Stolen items on the Explorer of the Seas

[dougp26364]

Notice the OP hasn't returned since their last post? I wonder if they are out shopping for new luggage locks? No, they couldn't be. They haven't read all the suggestions of how to avoid this type of thing from happenening again. So much for trying to be helpful. :rolleyes:

 

After having their intelligence and integrity questioned early on, I'm not sure they would want to return. They could also be reading here but scared to post for fear of getting flamed. Just because they haven't posted doesn't mean they haven't returned. Besides, think of all the other would be first time posters that have been helped without having to risk getting flamed.

[mammallama]

Doug--I went back and read ALL the posts, there really is very little "intelligence and integrity questioning" going on in the posts. Most everybody said they were sorry to OP for their losses and made suggestions to help avoid this from happening again.

[mammallama]

And scared of being flamed?? Puh-lease. An anonymous poster using a fake name, who shall remain faceless for all eternity (as far as we're concerned) is afraid of being flamed? While I certainly believe in giving someone the benefit of the doubt, I am not naive. I'm starting to think we're all, indeed, being taken for a ride.

 

[98Charlie]

Just because they haven't posted doesn't mean they haven't returned.

Actually as of the time of this post, the OP has not been back on CC. Click on OP's name and click on member profile. The profile will tell you of the last activity by a member. Even if they don't post, logging in and viewing will show as activity under that name.

 

 

Now, if you really like to speculate, CLICK HERE :eek:

 

Srebh10 - Sorry about the loss. Let us know if you recover anything.

[bUU]

Perhaps due to its special status as the most heavily-frequently cruise message board, on Cruise Critic, more than on any other cruise-oriented online message board, active members do tend to place more emphasis on the demonstrable credibility of the poster posting information, to a fault I will grant you, but there it is. There are some members who think post counts mean something (join us on the Conga lines, and you'll see how silly that is), and other members who think that a large number of cruises indicates the poster knows more about culinary arts, mechanical engineering or business management than less experienced cruisers with degrees or certifications in those technical arenas. However, putting those extreme examples aside, credibility is a valid issue when the soap-box is as high as this one, and some some level of skepticim is surely warranted.

 

I feel that the best approach in these situations is to recognize and acknowledge the rich motivations for fabricating such stories, but leave open the possibility that it could be true, despite the circumstantial evidence to the contrary. In that spirit, I am not sure that the OP is telling a true story but if the OP is I'm surely sorry to hear that that happened. I would never leave portable valuables in my checked luggage, regardless. If I cannot carry all the valuables that I want to bring with me, I will either not bring them, or ship the valuables (fully insured, of course). I haven't read about folks shipping to the ship -- but of course the bigger issue would be how to ship stuff home from the ship (fully insured, of course). Does anyone have any experience with that? I'm just curious, actually, rather than seriously considering it. I did some of that on some trips to Florida. I really have no need for it for the cruises -- I just don't need to bring that much with me.

 

On a related note, would anyone consider (battery and camera) rechargers to be "valuables"? These are things that I'm going to be putting in checked luggage. I wouldn't classify them as valuables, perhaps because they're emminently replaceable, and have no sentimental value, but they are probably the priciest portable item I'd put in checked luggages.

[London, Canada]

cruicks I think that is a canadian crook.

 

:) I apologize to all Canadians :)

 

I think so too....:D

[dougp26364]

Actually as of the time of this post, the OP has not been back on CC. Click on OP's name and click on member profile. The profile will tell you of the last activity by a member. Even if they don't post, logging in and viewing will show as activity under that name.

 

Srebh10 - Sorry about the loss. Let us know if you recover anything.

 

I didn't reallize that. One more option on these forums that I'd missed out on. ;)

[dougp26364]

Doug--I went back and read ALL the posts, there really is very little "intelligence and integrity questioning" going on in the posts. Most everybody said they were sorry to OP for their losses and made suggestions to help avoid this from happening again.

 

Actually, just 5 out of the first 11 and two of those are posts from the OP. If you take out the OP's first two post's, that's 50% quesioning or commenting on the validity of the OP.

 

While you may not be intimidated or insulted by flaming on these forums, some people are and never return. It's been years ago but I used to moderate a forum and you'd be amazed at some of the E-mail I used to receive. It really was amazing and an eye opener. Some people take forums very personal and seriously.

[Ocean Boy]

Actually as of the time of this post, the OP has not been back on CC. Click on OP's name and click on member profile. The profile will tell you of the last activity by a member. Even if they don't post, logging in and viewing will show as activity under that name.

You don't have to log in in order to read the boards.

[98Charlie]

You don't have to log in in order to read the boards.

Which is why I included the phrase "logging in" in my comment.

[Ocean Boy]

Which is why I included the phrase "logging in" in my comment.

And that is why you don't really know if he has been back or not.

[MrsPete]

Actually, you do have a choice: You can pack light and carry your own bags off the ship. This also saves considerable time in disembarking because you don't have to search for your bag amongst the sea of oh-so-similar suitcases. Carrying your own stuff off isn't a big deal now that all luggage is on wheels.

 

If you choose to put it out the night before, for heaven's sake, never put out valuable items! Sorry you had to learn this one the hard way.

[dmarch@islc.net]

I don't get it.....why is the op labeled bad for making their first post after their cruise? Because it was not positive? I'd been on a bunch of cruises before I made my first post. Does that make me bad? I think they started a good thread. A word of warning to other newbies, and reminder for others.

[BottledRed]

Actually, just 5 out of the first 11 and two of those are posts from the OP. If you take out the OP's first two post's, that's 50% quesioning or commenting on the validity of the OP.

 

While you may not be intimidated or insulted by flaming on these forums, some people are and never return. It's been years ago but I used to moderate a forum and you'd be amazed at some of the E-mail I used to receive. It really was amazing and an eye opener. Some people take forums very personal and seriously.

Tell me about it! One of the funniest tv moments for me was The West Wing when Josh Lyman decides to post on an internet forum dedicated to him. They turn on a dime to flame him like no other!

[FinelyCruising]

Like it or not there are a fair number of brand new posters who hit and run with these kinds of Teasers. More often than not it has to do with stealing from suit cases in the hall and there is always some good action when the story line is about a safe that is broken into and the expensive jewelery is stolen. Yup, you can call me cynical. I am OK with that. :)

[rothbear]

Personally, I don't see the need to have a cell phone on you while traveling from point A to point B. It must be turned while the plane is in flight and I have a tough time understanding what could be so important on vacation that one has to be reachable at the airport. So why couldn't a cell phone be put in a suitcase? Obviously, theft is the obvious answer but other than that, I can understand people packing it for the trip home.

Because one might have elderly parents, in-laws or other close relatives who aren't in the best of health (I do)? Because I have a college daughter who is out in this nasty world by herself and drives in bad weather because her college is in Rochester, NY? Because I have a home that if it decides to catch fire I would like to know about it? Unfortunately things don't just happen when you have your cell phone in your hand.

 

That said, I am totally paranoid when it comes to keeping valuables within my reach when I am travelling. Yes, that includes cell phones, cameras, binocs, etc. It comes from having a bag totally stolen on Hawaiian Airlines. All it contained were some macadamia nuts, chocolate covered mac nuts and a pair of flip-flops for my daughter. I guess people will steal anything, but at least I won't be out my "expensive to replace" stuff. Never did get any of the stuff or the bag back.

 

My guess is the OP, real or not, is totally out of luck. They can complain and request until they are blue in the face, but nothing will be done. Case in point........my DH had his dive mask with special vision corrective lenses in his dive bag. It was in a hard sided mask case, but the dive bag was soft sided. We were so tired at the airport that we just grabbed the bags and took off. We had travelled with this stuff many times before without any problem. When we got to the hotel, we discovered that this mask was totally shattered. Still haven't figured out HOW they could do it, but they did. It was only a couple hours later, and we had rented a car to get from the airport to the hotel so there was no shuttle involved, but Aloha still refused to do anything at all about it because we had left the airport. Needless to say, we are a lot more careful now with anything expensive to replace because the companies couldn't give a rats behind about any PAX. They have your money and that's all they care about.

[bUU]

I think it goes a bit deeper than that. There is only a limited amount that business can open the door before a self-motivated general public elbows its way to grievous abuse. Limits on liability are protection, not punishment. Customers generally want the best value possible. Even if customers would factor-in the value of greater liability on the part of service providers (most wouldn't), the abuse that the system would encounter would make the incremental value much smaller than the incremental cost. Even for the analytical customer, it is a better value without the extra liability taken on by the service provider.

[suzym]

To the OP I am sorry about your stolen items. When you don't travel often you sometimes learn things the hard way. We were very unexperianced when we took our first cruise also. 1. We traveled on Carnival. 2. It was a 4 day Bahama cruise. 3. It was spring break. 4. I too was trusting enough to put my luggage in the hallway no questions asked. Need I say more.

 

Hopefully before you will use these boards to gain some information that will make your next cruise incident free. My best advice.... travel insurance. It is a small price to pay. Sue

[Host Kewlguy]

Anything of any real value we carry off the ship. Only items we leave in the luggage in the hall are clothes and non valuables.

[Ocean Boy]

Because one might have elderly parents, in-laws or other close relatives who aren't in the best of health (I do)? Because I have a college daughter who is out in this nasty world by herself and drives in bad weather because her college is in Rochester, NY? Because I have a home that if it decides to catch fire I would like to know about it? Unfortunately things don't just happen when you have your cell phone in your hand.

That is all well and good and your choice to carry the phone. However, I carry a cell phone for my convenience not to make it convenient for others to reach me. Sometimes I do things the old fashioned way... when I am not home, and especially when on vacation, I am not reachable. Wow, imagine that.

 

So someone sticking his cell phone into his luggage doesn't seem so hard to understand to me even though I personally would not do it.

[Starlake666]

My husband does things the old fashion way....just like Ocean Boy. He won't carry a cell phone either. His father died of a heart attack last year and sad to say, his son couldn't be at the hospital in the hour and a half he was consious before his death because he was playing golf....had no cell phone and was "unreachable".

 

I'm not one who has a cell phone glued to the ears either, but I do carry one in my purse and I keep it turned on. It's proven it's value and convenience many times over. If I was going to put it in my suitcase, I wouldn't have bothered to bring it at all.

 

I think this poster needs to suck it up and take responsibility for his actions...you don't put valuables in suitcases that will be out of your control.

How smart or experienced do you have to be to figure that one out! It's called common sense.

Hopefully it's a valuable lesson learned.