Theft on Nieuw Amsterdam

[mamaofami]

 

Actually, on our last day, our room steward had done our room, I returned to finish up packing...but was resting on the sofa, procrastinating, because I came down with a miserable cold. Knock on the door. Room Service. To retrieve the tray (no...the steward hadn't removed it). He was so cute...saw me blowing my nose, sneezing, the whole thing. Came running back with hot water, lemon, and honey for me.

 

Sheila, that's really so nice. Thanks for telling us that story.

Edited November 12, 2013 by mamaofami

[OlsSalt]

There is typically a card on the room service trays advising to dial room service for pick up, with the admonition to not leave it in the hallways. I don't think it is within the cabin stewards duties to deal with room service trays, but they often do.

 

I doubt if their room service closets can handle too many dishes, spent food and trays. So turning down a bed but not picking up a food service tray would not immediately be suspicious, at least on HAL ships.

[innlady1]

Sheila, that's really so nice. Thanks for telling us that story.

 

You're welcome, Carol. I wasn't prepared to like the NA as much as I did. The crew was amazing. It was our best cruise ever...all the way around.

[kjw869]

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

 

I'm sorry for the loss of your electronic gear, and hope it turns up in the future.

 

I've been misplacing things since I was 18, but theft is a different matter.

 

By the way, according to Bruce Muzz, a cruise line Hotel Director, the average age of a HAL passenger worldwide is 57 years old. This is what was posted on a Princess board last month and the link listed below.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=40273567&postcount=86

 

So, it looks like we are all older than the average HAL cruiser! Again, I hope it turns up and returned to you.

[innlady1]

I'm sorry you lost an item that was important to you. I do know that the room stewards leave the doors open as they do up several rooms. It makes it way too easy for a guest to enter.

 

As far as the room stewards, they would lose their jobs if they took anything and they really want those jobs. I can't imagine any of them taking anything at all.

 

I agree, Carol. Most likely, if something went missing, it wasn't a room steward but a guest.

[Scrapnana]

I now have the vision of someone walking the corridors of the Nieuw Amsterdam in a nightgown holding a speaker!;)

 

I think I would have been just as upset about the "old people misplace things" comment as the loss of my speaker. Somebody seriously needs to learn tact to continue working in guest relations.

[OlsSalt]

Since the time period the loss could have occurred was before the ship actually left, could one also add some of the shore agents who are also roaming about the ship before departure. They would be more likely suspects since they could grab and go, whereas anyone onboard ship would be trapped and easily have his personal items searched.

[Himself]

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.

 

Sorry to learn of this. I have traveled the Nieuw Amsterdam and I have NEVER had this happen to me.

[cruz chic]

I now have the vision of someone walking the corridors of the Nieuw Amsterdam in a nightgown holding a speaker!;)

 

I think I would have been just as upset about the "old people misplace things" comment as the loss of my speaker. Somebody seriously needs to learn tact to continue working in guest relations.

 

I'm willing to bet the front desk did not use those words and that it's the perception of what happened by the OP. After that, the OP lost credibility with me.

[hmorrow]

We're sailing on the NA on Sunday. We always leave our electronics "out"

Might have to rethink that.......

Helaine

[innlady1]

I'm willing to bet the front desk did not use those words and that it's the perception of what happened by the OP. After that, the OP lost credibility with me.

 

Exactly, Lorene. Just off the NA 15 days ago, I have to say the crew was awesome...same as on the other HAL ships. My guess is that if something went missing, it was another guest...not a member of the crew. Having said that, Guest Services was wonderful on the NA...I simply can't imagine any of the crew there saying that. Every time I came by, the greeted me by name and were most helpful.

As on any HAL ships, the crew goes "above and beyond". Makes me sad that someone would insinuate that one of the hard working crew would steal something. :(

[Chelly]

I was on the NA last month. My cabin door NEVER shut securely when I closed it. I always had to pull on the door handle to engage the lock. Really didn't think much of it at the time, but I bet there are people who look for unsecured cabin doors.

[mamaofami]

A ship is a small city. I'm sure there are some slippery fingers when things are left around the ship. but never by the cabin stewards. They're too smart to do that.

[comfortcove]

Yep, things can definitely go missing on a ship. I had an entire bag taken from the pool area, and once something was taken from our cabin on another lne. One must be careful and cautious just like anywhere else. As far as guest services insulting people like that....i cannot believe it!

 

I have got to say, i have read so many odd complaints on CC since August, I am looking forward to checking it out for myself!

[kjw869]

I'm willing to bet the front desk did not use those words and that it's the perception of what happened by the OP. After that, the OP lost credibility with me.

 

I also believe that the Front Desk staff did not use those words.

[KAKcruiser]

Did you ask the cabin attendant if he had seen it?

[PunkiC]

I would be very surprised if a steward would steal anything--they are very protective of their jobs.

 

Once I accidentally left my jewelry out on my night stand when I went to work out in the morning. When I came back, the steward was in my cabin with a supervisor whom he had called the minute he saw the jewelry. He didn't want to take a chance that anything might happen to it while I was out of the cabin.

[legalslave]

This is just a reminder for everyone to lock their verandah doors when you will not be in the cabin. This incident happened several years ago when leaving FLL. We were sailing out and past a few ships that were still in port. On one of the ships, we saw someone, going from one verandah to the next by holding on to the divider and swing over to the next verandah. It appeared to be a younger person. We could see passengers on the deck having their muster drill. I can not remember what ship it was. I do remember thinking at the time not to ever leave the door unlocked when out of the cabin. I can not say this person didn't know who was in the other cabin or even went in to the other cabin. It was just very odd, especially when they were having the muster emergency drill.

 

Diane

[OlsSalt]

Reminder this incident possibly took place during a time the ship was still in port before departure, during the life-boat drill when there may still be many outside persons on board, who can easily grab and go. Undetected.

 

Caution: never leave anything out of value during the life boat drill when all the crew is out on duty and few passengers remain in the hallways to observe anything suspicious.

Edited November 12, 2013 by OlsSalt

[kazu]

We filed the report right when we reported the missing item.

 

Good, that report is only good when you are on the ship (at least that was the case for me). If it's still missing by the time you get off - email HAL as they will keep an eye out in case it turns up.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

I must add that I trust the crew 100% and I have had an experience that proves my faith in them. The other passengers I don't trust. Let's face it, the ship is the size of a small city and not everyone onboard may be honest. Just because they can afford the passage, doesn't mean they have morals. Lock it up if it is valuable to you or leave it home.

[existentialtraveler]

Hank, thank you for your kind words and your advice. Now that I think more about it, the Guest Relations person we were dealing with must have been new, as he was the same guy that came to fix the lock on our safe after we checked in and could not lock it and he could not even find where to plug in the re-setting device, he said it was "his first time"!

 

Rapes by crew members, assaults by crew members, date rape drugs used on passengers by crew members,unsolved disappearances of passengers, murders on cruise ships...these all occur on cruises...why do people on here doubt that simple THEFT on a ship can occur? I am on your side...I have no doubt your item was stolen..

Edited November 12, 2013 by existentialtraveler

[thepoint]

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.

 

 

Travel2013

 

Thank you so much for posting this. It is an important reminder to me to be more careful. Whether people admit it or not, they will think twice about this situation on their next cruise. I know I will. Thanks.

[cruz chic]

Rapes by crew members, assaults by crew members, date rape drugs used on passengers by crew members,unsolved disappearances of passengers, murders on cruise ships...these all occur on cruises...why do people on here doubt that simple THEFT on a ship can occur? I am on your side...I have no doubt your item was stolen..

 

I believe most of those things have happened on a carnival ship. You can bet if I was on a carnival ship I'd have everything locked up just like I would in a hotel. Yes, I have sailed on carnival. I would hope that Hal wouldn't hire such dodgy people.

 

Like I mentioned before, I wouldn't trust other pax as far as I can throw them.

Edited November 12, 2013 by lorekauf

[GeriatricNurse]

I'm sorry you lost an item that was important to you. I do know that the room stewards leave the doors open as they do up several rooms. It makes it way too easy for a guest to enter.

 

As far as the room stewards, they would lose their jobs if they took anything and they really want those jobs. I can't imagine any of them taking anything at all.

The room stewards should NOT be leaving the doors open as "they do up several rooms", if " it makes it way too easy for a guest to enter", don't you think? ;)