It’s always frustrating when your luggage gets lost – but what happens when your bag wasn’t misplaced, but simply forgotten?
One recent Royal Caribbean passenger is finding this out the hard way after mistakenly leaving Florida’s PortMiami without one of her checked bags.
“I forgot a bag at the terminal in Miami…I realized my mistake when I got to MIA. I felt it was too late to go back for the bag,” the cruiser admitted on Reddit.
If the unidentified guest had realized her mistake prior to leaving the port, she perhaps could have spoken to port staff to re-enter Terminal A – which is the terminal used by Royal Caribbean.
In most cases, guests can re-enter a cruise terminal after exiting, but would likely need to go through the security check points a second time.
Unfortunately, she did not realize her error until she arrived at the Miami International Airport (MIA) – when it was too late to go back.
She also enjoyed a post-cruise excursion before heading to the airport. So by this point, the woman and her son needed to catch a flight and several hours had likely passed.
From the airport, she tracked her bag using AirTags she had packed and found the item was no longer at the cruise terminal either.
“I have made my AirTag discoverable and updated the Chargerback site with the last whereabouts of my bag… Which, interestingly enough, is on a road…not in the terminal,” she added.
Most likely, Royal Caribbean or port authorities were relocating her forgotten suitcase to a secure location until it could be reunited with its owner.
Additionally, the baggage pick-up zones in Terminal A likely needed to be cleared for upcoming cruise ship calls.
In addition to Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises also operate out of this busy terminal – both of which are brands owned by Royal Caribbean.
A Simple Mistake – But Now What?
Disembarkation day can be hectic. You’re tired after your cruise vacation and can feel rushed to get off the ship and to catch a flight or make it to your next destination.
In the case of this RCL guest, she also checked her carry-on suitcase – which is not something she normally does. The break in her routine was forgotten in the stress of the morning.
“Why did I forget a bag, you might well ask. Well, ‘normally’ I keep my carry-on bag with me. Last night I decided to leave it with my big suitcase for the porters to handle. This being out of the ordinary (for me), I completely forgot I had a second bag to gather,” the guest explained.
Read Also: 10 Worst Cruise Fails You Can Prepare For
So, what happens now? The cruiser has thus far contacted Royal Caribbean and was told that she will need to go through the process of filling out a “lost item” report.
She said: “Royal finally called me back, then informed me my only course of action was the lost item report. ‘Our agents will contact you in seven to ten days…’
Per Royal Caribbean’s website, the guest would have needed to fill out a short form through Chargerback.com to initiate the lost and found process – which can be completed online.
The form asks simple questions to try to locate the missing item, such as the date it was lost, sail dates, and where the item was last seen.
“We will make every attempt to locate the items and return it to you. If found, all items will be shipped to the guest at their expense at a price determined by the courier company,” Royal Caribbean’s policy states.
“Due to Customs and other factors, there may be a delay in shipping, or some items may not be deliverable,” Royal Caribbean’s website continues.
In the Reddit community where this guest sought advice, the passenger was told not to beat herself up too much about the mistake and to try not to stress while the “lost and found” process gets underway.
