Are FE gifts stolen often?

[PrincessYessenia]

Hey all. Just had a question for those who have done FE exchanges on past cruises. How often, if at all, do the gifts get stolen? We will be sailing on the 6th of December and already have our FE and the gifts and we're all set ...It will be my first time participating in an FE exchange but I'm just worried someone might steal the things out of them. I hear of people writing crude messages on some dry erase boards so I'm wondering if stolen FE gifts happens often as well?

 

[bakalorber]

What's a FE?

 

[PearlySwan]

What's a FE?

Fish Extenders. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1219607

 

[cruisinmama06]

I would say it depends. Our last Disney cruise was the first time I had participated in the FE. And let me tell you, I was BLOWN AWAY by the generosity of the Disers here. We had to buy another piece of luggage just to haul it all back home.

So one night we were heading back to our cabin and there was a group of 4 boys who were in front of us. They were staying in the inside cabin across from us by themselves.

The one boy said "Look at all of that stuff. Let's take it"

They had no idea we were right behind them.

I said loudly "You will NOT TOUCH that stuff. It doesn't belong to you. And if one thing goes missing, I know were YOUR cabin is"

We kept an eye on the FE for the rest of the cruise. We got the gifts out right away when anyone put things in it. Which seemed like all the time.

Have a great cruise!

 

[HiddenMickeys]

I would also have to think how would you know? I mean we got a lot of things and they were great from our fellow disers, but if something was taken, not sure how we'd ever be aware of that? Unless the gifter posted somewhere what they had given and then you may have one of those "I didn't get one" moments.

Plus recruiting never hurts lol. We had a few extra little goodie bags when we made them up for the kids in our FE, so before we left home we printed up the description of what exactly a fe is from here on the dis, as well as the dis web address and also a little note saying "hope to see you participate next cruise". And put those in the bags as well.
We left these outside of a couple doors across the hall from us when we noticed they had kids. It made the moms and dads aware of what the thing hanging by our door was, and hopefully the kids would respect it as well and be excited about doing it next time (as well as getting some new peeps to the dis).

 

[disneyfreak1]

On our last cruise, my son got to the room before we did and there were two candy bars and a round container of M&M's. He didn't empty the FE because he thought I wanted to take a picture. The candy bars were stolen and the empty M&M container was left in our FE. So yes, things do get stolen! From then on, we check it several times a day and emptied it as soon as there were things in it.

 

[kcashner]

As above, we emptied the FE every time we saw something in it. People were very generous! I can't swear that something did or did not get stolen, but I saw no evidence of it on most cruises.

As PP noted, I packed a couple extra goodies...there was a family down the hall who were obviously Dis-ers with kids (from their door magnet info), so I left the goodie bags outside their door with a "know you aren't doing a FE, but hope you enjoy" note.

 

[woody73]

Yes, things get stolen. The temptation is just too great for some who are not participating.

Woody

 

[Tinkerkell123]

I would also have to think how would you know? I mean we got a lot of things and they were great from our fellow disers, but if something was taken, not sure how we'd ever be aware of that? Unless the gifter posted somewhere what they had given and then you may have one of those "I didn't get one" moments.

Plus recruiting never hurts lol. We had a few extra little goodie bags when we made them up for the kids in our FE, so before we left home we printed up the description of what exactly a fe is from here on the dis, as well as the dis web address and also a little note saying "hope to see you participate next cruise". And put those in the bags as well.
We left these outside of a couple doors across the hall from us when we noticed they had kids. It made the moms and dads aware of what the thing hanging by our door was, and hopefully the kids would respect it as well and be excited about doing it next time (as well as getting some new peeps to the dis).

I think that's a great idea!

 

[PrincessYessenia]

I also kind of wondered "how would I know if something was taken?" Hopefully everyone on our cruise decides to have manners and not take what isn't theirs I would hate to have spent my money on something to give someone for a random person to steal it.

 

[PrincessYessenia]

I would say it depends. Our last Disney cruise was the first time I had participated in the FE. And let me tell you, I was BLOWN AWAY by the generosity of the Disers here. We had to buy another piece of luggage just to haul it all back home.

So one night we were heading back to our cabin and there was a group of 4 boys who were in front of us. They were staying in the inside cabin across from us by themselves.

The one boy said "Look at all of that stuff. Let's take it"

They had no idea we were right behind them.

I said loudly "You will NOT TOUCH that stuff. It doesn't belong to you. And if one thing goes missing, I know were YOUR cabin is"

We kept an eye on the FE for the rest of the cruise. We got the gifts out right away when anyone put things in it. Which seemed like all the time.

Have a great cruise!

What perfect timing! lol

 

[Fivepin]

We got so much stuff I couldn't tell you if anything got taken or not. We had to empty ours out quite often. As far as the dry erase board, I had one and never received a crude comment. On the contrary, I got birthday wishes and such. I had also received some notes from crew members on there.

 

[HiddenMickeys]

Yeah it seems like every time we left the room or came back there was stuff, so we emptied it whenever we saw something.

All this talk is making me contemplate melting down some ex-lax into candy molds and leaving a baggie in my FE the whole next cruise. And who said you can't go fishing on a cruise ship?

Did a similar thing at work one time. Took in some dyed eggs from easter in a container to have some hard boiled eggs for my lunch. Someone took the egss, left the container. So the next day I hit cvs and grabbed an egg dye kit on clearance, came home, and just used 1 and dyed 3 raw eggs blue and took them into work that night. Same thing happened, eggs were gone, container was still there. lol

Funny enough, my non-dyed hard boiled eggs never disappeared after that whenever I took them.

 

[tinkmom2]

Both times I have been right off the elevators first in Aft and then in Midship. You would think I would have a problem there but I haven't. The only thing I have had happen is magnets being moved. I agree that unless you see it you probably wouldn't know something was stolen. We emptied out ours everytime we went back to the room and the pockets were always full.

 

[hollieplus2]

Hey all. Just had a question for those who have done FE exchanges on past cruises. How often, if at all, do the gifts get stolen? We will be sailing on the 6th of December and already have our FE and the gifts and we're all set ...It will be my first time participating in an FE exchange but I'm just worried someone might steal the things out of them. I hear of people writing crude messages on some dry erase boards so I'm wondering if stolen FE gifts happens often as well?

Princess, we are sailing on December 6th as well and I don't see you on the fe group. Have you logged on over on the meets thread? We are all meeting up once we board

 

[Dizzyworld]

Yeah it seems like every time we left the room or came back there was stuff, so we emptied it whenever we saw something.

All this talk is making me contemplate melting down some ex-lax into candy molds and leaving a baggie in my FE the whole next cruise. And who said you can't go fishing on a cruise ship?

Did a similar thing at work one time. Took in some dyed eggs from easter in a container to have some hard boiled eggs for my lunch. Someone took the egss, left the container. So the next day I hit cvs and grabbed an egg dye kit on clearance, came home, and just used 1 and dyed 3 raw eggs blue and took them into work that night. Same thing happened, eggs were gone, container was still there. lol

Funny enough, my non-dyed hard boiled eggs never disappeared after that whenever I took them.

I love it!