Theft on Nieuw Amsterdam

I would like to know if anyone else experienced having anything stolen from their cabin on Nieuw Amsterdam. We sailed on October 27 from Ft Lauderdale to Southern Caribbean. The very first afternoon on the ship some time between the safety drill and dinner time someone stole an item from our cabin. I say stole because I know where it was left and we searched the whole cabin 5 times. It was a Jawbone bluetooth speaker and it was in a velvet pouch, so it may have looked to someone as a jewellery box. My husband left it on the make up table beside the ice bucket when we had to go to the safety drill. After we came back from dinner, the bed was made up, so clearly the cabin stewart was there, but oddly the dirty dishes from my afternoon snack were still on the coffee table. Why would he/she not clean those? Perhaps forgot because he was trying to leave the cabin in a hurry? We reported the loss, but the front desk did not seem to take us very seriously. They said the old people (we are 60 & 62, younger than an average HA passenger) misplace things all the time and should they help us search the cabin, as if we did not search it many times before reporting it. This has been our 7th cruise, first time with HA and we have never had anything stolen before, either on a cruise or on any other vacation, so this was very surprising and upsetting to us, because otherwise we liked everything else about the cruise ship. We always lock the valuables and documents in the safe, but tend to leave the electronics unlocked, as the safe is quite small and my husband likes to bring several cameras, a laptop, I have a kindle, iPad and iPhones. I guess from now on we will be locking everything up, although I've read some threads about things being stolen even from the locked safe.

BTW I am not able to claim the stolen item from my insurance, as my deductible is higher than the item's value.

Hello Travel_2013, As far as I notice your very frustrating experience on Holland America and next to your nickname, I do not think you are going to change your nick further than Travel_2014 (at least aboard HA)...

I really hope you're gonna find your device / Sometimes, if it's well documented some cruisers receive lost objects via FedEx thing. Very sad if it's a theft :(

Holacanada on Noordam in 13 days, 7 hours and 19 minutes

I have heard of cases like this, but have no personal experience. I do know that sometimes the door does not always click shut and lock. I am in the habit of double checking the door.

While not impossible, I find it highly unlikely that your room steward took the item. Most stewards live under the fear of even the slightest slip-up. Just a few complaints will get them sent home under great shame.

I am sorry this happened to you. These circumstances can put a tarnish on the shiniest of vacations.

Cabin stewards want their job more than they want some moderately priced piece of electronics.

It is so highly unlikely a cabin steward removed your property from you cabin. Sorry it is missing but please don't be so fast to blame a steward. Perhaps the cabin door was left open when (s)he went for supplies and someone slipped in.

Are you absolutely sure you even brought it with you.

BTW...... Welcome to CC/HAL forum. I see this is your first post.

So the front desk called you old. That's interesting. Somehow not overly believable. I've left my camera, iPad, kindle and iPod in plain sight and nothing has happened. What I think is more likely is that it was misplaced.

I am in the habit of double checking the door.

I ALWAYS double check (even at home, at work...) ! Advice of the Day !

Holacanada

Oh my..What a shame..We have over 300 days on HAL & have never had anything stolen on any of our cruises...However, we are reasonably careful to lock everything up in either the safe or in the bottom drawer of the bedside table & take the key..I always take special care with my Jewelry, but have left our camera's & my Kindle out on the window sill...We also double check the door lock when we leave..

Sometimes when Stewards make up the room, they leave the doors open, but that is usually after you leave the cabin for Breakfast or Dinner..

Suggest you write a letter to the Office of the President of HAL & report to them exactly what you stated on this post, including what the front desk said to you.. If you can name those who you spoke to, it would help..

Don't expect to receive any re-numeration but do believe it is very important to report a theft only because it would help HAL to catch the person who did this, if it was in fact a member of the crew.. HAL I'm sure takes these complaints very seriously! If others have complained then they will know that there is a problem..

Sorry that you had to have this happen..

BTW once had HAL call me & mail a pr. of sun glasses that was found in our cabin after we had left a cruise 6 months prior..

Call Lost & found in Seattle to see if the thing may have turned up..

BTW Welcome to Cruise Critic!

Betty

Cabin stewards want their job more than they want some moderately priced piece of electronics.

 

It is so highly unlikely a cabin steward removed your property from you cabin. Sorry it is missing but please don't be so fast to blame a steward. Perhaps the cabin door was left open when (s)he went for supplies and someone slipped in.

 

Are you absolutely sure you even brought it with you.

 

BTW...... Welcome to CC/HAL forum. I see this is your first post.

 

Are you kidding me if we are sure we brought it with us?? Did I mention I am 60 and not senile yet? My husband had the speaker in his hand and wanted to play the music on our balcony, but I told him not to and I saw him put it on the make up table. Please do not offend me like the front desk people did. I was not trying to blame anyone, I would also be surprised if someone was risking his job for a $180, but as I mentioned, it may have looked like a large jewellery box (fortunately my expensive jewellery was locked up in the safe!). And yes, I am aware that anyone could have walked in, although I also think that is a problem with a cruise security.

I do not generally write reviews about my travels, I wrote this one because of the frustrating and disappointing experience that I wanted to share and as a warning to other travellers.

So the front desk called you old. That's interesting. Somehow not overly believable. I've left my camera, iPad, kindle and iPod in plain sight and nothing has happened. What I think is more likely is that it was misplaced.

I think if it was misplaced we would have found it. We even took apart the fold out sofa and looked under the beds. Searched the whole cabin again after we packed before leaving. The box was not that small to overlook it.

Good for you that you never lost anything. I hope it stays that way. Good luck!

Hello Travel_2013, As far as I notice your very frustrating experience on Holland America and next to your nickname, I do not think you are going to change your nick further than Travel_2014 (at least aboard HA)...

 

I really hope you're gonna find your device / Sometimes, if it's well documented some cruisers receive lost objects via FedEx thing. Very sad if it's a theft :(

 

Holacanada on Noordam in 13 days, 7 hours and 19 minutes

Thanks, but I won't get my hopes up.

Enjoy your cruise! :)

I think if it was misplaced we would have found it. We even took apart the fold out sofa and looked under the beds. Searched the whole cabin again after we packed before leaving. The box was not that small to overlook it.

Good for you that you never lost anything. I hope it stays that way. Good luck!

I wouldn't trust other passangers as far as I can throw them. The stewards I do trust. I exercise caution when I need to.

It helps to have a thick emotional skin when conversing on these forums. Most of believe exactly how you described the situation, but it just takes one person out of a hundred readers to insult you. Let it go and enjoy the forum.

Having said that, we are also generally very supportive of the HAL staff (especially the room stewards), but again it just takes one bad person out of 100 hard working honest crew to make a very bad impression. Reports of theft from the staterooms are uncommon on this forum.

igraf

Are you kidding me if we are sure we brought it with us?? Did I mention I am 60 and not senile yet? My husband had the speaker in his hand and wanted to play the music on our balcony, but I told him not to and I saw him put it on the make up table. Please do not offend me like the front desk people did. I was not trying to blame anyone, I would also be surprised if someone was risking his job for a $180, but as I mentioned, it may have looked like a large jewellery box (fortunately my expensive jewellery was locked up in the safe!). And yes, I am aware that anyone could have walked in, although I also think that is a problem with a cruise security.

I do not generally write reviews about my travels, I wrote this one because of the frustrating and disappointing experience that I wanted to share and as a warning to other travellers.

I am glad you reported this missing item to the front desk. It is the pattern they need to be most concerned about which your report will add up to something far more serious if there is an identifiable thief sneaking around.

You did the right thing and agree is it frustrating to feel dismissed and even insulted to boot. That was unacceptable.

However, I am sure they also do get the reports of stolen items with suitable outrage only to have them turn up again and not get reported. And I will also side with supporting the cabin stewards first, but like it says it only takes one to ruin it for everyone.

Your story is a good reminder for all us to use those room safes, even when we think they are not necessary. It if would be painful to lose something, then it belongs in the safe when not in use or in clear view. As much as I hate the safe hogging closet space, everything important goes into it including passport and credit cards at all time. I wonder if there were any hallway cameras operation at that time?

Additionally, one more concern about the larger ships which can more easily hide among its numbers of passengers someone who intentionally preys on cruise passengers. Wasn't that always a good old movie theme - when the jewels and furs were standard on ships where only the wealthy could afford to sail. Put a crook in a black tie with an easy fence in every port and he/she has a concentrated gold mine. And most likely expensive electronics are far more popular to heist than diamond pave wrist watches these days.

Not to make light of this serious experience but even in the silent movie days in 1917 there was "Raffles, The Amateur Cracksman" who preyed on cruise ships passing himself off as one of society's elite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J9WiwMISCU

We left our camera in the dining room on the last night of our cruise on the Westerdam, several years ago. We called when we got home and reported it lost. We were sure we'd never see it again.

It arrived in the mail about 10 days later.

To say I was impressed is an understatement.

Helaine

We left our camera in the dining room on the last night of our cruise on the Westerdam, several years ago. We called when we got home and reported it lost. We were sure we'd never see it again.

It arrived in the mail about 10 days later.

To say I was impressed is an understatement.

 

Helaine

I left my camera in the Piano Bar the last night of our cruise this time. I was distraught...all my cruise photos gone in an instant. When I realized what I'd done, DH went back to the PB...and there it was, still on the table where I'd left it!

Having said that, on our recent NA cruise, I noticed that multiple cabin doors along the hallways were left open...held open with doorstops. In the morning when the stewards were at work...and in the evening during dinner hour (we were on the stern, Upper Verandah Deck). At the time, I didn't think much about it...always trusting the guests on board.

However, a couple years ago on a Maasdam Caribbean cruise, a guest helped themselves to a brand new Wallaroo sun hat I had in the zipped up pouch on my Travel Scoot. :eek:

I would be very, very surprised if it were a cabin steward...they are thrilled to have the jobs they have and "tow the line." I would suspect that if it went missing, a guest walked by your room during the evening turndown service, the door was open, and a guest helped themselves.

It helps to have a thick emotional skin when conversing on these forums. Most of believe exactly how you described the situation, but it just takes one person out of a hundred readers to insult you. Let it go and enjoy the forum.

 

Having said that, we are also generally very supportive of the HAL staff (especially the room stewards), but again it just takes one bad person out of 100 hard working honest crew to make a very bad impression. Reports of theft from the staterooms are uncommon on this forum.

 

igraf

This is very true.

Just sayin': I've been on over 100 cruises and never (knowingly) had a dishonest cabin/dining room steward. With that being said I'd be naive to think 100% of all ship's employees are honest. Also, there are more employees on the ship than just the room steward who has a pass key (card) that can open your room. You hear stories about "crimes on cruise ships by the ship's employees" all the time.

P.S. I sure hope all the Nieuw Amsterdam employees are honest, I'll be on it for two weeks this February.:p

And yes, I am aware that anyone could have walked in, although I also think that is a problem with a cruise security.

I agree. If a steward isn't in my room or in the hallway right outside my door, I would prefer my door be closed. Keeping it open with a door stop so he can walk a distance down the hall to retrieve something is not cool.

Funny story that happened about two weeks ago. Not on a cruise ship but it shows how things can "happen".

My husband I kept hearing a vibrating noise similar to a cell phone that seemed to be coming from everywhere. We couldn't pinpoint it and both of our phones were accounted for.

After a day or so it started before dawn one morning and, fed up, I started tearing the bedroom apart. At times it seemed to be coming from the walls.

As I went to move my husband's gym-issued gym bag I could feel vibration coming from the bag. I dumped it out and found nothing. Eventually I discovered a side pocket I didn't even know was there and triumphantly pulled out a cell phone that neither of us had ever seen before. It had been lying on a hardwood floor which is why the sound went everywhere.

When I searched the contact list in the phone, I called the people listed as "Mom and Dad" and asked if anyone in their family was missing a cell phone and did their son have a red gym-issued gym bag.

My husband doesn't lock his locker as I lock up his stuff with my purse at the gym. The kid had opened what he thought was his locker and slipped his cell phone into what he thought was his own gym bag. Instead he put it in my husband's bag.

The family thought the cell phone had been stolen and had cancelled the service. What we kept hearing was all the kid's pre set alarms. The mother was extremely relieved to hear what had really happened and I told her we would leave the phone at the front desk of the gym for them to pick up.

It was a lesson for my husband too. I pointed out that it could have been something more serious than a cell phone slipped into his bag by mistake and how would he explain that to the nice policeman? He now has a lock that he uses at the gym.

I wonder who that family was accusing of stealing the cell phone? The dressing room attendant?

If it is valuable to me, I lock it up.

Sorry about your loss. Next time - lock up anything of value to you - I do - or don't bring it.

Not to make light of this serious experience but even in the silent movie days in 1917 there was "Raffles, The Amateur Cracksman" who preyed on cruise ships passing himself off as one of society's elite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J9WiwMISCU

:rolleyes: Almost a hundred years ago. :D

a couple of years ago I posted a thread on thank you to HAL's lost and found.

We were missing an important item when we got home. It was not that valuable - more sentimental than anything - but sentiment is just that - sentiment.

We figured it dropped when we were packing and the huge bedding hid it.

I called an nothing was reported.

So, I filed a report - 9 weeks later I got a call asking me to identify the item and it was returned to us (without charge) by Fed Ex. I was very impressed.

so, file a report on board and send an email when you get home to Seattle to their lost and found department. You might get a pleasant surprise.

I can't tell you how happy I was when I got the call - it wasn't that valuable but it was irreplaceable so it meant a lot to us.

I worry more about some passengers than I do about the HAL staff:eek: - case in point - left my prescription glasses in the show lounge after bingo (yes, I know MY fault) and went right back - they were gone. (I put it down to the excitement of winning something) Long story short, despite being prescription glasses and HAL being sure they would be returned the frames were a new European version. The glasses never appeared and the lovely staff at HAL prepared a lost and stolen report for my insurance company (which I would have never thought of). 15 days later the glasses never appeared. Both DH and I feel it was not an employee of HAL that took them:eek:;)

File the report - you might be surprised at what happens. Good luck and yes, I think you know what you packed - I always do:)

One note about the safe- last year we did a Windstar cruise (yes, I know not HAL but could still happen). I had a valuable diamond ring that I left in the safe with my other jewelry. Imagine my dismay when I got home and did not have the ring, although I had my other jewelry.

To try and shorten the story, it seems I left it in the safe on the ship. I normally check the safe with a flashlight but forgot my flashlight on that trip (that won't happen again). Believe it or not, the security folks on the ship make a routine trip through every safe at the end of each voyage. They found the ring (in ring case). The CEO of Windstar was on the next sailing, he took it back to Seattle for me where I went and claimed it.

Yes, it was insured but again-- it's the sentimental value that I was worried about. It was my step-mothers wedding ring which is beautiful but not a "practical" ring to wear all the time so take it for whatever fancy events we might attend.

So be sure and take a flashlight and double check your safe before departure. I feel very fortunate to have gotten the ring returned. I sent a thank-you note to the CEO and enclosed a check for the crew fund. Seemed the least I could do!

How awful to have a theft and get no help (or even a sympathetic ear) from Guest Relations. Having spent more then 3 years on cruise ships (about 300 days on HA) we have long trusted our cabin stewards. However, there are others who have cabin access (such as the staff who stock the cabin beverages and some maintenance staff) and a cabin is very vulnerable during the boat drill when there are no passengers (and limited crew) in the corridors. What we find very distressing is the lack of support from Guest Relations (there is no excuse for this). Every ship has some "rotten apples" and it sounds like you have been victimized by one.

In your situation we would certainly follow-up with a personal letter to Seattle (direct it to the CEO) explaining the situation. Not sure this will get you any satisfaction but it's certainly worth a few minutes of your time.

Hank