Is Carnival Spying on Us?

[TAD2005]

Of course it's a camera. A TV remote sensor is the size of a pencil eraser and built into the TV frame. The remote control sensors are never external hardware, wrapped in electrical tape, as this was.

Some perv of a crew member installed it behind the TV when the cabin was empty, with just the lens of the camera peeking around the side. It could have been powered by one of the USB jacks on the TV or the AC outlet. It was programmed with it's antenna to connect to the ship Wi-Fi on a separate subnet that the passengers don't use. Then this perv sits quietly in his crew cabin late at night, with his laptop connected to the camera via Wi-Fi, and waits for the show to start when the guests came back to the cabin for the night. This happens in less-than-reputable hotels all the time. I can't believe the number of people on this thread that are blowing this off as a joke. There's a very good possibility that this is real. The fact that Carnival has not commented on it, or declared it a hoax, indicates that they are taking this seriously and investigating.

[firemanbobswife]

Of course it's a camera. A TV remote sensor is the size of a pencil eraser and built into the TV frame. The remote control sensors are never external hardware, wrapped in electrical tape, as this was.

Some perv of a crew member installed it behind the TV when the cabin was empty, with just the lens of the camera peeking around the side. It could have been powered by one of the USB jacks on the TV or the AC outlet. It was programmed with it's antenna to connect to the ship Wi-Fi on a separate subnet that the passengers don't use. Then this perv sits quietly in his crew cabin late at night, with his laptop connected to the camera via Wi-Fi, and waits for the show to start when the guests came back to the cabin for the night. This happens in less-than-reputable hotels all the time. I can't believe the number of people on this thread that are blowing this off as a joke. There's a very good possibility that this is real. The fact that Carnival has not commented on it, or declared it a hoax, indicates that they are taking this seriously and investigating.

You must not have been on a Carnival ship. Their TV infrared sensors are not "built into the TV", but rather a smaller, square shaped box with what looks like a camera lens on the front and wired into the TV. It is in fact placed under the TV, and can acquire dust. There have been plenty of posts of people mistaking them for cameras. Vista doesn't have them because the tv's are mounted on the wall and are the newer TVs. Older ships such as Conquest and Fantasy Class ships actually have the sensor. Do a search, and never say never.

Edited December 17, 2017 by firemanbobswife

[Cruzaholic41]

You must not have been on a Carnival ship. Their TV infrared sensors are not "built into the TV", but rather a smaller, square shaped box with what looks like a camera lens on the front and wired into the TV. It is in fact placed under the TV, and can acquire dust. There have been plenty of posts of people mistaking them for cameras. Vista doesn't have them because the tv's are mounted on the wall and have the newer TVs. Older ships such as Conquest and Fantasy Class ships actually have the sensor. Do a search, and never say never.

 

If it was a remote sensor, why did Carnival report it to the FBI and local police? And furthermore, when their PR department put out their statement, why didn’t they say it was a remote sensor? Why would they call a remote sensor a “non functioning device?” Plus, this happened in October. After all this time, why won’t they tell the passenger it was a sensor?

 

Bottom line, it was a camera and that picture proves it.

Edited December 17, 2017 by Cruzaholic41

[firemanbobswife]

If it was a remote sensor, why did Carnival report it to the FBI and local police? And furthermore, when their PR department put out their statement, why didn’t they say it was a remote sensor? Why would they call a remote sensor a “non functioning device?” Bottom line, it was a camera and that picture proves it.

Don't know. Besides JH saying it wasn't, it is very similar to what the tv sensors look like. I didn't take a pic of one, but from what I remember it looks like that. Either way, I feel it's no big deal and if it were a camera, it was probably left behind by a previous occupant as the complainant stated. If it was a "non functioning device" then that means just that. It wasn't working and not recording or transmitting. Just someone trying to get something out of the cruise line. The picture proves nothing.

[banzaii]

No doubt in my mind. I have used that exact type of camera.

 

If they are trying to pass that off as a remote sensor then this is more widespread and potentially not an isolated incident.

 

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[Jeffn57]

It has to be the Russians !!!:cool:

[Lerin]

How bizarre, I can't figure out why someone would even go through the bother to randomly record others.

 

Maybe tmi but if someone had recorded my spouse and I on our last cruise, they could've used the footage to put their baby to sleep. We're not too wild or crazy kwim. The cabin to the right of us was my dad sailing solo and to the left of us was our kids and cousin, oldest aged 9. What a waste of spy camera had it been in any of our ccabins.

[DES07]

If it is a camera.... Maybe another couple that was there on a different cruise hooked it up and forgot to take it when they left and were embarrassed to call carnival and ask for it back.

 

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[Aquahound]

No doubt in my mind. I have used that exact type of camera.

 

So have I. I know those cameras well. I work with them all the time. I wish there were more pictures available but from what I've seen so far, I have no reason to believe John Heald's explanation.....I say that not being able to find any link to him saying that. If someone could provide a link, I'd appreciate it.

 

What really concerns me is that we do not know who installed it. People can speculate all day long and refuse to believe it was a CCL employee, but we just don't know.

 

You must not have been on a Carnival ship. Their TV infrared sensors are not "built into the TV", but rather a smaller, square shaped box with what looks like a camera lens on the front and wired into the TV. It is in fact placed under the TV, and can acquire dust. There have been plenty of posts of people mistaking them for cameras. Vista doesn't have them because the tv's are mounted on the wall and are the newer TVs. Older ships such as Conquest and Fantasy Class ships actually have the sensor. Do a search, and never say never.

 

I can't find those threads. Do any of them have a picture of the sensor? I ask because I've never seen a infrared sensor that looks like that....especially one fitted with a telephoto lens.

[firemanbobswife]

So have I. I know those cameras well. I work with them all the time. I wish there were more pictures available but from what I've seen so far, I have no reason to believe John Heald's explanation.....I say that not being able to find any link to him saying that. If someone could provide a link, I'd appreciate it.

 

What really concerns me is that we do not know who installed it. People can speculate all day long and refuse to believe it was a CCL employee, but we just don't know.

 

I can't find those threads. Do any of them have a picture of the sensor? I ask because I've never seen a infrared sensor that looks like that....especially one fitted with a telephoto lens.

 

Here's the video of JH. You have to go to about minute 9:30 and he addresses it

 

Here's one. Although it looks a little different, I suppose it could be possible that there are different types on different classes of ships. This was on Dream. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2076888&highlight=remote+sensor

 

Here's another that mentions that the remote sensor was too far back behind the TV for the remote to work, so not all of them are velcro'd to the front. I can imagine it was on a stand of some sort.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=19277800&highlight=remote+sensor#post19277800

[coevan]

does anyone in their right mind actually think Carnival would record their guests in their cabins. The thought is so absurd.

[Aquahound]

Here's the video of JH. You have to go to about minute 9:30 and he addresses it

 

Here's one. Although it looks a little different, I suppose it could be possible that there are different types on different classes of ships. This was on Dream. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2076888&highlight=remote+sensor

 

Here's another that mentions that the remote sensor was too far back behind the TV for the remote to work, so not all of them are velcro'd to the front. I can imagine it was on a stand of some sort.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=19277800&highlight=remote+sensor#post19277800

 

Thanks for the links. I don't think JH had any idea what actually happened on the Fantasy. He wasn't addressing the actual incident. He was making a vague statement in answer to someone's question...being does Carnival have secret cameras in the rooms. And again, what he said is not in line with what Carnival's PR folks released.

 

And yes, those pictures posted on the Dream do look exactly like a remote sensor. The device found on Fantasy, however, is not one of those. Plus, you don't affix a telephoto lens to a remote sensor.

[Saint Greg]

If Carnival wants to help themselves to an eyeful, I say, enjoy the show!

[firemanbobswife]

Thanks for the links. I don't think JH had any idea what actually happened on the Fantasy. He wasn't addressing the actual incident. He was making a vague statement in answer to someone's question...being does Carnival have secret cameras in the rooms. And again, what he said is not in line with what Carnival's PR folks released.

 

And yes, those pictures posted on the Dream do look exactly like a remote sensor. The device found on Fantasy, however, is not one of those. Plus, you don't affix a telephoto lens to a remote sensor.

 

He did mention the article and I'm sure he read it since they sent him the link. He already has what he's planning to talk about ahead of time.

 

But like I said before, I feel very confident that it wasn't an employee if it really was a camera and it wasn't working anyway. The guy who told his story to the "paper" is simply looking for something for free, or his 15 min of fame, or both. Probably planted it there himself after losing too much in the casino. Or it was simply left behind by another occupant as he said himself.

 

Anyway, I'm more concerned about bedbugs or noisy neighbors than cameras. They are in for disappointment if they want to watch me sleep. But if they want to blow it out of proportion to make prices come down, I'm all for it. Haven't really heard too much about it lately.

[CPWhittingham]

On 18 cruises my wife and I have taken 4 on the Carnival Fantasy we have never come across anything like this - we have also never come across dust in a room that would warrant us taking pictures due to an allergy attack.

 

One of the things I thought was a little suspicious about the story was the statement that the father's name was not being given to protect the family's privacy - but at the top of the article were 2 pictures courtesy of Jim Walker (I presume this is the person who was taking pictures of dust in the room when he found the camera) - This smells like a fake story to me.

[Indy Bahama]

for $13 dollars on amazon you can purchase a "camera or bug finder"... sleep in peace