Theft on the carnival spirit 4/4/2010

[YFTHUNTER]

I was recently (4/4/2010) on the Carnival Spirit for the first time and enjoyed my cruise except for one thing. This was my first time on Carnival, and I had been to the Mexican Rivera five times before. On Saturday, on our way up the line to San Diego I received a letter from Guest Services stating they needed to see me. I went to the desk and was told my credit card wasn’t working. I carry a zero balance every month so I was perplexed with my card being denied. The desk ran the card again and again it was denied. So, I called my bank and it turns out there were fraudulent charges in the Philippines. HMM…I have never been there, was on the ship at the time, and used the card last in San Diego to set up my Sail N’ Sign account. I left my cards in my room safe the whole time. I was stumped on how my cards were compromised while on the ship? The charges were from the day before on Friday. I filed a complaint on the ship, and with Carnival in Florida. They all told me it was impossible for it to happen on the ship. They are now giving me the run-around. I would advise everyone to keep your cards on you at all times and do not trust the room safes or your Room Stewards. I found it odd how after I made my complaint on the ship I didn’t see the Room Steward (who was from the Philippines) again and my room was not serviced for the rest of the voyage. CRUISERS BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Snoozeman]

I'm sorry but I'm some what skeptical about your post.

Just my personal opinion-BTW.

[Mike M]

Had you EVER used that card before? Just because the last time you used it was to set up your sign and sail account does not mean that was when your information was stolen. It doesn't work that way.

Had you ever used it at a bar or restaurant? Bought something online? Paid a bill using your credit card? Threw away your credit card statement instead of shredding it?

Your credit card information can be stolen in many ways. The waiter could take your card to settle your bill and when they are out of sight run the card through a small scanner and retrieve every bit of information on it. Or they could just write it down. The company that you bought your Miracle Slicer Dicer from had bad online security and someone hacked into their system and retrieved all the credit card information from their database.

This information could be floating around for months until someone buys it or decides to use it and then the invalid charges show up. The information could of, and probably was, stolen weeks or months earlier.

Blaming the "last" place you used your credit card is just a way to create convenient scapegoat and is usually not correct. The only way you would know for sure is if that was the only place you had used your card.

So: Don't blame Carnival.

BTW: A month ago I had to cancel my card because someone in Ireland tried to buy $1,200 worth of liquor. It was caught immediately and new cards were issued. When the information was stolen could have been any time.

Take care,
Mike

[skymaster]

Ditto to what Mike said! A couple of years ago, I got a call from Capital One, asking if I'd been in Jakarta lately! Obviously not, but someone was trying to use my credit card in the airport there. Capital One caught the prank, called me, canceled the charge, and the card, and issued me a new one. Once again, the numbers could have been lifted ANYWHERE!

"SKY"

[ISurfTooMuch]

I agree with the previous posters. I had a similar incident happen to me last year where someone across the country tried to use my card to buy something online and add it to a PayPal account. I've used this card online for years with no problem, so I have no idea how the fraud department caught this, but I'm glad they did. I'm still not sure how the number was stolen, but obviously, it was. I have a suspicion that it was when I bought from a small Web site that I'd never used before, but I can't confirm that. No big deal, though. The credit card company canceled the card and overnighted me a new one.

Could someone have accessed your safe? Sure, but it's unlikely. There would only be two ways into it: with the card you used to lock it and by a crew member. And considering how much cash and valuables are in safes all over a ship, I'm betting that only a limited number of ship's personnel have the ability to open them. Anyone who could open those little boxes would, on any given cruise, have access to hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of dollars in cash and enough credit cards to buy a small island.

There are many easier ways to get your card info than that

[Fern]

Originally Posted by YFTHUNTER

I would advise everyone to keep your cards on you at all times and do not trust the room safes or your Room Stewards. I found it odd how after I made my complaint on the ship I didn’t see the Room Steward (who was from the Philippines) again and my room was not serviced for the rest of the voyage. CRUISERS BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Since I've seen what you have to go through to get your safe open if you forget your code , I seriously doubt that your Room Steward got into it! They require 2 security staff and your Steward to be present when opening your safe.

If you didn't see your Room Steward after you made your complaint, did you call Passenger Services to say so?

Like Snoozeman, I'm a bit skeptical about your post.

JMHO,

[ToAdam12]

Like all of you all I really do not believe a word of this, I just don't see this having anything to do with Carnival.

[Aidan]

Originally Posted by Fern

I seriously doubt that your Room Steward got into it! They require 2 security staff and your Steward to be present when opening your safe.

, and using the same logic, banks can't be robbed because they require identification to take money out!

[catty]

Just a couple of months ago my credit card would not work at the grocery store. By the time I got home, I got a call from the cc company saying someone in Destin, FL was buying 800 worth of stuff at Wally World. I said, thanks for letting me know since I haven't been to the beach in a while. They cancelled the card and sent me a new one right away.
It is so easy for anyone to get your information. Stores, online, mail, etc..

[katlady]

My guess is either the OP is just throwing this out there for the fun of it and this never really happened.

However, if it did happen. I would say the OP threw a fit about the cabin steward stealing his credit card information. So Carnival asked the room steward not to service the room anymore so he would not be blamed for anything else. Since the OP believed the Cabin Steward opened the cabin safe and took things. Carnival farther protected themselves by not allowing any staff member into the OP's room. I don't blame them for this I would do that same thing. My hubby had credit card information stolen and it's impossible to say for certain who took it. We could blame the last place he used the card, but that is silly.

[Cruznut2]

Early one morning I went out to shop. I had checked my balance online and knew there was plenty of money in my account. As I was checking out I swiped my card and entered my pin. My car was declined.I was perplexed and went to the atm at the store to check my balance again. I still had more than enough money to cover my purchase. I went back to try again and again was again declined. I told them to hold my groceries at the customer service area and I went to the bank. I was told that someone had been using my card to shop online. Yes someone had I agreed. ME!! I was glad that they are looking out for me.

Laura

[Michelle1959]

I agree with everyone else - the sgteard or other Carnival employees would be the first ones blamed so they have no ability to open the safes. It's just a matter of bad timing, that this just happened to have happened while you were on the ship.

Of course Carnival could find out who the itemspurchased in the Phillipines were shipped to - if it was friends or family of the steward, that would certainlpy pint to him as the thief.

Don't blame until you have proof.

[Fern]

Originally Posted by Aidan

, and using the same logic, banks can't be robbed because they require identification to take money out!

Sorry, I don't understand this post. In the case of a cruise cabin safe (or, for that matter, a hotel room safe) having any problem, there are the people who booked the cabin (that would be at least one of us!), two security staff (one watches the other) , and the Room Steward watching the safe be opened.

I don't find any comparison to a bank robbery. The safe didn't work and we asked for help. They already knew who we were so we didn't have to provide ID !

The Room Steward doesn't have any idea (or any time to figure it out!) what you've picked for the combination of your safe, and even if they did, they'd never risk their job for whatever is in a cabin safe.

JMHO,

[Aidan]

Originally Posted by Fern

The Room Steward doesn't have any idea (or any time to figure it out!) what you've picked for the combination of your safe

Do you believe it is impossible to open one of those safes without knowing the selected number combination?

Originally Posted by Fern

and even if they did, they'd never risk their job for whatever is in a cabin safe.

You just said stewards are unable to open the safes ... given that people believe that, how would doing so be a risk to their job?

[ISurfTooMuch]

This same person started a similar thread on another board (you probably know the one, but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to name it) and, like here, has never come back to answer any questions or post any further information. Also, several folks there remember an almost identical post a few months ago.

I smell a troll.

[katlady]

Originally Posted by ISurfTooMuch

This same person started a similar thread on another board (you probably know the one, but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to name it) and, like here, has never come back to answer any questions or post any further information. Also, several folks there remember an almost identical post a few months ago.

I smell a troll.

I think I spot him now.

[ShotoJuku]

Originally Posted by katlady

I think I spot him now.

As I said in my original post (THAT WAS REMOVED) the OP (with his first/only post) is an obvious TROLL. Apparently, others agree!

[Aidan]

Originally Posted by ShotoJuku

(with his first/only post) is an obvious TROLL.

I don't know anything about the OP, but the idea that complaints from a first-time poster are bogus per-se is rather bizarre.

Suppose a cruiser with no internet experience has a bad experience on a cruise. She googles and finds Cruisemates.com. Is she allowed to post?
(Apparently not .. at least not without mocking from the so-called "experienced" users.)

I think some of you need to get over yourselves!

[Master Chief]

Yes, but she is allowed to post and add more information and keep the thread alive. This imposter only dropped the one post and has not been heard of since. It is rather suspicious when this happens. You would think he would at least have tried to defend himself. This trolling thing is a fact of life on cruise boards. Some folks even think cruise lines pay bloggers to post damaging posts about the competition.

[Aidan]

Originally Posted by Master Chief

This imposter only dropped the one post and has not been heard of since. It is rather suspicious when this happens.

, the guy posted on April 13 ... THREE WHOLE DAYS ago .. and "has not been heard from since". For three days!

I rest my case about the regulars attacking anybody who dares post on "their" board ("suspicious behavior!!").

[lhp]

The OP has been a one hit wonder on several cruise forums....

I would ignore him....

[lhp]

Please note.... this quote:

"my room was not serviced for the rest of the voyage. CRUISERS BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


If the OP sailed Saturday to Saturday....

there was no "rest of the voyage" for the cabin steward to service......

sooo, if this part is not true....what does that say about the rest?????

[Master Chief]

Aidan,

Sounds like you may be in the employ of the enemy :-)

[mama k]

If they still have the kind of safe you swipe with a card, it helps not to leave the card near the safe when you're gone.