Missing lap top from disney magic stateroom transatlantic crossing sept 2011

[TDC Nala]

As it wasn't in the safe, there's no way to prove that the laptop was either lost, left behind, or stolen.

 

[kcashner]

Just to add my 2c.

I remember at least 2 occasions of CM's having cash or possessions stolen from their cabins. Also a Main Stage CM being fired for theft.
The Security Officers did investigate them, I don't remember the outcome however.
It led me to marking my DVD's with my initials, my name written in a marker pen on my laptop etc.

Also when a CM used to leave the ship for vacation, their baggage is opened and inspected. Similar to the Guest's departing and leaving their luggage outside their stateroom, CM's used to have to take their suitcases to Deck 1 Forward Starboard the night before leaving.
The Quartermasters would inspect the CM's luggage for anything not supposed to be removed from the ship.
So if you think something may have been stolen, report it straight away.
At least then, the Security Officers have a chance to look for it.

I learnt my lesson the hard way as well when my wallet either fell out, or was pick-pocketed on the I-95 (main crew corridor on deck 1). I had been paid 2 week's wages the day before and hadn't put my pay in my cabin safe. I lost over $900, my drivers license, credit cards etc. No one handed it in.

With the Magic class having 950+/-, and Dream Class having 1450+/- crew, and there is another same amount of them being on vacation, with nearly 2000 and nearly 3000 CM's respectively employed, there will alway's be thief's and that's without counting some Guest's with light fingers.

Unfortunately thefts do happen on DCL ships. They are few and far between in my experience, but they do happen.

Lock up what you can, but don't walk around in fear.
The DCL ships are as safe as anywhere else when it come's to theft, but don't let your guard down just because it's a Disney ship.

Ex Techie

Very well said!

 

[middleofamerica]

I hate to say it, but I think this right here might say it all

I unfortunately agree with this! We were on this cruise also, and came back one night and our door was slightly open. We had something delivered and think they didn't pull the door all the way shut when they left. There are a lot of staff in and out of the rooms. We left our lap top out the whole time, I'm glad we got lucky. Unfortunately, if his contract was up, what did he have to lose? I think other guests would have a hard time coming in and out of rooms, they would be too easily caught being so out of place, but staff and especially cleaning stewards could very easily get away with it! Sorry this happened, lesson learned for me too!

 

[holie]

My friend brought her laptop on the cruise with us and left it on the vanity without incident...but now I worry as I plan on bringing my own for our next one.
I don't think the safes are big enough for laptops but you can buy physical locks for your laptop, to keep it closed for travel, and that may deter people from trying to steal it, knowing they can't get into it (much like a security bar for a car).
Besides unlikely mishaps with doors or people walking in while a room steward is cleaning, I'd see no other reason than to blame the CM that was cleaning the room...Disney does checks of their cabins, if there is a complaint about something gone missing, they should check the particular CM's belongings and storage places for these items...it only makes sense, since they are the only other people that can get into the rooms.

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

SNIP: There are a lot of staff in and out of the rooms. We left our lap top out the whole time, I'm glad we got lucky. Unfortunately, if his contract was up, what did he have to lose?

Just to clarify, the key card readers log the card ID every time a key card is entered and a certain amount of entries are stored and can be read by the Security dept. Each Guest's KTTW card and any CM's that have door entry cards, all have a unique ID. CM's card's are issued to them, and the ID number noted.
Regarding what did he have to lose, unless he wasn't planning on returning for another contract, nothing I guess unless if the Guest reported a missing item immediately, and his baggage being searched.

Ex Techie

 

[PirateLife4Me:)]

I've been on a couple of disney cruises in the past and have never had an issue with lost things out of my room. You figure that you are on a disney cruise and everything should be perfect. I do see flaws in stateroom service. For starters when you get on the ship everyones bags are left out of the rooms and sometimes for a few hours while people are out eating lunch and enjoying the sail off party. Disney depends on the honor system of the passengers and the employees. I doubt the employees are the ones we should be worried of. Also at times when the cast members are cleaning the state rooms, they clean more than one at a time and leave 2 or more rooms with the doors open at the same time. When they are cleaning a room they dont know what might be going on in the other rooms they left open. Not all the guests are as honest as everyone else. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Disney Dreams]

I unfortunately agree with this! ...Unfortunately, if his contract was up, what did he have to lose?....

• Any future contracts
• The chance to work for DCL ever again
• Any letter of reference
• Charges pressed against him if items are found in his bags
• A lot more than he has to gain from one laptop that can WAY too easily be tracked to him

- Dreams

 

[castlewood]

Just to clarify, the key card readers log the card ID every time a key card is entered and a certain amount of entries are stored and can be read by the Security dept. Each Guest's KTTW card and any CM's that have door entry cards, all have a unique ID. CM's card's are issued to them, and the ID number noted.
Regarding what did he have to lose, unless he wasn't planning on returning for another contract, nothing I guess unless if the Guest reported a missing item immediately, and his baggage being searched.

Ex Techie

Thank you I did wonder if they would know if any one else went in the room as earlier on we had an issue with the air conditioning unit leaking water and maintenance coming to the room, we were in at the time but who knows what happpened when we were not. Just to add to this Disney have not been in touch despite Lost and Found (Gloria) stating that her manager would ring on Monday and when we first reported it missing on disembarkation day being told Disney would be in touch.

 

[safetymom]

I secure my laptop to the desk with a cable lock everywhere I travel. Sorry but I don't trust anyone when travelling. Very quick and easy to do. I also back up my hard drive to an external drive before I travel so if anything happens I still have the information at least.

I hope you hear from Disney.

 

[castlewood]

I secure my laptop to the desk with a cable lock everywhere I travel. Sorry but I don't trust anyone when travelling. Very quick and easy to do. I also back up my hard drive to an external drive before I travel so if anything happens I still have the information at least.

I hope you hear from Disney.

Thank you, yes you are the second person to say about a cable we will look into that for the future, and luckily my daughter had backed up on a hard drive when she finished her second year at university back in June so at least all her work is safe.

 

[lmhall2000]

Thank you, yes you are the second person to say about a cable we will look into that for the future, and luckily my daughter had backed up on a hard drive when she finished her second year at university back in June so at least all her work is safe.

So sorry for your experience...and I hesitate to be jaded, but in this case it's fairly obvious your exiting CM took it. As much as Disney tries to vet every CM...with the increase of staff needs (more ships) they are bound to get some losers. I would not blame Disney for this...but would love for them to step up and acknowledge these things do happen (which I think is why they offer the safe as an option)...your story will hopefully encourage others to not indulge in that safe mode we all get in to by the end of a cruise. We usually never take valuables on the cruise...we had a sentimental item my daughter left in an area where they had talent night..it was obvious someone snatched it (no lost and found) and we returned within 15 minutes to retrieve it...gone. Disboards members were amazing to find the same item (token from Cabo) and send it to her...it was not expensive but meant a great deal to her.

This is one of those blech moments in life when you wish you'd done something else...but don't let it rob you of the great memories with your family..that CM will be the one left with long-lasting problems from the type of character he has...the worse of the two fates.

Oh, and isn't there a way to track a computer if someone else tries to log on to it? I thought some computers had that ability..it would be cool to see if it pings in Peru!!

 

[RedSox68]

I can't believe a CM would be dumb enough to steal something so noticably missing from a stateroom that only the family and them had access to.

The only choices are it is misplaced by the family, or the Stateroom Host took it. No one else had access to the room unless someone let others into the room.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. Many many times I have seen the room stewards leave stateroom doors propped open while they attend to the room next door, or have come back to find them in the bathroom cleaning with the bathroom door closed -- meaning anyone could walk in and grab something unnoticed.

On one of our cruises a couple of years ago, there was a grandmother and her granddaughter sharing a stateroom. She had left their cell phones in the nightstand. She came back to her room to find her door propped open, room steward nowhere in sight, and their nightstand drawers open and their phones missing.

Also at times when the cast members are cleaning the state rooms, they clean more than one at a time and leave 2 or more rooms with the doors open at the same time. When they are cleaning a room they dont know what might be going on in the other rooms they left open. Not all the guests are as honest as everyone else.

And it appears this may be part of the problem and maybe they should stop leaving rooms unattended with open doors!

 

[castlewood]

So sorry for your experience...and I hesitate to be jaded, but in this case it's fairly obvious your exiting CM took it. As much as Disney tries to vet every CM...with the increase of staff needs (more ships) they are bound to get some losers. I would not blame Disney for this...but would love for them to step up and acknowledge these things do happen (which I think is why they offer the safe as an option)...your story will hopefully encourage others to not indulge in that safe mode we all get in to by the end of a cruise. We usually never take valuables on the cruise...we had a sentimental item my daughter left in an area where they had talent night..it was obvious someone snatched it (no lost and found) and we returned within 15 minutes to retrieve it...gone. Disboards members were amazing to find the same item (token from Cabo) and send it to her...it was not expensive but meant a great deal to her.

This is one of those blech moments in life when you wish you'd done something else...but don't let it rob you of the great memories with your family..that CM will be the one left with long-lasting problems from the type of character he has...the worse of the two fates.

Oh, and isn't there a way to track a computer if someone else tries to log on to it? I thought some computers had that ability..it would be cool to see if it pings in Peru!!

Thank you, I wish Disney would get in touch I have spoken to them on disembarkation, rang Lost and Found, rang DVC sales person as he was at least a contact of Disney, the only person who is trying seems to be Quality Assurance who I rang yesterday evening to see what options I had to cancel my DVC I signed up for on the cruise, not that I want to cancel really

 

[Disney Addicted]

I secure my laptop to the desk with a cable lock everywhere I travel. Sorry but I don't trust anyone when travelling. Very quick and easy to do. I also back up my hard drive to an external drive before I travel so if anything happens I still have the information at least.

Also put a password on the computer. Yes, I know it won't stop someone really determined, but it will deter the quick opportunist from having a few minutes to scan through your files.

 

[castlewood]

Also put a password on the computer. Yes, I know it won't stop someone really determined, but it will deter the quick opportunist from having a few minutes to scan through your files.

Thank you, yes there is a password on the computer, but not being techy I presume someone could get into it to use it

 

[cloudnut220]

Sadly this is one of the reasons I NEVER let housekeeping in a room I'm staying in. I can live with a few days mess. I actually LIKE DVC because there isn't a housekeeping person in my room all the time!

 

[sayhello]

So sorry for your experience...and I hesitate to be jaded, but in this case it's fairly obvious your exiting CM took it. As much as Disney tries to vet every CM...with the increase of staff needs (more ships) they are bound to get some losers. I would not blame Disney for this...but would love for them to step up and acknowledge these things do happen (which I think is why they offer the safe as an option)...your story will hopefully encourage others to not indulge in that safe mode we all get in to by the end of a cruise.

I find this very sad. The CM is tried and convicted based on a casual remark by the OP.

My feeling is, WHY would you want to do this to your Room Steward? Why put them in that position? If you leave things out, and they get stolen, the first suspicion goes on your Room Steward. I feel it's my responsibility to lock things up. The safe is right there. If stuff gets stolen, it's my fault for not locking it up. End of story.

Sayhello

 

[Minnie Monellen]

I find this very sad. The CM is tried and convicted based on a casual remark by the OP.

My feeling is, WHY would you want to do this to your Room Steward? Why put them in that position? If you leave things out, and they get stolen, the first suspicion goes on your Room Steward. I feel it's my responsibility to lock things up. The safe is right there. If stuff gets stolen, it's my fault for not locking it up. End of story.

Sayhello

I agree! Put everything in the safe. And only bring those valuables that you really need on the cruise.

 

[k3chantal]

It's terrible that this has happened. But please don't let this negative experience color your purchase of the vacation club. DVC has been a wonderful addition to our family's vacations and because, for us, it's completely paid for, greatly reduced the immediate costs of our current vacations.

Use the laptop incident as a lesson and go enjoy what you just bought.

Thank you for sharing your story though, we are about to go on our first cruise and this is a good reminder to lock up our valuables or not to bring them.

 

[bigbootee]

I was planning on bring my iPad with us and my daughter has one for communication (she is non verbal autism), is the safe big enough for our iPads?

Yes. I had my iPad on 2 cruises and I still have it. This incident appears to be an exception rather than the rule.