Would you report it if items had been stolen from your suitcase?

[xamsx]

My parents put their bags out at approximately 11 pm the Thursday before we were set to disembark (Celebrity Infinity, 9/18/08) . They picked up their luggage at the holding area (with us) and headed to their hotel. My father called me later that day to tell me one of their bags had been broken into. The TSA lock was broken and a number of souvenirs had been taken. My mother packs in such a manner that everything is tightly packed in the bag. My father said it was immediately noticeable things were missing because there were four holes in the tightly packed suitcase where the items had been. The odd thing was she had a few decent handbags in there ($$) and they were not disturbed. All that was taken was two salmon tins and some hand made Alaskan ornaments (that she is bummed about). Not high value (under $100) but still a violation.

 

If they had traveled home after the cruise they would have blamed the airline, but since this was ship to hotel it could have only happened after the luggage was put out to be screened, but before we picked it up at the hold when we disembarked.

 

My mother may want to drop it but I really think she should write a letter (maybe theft was pervasive that trip?) It could have been a passenger in the hall or one of the workers who did this; we will never know.

 

Should she drop it? If she should report it, who does she write to and what is the address?

 

Thank you for any help and/or advice.

[Coco Creek]

No, never. Crimes always need to be reported to the appropriate authorities and even if Celebrity stonewalls you (which they will), you still need to have on record that you were victim of a theft.

[hugger]

you/she should certainly report the problem to Celebrity. If you booked via a travel agent you should also ask them to report it and to contact their Celebrity sales rep.

 

You may also want to check if they had any luggage insurance and/or homeowners insurance that would cover the loss.

[WorldofTnT]

Yes it should be reported. The more people that report things such as this the faster the person will be found. The cruiseline can see if a pattern is being created based on who is working and then matching that to the reports passagers file. This will help all your future fellow cruisers!

 

Trey

[eandj]

If the bags were sitting somewhere at the hotel before being delivered to their room, as is often the case, it could have been there too.

 

Either way, I would cetainly report it. Be glad it wasn't valuable items.

[FinelyCruising]

Are passengers allowed to transport the salmon tins? I am wondering if they got sniffed out by some dogs and then were removed because they are disallowed.....the ornaments might just have been part of the confiscation....

 

Just asking if this scenario of food is a possibility rather than the incident being a theft. :confused:

[xamsx]

Are passengers allowed to transport the salmon tins? I am wondering if they got sniffed out by some dogs and then were removed because they are disallowed.....the ornaments might just have been part of the confiscation....

 

That is a good question, but there wasn't a note in the bag. I assume if something is "confiscated", a note needs to be left (kinda like the tsa when they hand check your bag)? Can dogs sniff through tins? And why would ornaments be taken from another place in the bag (only four out of the eight she purchased, there were four different "holes" in her packed suitcase) as part of a "confiscation"?

[FinelyCruising]

That is a good question, but there wasn't a note in the bag. I assume if something is "confiscated", a note needs to be left (kinda like the tsa when they hand check your bag)? Can dogs sniff through tins? And why would ornaments be taken from another place in the bag (only four out of the eight she purchased, there were four different "holes" in her packed suitcase) as part of a "confiscation"?

 

I don't know the regulating agency that has the dogs at the piers, and I do not beleive it is the TSA...the TSA has the key to the lock and would not break it, so that is why I thought another agency who shall we say did not care about the lock?

 

As for the holes, I can't fathom that, and some ornaments and some not, want my highly jaded idea of how scummy people can be when it comes to a tit for tat mentality???

 

I think the dogs can smell a lot of things, so yes, I think its possible...the key is in knowing if it was permissible to pack the tins, and I don't know.

[Tinwoman]

You know I hate to say it, but it sounds like another passenger took it, after all it was souvenirs and who else would want them.

I have always hated leaving my suitcases outside the door, absolutely anybody has access to them.

The cruise lines should step up and address this issue.:mad:

[Leejnd4]

You know I hate to say it, but it sounds like another passenger took it, after all it was souvenirs and who else would want them.

I have always hated leaving my suitcases outside the door, absolutely anybody has access to them.

The cruise lines should step up and address this issue.:mad:

 

I feel the EXACT SAME WAY about this issue, and it's something that's bugged me for years. Windstar does it right. In fact, I put this in my review of a Windstar cruise a couple years ago:

 

Unlike other cruise lines, you do NOT put luggage out in the hallway the night before. Rather, your cabin attendant came by at around 6:30 in the morning to collect your luggage, which I REALLY liked. First of all, it made sure we got our behinds out of bed early enough to get off the ship by the time they demand (9:00 am). Second, it always seemed a hazard to me to see all that luggage piled up out in the hallways, and I was never really comfortable just leaving it out there where any schmoe passing by could unzip and pull something out if no crew members happened to be around. The fact is that you are in a crowd of strangers that may very well include some immoral, unethical scuzbag who would have no compunction against swiping something given the opportunity. Bad apples exist among all demographics. Frankly I worried more about this on the RCI "party ships" I've cruised on, where I saw some unfettered alcohol consumption, and I wouldn't put it past some of the wilder ones who might be weaving down the hallway on the last night and succumb to a sudden criminal urge. Anyway, let's just say it seems far more civilized to do it the Windstar way.

 

I don't know if it's at all feasible for Celebrity to do something like this, but I cringe every time I have to put my luggage outside my door into a deserted hallway. :(

[szdiver]

Aren't the hallways under video survalence? Seems like they should be able to see if anyone took it from the doorway?

[NorthernLite]

Aren't the hallways under video survalence? Seems like they should be able to see if anyone took it from the doorway?

 

Bingo. Same with the TSA seach area and the port area where the bags are lined up by color/number. I'd call the Celebrity home office, the port and the TSA to look back at their tapes before they tape over any "loop" tapes they use.

 

Dogs can sniff many things through tins but bringing canned or vacuum packed, not fresh, salmon packaged in Alaska into another area of the USA should not be a problem in small amounts. If it were a problem Alaskan souvenier shops would let you know. Even the Canadians don't have problems with this.

[Peregrina651]

I don't know if it's at all feasible for Celebrity to do something like this, but I cringe every time I have to put my luggage outside my door into a deserted hallway. :(

 

Probably just isn't feasible on the larger ships.

 

Agreed! I cringe, too. Though anyone interested in my dirty laundry is welcome to pick through my luggage--because that is all that goes in my suitcases anymore. There is no lock that will deter a determined thief. TSA locks and x-ray machines, as far as I am concerned, have only made it easier for thieves.

 

Isn't it horrible that we even have to talk about this? What happened to honesty? Or is that just abother pipe-dream?:(

[xamsx]

Aren't the hallways under video survalence? Seems like they should be able to see if anyone took it from the doorway?

 

I thought the same thing and that was why I wanted her to contact Celebrity. If there was any chance that someone took stuff in the hall or in the holding areas, I would have thought there would be a video record - if they keep it and don't record over it the next day that is.

[Tinwoman]

I am unaware of any video taping in the hallways, can anybody confirm this?

I had some stuff stolen from the room on a 2007 cruise on Century and was told there was no video surveillance in the hallways.

Anyway has anybody done video surveillance work? I have and most equipment companies use is the cheapest bunch of crap they can purchase. It is almost impossible to ID faces unless they are looking into the camera.

[phoenix_dream]

No, never. Crimes always need to be reported to the appropriate authorities and even if Celebrity stonewalls you (which they will), you still need to have on record that you were victim of a theft.

 

I agree about reporting, but why the comment about stonewalling?? If you reported such a minor crime (and yes, it is minor except to the recipient) in your home town, the police would not have the time to do much more than take your report. The same is true of cruise lines. They certainly can't afford ignoring 'crime sprees' but I would not expect them to be able to launch a full scale investigation over a $100 loss.

[Leejnd4]

I agree about reporting, but why the comment about stonewalling?? If you reported such a minor crime (and yes, it is minor except to the recipient) in your home town, the police would not have the time to do much more than take your report. The same is true of cruise lines. They certainly can't afford ignoring 'crime sprees' but I would not expect them to be able to launch a full scale investigation over a $100 loss.

 

Bingo - which is why I cringe every time I have to put my luggage outside my room at night, and leave it out there knowing that some drunken fool might swing by and swipe something out of it. I have no confidence in any video surveillance, and no confidence that even if they had it, they would be able to do anything with it (or would even make the effort). It's just a bad system - but there's not much I can do about it except grumble here to all you folks - and I'm just preaching to the choir here! ;)

[PurpleCow]

I'm curious to know in what way the TSA lock was broken. Was it cut, smashed, or what. While I have no doubt that any lock can be broken, surely it would take some time and who did this would have to be worried about being seen, even in the wee hours, in the case of another passenger, or in the luggage holding area, in the case of a crew member. I use TSA locks and want to know if there's anything further I can do to protect our luggage, even though it's usually mostly dirty clothes. If we're flying all the souveniers I picked up for the grand kids are always in our check luggage.

[Tinwoman]

I'm curious to know in what way the TSA lock was broken. Was it cut, smashed, or what. While I have no doubt that any lock can be broken, surely it would take some time and who did this would have to be worried about being seen, even in the wee hours, in the case of another passenger, or in the luggage holding area, in the case of a crew member. I use TSA locks and want to know if there's anything further I can do to protect our luggage, even though it's usually mostly dirty clothes. If we're flying all the souveniers I picked up for the grand kids are always in our check luggage.

 

Ahhh grasshopper:), obviously you will not have a career in crime.

I am a retired police detective so I will tell you that usually there are at least two people who work together. One keeps an lookout and may distract people from coming down the hall by asking a question while pressing the send button on their cell phone to let the other know to leave.

The locks are easily broken with any simple tool or object such as a key, fork, what ever. In just a few simple minutes less then 5 and if they are good 2 choice items are taken.

[hcat]

We also think it is a bad practice to have to leave the luggage out--wish they had another method. We try to hang out & watch it as it is taken away by staff but that is not always possible. Sorry for your loss--we never put any souveniers into the luggage--seems too tempting & might not be easy to replace even if not really a valuable....

[Oceans&Rivers]

You know, there are more of US than there are of THEM.

 

I suggest we all pay attention to what is happening with luggage in the corridors or on dock even if it is not our own and speak up if anything appears to be amiss.

 

I have stopped crime in progress before and will do it whenever I can. I hope you all will, too. I think thieves count on the likelihood of most people watching out only for themselves. If we watch out for each other, we all win.

[Tinwoman]

Some souvenirs can't be put on your carry on, for instance olive oil from the Med. or perfumes and wine.

We always mail ours home if it is something we really don't want to lose.

[Tinwoman]

You know, there are more of US than there are of THEM.

 

I suggest we all pay attention to what is happening with luggage in the corridors or on dock even if it is not our own and speak up if anything appears to be amiss.

 

I have stopped crime in progress before and will do it whenever I can. I hope you all will, too. I think thieves count on the likelihood of most people watching out only for themselves. If we watch out for each other, we all win.

 

In my opinion people who ignore or fail to report a crime are just as bad as the criminals.

[Cruisenouvelle]

In my opinion people who ignore or fail to report a crime are just as bad as the criminals.

 

I'm glad you prefaced that with 'in my opinion'. There may be a reason that someone does not wish to confront a possible thief. Of course, it would be prudent to call ship security to alert them, but one who fails to stop a thief, is NEVER as culpable as the actual thief.

[Tinwoman]

I'm glad you prefaced that with 'in my opinion'. There may be a reason that someone does not wish to confront a possible thief. Of course, it would be prudent to call ship security to alert them, but one who fails to stop a thief, is NEVER as culpable as the actual thief.

 

At no time did I advise anyone to confront the criminal.

I said to ignore or fail to report, as in to ignore and fail to report it.