Do NOT become to complacent as we did :O(

[jaspercat]

I'm really glad the OP started this thread to remind all of us. My husband thinks I'm a little paranoid about putting stuff away in the cabin, but this thread proves my point.

 

I insisted we charge everything overnight. We both have ipads, so mine would charge overnight, and his would charge in the morning since he sleeps late. Phones are overnight, too.

 

When we leave the cabin ALL our stuff is out of sight, and what can fit in the safe goes in there. Our ipads won't fit with all the other stuff, but we usually take them with us since our books are on the ipads. If we have to leave the ipads in the cabin they go inside the dark closet in a black zipper bag so they are practically invisible, and even doing that makes me a little nervous. Someone would have to go on a hunting expedition to find them, though.

 

My philosophy is make it hard on the bad guys to find stuff.

 

I will only leave the charging cords and plugs out, since they are only a few dollars on ebay to replace.

 

I'd also like to say thanks to the OP as we all need a reminder not to be complacent.

 

I too will charge my phone and BB playbook overnight. If not wanting to take my phone when in port or even on-board I have left it on its charger on the table and so far had no problem -- but this reminds me that I could. The Playbook fits in the safe so it goes in there when not charging.

 

Have to say once I left my camera in the room on the desk, came back and it wasn't there -- cabin steward moved it into the pull-out cupboards beside the mirror. I was freaking out but did did check that area. On one cruise my tablemates at dinner had a similar situation so I mentioned that perhaps their steward had moved it into the cupboard on the side of the mirrors -- they came back the next night to dinner saying that was where it was.

 

 

 

[jaspercat]

I would like to comment on that they pop open the doors -- I too am not sure why they do, but have found anytime I've had to go back to cabin my cabin steward pops their head out from wherever they are or comes to my door -- is it just "me" that triggers that response or do they get that feel when anyone is walking by.

 

I'm not sure if I walked by a cabin with the door propped open that I would be guaranteed time to search it without the steward knowing or risking the occupants coming back.

 

I'm one that does trust my cabin steward.

[crusinthrough]

Why not use the "Find My Phone" app for the iPhone or iPad? Once activated, you can see a map that indicates where your item is located. In addition, an alert sound can be sent to the missing item. I'm not sure how long the sound last but it would probably be annoying to someone who took your item. You can also remotely lock your phone making it less beneficial to someone. It's a great free app to find your iPhone or iPad.

 

 

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[Shippy]

Why not use the "Find My Phone" app for the iPhone or iPad? Once activated, you can see a map that indicates where your item is located. In addition, an alert sound can be sent to the missing item. I'm not sure how long the sound last but it would probably be annoying to someone who took your item. You can also remotely lock your phone making it less beneficial to someone. It's a great free app to find your iPhone or iPad.

 

 

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We went to an Apple store at the next port. They tried to locate it for me. THAT ONLY WORKS IF THE IPAD IS ON....it wasn't.

Since I had a 'combination' lock to turn it on....the thief would not be able to.

The Apple people told me after 10 unsuccessful tries at the combination...it would be forever locked.

I think it would be impossible to guess the random code in only 10 tries.

[Shippy]

Here's what I want to know….what happened to the cabin attendant who's own cabin was searched and was in fear of losing her job? Did she keep her job or did the cruise line send her packing? Frankly, if I was her and someone accused me of stealing, I would be pissed as hell!!

 

We have cruised so much and spoken to so many crew, we know what a hard job it is and how dedicated they are (the majority).

I truly wanted to believe our cabin stewardess did not do it. She was hesterical. Said she had been with Princess for 15 years and sends her money home for her kids. She said would would not jepordize her career over an Ipad. I am sure the humiliation of having her cabin torn apart in front of her peers was awful.

I have heard often enough that if crew does something to break the rules...they can be left at the next port.

I had meetings...at their request...with several different people in charge. At the last one, I expressed my feeling about the cabin stewardess and asked what would happen to her. They said that if they do not find any proof of her wrong doing...there will be no action against her....I hope that was true..

Remember...crew worked on the balcony that morning....cabin door had been left open during cleaning...

[CVU]

Very good point. We have had mini bar let themselves in while one of us was showering and the other out on the balcony. They are very quick to barge in.

 

Yes! We had one person that just knocked and the door opened!! :eek: Luckily I was just reading on the sofa! He was very apologetic.

We like to use the mini bar and don't want daily checks on it either, so it is emptied Day 1. Once they know that, they don't check until the final day.

Seems you must put the double lock on the door when not wanting company!:D

 

We have locked electronics etc. in our suit case when they won't all fit into the safe. Seen so many doors propped open with no one around.......better to be cautious.

[shipshape78]

I'm sailing on the allure this summer and will have my 15" laptop, dslr, and other stuff they clearly won't fit in the safe. Unfortunately, I think I need to bring the laptop in order to dump footage and pictures onto a hard drive. I'm thinking about bringing my cable lock and securing the laptop to something in the room to make it less of a target. Not sure what I'll do with the dslr...

[Badfinger]

Maybe hubby got tired of the iPad game playing and chucked it into the ocean!

[Badfinger]

Sounds like it would be easier to bring along a couple extra SD cards.

[shipshape78]

Sounds like it would be easier to bring along a couple extra SD cards.

 

I've done the math. With the amount if footage I plan on shooting with my gopro and dslr - it would be pretty expensive to get enough sd and cf cards to accommodate. Plus, it will be super handy to have the laptop if a work crisis happens.

[Badfinger]

Work crisis? Even more reason to leave the laptop home!

[DreaAST]

I'm glad I read this because it has put me back in check. I'm always anal about locking things up however this past trip we just took we were very complacent and I know there were days I left my iPhone out. Very fortunate nothing happened but will be paying attention again here on out. Sorry this happened to you!

[ehfl]

It's a good idea to set up all your mobile devices for remote wipe and lock. If they get stolen, just log onto one of the ship's computers and have them remotely wiped and locked. At least that makes it less likely for crooks to get your personal information.

[CU64]

I don't carry iphone around with me on ship ever unless I have an ER at home.

...phones, jewelry (anything expensive stays home anyway), money, passport, wallets, go into safe asap and would never be left out in room unless

I forgot to lock safe. We only carry around ship card unless I am heading somewhere specific where I might need something, like the casino.

 

We only charge items when I am in the room. Period. I do the same in any hotel room. We don't bring laptops or ipads.......we are on vacation and if we truly need to do something, we use internet on ship and I now have the iphone which is very handy for an ER.

 

Even then, I appreciate this thread as sometimes, I put something in the top drawer where I do my hair/makeup at night before bed if I am too lazy to open safe and put them back. Usually I do it in AM but will stay even more vigilant now. Nothing valuable but I have my favorites!

[Pam]

If the "find my ipad" app doesn't work unless the device is on, wouldn't that be the same thing with the "wipe and lock" one?

[05mak05]

We've also been on many cruises and I no longer lock anything at all. I have 100% confidence in the room attendants. I believe your attendant was telling the truth when she said I wouldn't risk my job for an iPad. So, how did the crew working on balconies enter the room? Were you in port? Was this a crew from the ship or independent contractors that boarded the ship while you were docked? My bet is that you were in port and that the balcony crew were independent and not regular Princess employees. Whoever took your iPad and watch were brazen with no fear of getting caught. What kind of work was being done to your balcony? When we're in port, I will certainly be more careful in securing phones and my iPad.

[CU64]

We've also been on many cruises and I no longer lock anything at all. I have 100% confidence in the room attendants. I believe your attendant was telling the truth when she said I wouldn't risk my job for an iPad. So, how did the crew working on balconies enter the room? Were you in port? Was this a crew from the ship or independent contractors that boarded the ship while you were docked? My bet is that you were in port and that the balcony crew were independent and not regular Princess employees. Whoever took your iPad and watch were brazen with no fear of getting caught. What kind of work was being done to your balcony? When we're in port, I will certainly be more careful in securing phones and my iPad.

 

My bet is on a passenger (s)........

[critterchick]

My bet is on a passenger (s)........

 

Mine, too.

 

We are pretty complacent about our electronics, other than my cameras. On RCI, I usually see that the stateroom attendants open the bathroom and closet doors to block one's view of the inside of the cabin when they're cleaning it. And they do seem to be trained to check when they hear passengers in the hall. But I also saw some passengers touring an owner's suite while the attendant was fetching something off of his cart, so it's certainly not foolproof.:eek:

 

OP, I'm sorry for the violation of your space and sense of well-being. I hope you recover from it soon. And, as a fellow addict, I'm REALLY sorry about the Candy Crush.;)

[chadbeck]

I have only been on rccl but on a couple of their ships I have toured the security area and they have cameras in the hallways. It seems strange other ships would't have these. I would guess there would be "blind" spots but not sure how anyone would know this except to get really lucky. Those safes on the ship couldn't hold everything I have with me so I have always asked the steward to keep my door closed if they aren't in it. I can't say if this is done all the time but not much else I can do. Just no way you can fit camera, lenses, computer/tablet, and other common items.

[knittinggirl]

Some cruise lines have cameras in the guest passageways, some don't. The cameras are there not to protect the passengers, but to protect the cruise line. Many, many hotels do not have security cameras outside all the rooms. The surveillance cameras on cruise ships started out because of the casinos, and were designed for watching the crew.

 

While hotel housekeeping generally do one room at a time, because of the USPH sanitation requirements to continually change gloves between various tasks of cleaning a cabin, the cabin stewards will service a group of rooms at a time, so that they do, for instance, all cabin bathrooms at once, remove gloves, make all the beds, put on gloves, empty trash, things like that. I don't recall all the specifics of what tasks require gloves, which don't, etc, but I do know that part of USPH seminars is gaming how to do cabin service with a minimum number of glove changes.

 

This does, however, leave a number of cabins open at one time, without the steward being aware of who enters the cabins. It is a weak point in ship's security, but again, the ticket contract limits liability for loss or damage to passenger's "belongings, whether contained in baggage or otherwise" to $300.

If you're cleaning all the bathrooms at once, you're cross contaminating!

 

A couple of years ago, one of the crew stole a camera and took photos of himself and others. The camera had one of those memory cards that uploaded the photos to the web, and that's how they caught him.

[cindivan]

My family thinks I'm a little crazy because I won't leave money in our safe. I carry it with me everywhere. And i don't like leaving anything very valuable in there either. I think it's less likely someone will rifle through my bag that I have with me than someone with a master code or key open the safe when they know we are gone. I don't know if it's ever happened on a cruise because I don't keep exact track of what I have, but I had over $400 stolen in 20s from a hotel safe. Of course there was nothing to be done because there was no way to prove how much I had or who was in my room.

 

There is so much in the news about lack of security at hotels and cruises. I feel like when I leave stuff in the safe I am just saving a thief time from having to search the room.

 

I don't think that is what happened with the OP, just not sure there is a totally safe place for my valuables when I travel. And insurance doesn't really cover the "small stuff " without the rates going up, so you usually just have to suck it up.

 

OP makes a great point of not being complacent, but outside of carrying a suitcase of stuff around with everywhere, I think that is just another hazard of traveling.

 

 

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[Ocean Boy]

If you're cleaning all the bathrooms at once, you're cross contaminating!

 

A couple of years ago, one of the crew stole a camera and took photos of himself and others. The camera had one of those memory cards that uploaded the photos to the web, and that's how they caught him.

 

I remember that thread. I think it happened on a Princess ship if I remember correctly.

[dep]

I started to write this on the thread asking about if an Ipad would fit in a safe but decided better for more people to read this.

 

 

We have been on almost 50 cruises on all cruiselines.Either used the safe or put things in the suitcase under the bed.

I would say that for the last 2 years we got "lazy".

You know....like leaving the phones on the chargers on the desk,etc.

 

Our luck ran out 2 months ago on a Princess cruise.

Their nightstands have drawers and an open shelf on the top. I am an insomniac & basically use my ipad for games during the night. Instead of putting it in the suitcase under the bed, I left it on the shelf of the nightstand with some magazines on the top. It was not actually visable but easy to get to.

We left the room in the morning and returned in the afternoon. As soon as I walked in, I could tell that area had been touched. My Ipad was gone and a watch from my husband nightstand.

I actually cried and then called security and demanded to see the video from the hallway.

They said their room keys acted like security because they could see who goes in and out. I said that proves nothing EXCEPT WHO GOES IN AND OUT....not who might take something.

HERE WAS THE REAL SHOCKER.....they said there are no video cameras in the hallways of any of their ships but all over the rest of the ship.

They immediately did a search of our room...I mean complete including looking under the mattress & dumped out our laundry bag. Their reasoning was we might have put these items somewhere and forgot where or....sometimes a thief will hide something and come back for it later.

They did the same search in the cabin of our cabin stewardess. That afternoon, she cried hysterically in the hallyway. She had been with the company 15 years and was scared for her job. It was an awful experience. The next few days I had to meet with different people and fill out all kinds of paperwork. I felt without cameras....you are stuck.

Those who have cruised before, I am sure you have walked down a hallway where a cabin door was left open while the steward left for a few minutes to get something while doing the morning cleaning. Not that you would want to think there are sleaze bag passengers onboard but obviously, you never know.

Plus we had gotten a note the night before they would be working on the balconys the next morning. Lazy me, I never lock the balcony door even though my husband always bugged me to do so.

Bottomline......we got nothing....we got a piece of paper we could submit to our homeowners insurance which we will not do. Probably under the dedutable plus I do not want unnessary claims.

It is a pain to get your luggage out from under the bed and I am sure no one would bother especially not knowing if anything is inside. They go for the easy target.

I have learned my leason the hard way.....

 

We had an unopen bottle of champagne in our cabin. Our room steward when cleaning our cabin put the bottle on his car in the hallway. Someone came by and took a bottle of his cart. We ask him upon returning to our cabin where the bottle was. He said he did not know however they checked the cameras in the hallway and saw who took it went to that cabin and got back.

Edited May 27, 2014 by dep

[CntPAcruiser]

We had an unopen bottle of champagne in our cabin. Our room steward when cleaning our cabin put the bottle on his car in the hallway. Someone came by and took a bottle of his cart. We ask him upon returning to our cabin where the bottle was. He said he did not know however they checked the cameras in the hallway and saw who took it went to that cabin and got back.

 

Was there a reason the room steward removed the unopened bottle from your room and put it on his cart? That seems odd in itself.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

While any passenger is out of their cabin...yes...it is possible a number of people could have easy access....they leave the doors open as they clean multiple cabins at a time during the day and sometimes at night. I've even seen passengers go down the halls with open cabin doors and peek into rooms.

 

We plan for the worst and hope for the best. We've never had anything stolen...but then again...we put all our valuables in the room safe - even my Windows tablet goes in there.

 

It's a shame there are such problems...but with thousands of passengers on most cruises and 1-2 thousand staff...it only takes 1 dishonest person to spoil a cruise.