Debarkation morning on a cruise ship is chaotic, with early morning wake ups, multiple announcements, long lines, and anxiety about making flights, remembering where the car is parked, or other onward arrangements.
In all the confusion, it is not surprising that cruisers sometimes forget something on the ship, only to realize later that they have left it behind.
It can be upsetting to forget a critical item, and even more frustrating when you remember right at the cruise terminal but aren’t permitted to return to the ship for just a minute to retrieve it.
In response to a recent complaint, Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador John Heald has addressed exactly these scenarios, outlining what to do in case a traveler does leave something behind on their ship.
“In the chaos that is disembarkation morning, my hubby’s eyeglasses were left in our cabin,” the guest explained. “We realized as drove out of the parking lot. We went back and the staff in the terminal area told us we could not get back on the ship. We knew the eyeglasses were on the bedside [table].”
Bear in mind, the guest does not explain how long they were out of their stateroom before returning to the terminal to seek the lost eyeglasses.
It is possible they left their cabin and had breakfast before debarking the ship, passing through customs, and finding their vehicle. This could have been a couple of hours, during which time their stateroom may have already been cleaned.
“We demanded to speak to the Radiance guest relations manager. Again, we were refused. John this is terrible customer service,” the guest continued. “These were expensive eyeglasses. We need them returned to us immediately. … What do we have to do? This is not good enough for a company like Carnival.”
While the date of the guest’s cruise is not noted, Carnival Radiance is homeported from Long Beach, California year-round. The 102,232-gross-ton, Sunshine class ship (formerly Carnival Victory) offers 3- and 4-night Baja Mexico itineraries, with occasional longer Hawaii and Mexican Riviera sailings.
Heald is not unsympathetic to the guest losing such a useful item, but does explain that in Carnival’s fleet of 27 ships, a lot of items are left behind every week.
“We do have approximately 1,000 lost or forgotten items every week across the fleet, sometimes more,” he said. “We probably have more forgotten or lost glasses than anything else along with books, things left in the cabin safe, and various indiscriminate items such as a clothes, phones, a prosthetic leg (seriously) and many different items that people have left behind.”
I’m sure there’s a story behind the prosthetic leg, but that would take this story a step in the wrong direction.
Once debarking the ship, travelers are no permitted to return to the vessel for any reason. While this may seem extreme, it is a firm security policy that also involves US Customs and Border Protection as well as the cruise line’s security.
“Just like they tell you when you get off your flight and the flight attendant says remember all your belongings because you will not be allowed back on the plane, it is the same for the ships,” Heald explained. “Security protocols dictate this.”
Retrieving a Lost Item
If guests do leave something aboard – whether they realize it just minutes after debarkation or not until they reach home and can’t find a particular item in their luggage – they can contact Carnival Cruise Line for assistance.
There is a Lost and Found Item form to fill out, which includes information such as the type of item lost, the ship name and sailing date, and shipping address information if the item is recovered.
“Please complete the form,” Heald urged. “My colleagues at the Mother Ship will do their best to get the item if it is indeed found back to you as soon as possible but I should say, we so many items to deal with, it may take some time.”
Remember When? Missing Sail & Sign Card on Carnival Victory Found 20 Years Later
If travelers are still onboard when they discover an item missing, they should report the loss to the Guest Services desk with a description of the item and where they believe they had it last.
Recovered items are turned in and held securely until they are claimed or reported after the end of the cruise, when every attempt will be made to return them to their rightful owners.
Have you ever lost anything onboard a cruise ship? Did you get it back? How long did it take? Share your experiences on the Cruise Hive boards!
