Just back from Ecstasy - Cabin Robbed!

[blackwing]

That's too bad that stuff of yours got taken. It's unfortunate that you left items in a drawer when you could have locked them into your suitcase.

 

It is a bit odd to me, though. I just don't see a steward opening up every drawer looking for valuables. If you were positive that the steward had stolen it, I would have done more about it, I think.

 

This is a valuable lesson. I am sure you will never leave items unattended again.

[glrounds]

"I wonder if Carnival has the right to search the workers personal cabins for stolen property?"

 

Without a doubt. Workers on cruise ships have very few "rights".

Most thieves are stupid, but as Pete pointed out, that which was stolen is easily hidden (laptops and cameras aren't). As always, cash is owned by whomever possesses it, and the necklace is probably planted someplace other than the thieves cabin. :(

[JennSTX]

"

Jenn STX,

 

If you don't mind me asking, what kind of a tip did you leave for the attandents? "

 

We had prepaid our tips in full before we left - we will never do that again. As for talking with the other cabins that the suspected steward cleaned or taking his picture.........YOU ARE BRILLIANT! :) Too bad that we didn't even think of it - because I would have done that. When it first happened I started bawling and frankly didn't want anyone to see me. I just couldn't believe that someone would do that - I kept telling my husband "I'm a nice person.....sob!" Also, I could have SWORN that I locked the combo lock on my luggage up so it didn't make sense that they could have figured out the combination (I now kindof think that I locked it but forgot to "scramble" the numbers).

 

You are smart - I never even thought of questioning the other guests or snapping his photo on my cell phone. I was just so shocked and upset that other options just didn't enter my mind. I guess the saying is true, "You'll never know until it happens to you."

[JennSTX]

"I wonder if Carnival has the right to search the workers personal cabins for stolen property?"

 

Security said that they searched the head stewards cabin and she had $10 on her - we said, "But we don't think SHE did it - it was the guy!" They didn't search his and by then it was too late. They gave us the "oops" shoulder shrug. grrrrrr:mad:

 

It was a total keystone cop moment.

[sunshine 229]

 

I "secretly" thought the OP was legitimate because she spoke of the key used for the safe on older ships.

 

 

I'm glad that you are so discriminating, however at least one person on this thread brought up the fact that this was a first time poster, as if that meant that her story should be disregarded and I have seen this type of comment before on the board.

 

I still hold to my view that people who throw out the phrase 'first time poster' in an attempt to discredit someone's post are numbskulls. Did it ever occure to you that maybe the reason many of these first time posters don't return to give more details is because of the contempt with which their first post is often treated?

 

And still others, parse words and dissect phrases of the posts of those responding to a thread in hopes of finding some logical flaw in their thinking that would make them appear as "numbskulls".

 

Sort of the way you parse and analyze posts to determine if you are going to believe the poster or accuse them of being a troll?

[swells2345]

We were on the Ecstasy in December and it had a tiny safe that you had to have a key to lock.

[sotadragon]

The safe requires something with a magnetic strip to open? That is nuts!

 

 

Why wouldn't they use one like you find in a hotel room where the guest sets the combination?

 

Cr&p...I leave on sunday, and have to figure out where I'm going to keep my valuables while I'm out of my cabin.

 

How big are these safes anyway? Can they hold a digital camera or small camcorder?

uh, why is that nuts??? :confused: The guest in fact DOES set the "combination" as you can only use the card you locked it with to open it again. I think that's more secure than any combination lock or key lock (both of which CAN be unlocked if you know how to crack a combination or pick a lock).

 

EDIT: Just saw that glrounds also responded in kind to kelz66. :o It's true though. :)

[BlueHerons]

Jenn, just a word of advice. Don't ever let them dismiss you like they did. I would have started going up the food chain and harassing everyone in sight. Trust me, it works.

 

I've been in hotel upper management for years and have had to deal with this type thing more than I care to remember. The bottom line is that they don't want to have to deal with the problem but if you then become the problem and refuse to let the cruise line ride it out, they will fix it.

[Zeke3]

Does Carnival, or any cruiseline for that matter, have surveillance cameras in the hallways? (I know there are tons of cameras in the casinos.) Unfortunately, surveillance cameras are becoming more of a necessity in today's society. In exchange for security, "big brother" has access to our lives. Cameras can also act as a deterent as well. To the OP- Thank you for posting your experience. Call me green around the edges or naive but I would have probably done the same thing you did until I could get a key to my safe and I would have felt frustrated as well. Now I know better but I am sorry it was at your expense/experience.

[moonvine]

Well i cant speak for the OP but,its the price thats the attraction.not the ship.I mean 409..pp.sounds awesome for a cruise if you dont know any better.:)

 

I have a good time on Fantasy class ships and still think 409 pp sounds good. It is within my budget. The other ships aren't, particularly with a single surcharge.

[JennSTX]

I had been asked for updates on this situation.

 

As of now, no luck yet. Guest Relations is a brick wall right now as "a letter has been generated" and "we are determining your ability to receive a Bon Voyage gift on your next Carnival cruise".

 

Yesterday I sent certified, return receipt requested letters to both Bob Dickinson & Micky Arison as suggested by another poster who did this and received an immediate response - although not exactly what he wanted, it was much better than what he was getting from Guest Relations - anyway..

 

I think (finger's crossed) that I was factual, concise and left out emotional and unnecessary details. I let them know that it was our first cruise, that due to several factors the likelihood that it was their employee was unbelievalby high and that we wanted a quick, fair, equal & just compensation / resolution. I did go so far as to inform them that their employees made it clear that theft happens all the time and that we just needed to "get over it". I said that although this might be true in their organization, it was a scary experience that made us feel unsafe and violated and that training should be done to help employees be more sympathetic to guests who are victims of a crime on their ship and that the eye rolls, sighs, and general attitude that we went from being guests to irritations that they wanted to "go away and stop bothering them" made the experience even worse than it had to be.

 

I also mentioned that I had posted my experience on several cruise review/board sites and that I had received many replies and was asked repeatedly by fellow cruisers to update them on the response I received from Carnival. I said "...will update my postings to reflect that as it would be unfair to keep a negative posting online without adding if it has been resolved satisfactorily."

I will let you know when I do.

[goodml]

Well done Jenn. I definitely think that's the way to go. We'll wait to hear what happens.:)

[glrounds]

I also mentioned that I had posted my experience on several cruise review/board sites and that I had received many replies and was asked repeatedly by fellow cruisers to update them on the response I received from Carnival. I said "...will update my postings to reflect that as it would be unfair to keep a negative posting online without adding if it has been resolved satisfactorily."

I will let you know when I do.

 

Way to go, Jenn ! ! :)

 

Based on your final paragraph, I'm hopeful you'll get a response other than a ridiculous "bon voyage" gift (notice how they tie the payoff to another cruise ? )

 

My guess is 25% off your next cruise (easily worth $120) and a bracelet to be picked out on that cruise. But, what is more important to me in this situation, an honest and sincere apology for what happened and the casual way their employees treated it.

 

Good luck. :D

[jnnifer01]

I'm sorry to hear about your loss. I'm sure that would put a damper on anyone's vacation.

I was on the Ecstasy this past December and they still used a key for the safe, a different key card for the cabin door, in addition to your Sail & Sign card- three separate keys/cards to keep up with.

[acwillie]

Wow what a story!! I will be going on my first cruise in October on miracle. I will be sure to put all my valuables in the safe. I will leave nothing out. Thanks:) .

 

I hope you get somewhere with all of this. Keep on it and maybe something will happen

[colette5479]

I hope just writing the letter made you feel a little bit better:) Let us know what you hear.

[SqueakyDust]

I've just found this thread and am aghast!

 

Firstly for the OP that such a dreadful thing should happen on a cruise - worse it being your first.

Secondly for the way a lot of other posters have attacked you over the incident.

 

I must be naive, but why on earth should you have to lock up everything in your cabin?

If something were stolen surely it could only be a staff member, and I'd expect the powers that be to think the same. Obviously if there was forced entry or keys were stolen then it could be a fellow passenger.

 

I see my cabin as my own personal space where I can chill out and that does not mean running a security check every time I leave it. Why should I have to lock up everything that may be of value?

 

I hope you get a satisfactory reply from Carnival. A crime was committed and have every right to expect them to investigate and report.

[Jenna1983]

Jenn, what a horrible experience. However, who knows what could have happened as far as if it was the asst. cabin steward. I know that my grandmother brought SOOOO much money worth of jewelry along that she had dibs on the safe on the Glory. However, there were times when I would think I had closed the door, but it actually never closed. That was one of my complaints on the ship. That unless you slammed the door, it never closed properly. Do you think that could have happened and a passenger could've gone in?

[colette5479]

Jenn, what a horrible experience. However, who knows what could have happened as far as if it was the asst. cabin steward. I know that my grandmother brought SOOOO much money worth of jewelry along that she had dibs on the safe on the Glory. However, there were times when I would think I had closed the door, but it actually never closed. That was one of my complaints on the ship. That unless you slammed the door, it never closed properly. Do you think that could have happened and a passenger could've gone in?

 

I noticed on one of my cruises that the room steward had several rooms open at once because he was vaccuming. A pax could have went into a cabin unnoticed easily....something to ponder:o

[Rena921]

First of all Jenn, sorry to hear about your troubles. I know from personal experience that having anything taken from you whether it's $5.00 or $500.00 is a tragic experience and leaves you feeling violated. But that kind of thing can happen anywhere including your own home. Couple of weeks ago we threw our DD a graduation open house...well during the party, with several teen-agers (and adults too) coming and going, someone was bold enough and managed to treck upstairs to our bedroom and go through my purse (which I stupidly left on my bed) and steal 3 checks, $20.00 out of my wallet and about $75.00 in rolled change out of a jar that we had been saving as our drink fund for our cruise... That ended up teaching me a valuable lesson, do not leave any cash or anything of value lying around ANYWHERE. Which is what my mother always told me...hate to admit she was right:o.

Anyways, from what I have read on these posts and on Carnivals own web site, they offer safe deposit boxes. If I couldn't access my safe or get anyone to help me access it, I would have tried to obtain a safe deposit box. But prior to my recent experience, I would have not thought twice about leaving a braclet in a drawer. Now, I am much more dilligent.

As far as paying $3.50 for a latte...that's much cheaper than what I pay on a daily basis at Starbucks:rolleyes:

And being a first time poster doesn't mean a thing...I was a first time poster a couple months ago too. Everone here was a first timer including the one that made that silly coment.

 

Serena:p

 

Only 23 days 'till we sail away.....:D

[kjtracy]

I just got off the Ecstasy cruise after yours. They still use the key system and the safe is very small. I have a very small wallet and that fit, along with some loose money. You have to ask for a key and there is a sign that it is $40 if you lose it. On the debarkation meeting, which was videotaped, we were admonished not to leave anything valuable of sentimental in our luggage if we chose to set it out the night before. Some remark about "bad people everywhere." I thought that the comment was unusual at the time, but it makes sense given your experience on the immediately previous cruise. I left my $700 camera in the room most of the time. It would never fit in the safe. I did notice that the room stewards left my door open when they were inside, which I thought was smart of them

[corina27]

I think now everyone will be a lot more carefull when leaving thier belongings in the rooms while they are out.

[Bsan1221]

I think now everyone will be a lot more carefull when leaving thier belongings in the rooms while they are out.

 

 

I thought most people already knew that... I guess this thread showed us otherwise...

[ladyandchristian]

I don't think I am understanding the thought process behind "first time posting".....someone seemed to suggest that the first post is often a lie for attention? I suppose I could believe that there are people who would make things up for a variety of reasons, but quite frankly dont see the point. Not that you dont all seem lovely, but seriously, come on.....

also, to say you would never leave anything in your room not under lock and key? Never? Not once have you left the room to grab a bite or see the guest relations desk and left say a few twenties from your pocket, or the watch you just removed? I dont think its that unusual.

[LucyPixie]

We were on the Destiny in April. Our safe never did work, so my DH left a $2000 watch in a dresser drawer hidden under clothes. Later, he couldn't find his watch. We searched the cabin for an hour. Later, I talked to our room steward and explained that my husband was an idiot and had "misplaced" his watch. I asked for his help - that if his assistants saw it while cleaning. Magically, the watch appeared about 2 hours later. The room steward had nothing to do with the watch disappearing but he sure as heck had it returned. He was rewarded with a $50 tip!!

 

Lucy