Truth or Consequences

[Bridge Maven]

There have been a number of articles recently about the risks of posting vacation plans on Facebook, both before and during it, because that person is essentially saying "I will be or I am away on vacation, come rob me".

 

I personally think it is safer to do it on Facebook than cruise critic because, unless a person doesn't have good privacy settings, the only people reading their status updates are their Facebook friends. On the other hand, anyone with access to a computer can read cruise critic posts.

 

Do these articles make you think twice about posting details of your cruise plans on cruise critic before and during it?

[Gonzo70]

In general people have far less personal information posted on Cruise Critic than Facebook; it would be very hard for someone to track down a specific person via Cruise Critic unless you have a lot of personal information you are revealing in your threads and/or user profile.

[bighairtexan]

Funny you should post this question. Last night I changed my Location from the actual city I lived in to a vague large area. At the end of January, a couple was away on a cruise. Their 19 YO DD and her 20 YO BF were house sitting. As they went to open the door to leave, the young man was talking on his cell and all of a sudden he said "Who are you? What are you doing here? What do you want?" The phone went dead and long story short the 2 young people were found dead and they think it was a robbery gone wrong.

I immediately wondered if they had posted on Facebook or something about their plans to go on vacation. Luckily on CC there are no "First and Last names". Makes it harder to look someone up in the phone book. But it is amazing how much info we do share on our roll calls, especially a really active thread.

[kitty9]

Incidents of bad things happening after info was posted on Facebook is rather alarming. And incidents of passengers homes being robbed is a whole lot higher if you should book with a travel agent who's not honest. Just look at the homes that were robbed by the boyfriend of a booking agent for Carnival.

 

I don't know of anyone who uses their real name on CC, and if they do, they're unwise. Also, no one posts their home addresses either. So how does posting your cruise info compromise your safety unless you post your full name and address?

[Bridge Maven]

Incidents of bad things happening after info was posted on Facebook is rather alarming. And incidents of passengers homes being robbed is a whole lot higher if you should book with a travel agent who's not honest. Just look at the homes that were robbed by the boyfriend of a booking agent for Carnival.

 

I don't know of anyone who uses their real name on CC, and if they do, they're unwise. Also, no one posts their home addresses either. So how does posting your cruise info compromise your safety unless you post your full name and address?

 

kitty9 - I have been on a number of roll calls where people posted their real name and where they lived, as well as other personal information.

[YMMBug]

This is the same reason you should not put your home address on your luggage on a visable tag. Any one reading your tag would know you are on vacation and away from home. Use a tag that hides this information or use your work address. No use broadcasting your house might be empty.

[bellybutton530]

Funny you should post this question. Last night I changed my Location from the actual city I lived in to a vague large area. At the end of January, a couple was away on a cruise. Their 19 YO DD and her 20 YO BF were house sitting. As they went to open the door to leave, the young man was talking on his cell and all of a sudden he said "Who are you? What are you doing here? What do you want?" The phone went dead and long story short the 2 young people were found dead and they think it was a robbery gone wrong.

I immediately wondered if they had posted on Facebook or something about their plans to go on vacation. Luckily on CC there are no "First and Last names". Makes it harder to look someone up in the phone book. But it is amazing how much info we do share on our roll calls, especially a really active thread.

 

But you must be a Cruise Critic member to have access to the roll calls. That's a good thing....

[bellybutton530]

This is the same reason you should not put your home address on your luggage on a visable tag. Any one reading your tag would know you are on vacation and away from home. Use a tag that hides this information or use your work address. No use broadcasting your house might be empty.

 

When I was working, I used my office address and phone number on my luggage tags.

 

Now that I'm retired, I use the address and phone number of a trusted neighbor (the one who has keys to my house).

[kitty9]

kitty9 - I have been on a number of roll calls where people posted their real name and where they lived, as well as other personal information.

 

IMHO, that's rather dumb to do that. I don't see any need to give out that info.

[Bridge Maven]

But you must be a Cruise Critic member to have access to the roll calls. That's a good thing....

 

Bellybutton - even though you need to be a cruise critic member to have access to their roll calls, anyone with access to a computer can do that. So in reality there are the same risks when posting confidential information on roll calls as on the general cruise critic threads.

 

I think the problem is that people on roll calls tend to bond and are more likely to post personal information on them. The roll call environment makes it easy for some people to feel as if they are having a private conversation with good friends instead of posting on a very public message board.

[bighairtexan]

Bellybutton - even though you need to be a cruise critic member to have access to their roll calls, anyone with access to a computer can do that. So in reality there are the same risks when posting confidential information on roll calls as on the general cruise critic threads.

 

I think the problem is that people on roll calls tend to bond and are more likely to post personal information on them. The roll call environment makes it easy for some people to feel as if they are having a private conversation with good friends instead of posting on a very public message board.

 

We share names, ages, careers, kids, weather... lots of information that, while we're sharing it, seems harmless. And it's not the people on our roll call that we need to be concerned about, but the lurkers who could easily initiate a CC membership just to be able to lurk. I DO feel it's less likely to cause troubles than Facebook is, but I'm now much more aware of what I share.

[Allis154]

I am very careful...One time I was playing a game online (just a casual game) and the person I was playing against was taking a long time to do his turn...Didn't think anything of it until 'he' started to post personal info about...Town I lived in, for example...Scared the wits out of me!

 

Since then...changed my user name, quit several sites and try to post very little info about me.

 

As for vacation plans, we never post that anywhere, until we are home!

[excitedofharpenden]

I DO feel it's less likely to cause troubles than Facebook is, but I'm now much more aware of what I share.

To be honest so am I these days and oddly it is since being a member of Facebook that I've become more like this. All the news about private information and the like. I'm not sure whether I'm doing it right, but won't offer really personal info. It is amazing what can be found out by posting about your personal history. I'm not paranoid, just use a bit of common sense.

 

Phil

[Freecall]

I use the address and phone number of a trusted neighbor.....

 

I hope your neighbor doesn't go away on holiday at the same time as you! :o

[Wine-O]

Am I the only one who doesn't have a facebook account? :eek:

[Mrs_Tiki]

Our teenage daughter is "creeped out" by our habit of joining the Roll Calls for upcoming cruises and arranging to meet folks for sailaway celebrations. She says that we are doing exactly what we have taught her not to do ~ connecting with strangers online and arranging to meet them in person.

 

Although it hasn't stopped me, I do see her point.

 

What say you?

[excitedofharpenden]

Our teenage daughter is "creeped out" by our habit of joining the Roll Calls for upcoming cruises and arranging to meet folks for sailaway celebrations. She says that we are doing exactly what we have taught her not to do ~ connecting with strangers online and arranging to meet them in person.

 

Although it hasn't stopped me, I do see her point.

 

What say you?

I don't have any issues with that at all. In fact if I had I would have missed out on meeting many great people and forming true friendships with some. It's the posting of information that anyone can see that I try to be aware of and careful about.

 

For the record some of my friends think it's strange too until I explain it a bit further and they realise it's not some sleazy chat room.

 

Phil

[Bridge Maven]

I think another potential security issue is the "live from..." threads where people start them a few days before they leave and essentially give the reader a map of where they are at any point in time. I've read some where the poster has given so much personal information that it would be very easy for a criminal to find their house and rob it.

[Bridge Maven]

Our teenage daughter is "creeped out" by our habit of joining the Roll Calls for upcoming cruises and arranging to meet folks for sailaway celebrations. She says that we are doing exactly what we have taught her not to do ~ connecting with strangers online and arranging to meet them in person.

 

Although it hasn't stopped me, I do see her point.

 

What say you?

 

Mrs Tiki - I don't think there is anything wrong with it as long as you don't post any confidential information on the roll call. Then when you meet face to face in a very public venue on the ship you can decide who you feel comfortable enough with to share personal information. After you return home you can converse with that person in a private setting such as e-mail, phone, etc and keep your public persona when you continue to interact with them on cruise critic boards. Of course, this is just my opinion.

[Bridge Maven]

Has anyone ever seen a post from someone on cruise critic and thought that they might know that poster in real life? That has happened to me a few times, but I never did anything about it because it would compromise their privacy.

[SusieV]

*shrugs* our house is never left empty and unattended so I never really worried about it. My husband's career is such that his travel plans would be well known and obvious to anyone in his field and that's a fact of life that we have to deal with. I don't really think that letting people know about our vacation plans makes much difference since it's only another week or two of the 15 or so that he's on the road.

 

I guess most people don't have "automatic" travel plans though like we do!

[bellybutton530]

Just my opinion, but the prospect of someone juining CC and then searching through ALL of the roll calls looking for a specific victim is kinda akin to looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack.

 

There are easier ways to have folks learn your travel plans:

 

1. Tell someone either at church, work, or school.

2. Your kids blab your plans, including, but not limited to, tweeting and/or facebooking about it

3. You tell your neighbors, and they proceed to blab about it

4. You put cruise-related documents in the trash

5. You don't make arrangements to have your home LOOK like you're at home.

 

I have my TRUSTED neighbor put my empty garbage can out; feed the birds; collect my mail; and pick up the paper. In the summer I have the lawn mowed. And of course I have lights set on timers to come on and go off to replicate my being at home.

 

I don't locally divulge my travel plans until I return home. And these days I purchase my travelers checks at the point of embarkation.

 

But that's just the way I am.

[Karynanne]

Has anyone ever seen a post from someone on cruise critic and thought that they might know that poster in real life? That has happened to me a few times, but I never did anything about it because it would compromise their privacy.

 

Many, many times. We have formed some very deep friendships, due to Cruise Critic. I doubt if our paths would have crossed if it wasn't for this forum.

[asnaleah]

Am I the only one who doesn't have a facebook account? :eek:

Yes:D

[Bridge Maven]

Am I the only one who doesn't have a facebook account? :eek:

 

Wine - O - No, but you are probably the only person older than 13 that doesn't (just kidding) :)

 

When I was working, I used my office address and phone number on my luggage tags.

 

Now that I'm retired, I use the address and phone number of a trusted neighbor (the one who has keys to my house).

 

 

Bellybutton, That is a very good idea :)