Back from Epic, great cruise, despite theft at port

[Mr and Mrs C]

Just returned from a awesome vacation despite several mishaps along the way. I will write a full review once I'm settled, but wanted to let people know what happened at the port of Miami.

When we got of the ship early Saturday morning so we could start our long journey driving back home to Ontario Canada, we discovered our van had been broken into while parked at the port. Security has footage of the person who pried the back window open and climbed in but they don't know who it was.

They took my sons Xbox and all his accessories, valued over $1000, plus damaged our window that we had to drive home with bungee cords and duck tape.

Ironically they also broke into a car a few down from us, and it was the lady's vehicle that I met while on board getting our hair done. They broke her windows and stole her laptop.

The police were waiting for us to arrive back and had already taken pictures and had a report started. I mentioned to them that I was always reading how it was safer to leave your vehicle at the port vs at a lot offsite. He responded by saying it was the first theft they have had there in over a year, but they get reports everyday at the off site lots.

It was an awful way to end the vacation and my son who worked all summer to buy his Xbox with his own money is very upset.

I had insurance with CAA but apparently only for medical, the ncl insurance I bought only covers for theft in board or during a flight booked with them. Our home and vehicle insurance will cover the theft and damage but we would have to make 2 claims and 2 deductibles so we are not doing that.

We should have not left our valuables in the van, but have parked there several times an never had an issue.

My son had brought his game to play in the van to while we were driving, and to use for the week while we were in Florida visiting family before the cruise.

[che5904]

So sad, sorry this happened to you. And yes not a nice way to end a vacation for sure.

 

I never leave valuables in a vehicle just for that reason, since I don't really think one place is much safer than any when it comes to crappy people. So the most they would get from my vehicle is a toque and mitts ;)

 

But good to know that the police believe that the port is safer than off lot.

 

Happy to hear that your cruise was awesome though.

[coold8]

I'm sorry to hear this. It's just part of being in a city, numbers say there are bad apples in every bunch. My girlfriend had her car broken into in DC while she watched them do it out the window at work. Since DC is not gun friendly like VA, she just had to call the cops and watch. Then she got a nice $700 bill for the window. They got off with a Gym bag... which they eventually dumped realizing there was no value.

[Medtech2]

Just returned from a awesome vacation despite several mishaps along the way. I will write a full review once I'm settled, but wanted to let people know what happened at the port of Miami.

When we got of the ship early Saturday morning so we could start our long journey driving back home to Ontario Canada, we discovered our van had been broken into while parked at the port. Security has footage of the person who pried the back window open and climbed in but they don't know who it was.

They took my sons Xbox and all his accessories, valued over $1000, plus damaged our window that we had to drive home with bungee cords and duck tape.

Ironically they also broke into a car a few down from us, and it was the lady's vehicle that I met while on board getting our hair done. They broke her windows and stole her laptop.

The police were waiting for us to arrive back and had already taken pictures and had a report started. I mentioned to them that I was always reading how it was safer to leave your vehicle at the port vs at a lot offsite. He responded by saying it was the first theft they have had there in over a year, but they get reports everyday at the off site lots.

It was an awful way to end the vacation and my son who worked all summer to buy his Xbox with his own money is very upset.

I had insurance with CAA but apparently only for medical, the ncl insurance I bought only covers for theft in board or during a flight booked with them. Our home and vehicle insurance will cover the theft and damage but we would have to make 2 claims and 2 deductibles so we are not doing that.

We should have not left our valuables in the van, but have parked there several times an never had an issue.

My son had brought his game to play in the van to while we were driving, and to use for the week while we were in Florida visiting family before the cruise.

Hard lesson learned. People should just schlep their valuables aboard, I guess, even though we have had a camera taken from a hotel room while we were in the hotel dining room (with 2 weeks worth of vacation memories!) and a car stolen, vandalised and all my kids toys broken, just for spite (all on the SAME trip)....

 

There are some mean people in this world for sure.

 

Hopefully the good memories will outweigh this!

[halos]

Just returned from a awesome vacation despite several mishaps along the way. I will write a full review once I'm settled, but wanted to let people know what happened at the port of Miami.

When we got of the ship early Saturday morning so we could start our long journey driving back home to Ontario Canada, we discovered our van had been broken into while parked at the port. Security has footage of the person who pried the back window open and climbed in but they don't know who it was.

They took my sons Xbox and all his accessories, valued over $1000, plus damaged our window that we had to drive home with bungee cords and duck tape.

Ironically they also broke into a car a few down from us, and it was the lady's vehicle that I met while on board getting our hair done. They broke her windows and stole her laptop.

The police were waiting for us to arrive back and had already taken pictures and had a report started. I mentioned to them that I was always reading how it was safer to leave your vehicle at the port vs at a lot offsite. He responded by saying it was the first theft they have had there in over a year, but they get reports everyday at the off site lots.

It was an awful way to end the vacation and my son who worked all summer to buy his Xbox with his own money is very upset.

I had insurance with CAA but apparently only for medical, the ncl insurance I bought only covers for theft in board or during a flight booked with them. Our home and vehicle insurance will cover the theft and damage but we would have to make 2 claims and 2 deductibles so we are not doing that.

We should have not left our valuables in the van, but have parked there several times an never had an issue.

My son had brought his game to play in the van to while we were driving, and to use for the week while we were in Florida visiting family before the cruise.

 

I'm sorry this happened to you but thank you very much for the warning!!!

[sdmike]

That's sure a downer, OP, after a nice vacation. Just a good reminder to folks that if you have to leave something in your car, hide it very well. Those jerks just walk along looking into to windows for something enticing.

[che5904]

Hard lesson learned. People should just schlep their valuables aboard, I guess, even though we have had a camera taken from a hotel room while we were in the hotel dining room (with 2 weeks worth of vacation memories!) and a car stolen, vandalised and all my kids toys broken, just for spite (all on the SAME trip)....

 

There are some mean people in this world for sure.

 

 

 

I'm not normally a vengeful type person and I know it's probably just wishful thinking. But I like to thing that eventually Karma will come bite them in the butt. I'm not talking about justice, just Karma like they will have the same pain as they put others through.

[mpk218]

I'm not normally a vengeful type person and I know it's probably just wishful thinking. But I like to thing that eventually Karma will come bite them in the butt. I'm not talking about justice, just Karma like they will have the same pain as they put others through.

 

Karma has already caught up to them . They have to spend the rest of their lives being them .. Thats got to Sk all by its self ;)

[RJ2002]

Very sorry to hear about the break-in of your vehicle. As others have mentioned, it is always best to not have anything visible which might tempt thieves.

[Mr and Mrs C]

A hard lesson for sure! Hopefully as someone else mentioned it helps someone else.

It was tempting to park offsite where it was cheaper but sounds like its worse there.

[Ilovesailing]

Sorry to hear but what are people doing leaving $1000 worth of xbox and a laptop in this day and age. It seems we spend more time worrying about how safe the ports are that we visit than our own backyard. And Canada is no different we see car break- ins almost every day in Toronto.

Glad to hear that you had a great cruise on the Epic.

Edited January 13, 2014 by Ilovesailing

[Mr and Mrs C]

Sorry to hear but what are people doing leaving $1000 worth of xbox and a laptop in this day and age. It seems we spend more time worrying about how safe the ports are that we visit than our own backyard. And Canada is no different we see car break- ins almost every day in Toronto.

Glad to hear that you had a great cruise on the Epic.

 

Maybe we were being naive, we come from a small community north of Toronto and do not have things like this happen.

I didn't post what happened to get scolded about what we did wrong, I posted it so others could learn from our mistakes.

[milolii]

So sorry to hear what happen to you. I hope good things happen to you next.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[SissasMomE]

Maybe we were being naive, we come from a small community north of Toronto and do not have things like this happen.

I didn't post what happened to get scolded about what we did wrong, I posted it so others could learn from our mistakes.

 

Agreed - the prior post was unnecessary. I'm sorry this happened to you.

[Rollingstone43]

Maybe we were being naive, we come from a small community north of Toronto and do not have things like this happen.

I didn't post what happened to get scolded about what we did wrong, I posted it so others could learn from our mistakes.

 

Absolutely-as someone heading to Miami in a couple of weeks this is a useful heads-up.

 

Ignore the self-righteous among us......

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[antsnanny]

Karma has already caught up to them . They have to spend the rest of their lives being them .. Thats got to Sk all by its self ;)

 

 

Love this.

[che5904]

Maybe we were being naive, we come from a small community north of Toronto and do not have things like this happen.

I didn't post what happened to get scolded about what we did wrong, I posted it so others could learn from our mistakes.

 

I think DH came from that same small community ;)

 

Our lesson was learned 35 years ago when we were parked at Marineland in Niagara Falls Canada when we were on our honeymoon. Our car was broke into and my DH suit jacket was stolen, oddly enough they left the pants.

 

Ten years ago my son's vehicle was broke into Kingston, ON, they stole an after market stereo and many other items. They left his Pioneer gas bucks but threw them around, he kind of laughed and said I think they added to them because I didn't think I had that much before.

 

So to the poster who says it happens up here too, yes it does but that doesn't mean it's not worth noting for anyone that believes that if they leave it in an area that should be safer and is camera'd that it is still a target.

 

But it's a horrible feeling to have someone break into your vehicle no matter what they take.

[Ilovesailing]

Maybe we were being naive, we come from a small community north of Toronto and do not have things like this happen.

I didn't post what happened to get scolded about what we did wrong, I posted it so others could learn from our mistakes.

 

Naive! Small town big town do you not ever ever watch US or Canadian news or read news papers. Sorry that you see this as berating you.

Just calling an ace an ace!

Edited January 13, 2014 by Ilovesailing

[che5904]

Naive! Small town big town do you not ever ever watch US or Canadian news or read news papers. Sorry that you see this as berating you.

Just calling an ace an ace!

 

I really doubt watching any news would have helped the OP know this. It would be an awfully slow news day for any station in U.S. or Canada to report a car being broke into. You must watch totally different stations than I do. Usually mine are filled with murders or politics, maybe even a crime wave on a neighborhood, I seriously can't remember the last time I seen news on anyone's car being broke into.

[put me on a ship]

A hard lesson for sure! Hopefully as someone else mentioned it helps someone else.

It was tempting to park offsite where it was cheaper but sounds like its worse there.

 

We've parked several times at the off-site parking (BTW, NOT Premier!!), and have never had a problem (knock on wood!!), but we are also very careful not to leave anything in the car that would tempt a thief.

 

To the OP, so very sorry that happened to you...not a pleasant thing to face after a wonderful cruise! I can only imagine your son's hurt, anger, and disappointment over losing something he worked so hard for.:(

[lgfromdg]

Naive! Small town big town do you not ever ever watch US or Canadian news or read news papers. Sorry that you see this as berating you.

Just calling an ace an ace!

 

 

The OP admitted in her first post that they shouldn't have left the stuff in the car - why are you being so rude?

[david_sobe]

Wow, so sorry to hear this. Very sad to say but welcome to Miami. The crooks stake out vehicles with valuables to target. Hopefully you have good insurance that will cover everything. Many of the crime statistics are hidden from the tourists on Miami Beach. But south Florida is very common for the grab get away from gas stations where a woman is getting gas and from the other side, someone opens the car door steals her purse and drives off. They even have crooks watching people in cemeteries that leave their cars for a few minutes to walk to the grave and they drive by and open the car door, steal the purse and drive away.

Outside my condo, my neighbor had a visitor only for a few minutes and left a lap top in the back seat. The window was smashed and lap top stolen.

Not trying to lecture the OP. But please everyone that visits south Florida, take precautions!!!!!