Funny story

[KeepOnCruzin]

We were recently on the Jewel of the Seas, and when our waiter asked where we were from we said Massachusetts. He was like "O really", what part, we said "Peabody". He was like "OOO my girl friend lives in Peabody. He asked us if we could bring her back some stuff he bought her. He gave us her phone number and when we got home we called her. A few hours later she came by and picked up the teddy bear (well stuffed moose) from Norway, and some Russian Chocolate bars. She lived about a mile down the street from us. Keep in mind our waiter Rekesh was from India. I thought it was pretty funny...

[cmason]

Probably stuffed with illegal drugs, or other contraband! (j/k!!)

[Cloudmaster]

It is a small world after all

[Globaliser]

Not that much of a joke, necessarily. There's a good reason why airlines and Customs always ask you whether anyone has asked you to carry something for them.

[momofmeg]

You folks sure are suspicious. You seem to overlook ONE FACT-the original post knew the waiter's name and the ship he was on. Easy enough for authorities to get in contact and arrest him if your suspious minds are correct.

 

I think it is really sweet that he had gifts for his girlfriend.

 

It is a small world. Twice we have run into aquaintances on cruises. On our first cruise hubby ran into a workmate. Neither knew the other was going on that cruise. Then last year we ran into a young man that looked familiar. It turned out we had met him a few months before when he visited a mutual friend. None of us could figure how why we looked familiar to one another until he found out we were from Georgia. He was from Virginia but had visited this mutual friend. The friend had had a cookout while he was visiting and we had met him then.

[redwings1958]

On our last cruise, we became friends with a couple from Philly. They told us they were with another family whose daughter( who also was on the ship) has a boy friend in STL. Turns out the boyfriend is an ex student of my wife and the parents lmoved and now live about 10 houses down the street from us. So now every time she come to visit him, she also visits us. Talk about a small world!!!!!

[KeepOnCruzin]

Another funny story. Last year on the MED cruise on the Brilliance we were in Athens and met a lady and her daughter who were from California. They were also on our ship and we walked around with them for the rest of the day. When we got back on the ship we saw them a few more times and my daughter got there phone number because this lady wanted her to visit her in California, they had a house on the ocean with like 13 bedrooms. Anyway my daughter lost her number. This was in June. In Jan we went on the Adventure and were in Aruba. We went to Carlos N Charlies that night and who do we meet on the dance floor was this lady. She was on the Brilliance again which was docked behind us. This happened without any contact. I couldnt believe we saw her.

 

Also a man from my gym was on my last cruise on the Jewel, I knew he was going before we saw him, but we both booked the cruise without knowing..

 

I guess it really is a small world...

[Globaliser]

You folks sure are suspicious. You seem to overlook ONE FACT-the original post knew the waiter's name and the ship he was on. Easy enough for authorities to get in contact and arrest him if your suspious minds are correct.

 

I think it is really sweet that he had gifts for his girlfriend.

I think it comes from growing up in a hard world where this sort of advice is drummed into you day after day, trip after trip. Coupled with many stories about people who have been duped into inadvertently smuggling through doing favours like this, by other people whom they personally knew very well (let alone an acquaintance known only for a few days on board a ship).

 

These stories include a man named Hindawi had a very good attempt at getting his girlfriend unknowingly to smuggle a bomb on board an El Al aircraft - it was discovered by El Al's own gate security here at Heathrow. Yes, the idea was to blow her up along with the aircraft.

 

Also, there are stories every year of other people who have risked the death penalty in some countries, until they could persuade the authorities either that they really didn't know what they were carrying, or to be merciful.

 

The fact that each of these carriers could identify who had given them the bomb or contraband does not stop (a) them getting into serious trouble for it, which is in itself not worthwhile, or (b) the person asking the favour from denying that it had anything to do with them, and putting all the blame on the unfortunate carrier, until proved otherwise.

 

So I would repeat the advice - don't do it. Certainly, don't do it for anything where you cannot yourself dismantle the gift and completely examine it.

[GinandAl]

Cruising to Hawaii last year with DMIL, we are seated for dinner with a couple that are from my MIL's very small hometown!! Turns out they don't know each other, but do know mutual people. They now keep in touch.

 

Same cruise, I e-mail my SIL from the ship and she e-mails me back to say that a co-worker's ex-husband and his new wife were on the same ship! We didn't meet them on the ship, but met them in line at the airport on the way home!!

 

Ginny :)

[jgf]

Wasn't the girlfriend pregnant?

 

These stories include a man named Hindawi had a very good attempt at getting his girlfriend unknowingly to smuggle a bomb on board an El Al aircraft - it was discovered by El Al's own gate security here at Heathrow. Yes, the idea was to blow her up along with the aircraft.

 

Things like this make it perfectly reasonable to me that the authorities would closely inspect small children and old ladies...

[Globaliser]

Wasn't the girlfriend pregnant?

 

Things like this make it perfectly reasonable to me that the authorities would closely inspect small children and old ladies...

Now that you mention it, I think she was. So yes, he was going to blow up his girlfriend, his child and the aircraft and everyone else - and he was going to remain safely on the ground while it happened.

 

Today's generation of terrorists are even more dangerous. So I despair when I see (a) people whingeing so much about being security checked, as if it were always so disgraceful slur on their character to have to undergo any sort of screening and (b) necessary checks being done rudely and incompetently, as it just p****es people off just when their cooperation and goodwill are most necessary.

[spajke]

We are still waiting for your review about the Baltic on the Jewel

[PortugueseLady]

Funny Story:

I had gone on the NOS last Aug. We were sailing away and I noticed this girl with her husband or so and I said oh my she likes just like a girl I work with that I walk by each and every day. Well we didn't see this couple for the next day or so and one day I was looking at some of our pictures and we literally ran into one another....it was so funny...she was shocked to see me....

 

She had just gotten married and was on her honeymoon...she had this vacation planned for a while as I did but we never connected somehow...funny thing a close friend of mine attended the wedding and he had mentioned she was going on a cruise but I never thought to put two and two together or even inquiring about what/where cruise ship she was going on...

 

Funny :) til this day I walk by her and we still laugh about it....

 

It is just amazing when you end up seeing someone you know from you realistic life back home (vacations are all a fantasy dream to me :D ) and I hate having to go back to reality.....:( LOL...

[birdie16]

Not only could you be carrying something illegal...but you could end up with a major legal mess...or worse, a cement vacation villa in Cuba!

 

Please, please, please...do not carry something for a stanger, these days it is not safe to trust people that ask you to do this. The terrorists are patient, creative monsters, just waiting for the next opportunity.