Cheryl Stuchbery was reduced to tears when recalling what had happened. Photo / A Current Affair via news.com.au
Cheryl Stuchbery was reduced to tears when recalling what had happened. Photo / A Current Affair via news.com.au
A woman was reduced to tears after she recalled the moment she was forced to wear the same clothes everyday, including her husband’s underwear, after a cruise liner lost her luggage.
Cheryl Stuchbery and her husband John are both avid cruisers, and they were excited for their recent trip from Australia to New Zealand with Royal Caribbean.
However, their 11-day trip turned into a nightmare when the cruise liner lost Cheryl’s suitcase, leaving her with one “smelly outfit” to wear for the entire trip.
“It’s exciting to go on a cruise and get dressed up for dinner every night, [but] I couldn’t do that,” she told A Current Affair, adding she was stuck wearing a white T-shirt and dark polka dot pants.
Guest services offered to wash her clothes when the bag didn’t show up on the second day – but this meant she was stuck in her room for three hours.
“I was very depressed. I was in tears a lot of the time,” she told the programme.
In the time staff washed and dried her clothes, she was wearing a T-shirt and gown they had provided.
Cheryl Stuchbery was forced to wear the same clothes for 11 days after the cruise liner she was on lost her luggage. Photo / A Current Affair via news.com.au
She also had to wear John’s underwear — something she did, however, find the humour in.
“I’ve put a pair on, but the only thing is, I couldn’t fill out the little pouch in the front,” she joked.
When they arrived at Christchurch after six days, they spent their free time trying to find clothes for Cheryl to wear, but said there weren’t many options.
“We were in the middle of town and there was nothing, " John recalled. “Cheryl bought a pair of jeans she’s never worn because she doesn’t like them, but she bought them because she wanted something to put on.”
“When we [went] to Milford Sound, I couldn’t go up top ‘cause it was cold and damp [and] I had nothing to wear,” Cheryl said.
It wasn’t until a day after they arrived back in Sydney that her bag was found – it was on the cruise ship.
While Cheryl found the humour in having to wear her husband’s undies, ultimately, her trip was tarnished by her experience. Photo / A Current Affair via news.com.au
“We were in Sydney at the airport ready to go home, and [they rang] and said, ‘Oh we found your suitcase’,” John said. “It had been on the boat the whole time.
“And they were saying, well, ‘That’s okay, you got your case back’.”
In a statement provided to news.com.au, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said they “sincerely apologise” for misplacing Cheryl’s luggage.
“Mr and Mrs Stuchbery were provided with complimentary express laundry, an onboard credit to assist with purchasing incidental items and specialty dining,” the spokesperson said.
“The luggage was located on return to Sydney and Mr and Mrs Stuchbery have been offered additional compensation and documentation to support a claim via their travel insurance.”
