The Naughty Room survived Covid

[CaliforniaDon]

The Naughty Room

 

For the newer cruisers, the Naughty Room is Security.  When you board a Princess ship, often your luggage is X-rayed for contraband. Most often, they might find liquor, or a "weapon" or some other item that you should not have in your luggage.  Your suitcase is then held in the security office, deep in the bowels of the ship, and you are called to get your luggage, and surrender the offending item until the end of the cruise, at which time you can use your receipt and get the item back.

Here is my example of a post-covid incident and how many mistakes were made that helped make my trip less enjoyable.

 

Majestic Princess, Mexico, Oct. 16 -- When my suitcase did not arrive in my cabin, I got a card and a phone call to come to "the naughty room". Deck 4, available only from the front elevator, and quite a walk from deck 14.  When I arrived, I saw my suitcase among a dozen or so, and it had a masking tape band with the word "KETTLE"

 

Mistake 1 - there was no kettle in my luggage.

We opened the suitcase, and found my travel mug for coffee, and beneath it was my power strip for my CPAP machine. It is understandable that to an x-ray it would have looked like an electric pot of some sort. It was not.

 

Mistake 2 - Rather than apologize and send me on my way, the security person deemed my power strip to be a surge proteced device. It was NOT.
In spite of my explanation that I knew not to bring a surge protected device and that is why I bought the one in my luggage, he was un-moved and said that since the power strip said "protected" it was forbidden. It had a breaker and a lighted switch, no surge protection. They offered to deliver my suitcase, but I chose to take it my self an haul it to deck 14.

 

Mistake 3 - he said I could come get it at the end of the cruise. When I asked if I retrieved it in the terminal, he said "no" I could come get it on the ship on the last day of the cruise.  That turned out to be incorrect.

 

Mistake 4 - On the day before we arrived home, I went to security on deck 4, forward elevator, and the whole department was GONE.  A passing staff person suggested I go to the service desk, on deck 5.  I did, and was told it was too early to get my contraband and to call them "when I was packing to disembark" and they would bring my item to me.  That turned out to be incorrect.

 

Mistake 5 - When I called the service desk that evening to get my item, their first question was "are you packing now?" I said "yes". THEN she said that I had to collect my item the next day when I disembarked. I asked if that was security inside the terminal. She said "yes"  That turned out to be incorrect.

 

Mistake 6 - When we got our disembark info sheet, there was a paragraph about Confiscated items. It said "To reclaim prohibited items collected from you on Embarkation day, please present your receipt to our Shore Side Security Guard located in the Cruise Terminal".  That turned out to be incorrect.

 

Upon scanning our Medallion for the last time before leaving the ship, my wife's medallion registered a "briiing!" -- mine, however, did not and I was asked to step aside since I had contraband.  I got out of line, had to present my receipt, and soon a person showed up with my cord, and handed it to me.

 

The moral of the story is, do not bring prohibited items on the ship, but even if you do the right things, be prepared for the possibility that your cruise might be diminished by a poorly managed encounter with the "naughty room" Hopefully time will improve their efficiency while I find a power strip without lights, buttons, or words on it, and will pack with an xray machine in mind.

 

Aside from that, it was great to get back to cruising.

[Sea Hag]

Good grief. They really jerked you around good. Sorry to hear it.

[Buckeye10640]

Well,  since we always pack a power strip and a travel mug I will ensure they are in different suitcases this time....lol. Unfortunate that you had to deal with all of that. 

[Cruise Raider]

Wow ... that sounds crazy.  My take away is that I would pack my questionable items in my carry on luggage and prepare to just chalk it up to losing it if they deemed it to be inappropriate.  

[c-boy]

"briiing!"  wow that medallion is quit the sleuth. 

[cr8tiv1]

First time to the naughty room.  Is a cheap power strip/non surge protected worth the hassle or just leave?

[CineGraphic]

27 minutes ago, CaliforniaDon said:

The Naughty Room

 

We never liked waiting until 3pm for our luggage to show up on embarkation day anyway, so we're carrying it on board this time around. Avoiding what you went through is yet another good reason to schlep it ourselves.

[wrongwaywatson]

14 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

 

We never liked waiting until 3pm for our luggage to show up on embarkation day anyway, so we're carrying it on board this time around. Avoiding what you went through is yet another good reason to schlep it ourselves.

 

I didn't know that was an option!

[1025cruise]

I always pack my OK cord for my CPAP in my CPAP bag.

[CineGraphic]

9 minutes ago, wrongwaywatson said:

 

I didn't know that was an option!

 

Your suitcase has to fit through the xray machine

 

[OCruisers]

OP ... What a mess that was for you!   

[Sea Hag]

21 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

 

Your suitcase has to fit through the xray machine

 

One cruise, we put all our stuff in our backpacking backpacks. The big ones. They fit through the xray okay, so we carried them on board. But I think it was more trouble than it was worth doing it that way. Now, if they'd had wheels ...

[cr8tiv1]

38 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

 

Your suitcase has to fit through the xray machine

 

Contacted the port of LA. X-ray machine fits large suitcases. 

[Ombud]

Another reason to pack light into 1 'what used to be' carryon suitcase (it's 23.5" so Alaska says its a carry on, AA says it's too big & I'm too lazy to get it overhead on a plane anyway) & travel purse (those are huge)

 

Question: I'm bringing 2 bottles on. Is the table still there? I didn't see it in Seattle but I only carried 1 bottle on there (I'm a solo if that matters)

 

 

Edited October 25, 2021 by Ombud

[Coral]

What a nightmare.

[culvercitycruiser]

They caught my non-surge power strip in Ft Lauderdale in 2018. It was in my carry on case. I had two in there. I gave them the $2 one and they were happy. They said I could collect in the port at the end. I left it. Not worth stopping to collect

[trbarton]

3 hours ago, CaliforniaDon said:

The Naughty Room

 

For the newer cruisers, the Naughty Room is Security.  When you board a Princess ship, often your luggage is X-rayed for contraband. Most often, they might find liquor, or a "weapon" or some other item that you should not have in your luggage.  Your suitcase is then held in the security office, deep in the bowels of the ship, and you are called to get your luggage, and surrender the offending item until the end of the cruise, at which time you can use your receipt and get the item back.

Here is my example of a post-covid incident and how many mistakes were made that helped make my trip less enjoyable.

 

Majestic Princess, Mexico, Oct. 16 -- When my suitcase did not arrive in my cabin, I got a card and a phone call to come to "the naughty room". Deck 4, available only from the front elevator, and quite a walk from deck 14.  When I arrived, I saw my suitcase among a dozen or so, and it had a masking tape band with the word "KETTLE"

 

Mistake 1 - there was no kettle in my luggage.

We opened the suitcase, and found my travel mug for coffee, and beneath it was my power strip for my CPAP machine. It is understandable that to an x-ray it would have looked like an electric pot of some sort. It was not.

 

Mistake 2 - Rather than apologize and send me on my way, the security person deemed my power strip to be a surge proteced device. It was NOT.
In spite of my explanation that I knew not to bring a surge protected device and that is why I bought the one in my luggage, he was un-moved and said that since the power strip said "protected" it was forbidden. It had a breaker and a lighted switch, no surge protection. They offered to deliver my suitcase, but I chose to take it my self an haul it to deck 14.

 

Mistake 3 - he said I could come get it at the end of the cruise. When I asked if I retrieved it in the terminal, he said "no" I could come get it on the ship on the last day of the cruise.  That turned out to be incorrect.

 

Mistake 4 - On the day before we arrived home, I went to security on deck 4, forward elevator, and the whole department was GONE.  A passing staff person suggested I go to the service desk, on deck 5.  I did, and was told it was too early to get my contraband and to call them "when I was packing to disembark" and they would bring my item to me.  That turned out to be incorrect.

 

Mistake 5 - When I called the service desk that evening to get my item, their first question was "are you packing now?" I said "yes". THEN she said that I had to collect my item the next day when I disembarked. I asked if that was security inside the terminal. She said "yes"  That turned out to be incorrect.

 

Mistake 6 - When we got our disembark info sheet, there was a paragraph about Confiscated items. It said "To reclaim prohibited items collected from you on Embarkation day, please present your receipt to our Shore Side Security Guard located in the Cruise Terminal".  That turned out to be incorrect.

 

Upon scanning our Medallion for the last time before leaving the ship, my wife's medallion registered a "briiing!" -- mine, however, did not and I was asked to step aside since I had contraband.  I got out of line, had to present my receipt, and soon a person showed up with my cord, and handed it to me.

 

The moral of the story is, do not bring prohibited items on the ship, but even if you do the right things, be prepared for the possibility that your cruise might be diminished by a poorly managed encounter with the "naughty room" Hopefully time will improve their efficiency while I find a power strip without lights, buttons, or words on it, and will pack with an xray machine in mind.

 

Aside from that, it was great to get back to cruising.

Wonder if you had packed the strip in your carryon if it would have made any difference?

 

Tom🤔

[Lucky TGO]

5 hours ago, CineGraphic said:

 

We never liked waiting until 3pm for our luggage to show up on embarkation day anyway, so we're carrying it on board this time around. Avoiding what you went through is yet another good reason to schlep it ourselves.

This happened to me a few years ago I was giving the longshoreman $7.00 for moving my 2 bags about 20 feet from the shuttle. He looked at me and said is that all I said I’m sorry I put the money back in my pocket and walked away with my luggage. I like having my luggage with me as soon as I get to my cabin.

Tony

 

[Steelers36]

4 hours ago, Ombud said:

Another reason to pack light into 1 'what used to be' carryon suitcase (it's 23.5" so Alaska says its a carry on, AA says it's too big & I'm too lazy to get it overhead on a plane anyway) & travel purse (those are huge)

 

Question: I'm bringing 2 bottles on. Is the table still there? I didn't see it in Seattle but I only carried 1 bottle on there (I'm a solo if that matters)

 

 

If you are an early-bird for check-in, do not be surprised to find wine table not setup as yet.  NBD.  Just proceed on board and if bottle has not sticker, they can charge you in the DR.

 

[CaliforniaDon]

Packed in my carry-on??  

 

Not only was the cord I had not a naughty one, but it was one of about 4 different cords (all legal) that I had squirreled away in different places. My evil genius surpassed their power grab. Pun intended. 

 

The chase for the $3 power strip actually turned into entertainment of sorts.  I believe that the "call us when you are packing" really was for illegal booze, not imaginary kettles.

 

[2 cruises a year]

8 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

First time to the naughty room.  Is a cheap power strip/non surge protected worth the hassle or just leave?

To be able to plug my CPAP in close to the bed is DAMNED important!!!  It is not the CHEAP power strip, it is any power strip.

[MissP22]

7 hours ago, Lucky TGO said:

This happened to me a few years ago I was giving the longshoreman $7.00 for moving my 2 bags about 20 feet from the shuttle. He looked at me and said is that all I said I’m sorry I put the money back in my pocket and walked away with my luggage. I like having my luggage with me as soon as I get to my cabin.

Tony

 

Good move. If more people would do the same they might be satisfied with their minimal service. 

[geoherb]

I thought Princess had accepted extension cords available for those who need them for the CPAP machines. DH has not cruised, though, since he got his CPAP and isn't planning on going with me on my next one either.

[mom says]

I thought your steward would bring you an acceptable extention cord just for the asking. Has that changed?

 

Lol Geoherb - great minds think alike

Edited October 26, 2021 by mom says

[donaldsc]

While you are 100% right, you could have brought several of these 3 outlet sockets (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FFNBYP7/ref=sspa_dk_detail_4?pd_rd_i=B07FFNBYP7&pd_rd_w=uvSqh&pf_rd_p=887084a2-5c34-4113-a4f8-b7947847c308&pd_rd_wg=buTc6&pf_rd_r=S5AK2EHB2Q3CWDRR5HBV&pd_rd_r=c7aded10-fa77-47fa-83c7-8b70b547b46c&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyRkowU09IRlI5WDBJJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjI1ODg2M1ZGUjdSVDlLMFc5QiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjMyNzMwMlBZQU1GRDZESDkxRiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbCZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU&th=1) and stacked them together if needed.  You would think that there should be no chance that the idiotic cruise company outlet police would mistake them for forbidden outlets but I am not sure that I would bet the farm on that assumption.

 

DON