Things I feel anxious about...

[Minoushka]

Wear cargo pants with zippered pockets ...buy diaper pins to further close them 2per pockets wear long top on top to cover pockets ...difficult to get to When you need to pay for something go in the shop ...undoing diaper pins takes time ...repin everything after use...avoid credit cards .big hastle if you lose them ......

Keep loose change in 1 pocket in case you get mugged .grab a handful of coins throw them in the air on the pavement .....the noise will attract attention,confuse your assailant and give you time to skedaddle

No purse,no visible wallet ...,no jewellery ...no checked shorts ..I call them American shorts ...dead give away ......try to look like natives ...muted colours best ......hands free

I carry a draw string back pack with water and coverlike a shawl for religious sites when in doubt it comes on the front on my chest esp if I carry a camera or I pad

Travel in group or pairs ..never alone ...watch where you walk ....be extra careful on busses and trains

Keep big bills in your shoes under socks ...i wear running shoes ...only small bills in pockets

Ever since i did this ....no problems ...i used to be a prime target for pick pockets esp in Greece ..now i try to look inconspicuos

Bon Voyage

[Alberta Quilter]

My bank charges some exorbitant fees for withdrawals from foreign ATMs, and I'm too frugal to pay for that. What I did for our Med cruise, and I freely admit that I'm somewhat anal, is I prepared a master spreadsheet with our itinerary and tour information. Then I had another tab for a specific port and the tour information. I calculated the cost per person (we did mostly private tours), and any additional fees, like entrance fees to museums, meals, etc. I also added 20 Euros for incidentals like souvenirs. I even calculated the tip that I wanted to give at 10%, 15%, or 20% depending on the service received. Where I could, I used the credit card.

 

I purchased all of my Euro cash prior to leaving home. I printed off each port spreadsheet, and put the amount of cash required for each port, with a copy of the spreadsheet in an envelope and labelled it accordingly. Each envelope had the tour funds, tip, and the extra cash for the day. All envelopes stayed in the safe on the ship until it was time for that tour.

 

We did take more than one credit card but one stayed on the ship, in the safe, at all times. In case we were robbed, we still had one to use.

 

The only concern I had was travelling to Europe with all of the envelopes. I bundled them together with elastic bands, and put them with all of my travel/port information in my carryon. Only we knew where they were, and what they held. It did help that we flew in business class so we had our own overhead bin on the overseas flight.

 

I will say, it worked better than I thought it would. We had a safe in the pre-cruise hotel. We had extra funds; I came home with quite a bit of Euros which we will use for the next trip. That would probably be the only error I made, was that we really didn't purchase many incidentals/souvenirs for which we required cash. I think I had over calculated what we required for meals, as well. We ended up eating very inexpensively for most of the meals off the ship.

 

At least, if someone robbed us, they would only get one credit card, and the cash for the day.

 

The guides are fairly good about spotting or knowing about thieves in the area. Just listen to them. I was just as concerned as you are, and I wouldn't hesitate to go back.

 

Enjoy your cruise, and the Med! Rest lots, you'll need it!

[OldBoot]

Try to pick up a few words of each language. The locals all know English, but are nicer to you if you try. There's and APP for that. I like the "France Dialog" or Italian Dialog" free apps. You can at least learn hello, goodbye, please, thank-you and where is the toilet?

 

Enjoy!

 

Oh my! There's an App for that. lol I'll look for those today.

 

I purchased all of my Euro cash prior to leaving home. I printed off each port spreadsheet, and put the amount of cash required for each port, with a copy of the spreadsheet in an envelope and labelled it accordingly. Each envelope had the tour funds, tip, and the extra cash for the day. All envelopes stayed in the safe on the ship until it was time for that tour.

 

The only concern I had was travelling to Europe with all of the envelopes. I bundled them together with elastic bands, and put them with all of my travel/port information in my carryon. Only we knew where they were, and what they held. It did help that we flew in business class so we had our own overhead bin on the overseas flight.

 

Enjoy your cruise, and the Med! Rest lots, you'll need it!

 

Hello to Alberta Quilter. I'm also in Alberta. I feel the same anxiety about travelling with all the cash! I think your envelope plan is helpful...everything taken care of, so no worries while on vacation. The port-intensive itinerary does look like a marathon. We are thinking of skipping a port and staying on the ship that day so that we don't get overwhelmed. Thanks for your post.

[OldBoot]

Wear cargo pants with zippered pockets ...buy diaper pins to further close them 2per pockets wear long top on top to cover pockets ...difficult to get to When you need to pay for something go in the shop ...undoing diaper pins takes time ...repin everything after use...avoid credit cards .big hastle if you lose them ......

Keep loose change in 1 pocket in case you get mugged .grab a handful of coins throw them in the air on the pavement .....the noise will attract attention,confuse your assailant and give you time to skedaddle

No purse,no visible wallet ...,no jewellery ...no checked shorts ..I call them American shorts ...dead give away ......try to look like natives ...muted colours best ......hands free

I carry a draw string back pack with water and coverlike a shawl for religious sites when in doubt it comes on the front on my chest esp if I carry a camera or I pad

Travel in group or pairs ..never alone ...watch where you walk ....be extra careful on busses and trains

Keep big bills in your shoes under socks ...i wear running shoes ...only small bills in pockets

Ever since i did this ....no problems ...i used to be a prime target for pick pockets esp in Greece ..now i try to look inconspicuos

Bon Voyage

 

Oh dear. It sounds like you have had some unfortunate experiences in the past. Thank you for all your security tips. There is no getting away from being conspicuous for me...I'll be the one staring at the buildings with my mouth hanging open in awe. LOL

[Minoushka]

Im sure no matter what we look like tourists ...our North American Clothes are different from europeans ....however we try not to stand out or attract negative attention

Being too cautious is better than not cautious enough

Be careful re Cc they are often cloned in foreign countries when you can, pay cash

If you plan to purchase expensive stuff big bills in shoes

People got a kick out of my taking my shoes off to buy stuff ....not too sure someone would grab my feet LOL

[mountainmare]

I do the same thing Alberta Quilter does (so maybe their are two weird overplanners). It works great for a port intensive trip. I have a folder of info for each day with plans, contacts, maps, "polite words" etc along with an envelope for cash for tours. I ditch the info after the end of the day. The advantage you have over those of us in the US is you probably have a chip and pin credit card. Once in a while we have had one of our old fashioned swipe type cards not accepted.

Enjoy your trip--and save those left over Euros for the next time!

[innlady1]

I do the same thing Alberta Quilter does (so maybe their are two weird overplanners). It works great for a port intensive trip. I have a folder of info for each day with plans, contacts, maps, "polite words" etc along with an envelope for cash for tours. I ditch the info after the end of the day. The advantage you have over those of us in the US is you probably have a chip and pin credit card. Once in a while we have had one of our old fashioned swipe type cards not accepted.

Enjoy your trip---and save those left over Euros for the next time!

 

I did that, and were going again in October! Last October, we did our first Med/TA 21 day cruise and loved it. I had the same concerns as the OP...but with exercising caution and common sense, we were fine. I bought a nylon money purse that held my credit card, euros, and copy of my passport and wore it under my shirts. DH did the same. I was always aware of our surroundings and tried to avoid crowds. The only place I felt uncomfortable was La Boqueria in Barcelona. So crowded that it was a bit overwhelming so we didn't stay long.

 

We were fine and never had a single incident. We did the ho ho bus but not other public transportation.

 

On our turn around day in Barcelona, an elderly gentleman ventured out, took a bus somewhere, and lost all of his euros, credit cards, passport, everything. Good enough reason not to bring any more money than you need while out and about.

[innlady1]

Wear cargo pants with zippered pockets ...buy diaper pins to further close them 2per pockets wear long top on top to cover pockets ...difficult to get to When you need to pay for something go in the shop ...undoing diaper pins takes time ...repin everything after use...avoid credit cards .big hastle if you lose them ......

Keep loose change in 1 pocket in case you get mugged .grab a handful of coins throw them in the air on the pavement .....the noise will attract attention,confuse your assailant and give you time to skedaddle

No purse,no visible wallet ...,no jewellery ...no checked shorts ..I call them American shorts ...dead give away ......try to look like natives ...muted colours best ......hands free

I carry a draw string back pack with water and coverlike a shawl for religious sites when in doubt it comes on the front on my chest esp if I carry a camera or I pad

Travel in group or pairs ..never alone ...watch where you walk ....be extra careful on busses and trains

Keep big bills in your shoes under socks ...i wear running shoes ...only small bills in pockets

Ever since i did this ....no problems ...i used to be a prime target for pick pockets esp in Greece ..now i try to look inconspicuos

Bon Voyage

 

Whew!!! If I felt the need to go through all that, I think I'd stay home.

[Hertz Von Seasider]

Whew!!! If I felt the need to go through all that, I think I'd stay home.

Exactly. We are quite friendly this side of the pond you know.....

[OldBoot]

exactly. We are quite friendly this side of the pond you know.....

 

:) :) :)

[Alberta Quilter]

Hello to Alberta Quilter. I'm also in Alberta. I feel the same anxiety about travelling with all the cash! I think your envelope plan is helpful...everything taken care of, so no worries while on vacation. The port-intensive itinerary does look like a marathon. We are thinking of skipping a port and staying on the ship that day so that we don't get overwhelmed. Thanks for your post.

 

Yes, I was relieved when we got to the hotel in Italy and then when we got to the ship with all the cash in the envelopes! But I had it somewhat camouflaged with other papers in a file folder. As I said, no one else knew where it all was.

 

I'm not sure how long your cruise is, ours was 21 days! And three days pre-cruise! It was very busy. And we did crash the last day, which was our second time in Naples. It was too bad that we ended up missing Capri but my DM totally hit the wall and there was no way she was up to traipsing around Capri!

 

You're so close to leaving that you've probably got all your tours planned but if you don't, try to do some half day tours or just walk about on your own (where it's safe to do so). That will pace your trip a bit.

[Alberta Quilter]

I do the same thing Alberta Quilter does (so maybe their are two weird overplanners). It works great for a port intensive trip. I have a folder of info for each day with plans, contacts, maps, "polite words" etc along with an envelope for cash for tours. I ditch the info after the end of the day. The advantage you have over those of us in the US is you probably have a chip and pin credit card. Once in a while we have had one of our old fashioned swipe type cards not accepted.

Enjoy your trip--and save those left over Euros for the next time!

 

Glad I'm not the only one! I'm pretty sure I got the idea from someone else on CC, maybe it was you!

[Arwen]

Relax! Language will not be a major issue. Yes, you will find some whose English is limited, but it will not be a big problem.

 

Worried about pickpockets? Get one of those security pouches that you wear around your neck, under your clothes. And, keep some used tissues in your pickets to "reward" anyone who does try to pick your pocket.

 

Plastic can be used in some major stores. But, having some local currency on hand, particularly Euros, will be most helpful, as you will find out.

 

Enjoy your adventure!

 

We took a Med cruise with HAL two years ago. It is helpful to get at least some of your small denom. Euros from your local bank at home and the larger amounts from the ship's front desk.

 

It is good to have small Euros, 1 Euro (=$1.38) as just about every restroom stop we made on our shore excursions 'encouraged' a tip to the attendant. One of our pit stops was in Morocco (Tetouan), at a tiny, hole-in-the-wall cafe...with a rudimentary squat loo. I walked out innocently, but was reminded by our guide's asst to drop a coin in the dish on the counter:o

 

As for pick pockets, we had no problems as we were on ship shore excursions and our guides and at times a HAL rep was keeping a close eye out for us. And yes, I do agree about getting a money belt or one that goes around your neck. The one I have had for years is silk made and buckles around the waist, under the shirt/blouse and is (Rick Steves') designed. It is nice, because if you need to carry your passport or a copy...there is room for that, too.

 

Rome is known for being a pickpockets' haven.

 

Highly recommend wearing cargo pants. The lower leg pockets with snaps are great for putting a little spare change or even your passport copy or your key card.

 

Also, met a man and his wife, on a shore excursion, who, previously had traveled to Europe....he said he was wearing a backpack and had stuffed an expensive camera/lens way in the bottom of one of the deep zippered pockets thinking it was very safe. Yup, the camera was stolen.

 

P.S. make sure you always take TP (toilet paper, Kleenex) with you, and hand sanitizer/wet wipes.

[OldBoot]

P.S. make sure you always take TP (toilet paper, Kleenex) with you, and hand sanitizer/wet wipes.

 

Good tip! Good grief, that's one thing I hadn't thought to worry about. :what:

 

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[ozcruizer]

Good tip! Good grief, that's one thing I hadn't thought to worry about. :what:

 

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Old Boot (seems funny to call a person by that name :)), are you going to be on the Noordam out of Venice on April 26? We are going on that cruise and I have bought a security shoulder or across the chest bag. The strap (so it says) cannot be cut, the bag has a special mesh between the lining and the outside and credit cards cannot be scanned. The zippers are set deeply into the bag too. However, all of that said, I will not be taking ashore anything I do not need. I think Hubby thinks I am being over cautious but I had my purse stolen in Florence a few years ago and I had no idea until we got back to our hotel - the zipper was even done up! Italy is a beautiful country but you need to be careful; not only there but probably in other ports too.

 

Ozcruizer

[sapper1]

Old Boot (seems funny to call a person by that name :)), are you going to be on the Noordam out of Venice on April 26? We are going on that cruise and I have bought a security shoulder or across the chest bag. The strap (so it says) cannot be cut, the bag has a special mesh between the lining and the outside and credit cards cannot be scanned. The zippers are set deeply into the bag too. However, all of that said, I will not be taking ashore anything I do not need. I think Hubby thinks I am being over cautious but I had my purse stolen in Florence a few years ago and I had no idea until we got back to our hotel - the zipper was even done up! Italy is a beautiful country but you need to be careful; not only there but probably in other ports too.

 

Ozcruizer

I bought a similar purse made by Pac Safe from Magellans online. It has a locking zipper and I wear it cross body in the front. In crowds I always have one arm across the purse.

At the same time I use a money belt under my shirt to hold my passport, ship's card and credit card.

I keep a small amount of cash loose in a pocket so if I need to make a small street purchase I don't need to open the purse. It's just an amount that I wouldn't lose sleep over if it were to disappear.

I bought a small camera that fits in the palm of the hand and can be slipped in and out of the purse easily. You don't want a big camera dangling from your neck and attracting attention. When I am taking a photo I have my husband keep his eyes on the purse.

I do wear muted colours and plain clothing in Europe and certainly do not wear running shoes as they are a big tourist sign. I wear a comfortable European style walking shoe.

I also skip the jewellery.

These simple precautions have seen me through three European cruises without incident.

[Alberta Quilter]

I forgot to mention that I also had a little, credit card sized, silk pouch that looped over my bra strap and then secured with a snap. It can hold a couple of credit cards. I put my ATM card, another credit card, and some Euros in there. It held together well. I just tucked it right into the cup of the bra, on the top of my breast so the bulk of the pouch didn't show. RuthC said it best in another thread, she keeps some things close to her heart.

 

OP, since you are also in Alberta, I got it at Pipestone Travel in Calgary. But I'm sure any travel store has these pouches. I also had the cross body purse; mine is a Baggalini. I also have a tiny Baggalini which can be threaded through one's belt, as well as worn cross body. I used that, too.

 

Be careful of the security pouches that can be worn around the neck as, I was told by the sales people at the travel store, some of those can be cut from around your neck. It probably depends on if there is some wire or something in the band.

[AmberCascades]

It sounds like you've gotten lots of good advice here. The main thing is to be aware of your surroundings and keep your money safe per the ideas given. We were on a bus tour for our honeymoon (If It's Tuesday It Must Be Belgium type of thing). We were warned not to catch someone's baby if they threw it at us. What??? Apparently in Spain people would throw their babies figuring the tourists would catch the child and then they would be swarmed by the "gypsy" families and robbed. We didn't see anything like that but it sure made us keep our eyeballs peeled and our stuff close to us. LOL We tried to learn "please" and "thank you" in the language of whatever country we were visiting, just to be respectful. I have to say the only place I ever had a language problem was when we were driving around the back roads in Quebec. No one would speak English to us there. :D

[OldBoot]

I forgot to mention that I also had a little, credit card sized, silk pouch that looped over my bra strap and then secured with a snap. It can hold a couple of credit cards. I put my ATM card, another credit card, and some Euros in there. It held together well. I just tucked it right into the cup of the bra, on the top of my breast so the bulk of the pouch didn't show. RuthC said it best in another thread, she keeps some things close to her heart.

 

OP, since you are also in Alberta, I got it at Pipestone Travel in Calgary. But I'm sure any travel store has these pouches. I also had the cross body purse; mine is a Baggalini. I also have a tiny Baggalini which can be threaded through one's belt, as well as worn cross body. I used that, too.

 

Be careful of the security pouches that can be worn around the neck as, I was told by the sales people at the travel store, some of those can be cut from around your neck. It probably depends on if there is some wire or something in the band.

 

I feel like I'm going to be kitted up like a secret agent! lol

 

It sounds like you've gotten lots of good advice here. The main thing is to be aware of your surroundings and keep your money safe per the ideas given. We were on a bus tour for our honeymoon (If It's Tuesday It Must Be Belgium type of thing). We were warned not to catch someone's baby if they threw it at us. What??? Apparently in Spain people would throw their babies figuring the tourists would catch the child and then they would be swarmed by the "gypsy" families and robbed. We didn't see anything like that but it sure made us keep our eyeballs peeled and our stuff close to us. LOL We tried to learn "please" and "thank you" in the language of whatever country we were visiting, just to be respectful. I have to say the only place I ever had a language problem was when we were driving around the back roads in Quebec. No one would speak English to us there. :D

 

Seriously, people throw babies?! Oh dear gawd. Lets hope that trend has run its course. I downloaded a couple of language phrase apps on my smartphone...hopefully I'll have room for it inside my security pack. I want to use it for the downloaded walking tours I have on it.

[OldBoot]

Please let us know if guest services charges a fee for your euro traveler's cheques. I have a feeling you won't receive €100 cash for €100 in traveler's cheques.

 

I asked HAL about this...they do not charge a fee for cashing travellers cheques. I think they make it up on currency exchange rates...they only cash USD travellers cheques and can then exchange the cash for Euros.

[PatsyAnne]

Someone mentioned cargo pants. We sailed with someone from Rome who had his front cargo pocket slit open and his billfold taken while on the train. One thing I do is watch out for DH while he is focused on taking pictures.

 

Also, a friend had a baby pushed towards him in Italy. He threw up his hands and loudly said "get away from me!"

 

 

Trish

[Randyk47]

I'll have to admit that I had, and actually still have, some of the same concerns as the OP when we did our Med cruise in 2012. As is my habit I did a bit, maybe even a lot, of research and reading here and other travel sites so I had some idea of what to expect and what I might do to minimize our exposure. I might add that during our trip we were reminded by several people from the doorman and front desk at our hotel in Barcelona to the ship's staff to fellow passengers of real or at least perceived danger. Interestingly the only reported issue or incident I know of during our 21 days away from home was a member of the ship's show staff that had their cell phone pickpocketed in Florence. We had no trouble but were very watchful and will be for our upcoming trip.

[OldBoot]

Boy, this better be worth it! Lol

 

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[Randyk47]

Boy, this better be worth it! Lol

 

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It will be. :) I should have said we didn't walk around Spain, France, Italy, Greece, and Turkey with any sense of fear. Sure, we were aware but not to the point of being distracted. We had an amazing trip and cruise, truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and expect to add to that this coming May. Being aware and prepared doesn't mean it will or has to ruin your trip. :)

[Katie333]

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with these concerns. I think it's second nature to the people on CC to do research and to be prepared. After all, that's what likely brought us here in the first place.

 

I bet there are many people who travel to the Med, especially on cruises, who have a sort of travel-ignorance bubble around them and get taken.

 

With that said, some of these tactics are just crazy. I've never heard of any place (and we've been around the world in Asia, South America etc) where tourists are targeted so specifically, and so callously. It makes me want to shun my usual Canadian personality and just ignore any pleas for help, any offers of help and generally any interaction with locals. It is also frustrating to realize that cash seems to be the best choice of payment but it's also so high risk to carry cash.

Edited March 25, 2014 by Katie333