Security concern ... Too Much Info

[wwcruisers]

I agree that some folks tend to post way too much personal information on public internet sites (including this one). You just need to be aware that anything you put out there can be viewed by anyone. :eek:

That being said, I think roll-calls are a great way to get ready for a cruise. And, a good roll-call should not require the poster to give any more information than he/she is comfortable with. :cool:

[sail7seas]

One (there were others) of the things that stopped me from participating in M & G and Roll Calls was when the organizers starting requiring cabin numbers.

Some of them organizing for cruises we were booked for didn't set time and place of M & G but said they would deliver invitations. I did not want my cabin number announced so I chose to skip the M & G rather than be required to give info I didn't wish to share.

 

I don't think I'm the only one.

 

 

[PennyAgain]

We returned from a cruise about a month ago. The volume of mailings from the cruise company tipped off our mail carrier! As we have a rural mail box, anyone who wised to sort through our mail while we are at work could have found out a great deal about our travel plans including the dates going and coming.

 

I had requested to the cruise line (American Cruise Line) that everything be sent via email, but they said they couldn't do that. Baggage tags etc.

 

When we were on the boat, a passenger list with names and home towns was provided to all passengers. Again not pleased about that.

 

Anyone with a computer connection could have looked up our address as we have an unusual name.

 

The cruise lines need to wise up about passenger security and, at least, send out documents in plain envelopes!

 

I do not join roll calls, M & G's etc.

 

I deleted my list of cruises taken a few years ago as that started to look like too much information.

[6rugrats]

.

 

A true professional wouldn't be bothered as I don't have enough valuable stuff to make my house worse burglarizing, and a random criminal is going to go elsewhere even if he does get into the neighborhood because it's not worth dealing with a noisy alarm, occupied house, and snarling dog--not to mention the potential of being shot by a neighbor.

Well, you are in Florida.

[FadingRose]

Even though I know the chances are slim that someone figures out who I am based on my posts online, I still try to limit the personal info that I post. I opt to use a large metropolitan city (Los Angeles) as my "hometown" rather than the suburb I live in. And I never post on Facebook about going on vacation or whatnot. After the trip, sure, I might post photos, but I never mention it beforehand.

 

I have a cousin who travels a lot for work and you can usually figure out where he's traveling to thanks to FB (either he posts something or one of his friends will). I only know what state he lives in (I'm not even sure what city), but I'm a bit surprised that he doesn't mind that info being out there. I don't know - maybe he lives in a gated community or condo high-rise or something, but still.

[Happy ks]

One (there were others) of the things that stopped me from participating in M & G and Roll Calls was when the organizers starting requiring cabin numbers.

Some of them organizing for cruises we were booked for didn't set time and place of M & G but said they would deliver invitations. I did not want my cabin number announced so I chose to skip the M & G rather than be required to give info I didn't wish to share.

 

I don't think I'm the only one.

 

 

 

You're not. Just because people are friendly here on CC, doesn't mean they are your friends and should have access to your personal space.

 

I don't want a bunch of people knowing what cabin I'm in and it's odd to me that people want to participate in "cabin crawls". I don't want near strangers in my cabin.

 

One cruise the organizer wanted our cabin number and she was a bit miffed that I said no. By the end of the week, she and another CC'r were hating each other and every time I saw one of them, they would come over and start up the complaints. I can only imagine what would have happened had they known where to find me, or to call me.

 

As to the topic started, we have neighbors watch our house for us. We don't stop mail and newspapers. We have timers on our lights. Our kids are now grown, still living at home, so they are here much of the time. I go as far as not taking suitcases out of the front of the garage, I take them into the house by the back door. I would be more worried about someone walking by seeing me taking out suitcases than some random person online that doesn't have my address.

[fleckle]

We returned from a cruise about a month ago. The volume of mailings from the cruise company tipped off our mail carrier!.......

LOL! We are on the mailing lists of so many cruise lines and other travel companies that we are constantly bombarded by mail from them all year around. Our mail carrier would not even notice any difference. :D

 

I agree with not giving out your home address, but don't think it makes any difference whether or not you post your cabin number for others on the same cruise to see.

 

People can see you going in and out of your cabin all the time. Realistically, any weirdo on the ship who really wanted to stalk you could find out which cabin you are in very easily just by keeping an eye on you and following you when you go back to your cabin.

 

 

Now I am having second thoughts having said this, envisioning a bunch of paranoid cruise passengers constantly looking behind them to see who may be following them. :eek:

[KAYEF]

IMO, the OP brings up good things to think about. I know when I see on Facebook that someone's going on a trip I wonder just WHAT they are thinking to say this.

I also know that the first time I was on Princess, I was shocked that they had cards with names of those occupying the cabin right outside the door for all to read.

We all are becoming more "security minded" and that's good.

[ducklite]

Well, you are in Florida.

 

Yup. Hopefully anyone who tries to break in will be wearing a hoodie. Seems that alone is justification for murder.

[Jana60]

Posting cabin numbers on roll calls is another issue. I have done it before when setting up tours with roll call members, but usually I do it via email.

 

I don't care if everyone knows which cabin I'm in and comes to visit. I have nothing of value that is not locked up in the safe so if you really want to risk getting caught and thrown off the ship and you want to steal my pajamas or undies go ahead and break-in. I am assuming that if you are able to afford the cruise you were probably able to afford your own undies so I'm not worried.

[paul929207]

I don't care if everyone knows which cabin I'm in and comes to visit. I have nothing of value that is not locked up in the safe so if you really want to risk getting caught and thrown off the ship and you want my undies go ahead and break-in. I am assuming that if you are able to afford the cruise you were probably able to afford your own undies so I'm not worried.

My thinking too.

[ducklite]

I'm another who doesn't understand the problem with people knowing what cabin you are in.

[calliopecruiser]

I don't understand why people would be upset about telling other cruisers what cabin they're in; I guess I'm not as hyper-suspicious as many (and I'm OK with that). To me, I'm in no more risk with another passenger knowing my cabin number as not knowing.....and I figure if someone was really looking to stalk and assault me, it wouldn't be hard for another passenger to figure out what cabin I'm in anyway. I don't care if my neighbours know which apartment I'm in either (and many of them do), and I didn't mind either when I was in a house.

[sail7seas]

IMO, the OP brings up good things to think about. I know when I see on Facebook that someone's going on a trip I wonder just WHAT they are thinking to say this.

 

I also know that the first time I was on Princess, I was shocked that they had cards with names of those occupying the cabin right outside the door for all to read.

 

We all are becoming more "security minded" and that's good.

 

 

Last time we sailed Princess, they had our name and cabin number on our key card. I hated that anyone who might find a lost key card could let themselves into someone else's cabin.

 

WHAT WAS SECURITY thinking when they put cabin numbers on key cards? :eek: It made me paranoid to the point I was checking to be sure we hadn't lost our cards the whole cruise.

 

[sail7seas]

I don't understand why people would be upset about telling other cruisers what cabin they're in; I guess I'm not as hyper-suspicious as many (and I'm OK with that). To me, I'm in no more risk with another passenger knowing my cabin number as not knowing.....and I figure if someone was really looking to stalk and assault me, it wouldn't be hard for another passenger to figure out what cabin I'm in anyway. I don't care if my neighbours know which apartment I'm in either (and many of them do), and I didn't mind either when I was in a house.

 

 

If someone is stalking me, we'll notice that fast enough. We keep alert when out and about and I would notice if there was a 'familiar' face constantly lurking nearby. Security and I would become really good friends.

 

As to no one's business knowing my cabin number.....

None of their business. If I want a guest, I'll invite them.

I don't want unexpected or welcomed knocks on my door.

I don't like 'drop-in-skis' at home and I definitely would not like it

on a ship. I don't even want anyone I haven't invited to do so to

call me on a ship. A faceless name on an internet site is not my friend to be welcomed in 'my home'.

 

[calliopecruiser]

As to no one's business knowing my cabin number.....

None of their business. If I want a guest, I'll invite them.

I don't want unexpected or welcomed knocks on my door.

I don't like 'drop-in-skis' at home and I definitely would not like it

on a ship. I don't even want anyone I haven't invited to do so to

call me on a ship. A faceless name on an internet site is not my friend to be welcomed in 'my home'.

 

 

As, so it's about control, not safety concerns. I see what you're saying. But who said anything about wanting drop-in guests or publishing the info on the internet? Not me :)

[paul929207]

Been on over 25 cruises and joined the Roll Call for most. Gave my cabin number to the organizer and never had a problem.

[circuitrider]

Here's another tip. Use a different username for each website you go to. It looks like many here already do (just by the number of people with cruise or sea related usernames). But if you use the same username across many sites, it's not hard for a site to be able to match your username with your real name and location. Or vice versa.

[sail7seas]

As, so it's about control, not safety concerns. I see what you're saying. But who said anything about wanting drop-in guests or publishing the info on the internet? Not me :)

 

 

Of courze, it's importantly abourt safey. Who but ourselvesw have the best control and responsibility in trying to not do stupid things to jeopardize our safety of self and property?

 

 

[sloopsailor]

Learning a lot from this thread. From now on my wife and I will be taking separate cruises so one of us can stay at home and protect the place. We'll be moving to Florida soon so we can take advantage of those stand your ground laws and shoot them ourselves if someone walks across our lawn without permission (oops, that's too much information about where we will be living - please ignore). I will also travel under a fake name and in full disguise. No need to take any chances. I'm even learning a foreign language so people will think I'm from another country to throw off the scent. Anything I can do to keep anyone from knowing anything about me is my number one priority from now on. Thank God/Budda/Ahura Mazda/Queztalcoatl/Breged/Allah/Krishna/Vishnu [i will leave no hint of who I am, even from my religion] there are people here on CruiseCritic to set us straight about these things.

 

Oh, and I hate sailing and water. My avatar and userid are disguises!

[paul929207]

Learning a lot from this thread. From now on my wife and I will be taking separate cruises so one of us can stay at home and protect the place. We'll be moving to Florida soon so we can take advantage of those stand your ground laws and shoot them ourselves if someone walks across our lawn without permission. I will also travel under a fake name and in full disguise. No need to take any chances. I'm even learning a foreign language so people will think I'm from another country to throw off the scent. Anything I can do to keep anyone from knowing anything about me is my number one priority from now on. Thank God/Budda/Ahura Mazda/Queztalcoatl/Breged/Allah/Krishna/Vishnu [i will leave no hint of who I am, even from my religion] there are people here on CruiseCritic to set us straight about these things.

 

Oh, and I hate sailing and water. My avatar and userid are disguises!

Good, we got you trained. Only about 800,000 more members to go.

[ducklite]

If someone is stalking me, we'll notice that fast enough. We keep alert when out and about and I would notice if there was a 'familiar' face constantly lurking nearby. Security and I would become really good friends.

 

As to no one's business knowing my cabin number.....

None of their business. If I want a guest, I'll invite them.

I don't want unexpected or welcomed knocks on my door.

I don't like 'drop-in-skis' at home and I definitely would not like it

on a ship. I don't even want anyone I haven't invited to do so to

call me on a ship. A faceless name on an internet site is not my friend to be welcomed in 'my home'.

 

 

Granted I've only cruised three times, but the only people I ever had knock were those I was expecting or my cabin steward. I don't see it being a big deal, and if it does happen, either don't answer the door or tell the person you aren't able to visit at that time.

[Taxguy77]

I'm not worried about info from this site, what bothers me is half the town knows if we are gone. Even if it's just one day, as we live on a busy corner without a garage.

 

The delivery services are great (Spell that grate:() as they ring the bell and leave whether we hear it or not. One time I found all our cruise documents on the front porch which we rarely use and another time a large package at Christmas time out where it could be seen from the intersection!

 

As we're gone quite a bit, we have a P.O. box and a yardman. No valuables are ever left in the house, and of course a good alarm system for fire or breakin.

[Doug R.]

Learning a lot from this thread. From now on my wife and I will be taking separate cruises so one of us can stay at home and protect the place. We'll be moving to Florida soon so we can take advantage of those stand your ground laws and shoot them ourselves if someone walks across our lawn without permission (oops, that's too much information about where we will be living - please ignore). I will also travel under a fake name and in full disguise. No need to take any chances. I'm even learning a foreign language so people will think I'm from another country to throw off the scent. Anything I can do to keep anyone from knowing anything about me is my number one priority from now on. Thank God/Budda/Ahura Mazda/Queztalcoatl/Breged/Allah/Krishna/Vishnu [i will leave no hint of who I am, even from my religion] there are people here on CruiseCritic to set us straight about these things.

 

Oh, and I hate sailing and water. My avatar and userid are disguises!

 

I am horrified that when you thanked the deities you neglected to mention the Flying Spaghetti Monster!:eek: Some folks on this thread are way too paranoid for their own good. :rolleyes:

[Nebr.cruiser]

I don't care if everyone knows which cabin I'm in and comes to visit. I have nothing of value that is not locked up in the safe so if you really want to risk getting caught and thrown off the ship and you want to steal my pajamas or undies go ahead and break-in. I am assuming that if you are able to afford the cruise you were probably able to afford your own undies so I'm not worried.

 

Actually, I agree with you, and, as I said, have mentioned our room number on roll calls. But, this is something others are very concerned about. I'm not worried about anyone stealing my undies either!