A Cautionary Tale (Theft In Miami)

[aleblzr]

The following was written February 22nd, 2008 (and excerpted here) to our travel agent following our most recent cruise (Freedom of the Seas departing February 3rd, 2008). I have elected to post it here as a "cautionary tale" for those who board Royal Caribbean ships at the Miami terminal, especially with regard to dealing with the incident and aftermath of stolen and compromised personal items and with respect to the varying degrees of assistance offered by those to whom we sought help. Hopefully no else has or will have to deal with such an event.

 

 

To follow up on our conversation, here is the information related to the theft of items from our luggage while our bags were being transferred curbside to our stateroom.

 

The bag which contained the stolen items was in my possession from the time we left our home in Sherwood, Oregon until it was checked in curbside by the porters at the Royal Caribbean terminal in Miami (this includes all air travel time and hotel time that day and the day prior). The bag itself was a typical small black canvas carry-on with an extended pull handle and wheels. Inside were a laptop computer, portable DVD player, various children’s books and DVDs, a green folio style binder and a small woman’s purse. We checked the bag curbside (along with the balance of our luggage) at approximately 11:30 am on February 3rd. In turn, our luggage was delivered to our stateroom at approximately 3:00 pm that same day. I received a call from the purser’s office at approximately 3:30 pm informing me that the green folio binder had been found “somewhere on the dock” during the delivery process. They were able to track me down as there were copies of our travel documents inside the binder. I confirmed the binder was missing from the carry-on bag and went downstairs to retrieve it. A closer inspection of the bag showed no apparent damage and no apparent items missing. As all appeared well I thought nothing more of the matter.

 

Upon returning to Oregon February 11th and reviewing our bank account status on line, I discovered seven non PIN transactions involving my wife’s debit card in the North Miami Beach area beginning February 4th and ending February 11th. The total of these purchases was $ 364.03. Upon conferring with my wife, I discovered that she had, unbeknownst to me, placed her debit card and driver’s license in the small purse contained within the carry-on bag. As neither she nor I had a reason to actually open the purse while on the ship or in transit, we were unaware the two items had been removed. Naturally, February 12th was spent dealing with our bank’s fraud department to report the theft and reverse the charges (which I am happy to report was successful), as well as the Department of Motor Vehicles to report the theft and acquire a replacement driver’s license.

 

Further, I placed a call to the Royal Caribbean Post-Cruise Questions and Comment Department on the 12th to inform them of what had occurred. This was done essentially to let them know that the incident had taken place, in order that they might be alerted to any other possible incidents with passengers on our sailing or other sailings, as well as lay the groundwork for filing police reports both through the Sherwood Police Department and with the Miami Dade Police Department. The response I received from the Royal Caribbean representative with whom I spoke was one of disregard. I was informed that no one employed by the line could have possibly committed such a crime, and that I should take it up with Port of Miami. As I wasn’t calling to implicate anyone or attempt restitution, I was needless to say quite surprised by how immediately vehement the representative was in shifting blame to another party. At the least, the representative did make a notation to our booking number.

 

My next call was to the Port of Miami’s Maritime Services Department, where Esther was kind enough to research who else would have handled our luggage at the ship terminal. She put me in touch with Mr. Fernando Alvarez, the Operations Manager for the Eller-Ito Stevedoring Company. Mr. Alvarez was and continues to be extremely helpful in determining where in the transfer of luggage the items were lifted. He explained how the transfer process works, to wit: The curbside porters are in fact his employees, and gather the bags of arriving passengers for delivery to the terminal building. Once inside, they are placing on conveyor belts (which also serve to deliver baggage upon embarkation) for screening. He noted that multiple Port of Miami security guards and cameras are in place to insure no items from the screened luggage are removed by his employees while inspecting the baggage. Upon completion of the screening process, the bags are organized by the Royal Caribbean provided tags and placed on carts. These carts in turn are moved dockside for delivery to the ship by Royal Caribbean employees (and likewise out of the hands of the stevedoring company).

 

Mr. Alvarez took the theft very seriously, making it an internal meeting agenda item for his employees the next day. He also noted the company had not had any incidents at the Royal Caribbean terminal in over four years. He further got in touch with his counterpart with RCL to address the issue and hopefully discover where in the transfer process the theft could have taken place (ideally to insure nothing like this could happen again). Never in our conversations did he imply that an RCL employee may have been the culprit, but I must note the green folio binder removed from the carry-on bag was discovered while in the care of Royal Caribbean, implying the items stolen from the purse (adjacent to the binder in the bag) were lifted at the same time.

 

Ultimately, what’s done is done, and the inconvenience and anxiety over the incident has passed (remembering that on our 2007 cruise more substantial items were stolen from our checked baggage at MiamiInternationalAirport). I certainly have appreciated the response and aid received from Eller-Ito, and have been very disappointed in the response of Royal Caribbean (both in my telephone conversation, and then with the response you received in your subsequent conversation with the line). Does this impact my perception of how RCL addresses customer concerns? Yes. Will I sail again with the line? Likely, but with a bit more caution in matters of personal security. Mostly I’m just surprised by the reaction and minimal degree of concern by RCL in our respective phone conversations, and would now put it out as a word to the wise for both customers and travel agents. I am still debating whether to post the details of what occurred on the Cruise Critic on-line forum as I have yet no definitive opinion of who was responsible, but I will likely do so as a cautionary tale for future RCL passengers using the Miami ship terminal.

 

Thanks for all your help in this matter; for lending an ear and taking the initiative to talk to the line on our behalf. You have always been there for us both as a friend and as our travel agent.

[Jumbiecruiser]

Very simply put, do not check items such as described above. They should be carried on with the passenger. Lesson learned.

[veryhotred]

Did I read this right, you had things stolen at the Miami airport in 2007 and now on your RC cruise in 2008?

[wrp96]

I'm sad that this has happened to you.

 

I just want to make a note to anyone reading this story. You should never put anything of value in your checked luggage. Things like laptop computers and dvd players should NOT be in your checked luggage. The OP was lucky those weren't taken as well. And, unfortunately as the OP has now discovered, you should not leave anything like your debit or credit cards in any luggage you don't have full control of at all times. Please everyone take a lesson from this poster.

[massfriends]

Sorry to hear this but, VALUABLES never ever leave my side.....and this has happened to you twice, on 2 different cruises.....at the airport and at the cruise port...:rolleyes:

[egh170]

One note: Your bags are NOT in the care of RCCL until they get into the ship. The luggae porters are not employed by RCCL, rather by the port of Miami. I seriously doubt that the items were taken after arriving on the ship but in the process by the port employees.

[pmfan]

Sorry this happened to you.

[polodad]

"Upon conferring with my wife, I discovered that she had, unbeknownst to me, placed her debit card and driver’s license in the small purse contained within the carry-on bag."

 

The advice given has been excellent except for one thing. The OP didn't know the credit card & driver's license were in the checked luggage. His wife did it. Should further advice be given, such as don't get maried, don't take wife along on cruises, and interrogate wife before trip as to what is in the luggage?

[reallyitsmema]

"Upon conferring with my wife, I discovered that she had, unbeknownst to me, placed her debit card and driver’s license in the small purse contained within the carry-on bag."

 

The advice given has been excellent except for one thing. The OP didn't know the credit card & driver's license were in the checked luggage. His wife did it. Should further advice be given, such as don't get maried, don't take wife along on cruises, and interrogate wife before trip as to what is in the luggage?

Common sense would tell you never to put a debit card or license in a checked bag. I am very surprised that all the electronics made it. Never check anything of value at the airport or at the pier. Too many people have access.

 

To the original poster, sorry this has happened to you two years in a row.

[BillOh]

Very simply put, do not check items such as described above. They should be carried on with the passenger. Lesson learned.

 

"The bag itself was a typical small black canvas carry-on with an extended pull handle and wheels. Inside were a laptop computer, portable DVD player, various children’s books and DVDs"

I read this to be a carryon through the airport, but he left it with the curbside porters at the dock? Again, not a good thing to do.

[bunting]

I confirmed the binder was missing from the carry-on bag and went downstairs to retrieve it. A closer inspection of the bag showed no apparent damage and no apparent items missing. .

 

Hi sorry for your loss

 

Presuming the binder was inside the case then its likely the thief touched the item, maybe you should ask the police to whom you reported the theft if they would consider checking the item for fingerprints. Its my understanding that workers in the ports (irrespective of which company they work for) are required to provide a fingerprint scan. Maybe they can catch your thief that way....obviously a lot of people have likely touched the item but its a thought

[cyscopup]

Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me! I think that pretty much sums things up. If valuables were stolen in 2007 why on earth would valuables leave your sight in 2008. We have been very fortunate to have never had anything stolen from our luggage, our stateroom, etc. but that's probably because we are very careful where we leave things of value.

[kittymom65]

OP--I am terribly sorry that you had this experience.

However, there was a reason you placed those items in your carry-on bag for the airplane, and for that same reason, you should have carried the bag with you onto the ship.

I would never let a bag with my computer, or my purse, out of my sight for one minute.....

[232271]

It shocks me to think someone would actually check in such valuable stuff.

I never would trust any electronic equipment in a checked bag, let alone a purse with credit cards in it. All I can say is WOW. :eek:

[TigerLady]

Very simply put, do not check items such as described above. They should be carried on with the passenger. Lesson learned.

 

Very well put. If you don't want it taken, carry it on yourself.. Laptop, DVDs, etc. NEVER put ID's, credit cards or such in bags that will be out of your sight. You don't know who will handle them or what their honesty level is. So very sorry to hear about the incident, and hope others may learn from it..

[emdia43]

Was this bag even locked?

[Makeup Lady]

I was on the Grandeur January 12-17, 2008. In this day and age, when some of us do not think to lock our suitcases (especially at airports, TSA, etc.), on the last night onboard I left my large suitcase outside my door. Unfortunately, it was not locked, and all my VALUABLES were with me inside the cabin on my person. However, when I did return home, while unpacking, I noticed that all of the costume jewelry I brought with me, plus other incidentals like lingerie, expensive clothing, etc., had been pinched from my luggage.

 

I cannot fault anyone but myself for putting my case outside the cabin, unlocked, but myself. Reading this post, I'm now wondering if there isn't some kind of connection, albeit we were out of Tampa. BTW, I am STILL discovering things (small things) that were removed from my luggage. The reason I didn't even think of locking the case was because it was going from RCL to baggage claim to the car...MY MISTAKE. I even had electrical ties I could have used...I did call Lost and Found, thinking perhaps I had left it in the room, but we were very careful on the last morning to check EVERY nook and cranny in our room.

 

Sorry that this happened to OP; I hope you will heed the moral to this story: LOCK YOUR SUITCASES!!!!!!! I know enough not to pack valuables, but this loss (which insurance company would pay but then my rates would go up because my insurance is based on "no claims") I lost close to $750 in "stuff."

 

Just a heads up to future travelers.

 

:o

[Alexis]

Sorry this happened to you not once, but twice.

Never would I allow my carry on to be delivered to my room with regular luggage. Isn't that why we all hand carry it everywhere?

I also use my drivers license as my photo ID when we go ashore on the islands. They require photo ID to get back on the piers/docks along with our Sea Passes in many places. Therefore it is always in my possession.

[Rancher Dave]

Sorry you had that experience. As others have said that was a tough lesson learned.

 

To the extent possible never put anything you can't live without in a bag that is checked at the ship or airport. Frankly with the stacks of luggage I am somewhat surprised the computer didn't get broken.

 

Electronics, cash or any cash devices such as Debit cards, medicine, etc...should be in the carry on. If you don't like carrying one, then get a roll aboard bag, they have some that are really quite inexpensive and are great fo those items you wouldn't want compromised.

[Jungle Jane]

Hi again!

It was so nice meeting you guys on the cruise and I am so very sorry to hear that this happened to you after the nice week we had! :eek:

 

A story that I once read in a newspaper convinced me never to check anything truly valuable (like a debit card or any electronics, etc)

 

The story went that a guy was caught in the luggage compartment of a touring company bus! Apparently he snuck in there with a big empty trunk and while the bus was going he went thru everyone's stuff and collected what he wanted and put it all in his trunk, then he put himself in his trunk. When they got to the destination everyone went off with their stuff and the dumb@$$ was crying for his mama by then, they heard him yelling and opened the trunk and he confessed to his whole plan. Just shows the crazy lengths people will go to to steal your stuff.

 

 

It was nice meeting you all and I hope everything turns out ok...you probably don't want to hear this, but it could have been worse, right???

 

Next time you need to put those 2 cute little girls to work carrying on the valuables!

[PH8]

. Reading this post, I'm now wondering if there isn't some kind of connection, albeit we were out of Tampa.

 

:o

HUH?? :confused: You saying its a Florida thing?? Somehow,I dont think its limited to here...

[cdog7]

A related security item that should be simple to follow regards the safes in the cabins. Should be simple, but we goofed. On a recent cruise we forgot to lock it when leaving for an excursion ashore. On the Freedom the safes are in the closets instead of the middle of the cabin, like on most other ships. Therefore, it requires a conscious action to look in the closet prior to departing the room to check the safe. We were lucky, nothing was missing.

[Makeup Lady]

HUH?? :confused: You saying its a Florida thing?? Somehow,I dont think its limited to here...

 

 

Nooooooooooooo, I'm not saying "...its (sic) a Florida thing??" My reference was that their incident happened at the Miami port and what happened to me was out of Tampa.

 

Yes, I know it's just not a Florida thing (btw, I was just in Ocala for five days, nice place, Stone Creek).

 

Just a final word to the wise -- lock everything of any value. If I wasn't having so much fun the last night (with motion sickness), I might have thought more clearly.:D

 

Just posting my two-cents.

[PH8]

Nooooooooooooo, I'm not saying "...its (sic) a Florida thing??" My reference was that their incident happened at the Miami port and what happened to me was out of Tampa.

 

Yes, I know it's just not a Florida thing (btw, I was just in Ocala for five days, nice place, Stone Creek).

.

Thanks for correcting the spelling..:rolleyes:

 

I'm not old enough yet for Stone Creek but there sure are alot of nice retirement communities in this area.......

[Beeeeeford]

I am amazed at the responses to the OP. I'm pretty sure he realizes now that he shouldn't put valuables in suitcases that leave his side. His initial complaint was regarding the attitude of the RCI employee when he called to make them aware of the situation. He wasn't asking them for anything, just giving them a "head's up". Instead of giving him grief for his mistake, his issue with the RCI employee should be discussed on this forum.