Royal Caribbean passengers stranded in Italy passports stolen

[TwizzlersAddict]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/9814781/royal-caribbean-passengers-stranded-italy-passports-stolen/

Edited August 30, 2019 by TwizzlersAddict

[Mikew0805]

Ugh.. this sucks! They seem to have a good attitude though. 

[SC_Floaters]

They were not Royal Caribbean Passengers, They were future Passengers.. Visitors to Italy, they were. 

 

It was an unfortunate incident... 

 

Add this to another reason to get trip insurance... Hope they had it covered.

[Plum Happy]

When something like this happens, you go to the US Embassy or your country's Embassy or Consulate.  Take a picture of it on  your phone or make a paper copy so that if the passport is stolen like this, you can quickly obtain a new passport.

 

Also everyone should download the app "Smart Traveler" that the State Department created from the App Store on their device, check it whenever you leave the country, it's very informative and helpful.

 

Also if you have Twitter, follow the State Department, they always update you on demonstrations, etc., and will respond back to you as well if you have questions.

Edited August 30, 2019 by Plum Happy

[swoopy2110]

Nothing to do with Royal Caribbean

 

Don't Read the S*n

[fdthird]

That’s why some travelers never let their passport out of their sight. 

[Plum Happy]

8 minutes ago, fdthird said:

That’s why some travelers never let their passport out of their sight. 

Yeah, but you can also lose or have it stolen from you in your purse or bag carrying your passport(s).  Make a copy.

Edited August 30, 2019 by Plum Happy

[johnjen]

Best carry it with you whenever you leave the ship. We also make photocopies of the main photo page and stick them in our luggage.

[Snit13]

39 minutes ago, johnjen said:

Best carry it with you whenever you leave the ship. We also make photocopies of the main photo page and stick them in our luggage.

That is how it gets stolen.  Unless the country requires that I have it on my person, (casino in Monaco) mine remains in safe in room.  I do however carry a copy.

[njkruzer]

My passport was lost from my bag on a Friday in Copengagen.  US embassy closed by the time we arrived that afternoon. I had a copy but not much good.  Filled out police report, got new photos and was told to return on Monday.  Ship was leaving Sunday.   Called our children in the states who reached a congressman whose office intervened and on Saturday I got a new passport.   That Friday evening our TA  and hotel concierge were working on getting us to the next port.  Everyone tried to get us on our way.  When I got the passport on Saturday I called RCCL to give them the new passport number.  When we got off in Scotland the Scottish officer recognized it was new and confirmed that she had the correct passport number.

[tray]

Is this common to have hotel rooms robbed? I didn't see much information in the article on if the room was locked or if  there are any precautions one can take to try to prevent this from happening. 

[pcur]

Passports + Me = ALWAYS!!

 

Both our passports are in my Swiss Gear RFID passport holder, inside a zipper pocket in my Eagle Creek travel neck wallet:

 

PLUS: 

 

Also, credit cards are in another zippered pocket in the purse, plus cash in another one.  

 

It's so small and flat that I put it cross body and wear my jacket over it.  It hangs down my side under the jacket.  Mine has a tungsten wire inside the strap.

 

Yes, I have a picture of our passports on my iphone, too.

 

I never have been able to figure out why people leave this kind of stuff in easily compromised places.  

Edited August 30, 2019 by pcur

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, pcur said:

Both our passports are in my Swiss Gear RFID passport holder, inside a zipper pocket in my Eagle Creek travel neck wallet:

The passport is essentially RFID blocked when closed.

[pcur]

I want the extra RFID when I take the passport wallet out of the purse, as I use it in all airports, security checkpoints, etc.  I want the RFID for the credit cards, too, in the purse.  So, both the wallet and the purse and the passport need RFID.

 

The bad guys go for your stuff, physically or digitally, when you are busy and rushed.  So, I set up our stuff to be protected even when I'm distracted.

Edited August 30, 2019 by pcur

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, pcur said:

Yes, I want the extra RFID when I take the passport wallet out of the purse, as I use it in all airports, security checkpoints, etc.

Unless you store the passport with the front page open, you don't need the extra protection  - the only time the passport is vulnerable to the very rare chance of skimming, is when it's open. Like skimming a credit card, the RFID skimming vulnerability is overblown and marketing is getting folks to buy stuff they may not really need.

[jon76indc]

I've experienced this personally myself ... though luckily I wasn't boarding a cruise after it happened.  My passport was actually stolen from my hotel safe twice ... once in Puerto Vallarta, MX and once in Amsterdam.  Luckily due to the timing of the discovery of the thefts, the embassy/consulate was still open and I was able to get a replacement with 4 to 6 hours.  After that experience, I always have a paper copy of my passport which I always carried prior to this, a picture of it on my phone, and my passport card in my wallet so I always have a copy of it in multiple locations and media.

 

I usually always carry my passport securely on my person, the only rare times I'm separated from it is if I am staying in one location for an extended period and leave it in the safe (yeah ... stolen twice out of a safe ... but out of the hundreds of times I've used it when traveling that's still not terrible odds).

[Diver2014]

My passport is with me at all times when traveling.  Money belt.  Tucks neatly inside trousers but is accessible if needed.  No worries.

[SRF]

4 hours ago, Snit13 said:

That is how it gets stolen.  Unless the country requires that I have it on my person, (casino in Monaco) mine remains in safe in room.  I do however carry a copy.

 

Yeah, that keeps it SAFE.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

6 hours ago, Plum Happy said:

When something like this happens, you go to the US Embassy or your country's Embassy or Consulate.

According to the article, they tried.  The Embassy was closed for the weekend.

 

4 hours ago, pcur said:

I never have been able to figure out why people leave this kind of stuff in easily compromised places.

I wouldn't consider a hotel safe bolted to the wall "easily compromised".  Compared to the soft flesh of my body (especially when confronted with a gun or knife), I would (and do) bet on the safe keeping my stuff "safer". 

[Plum Happy]

11 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

According to the article, they tried.  The Embassy was closed for the weekend.

 

I understood that, just providing information to those first time or those that never thought that this could happen to them.  Yes, they will more than likely have to wait until Monday.  Unless you have connection to a congressman that gets the Embassy or consulate open and process it.

 

There was someone on twitter blaming Royal because they couldn't board.  The person stated that they were going to tell everyone to boycott Royal because of what happened to them.  So, they went to the press instead. 

Edited August 30, 2019 by Plum Happy

[pcur]

1 hour ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

According to the article, they tried.  The Embassy was closed for the weekend.

 

I wouldn't consider a hotel safe bolted to the wall "easily compromised".  Compared to the soft flesh of my body (especially when confronted with a gun or knife), I would (and do) bet on the safe keeping my stuff "safer". 

I DEFINITELY consider a hotel room safe to be an easily compromised location, especially in foreign countries.  Quiet, no one is around, easy access and escape by stairs or elevator.

 

Guns and knives are not used much in well populated places during the day.  Pickpockets, yes, and bus, restaurant, and train thefts.  I just keep my stuff close to me, my hands on it at all times, and we have never been robbed in 46 years of travel and cruising.

[proggieus]

8 hours ago, Plum Happy said:

When something like this happens, you go to the US Embassy or your country's Embassy or Consulate.  Take a picture of it on  your phone or make a paper copy so that if the passport is stolen like this, you can quickly obtain a new passport.

 

Also everyone should download the app "Smart Traveler" that the State Department created from the App Store on their device, check it whenever you leave the country, it's very informative and helpful.

 

Also if you have Twitter, follow the State Department, they always update you on demonstrations, etc., and will respond back to you as well if you have questions.

 copies or pictures will do no more good then your drivers license. its literally a waste of paper.

[jon76indc]

While a copy or picture of the passport is not a legally valid citizenship document it WILL help you in an emergency to get a replacement passport.. otherwise why would the State Department actually have text printed in the passport recommending that you do so?

[Plum Happy]

44 minutes ago, proggieus said:

 copies or pictures will do no more good then your drivers license. its literally a waste of paper.

Umm, the Government recommends it, you can read via this from USA Today.

https://traveltips.usatoday.com/photocopying-passports-106739.html

[garywatson]

50 minutes ago, jon76indc said:

While a copy or picture of the passport is not a legally valid citizenship document it WILL help you in an emergency to get a replacement passport.. otherwise why would the State Department actually have text printed in the passport recommending that you do so?

 

Yes, having a copy of the passport helped me a lot when I got my passport stolen in Prague.  It happened about 3PM on a Friday and the embassy closed at 4, so I told them that it was an emergency because my flight home was the next day.  They laughed and told me to come back Monday with $106 in US cash currency and two US-sized passport photos.  It took all day but I got it, so I was able to fly home Tuesday but only because my employer paid for all the extra charges.  You don't need the passport copy specifically, but you need to (a) provide them with enough information so they can find your passport and (b) satisfy them that you aren't an imposter.  Especially if you happen to look kinda like the locals (i.e. you are of Nigerian heritage and you are trying to convince the consular official in Botswana that you really are an American; good luck with that).  Note that when in America you need to provide a buttload of documents to get your first passport - that's the ID standard you are working to here.