When cruise passengers arrive at the terminal, they trust porters to safely transport their larger pieces of luggage to the ship. Though bags won't be immediately available outside the cabin, guests expect to find them within hours of embarking. The last thing anyone wants to hear is that the cruise line has misplaced their suitcases.
For Lindsey Hargesheimer, a photographer from Denver, Colorado, the reality of missing bags sunk in on the first night of her Celebrity cruise from Amsterdam. She's taken to TikTok (@throughlindseyslens) to share her experience. The first video, which was filmed on July 6, 2024, has garnered over 73,000 views in one week.
"Hi, this is literally so ridiculous that I even need to make this video, but...Celebrity Cruises lost my bag in the ocean and left it there," she begins, "They still haven't gotten it back to me."
Hargesheimer explains she was first alarmed when the rest of her family members began receiving their bags, but hers was nowhere to be found. She called the cruise line to inquire about its location and was told they couldn't find it. She then tried tracking it using the AirTag she placed inside; however, the device wasn't working.
"I turn on my cellular [connection] because I have this intuitive hit...I immediately get a call from an Amsterdam number," she continues in the nearly 10-minute-long video, "It's someone from the Amsterdam port saying..., 'We just fished your bag out of the port of Amsterdam, out of the canal.'"
According to Hargesheimer, the port employee explained that there weren't any tags indicating where the bag was supposed to be going, only her personal identification tag with her phone number, address, and name: "If that wasn't on there, my bag would have never gotten back to me."
Understandably, she was shocked. It wasn't a Celebrity employee who had found the bag. In fact, the cruise line never even reported her luggage as missing.
Though she didn't disclose which ship she's sailing on, Celebrity Silhouette departed from Amsterdam on July 5 on a 12-night cruise to Scandinavia. The cruise is scheduled to call at Gdynia-Gdansk, Poland; Visby, Gotland Island, Sweden; Tallinn, Estonia; Stockholm, Sweden; Warnemunde-Rostock, Germany; and Copenhagen, Denmark.
If this is the cruise she's on, she won't receive her bags until the ship returns to the Netherlands on July 17.
Read more: 17 things I wish I knew before setting foot on a Celebrity ship
Hargesheimer packed two weeks of clothing, medications and supplements, makeup, toiletries, camera equipment, and family jewelry in her suitcase
Cruise lines advise guests to pack valuable items in their carry-on in the unlikely event their luggage is delayed getting to their cabin or goes missing. Everything from medications to travel documentation, electronics, and family heirlooms should be kept on your person, similar to air travel—you would not want to pack essential medication in a checked bag!
"Before you guys yell at me for having some camera equipment in my bag that was checked, I don't ever check my camera gear on airplanes. I have had my bags lost on airplanes before, but I was like, 'Oh, well, it's just gonna be checked for like twenty minutes...It's not like with a flight where you don't have it for like eight to ten hours," she explained.
"I didn't know they were gonna drop my bag in the canal."
A few days later, she posted another video explaining she didn't know carrying her bag on the ship was an option. A porter took the bag from her while assisting her wheelchair-bound grandmother.
Read more: 25 items you should always pack in your cruise carry-on bag
Initially, Celebrity Cruises didn't offer a lot of support
"The only thing that Celebrity Cruise Line gave me was a t-shirt, roll-on deodorant, a toothbrush, and toothpaste. I have nothing" Hargesheimer says while crying. During the first few days of the cruise, the only updates she received were those she specifically requested; they never called her stateroom.
In the second video of the four-part series, she updates viewers to let them know her bag's location was confirmed in Amsterdam. Moreover, it does have water damage, and Celebrity Cruises can't send the bag to meet her in another port of call.
Hargesheimer explains that Celebrity informed her she has to be present with a cruise line representative and port agent when the bag is opened to assess the damage.
Though she's in a new outfit, it's one that she bought with her own money in port, one that was neither provided nor compensated by Celebrity. She also had to buy a pair of walking shoes, as European ports are more active than those in the Caribbean and Bahamas. Rather than lounging on the beach, you often spend long days ashore trying to see as many sights as possible.
"The first 48 hours of the trip...I had to spend $178 at the gift store to get two items of clothing, both of which have their logo on it, and I don't really wanna be repping their logo right now," Hargesheimer says.
Thankfully, she's been told that she will be reimbursed for everything she purchases, as well as all damaged items in her luggage.
Read more: I never beat jet lag on my European cruise because of this mistake
In the third update posted on July 11, she shared she went to the medical center and got her necessary medications refilled. Moreover, she got $1,000 in onboard credit from Celebrity, which can be cashed out for U.S. dollars: "So far, I've obviously spent some of it at their own freaking gift store..., and I spent a good amount on shore just getting things that I need."
She also received a complimentary massage and facial in the ship's spa, two specialty meals, two laundry vouchers, a refunded excursion, upgraded Wi-Fi, flowers, and chocolate-covered strawberries. Additionally, Celebrity told Hargesheimer they purchased luggage for her and will give it to her before disembarkation on July 17.
The icing on the cake? A pair of sweatpants was lost when sent to be cleaned. After placing some calls, however, Celebrity was able to locate the missing article of clothing and return it to her.
Read more: 16 Bad Decisions That Could Ruin the Best Cruise
In addition to the overall stress of the situation, she's had to miss out on spending time in port
Though she doesn't disclose what port she bought clothes in, she says she wasted the entire day ashore. Presumably, it was Gdynia-Gdansk, Poland, as that was the first stop on the itinerary. The following day, she had to stay on the ship for a meeting with crew members, meaning she missed exploring yet another new destination.
While Hargesheimer's trip hasn't gone as planned, she's determined to make the most of her time onboard. She said she will continue providing updates, but she wants to enjoy time with her family.
TikTok users have flooded Hargesheimer's in support
"Please get to the customer service desk and go up the chain of command there. They need to make this right. I am so sorry and can only imagine how helpless & angry this is making you feel," wrote Prissykristy.
Colleen said, "What the actual [heck]!? Now I know who I won’t be booking a cruise with. They need to make this right ASAP."
"Nothing is worth it besides fully refunding this entire trip because how stressful," added court_422.
She didn't share if travel insurance was purchased for the trip
Travel insurance provides financial relief for various situations, including lost luggage, delayed flights, and medical emergencies.
Reddit user @No-vem-ber shared an experience highlighting the importance of insurance. "My luggage was delayed on a flight," they explain, "I didn't pack any spare clothing or underwear in my [carry-on], and I literally smelt like someone who just off an overnight flight!"
Rather than wearing the same clothing, they went to the store to purchase new outfits and toiletries, spending over $400 on brand-name items. Afterward, they filed a claim with their insurance company, and the entire cost was covered!
Read more: Cruise travel insurance and why you need it
If you have a medical emergency onboard, standard insurance policies typically won't cover treatment, meaning you will have to pay out-of-pocket for any expenses incurred. If you have a travel insurance policy, you may be eligible for reimbursement.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
