Data Protection Issue

[Ray66]

Are you on the same cruise as the OP? (original poster of this topic).

 

I agree with you that you should have to give a password as well as your booking reference to log in.

[Salacia]

In regards to this having happened before? Yes, several months prior to the 2012 Australian Circumnavigation voyage I had a list of 60 or so names and details sent to me. Later a "please disregard previous email" followed thereafter by a re-booking email.

 

I still possess those emails and hard copies too...

 

I hope you all get everything sorted but keep in mind this system is far from secure

 

Hi Aubreyshipmate. Thanks for that info - although it is very disconcerting to know that there has been at least two previous occasions where some passenger's data was breached before this latest large scale episode.

 

Regards,

Salacia

[2irisheyes]

I have today discovered that we have been issued with a new booking reference for one of our two voyages booked with Cunard via a TA. I only discovered this when I tried to access the voyage personaliser and was instructed to phone Cunard. Cunard say they sent the new ref to our TA on 25 June but we had heard nothing. TA is now checking through the umpteen emails they receive daily to confirm this. I would have known nothing about this if it were not for this site (thank you davyjones). Cunard UK were unable to confirm if our names were on the list. They said we may have been issued with a new ref as a precaution. I will now email Passenger Relations UK to ask certain questions and if they are unable to answer them satisfactorily I will have to contact the US. They were unable to give me an email address of someone to contact in the States from where the erroneous email was sent - I don't believe it and I do not like being fobbed off. The moral I have learnt from this is not too put the required info on the VP until the last possible moment. As someone mentioned earlier, a password should be necessary in order to access the VP. We always avoid letting people know when we will be away except for those we know we can trust - hopefully.

[Jimsgirl]

I had cause to phone Cunard yesterday, over an issue with password/e mail , during course of conversation I mentioned " a recent breach of security " and was told that there was "NO BREACH OF SECURITY"

 

So now we know - it never happened!!!!!

 

Talk about circling the wagons.

 

On the Panama Canal cruise, QV stuck on a sand bank , everyone in the theatre inc. the lecturer, heard and felt the "thud", heard the pods labouring to pull/push the ship off, and a dinner companion on deck (who has spent a great deal of time at sea working sailing ships) took pictures over the side of QV of the sand bank, inc birds alongside on the sand bank, and the two tugs that helped free QV.

 

Later officers when asked completely denied the event. Cunard must think we are stupid.

[2irisheyes]

Cunard UK acknowledged the emailing of spreadsheet as the OP reported. My TA has since copied me with the press statement issued by Peter Shanks on the matter. The number of people to whom the spreadsheet was sent was not revealed but perhaps it was everyone on the list. Who knows how often this might happen and we don't get to hear about it - not just with cruiselines but also with airlines where they also require advance passenger information.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Today, July 13, I received a letter from Cunard (Dated July 2) about the breach. the letter is signed by Nina J. Kass, Vice President, Customer Service.

 

It starts by explaining that a file was inadvertently attached to an email sent to "some of our guests." The email was an "automatic email regarding our White Star Luggage service."

 

According to this letter, the data released was booking reference numbers and email addresses. They do not say that names were released. BUT they go on to say:

 

"As you are aware, the booking number, when combined with your first and last name gan give access to your Cunard voyage Personaliser account. If you have added your passport number, this may permit viewing of it, but does not expose any credit, debit or finiancial account number or other government identification number."

 

Then the letter goes on to suggest checking your credit report, and ends with an apology.

[Salacia]

Today, July 13, I received a letter from Cunard (Dated July 2) about the breach. the letter is signed by Nina J. Kass, Vice President, Customer Service.

 

It starts by explaining that a file was inadvertently attached to an email sent to "some of our guests." The email was an "automatic email regarding our White Star Luggage service."

 

According to this letter, the data released was booking reference numbers and email addresses. They do not say that names were released. BUT they go on to say:

 

"As you are aware, the booking number, when combined with your first and last name gan give access to your Cunard voyage Personaliser account. If you have added your passport number, this may permit viewing of it, but does not expose any credit, debit or finiancial account number or other government identification number."

 

Then the letter goes on to suggest checking your credit report, and ends with an apology.

 

Kathy, that's pretty creepy:eek: I read that a leaked passport number can result in identity theft. Hopefully, that won't happen. BTW, do you need to advise any US government agency that your passport number might have been compromised?

Regards, -S.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Kathy, that's pretty creepy:eek: I read that a leaked passport number can result in identity theft. Hopefully, that won't happen. BTW, do you need to advise any US government agency that your passport number might have been compromised?

Regards, -S.

 

The letter said nothing about how a passport number might be used. When it happened, I was going to contact the State Dept, but got too busy planning our vacation (road trips are way more complicated to plan than cruise trips!!!). Now that I'm back, I may do that.

 

Someone could get my name, address, and passport number and make themselves a passport using that. But when they try to go through an immigration checkpoint, MY picture will come up on the computer, not theirs, so I don't think it would work. I don't know how document forgers get past the computer issues.

 

Even so, I'll add "call Hillary about passport" to my to-do list.

[2irisheyes]

3rdGenCunarder - People in the business of forging passports use blank passports (possibly stolen in bulk) and add whatever information and photos they choose. I too received info from Cunard UK that it was the White Star Luggage service in the US which sent the lists out attached to a promotion email about their service to passengers on various cruises. They confirmed that if you have been issued with a new reference number your name would have been on one of the lists. It had been mentioned earlier that some people had been issued with new numbers as a precaution but that does not appear to be the case. We have not received an apology or indeed were not notified of the breach. They just keep reiterating that they closed the voyager personaliser down as soon as the mistake was realised but they avoid saying how long this was.