeating dozens of times that luggage arrival on Sunday would do him no good. His luggage will be shipped back to family in Vancouver. And he was smart enough to do some minimal shopping before getting on the ship. The ship is providing him free laundry.
The second passenger’s luggage didn’t arrive on ship. By the time she realized that it wasn’t on, we had sailed. Her luggage, for whatever reason, was loaded onto the Seaborne ship that was also departing on Saturday. She picked up some clothes from the Ship’s boutique. Since she and her husband are staying in Portugal, her luggage will be sent to her there.
The last person, so far, is probably the one who is going to have the most challenge. First caught in the “you don’t have pre-authorization trap” the airline personnel in Portland Maine helped her through the process. She managed to lave a couple of bags in the taxi that brought her to the pier. More importantly – her son, who was suppose to meet her at the connecting airport was unable to get his authorization in time and didn’t make St Maarten’s at all – much less the ship. My best guess is that she is in here late 80s and hasn’t traveled by herself for a long time.
I have learned a couple of lessons through observation if you are going to a foreign [to you] port to board a ship :
- you need to check country requirements personally to make sure that there isn’t a problem
- use a good agent or book your flights through the cruise line. Flight failure, etc puts the burden on the cruise line to get you to the port
- It might cost more, but cruise line transfers are more likely to get all of your luggage to your ship than random hotels or taxis.
- carrying at least one change of clothes along with documents and meds in your carryon is a really good idea.
- and last but not least – fly with a regularly scheduled airline so that there is a chance that your bags, should they be separated from you, might actually make it to port. The airline with daily flights is a good idea. That budget one which offers flight only 2-3 days a week? Not so much.
May I add, “Don’t fly in on departure day, always arrive at least the day before”.
And, “Don’t let the ship leave until your luggage is in your cabin”.
And the old favorite, “Travel with someone else and cross-pack”.