Travelling goes not always according to plan. Especially, when you travel as much as my husband and I do. This is our story from Singapore. Two days before our cruise started…
I was relaxed as my husband and I started our flight from Zurich via Frankfurt, Germany, to Singapore. We’ve booked nice premium economy seats to have a good start into our holiday adventure. I was eager to get to Singapore and spend two wonderful days exploring the city.
Why you should always have something for the first three days in your hand luggage…
The ‘champagne’ that had been open for hours, which was really just a sparkling wine, didn’t stress me out too much on the flight. As well as the flight itself, which was not too long, thanks to the videos I brought onboard. But my husband reading his emails when arriving in Singapore and saying: Lufthansa just wrote me that our baggage is not on the flight” annoyed me a bit. Haha… you would be annoyed too, not? 😉
And yes, after checking all the details and arriving at the baggage claim, the last suitcase went by and ours was not there. It wouldn’t have been too bad if we hadn’t planned to go on a cruise the day after tomorrow. That means if the luggage doesn’t arrive and we don’t buy anything in Singapore, we’ll have to “survive” two days at sea with just what we have in our hand luggage. Not soo much fun…
Statistically, no wonder…
But what do you expect? if you go on cruise number 38, statistically it must happen at some point. The airline could not say exactly when our luggage would arrive, and the earliest time was at the evening before our cruise starts.
Therefore, we just decided to do the sensible thing: skip our wonderful day visiting the gardens by the bay next day and go shopping instead. As it already was early evening, we just run into the nearest shopping centre and bought a pyjama before the shops closed. Uff…
Shopping can be really stressful
The next day we went shopping. I would rather call it hardcore shopping. I didn’t like it. I like going through shops and finding nice things. But running around and buying everything from underwear, socks and cosmetics to trousers, skirts and t-shirts as well as a new suitcase is just stressful.
We had decided to only buy things we would buy elsewhere – quality stuff – and only for the next five days until Bangkok. At worst, that would be our next shopping day. Planned – done. In the evening, we were exhausted but happy with our decision.
Images: after a stressful day, we just went to the nice bar in our Hotel – The Fullerton. There we had dinner and one of these famous Singapore Sling Drinks…
The happy end
The airline staff called us around ten o’clock, just as we were finishing dinner at a wonderful restaurant by the bay. Our luggage would arrive at the hotel between midnight and two in the morning. In other words, we would not be safe until the next morning. We were too exhausted to wait that long.
I can say that I was really happy when our luggage was at the reception the next morning. It would have just been unnecessary stress in the following days. And I didn’t want to find out if they would have been able to send the luggage to the next cruise port…
Happy end: we got the luggage and travelled around from then with 3 suitcases and 2 hand luggage suitcases – like people who really bring too much for a cruise…
The even happier end
After coming back from a wonderful cruise (read more here:…), we sent all receipts to Lufthansa. Filling out the forms correctly and have all details at hand might have helped. But they were generous and we got back all our extra expenses as is written in their regulations. That means, we will travel with Lufthansa and via Frankfurt again.
Yes, you should… as well as I should…
You should always, always have these things in your hand luggage:
- All the medication you need
- Mobile phone charging cable
- Clothes for the first two days that suit the weather at your destination
- A pair of light extra shoes, sandals or what you will wear
- The most important cosmetics and the ones difficult to get – in that nasty 1-litre plastic bag (pro tip: hair and shower soaps are not liquids)
- Things you really don’t want to lose
- A light rucksack or soft bag that can hold everything you need in case the airline requires you to check in your hand luggage trolley after all
Did I forget something? Yes, patience! Take it easy, it is only luggage. It helps to crack a few jokes and not take the situation too seriously. Your adventures abroad are not dependent on a few clothes.
PS: My story about the cruise will follow…
Read more: planning cruise excursions like a pro!
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