Thieves Did NOT ruin my Disney Cruise Vacation!
By Rebecca Jones, Concierge Agent“Ma’am, this is the front desk. Your car has been broken into and the police are here.”Not exactly how I wanted to wake up on the morning of our first Disney cruise. But, there it was – a 3am wake-up-call to discover that thieves had broken into our car while it sat outside our hotel in Houston, TX. They had broken out the back window and stolen seven of our nine suitcases full of clothing, jewelry, shoes, medication, gifts for other travelers, and our sense of security.While our children slept, my husband and I called our insurance company and reported the crime, and tried to arrange for our window to be replaced while we were on our cruise. Once Disney Cruise Line opened, we called and found out the absolute latest time we could be on board was 3:30pm our time.My husband drove to a 24-hour store to get plastic and tape to wrap up the window, and I tried to wrap my head around the fact that we were supposed to be having a relaxing, magical day. Instead, I had to figure out how to replace the wardrobes of four out of five of my family members in a matter of hours.We woke up the children, visited three stores, and purchased enough clothing and shoes to get us through the week. We didn’t have the clothes we wanted to wear – no formals, no nice jewelry, and none of our favorite outfits, but we would be clothed, and we would still be on that boat!At 2:30pm, we arrived at the docks in Galveston to check in for our first Disney cruise aboard the Disney Magic. We had a wonderful time on our cruise and made some amazing family memories. Most of all, though, we taught our children that even though bad things happen to us, we don’t let that stop us. We don’t let them keep us from experiencing the good. It’s a lesson I hope they keep with them for a long time.Because of this experience, we learned a few things the hard way:1. ALWAYS take all of your belongings into your hotel room. Don’t leave any type of packages or bags visible in your vehicle. And, of course, always lock your vehicle.2. The damage to our vehicle was covered by our auto insurance. The replacement of our stolen items was covered by our homeowners insurance. Make sure you have both types of insurance coverage so that you can be fully reimbursed for all your expenses.3. Most importantly, never underestimate the magic of a Disney vacation to help take your mind off the troubles of the real world.Email Rebecca