How much should a cruise line pay for lost luggage?
— -- Question: After I took a Hawaiian cruise with Princess Cruises, the cruise line lost my luggage. I put my suitcase outside my cabin on the last night of the cruise, as directed. The next morning, I went into the baggage hall to claim my suitcase, but could not find my bag. I alerted one of the assistants and we searched for my suitcase to no avail.
Princess asked me to itemize everything I had in the suitcase, which took me several hours. I submitted the list along with the proper paperwork and estimated the value of my missing belongings at $2,100. My list included heirloom jewelry, making the loss more grievous.
Princess replied that it would only give me $250. The cruise line further suggested that I should have bought its travel insurance. I feel they should be competent enough to move one suitcase down three flights of stairs and onto the pier, and I should not have to buy insurance to cover such a simple operation.
I have traveled all over the world for forty years and never lost a suitcase until now. I feel Princess should reimburse me for the loss. Can you help me?
-- Sara Hanlon Columbus, Ind.
Answer: Don't expect cruise lines to be like airlines. While it's always distressing to have your luggage disappear, at least airlines will reimburse you up to $3,300 if they lose your bag on domestic flights. But cruisers are often shocked to discover that cruise companies drastically limit their lost-luggage liability to just $100-$300 per passenger.
Princess' passage contract details its baggage policy, including the $250 cap on lost- or damaged-luggage compensation. That sum is for regular clothing and toiletries; the cruise line won't reimburse passengers for lost jewelry, electronics, or other "valuable items." Even locking up your valuables in your in-room safe or at the purser's desk won't change the $250 ceiling. These limits are yet another reason cruisers should buy travel insurance, either directly from the cruise line or through a third-party insurer, even if lost luggage on board is unusual. Princess' Vacation Protection plan bumps the baggage compensation up to $1,500, or $3,000 under its Platinum option.
