Poolside Theft?

[Lady_Cruise]

I apologize if this has already been answered or discussed. I did search through the forums and didn't see anything posted.

I'm always a little nervous leaving my bag of stuff by my chair when I hop in the pool for a dip. Sometimes my husband is sitting there to keep an eye on things, but this time we're cruising with a group and we may all get in the pool together. I think many people are decent, but it's a floating city so there's bound to be a few dishonest people. Do things (especially a phone or sea pass) get stolen from the poolside, or am I worried over nothing?

[cb at sea]

What do you BRING to the pool that anyone would want?  I've never had an issue.  No one wants your flip flops or tee shirt....I don't bring much...sunscreen, a book,(and my seapass is my bookmark) and that's about it!  Tell the folks sitting next to you that you're gonna take a dip....they'll let you know if anyone is prowling about.....I would tell my seat mates if someone other than they were  in their "spot"!

Make friend with the folks around you!  I think you're worrying about nothing!

[teknoge3k]

Usually all I have is my sandals. My Sail & Sign card is in my pocket when I am swimming. That's all I take to the pool with me. I suppose someone may want to steal my sandals but if they do, then they obviously needed them more than me. 

[OCruisers]

Extremely unlikely you'll have a problem.  

ENJOY!  

[Grandma Dazzles]

You really don't need to take anything of value to the pool.  Most people have sunscreen, book or magazine and Seapass card and that's about it.  

If I were to take an iPad or phone or anything valuable I probably wouldn't leave unattended, or I would use some type of locking device attached to my chair.  I wouldn't worry about a Seapass card - people lose those all the time and charges can be verified by signature.  

[OCruisers]

Agree with the above.  No reason to take anything of REAL value with you.  

[UtterCaro]

If it will make you feel safer, you can take your phone (and cards/money) into the pool with one of these:  https://*****.com/waterproof-phone-bag

Great for port beaches and hotel pools, too.

[TraumaDramaMDs]

I use this at the beach or pool, you lock it up and the key is on a bracelet.

 https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjw94b-_47eAhUHWYYKHeqeCQgYABAcGgJ2dQ&sig=AOD64_3s8ZgrnJRCj8G6MTIFgOZLazMNrA&ctype=5&q=&ved=0ahUKEwiFyIP-_47eAhURvlkKHfYkAeUQwzwIiwE&adurl=

[mulewagon]

I carry my phone in a waterproof bag because I like to sit in the hot tub and read books on the Kindle app. I leave a few things in a bag by the poolside: coverup, prescription glasses, sunscreen, beach shoes. Nothing anybody else would want.

[jlp20]

Not only have have I not heard of this on any of my cruises, in all the years reading these boards I have never seen it posted. I have seen wild accusations against unknown crew of stealing anything from expensive cameras to used bras. 

[Nebr.cruiser]

The only thing of value I bring to the lido deck is my Kindle and sometimes a camera.  Usually my husband is there, but when I am alone I do leave my stuff in a small bag.  So far nothing of value has been taken. I'm usually only gone for a trip to the bathroom or a quick dip to cool off.  If leaving for longer, I take everything with me as I don't want to hog a chair.

I did have a sweater stolen from my lounger once; it was a Transatlantic and coolish.  I was walking laps and left the sweater on the chair; after one lap it was gone.

I am certain I saw someone wearing it later in the cruise, but of course hard to prove.  It wasn't valuable at all--probably $10--but it happened to be the perfect fit for me in every way, so it was annoying.

[Dancing Shoes]

OMG...I probably would have ripped it off of them.  Lol   

[SRF]

ON most, if not all lines, the your Sea Pass is swiped, a picture of you appears.  If the person trying to use the card does not look like you, it will not get charged.

[ldubs]

I would not leave anything of value unattended -- anywhere on the ship.  

[ldubs]

17 hours ago, SRF said:

ON most, if not all lines, the your Sea Pass is swiped, a picture of you appears.  If the person trying to use the card does not look like you, it will not get charged.

 

Huh, does that apply to on board purchases?  I've not seen that on Celebrity or RCI when using the card in onboard stores or ship's bars.  

[Aquahound]

23 hours ago, jlp20 said:

Not only have have I not heard of this on any of my cruises, in all the years reading these boards I have never seen it posted. I have seen wild accusations against unknown crew of stealing anything from expensive cameras to used bras. 

 

Well, here's your first.  On one of my cruises out of San Juan, several digital cameras were stolen from poolside and elsewhere.  It got so bad, the Captain had to make an announcement about it.  

[jlp20]

27 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

 

Well, here's your first...

Noted, not theft, but slightly related. Read this on these boards years ago. Cruise starting/stopping in San Juan, as it happens a large portion of the cabins were empty just days before embarkation. Someone had the brilliant idea of offering cruises below cost thinking they could at least break even with folio charges. The end result was attracting, shall we say people who had no business on a cruise ship. Not going into what was reported during the cruise. On the last night, pax put bags out into hall as requested. What wasn't requested was a group of San Juan locals who found it very amusing to collect bags, go to the aft deck and throw them into the wake. Can't recall the exact number, but I believe it was over 50 bags going over the side. Pax saw bags gone from passageway as expected so nobody was alarmed. Long after everyone had left the ship, a large group of pax stood around bag-less. After the fact they could piece together what had happened viewing security tapes.

[sanger727]

On 10/18/2018 at 12:22 AM, jlp20 said:

Not only have have I not heard of this on any of my cruises, in all the years reading these boards I have never seen it posted. I have seen wild accusations against unknown crew of stealing anything from expensive cameras to used bras. 

 

Ive certainly seen posts about people leaving digital cameras, phones, or handheld electronic games unattended in public areas and then being stolen.

 

i wouldn’t bring anything of value with me unless I planned to keep it on my person. All I take to leave on a lounge chair is clothing items, books, towels, etc.

[MicCanberra]

I personally wouldn't leave anything valuable alone anywhere on the ship except for in the safe. Treat your cabin as your home but in reality it is a place where numerous people can come and go without your knowledge. Everywhere else on the ship is like public space where any number of crew and passengers can have access to.

[leaveitallbehind]

8 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Huh, does that apply to on board purchases?  I've not seen that on Celebrity or RCI when using the card in onboard stores or ship's bars.  

 

It absolutely is done on both RCI and Celebrity - and has been for years.  There is a small screen at the register facing the employee the displays your picture when the card is swiped.  Part of the security to assure the proper passenger is using the card.  The same as when you exit and enter the ship your picture is displayed as well.

[Jenjer]

You are correct to assuming you are traveling in a small city and approach it as such. I leave my phone, towel, shoes and sunscreen all in a small bag. I would not leave a 1k camera or computer but little things like a kindle are most likely safe.

 

 

I have never heard the luggage off the back story. that's horrible

[ldubs]

4 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

 

It absolutely is done on both RCI and Celebrity - and has been for years.  There is a small screen at the register facing the employee the displays your picture when the card is swiped.  Part of the security to assure the proper passenger is using the card.  The same as when you exit and enter the ship your picture is displayed as well.

 

Never too far along to learn something new -- thx.  

[Lady_Cruise]

Thank you all so much! This is very reassuring!!

I don't bring anything valuable to the pool, usually just towel, book, cover-up, sandals, Seapass. My husband's not big on pools, so he'll sit and read while I go for a dip, so I've never worried. Some of our group will have kindles (older models, nothing too fancy). These are all great points about verifying SeaPass charges and other people generally keeping an eye on their surroundings too. Thank you all!!

[XBGuy]

I concur with the opinion that you don't leave anything of value unattended.  I would, also. however, like to expand on the topic of a lost or stolen key card.

 

As has already been recommended, if a key card is lost or stolen, your immediate action should be to go to the Guest Services desk and report it.  You will, immediately, be issued a replacement card.

 

The encoding on the replacement card is not identical to the lost/stolen card.  That card has been "deactivated."  If a finder/thief tries to use that card for a purchase, it will not work.  I would assume--this may be incorrect--that the clerk/barman/crew member who entered the card at their device would also be alerted and instructed to confiscate the card.

 

So, in addition to the picture identification capability, there is additional security.  However, the level of that security is dependent on the person who lost the card, or was the victim of a thief, reporting the loss as quickly as possible.

 

If it happened to me, I would check my shipboard account as soon as possible, to make sure there weren't any unauthorized charges.  Then, a few hours later, I would check again.

'

[mef_57]

I have been wondering what I will do with my phone by the pool.  It is my e-reader and I read a lot.  I have a waterproof sleeve, so can take it with me, but my other suggestion is to swim early on - not taking the Kindle or phone out of your bag until after the swim.  Chances are the stolen phones and cameras are seen in use, then put into a bag and then the person walks away.  Buried deep in a bag and maybe inside something else (a make up bag?) is going to be too cumbersome for casual theft.