Have uke, will travel?

NatalieS

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My family just surprised me with the announcement that we're going to meet up in Honolulu next spring! (We all live far away from each other and Honolulu is exactly halfway between where my brother lives and where I live). I'm so excited, and my mind immediately thought, "To take the DaSilva? Or not to take the DaSilva?" This thing is my *baby*. I want so badly to take it with me on all my adventures. The only thing is, I'm nervous for the times when I'll have to leave it in the hotel room. How likely is it to get stolen, really? I think we're planning to stay in a nice hotel, and I'll have my locked case with me. But even a locked case won't deter someone who wants what's in it. Should I quit my worrying and just take it?

P.S. I know I'll get at least one reply saying to leave the uke at home and buy another in Hawaii. But I don't need to buy another uke and would rather take this one with me because, well, I'm in love with it.
 
Lucky you, with a Hawaii trip to look forward to! Have you been before?

When I went to Hawaii a few months back, the plan was to buy another uke while I was there. But I never found the right one, so if I had stuck with the "leave it at home and buy one" plan I would have been very, very sad being uke-less the whole trip!

I brought one of my Kamaka concert ukes. I did worry a little about theft from the hotel room, but it was fine. As was my netbook, DSLR, and all the other things that I didn't have the need to carry with me 24/7 and sometimes left out in the open in my room. I stashed the uke in a cabinet when I didn't need it; I don't think the cleaning people ever had a clue that it was there.
 
Two schools of thought:

SCHOOL 1. INSURE IT with a RIDER on your policy, and take it. Make sure you have a top of the line case. Store it in the hotel safe. Don't live life in fear, enjoy what you have.

SCHOOL 2. Buy another uke. (The problem with this school is, well, while you're gone you uke is home... and vulnerable to theft, right?)
 
Aloha Natalie...
Oh goodie...you are coming to hawaii....Your brother must live in australia or the Far east.. I know another UU member said he was coming for the Uke fest next year...too...
If you feel uncomfortable leaving your valuable ukulele in your room...leave it with the front desk or Head Concierge...they can lock it away and keep it safe for you..and you
wont have to worry..and you can enjoy yourself....but here's the catch, by next year you WILL be looking for another uke....trust me...you WILL get tempted too.. You WILL get one..
ha ha ....MM Stan
 
I do quite a bit of traveling, and take my Kamaka uke with me everywhere I go. I'm probably asking for trouble but honestly, a day without it is a day I won't be happy, so I just never check it on the plane -- always carry it on, and I leave it in the closet of my room in the hotel. I can't speak for you, but for me, it is worth the risk.
 
What I do when I stay at a hotel is place the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door when I'm out and call the front desk to have my room made up when I am in. Works out well...I just leave a decent tip for the cleaners when I leave. I'm doing that as we speak as I am in Hong Kong for work!
 
Hope you have a great trip and visit. Only hope someday I will end up with a uke I love that much.
 
Thank you for the replies, everyone. :) It seems like the general consensus is to take the uke but be careful not to leave it out in the open. I just can't imagine going to HAWAII of all places without my uke!!! I need at least one pic of it surrounded by a lei, dang it.

I've been to Hawaii twice before, but the last time I went was 11 years ago. Stan, my brother lives in South Korea. It will be an 8 hour flight for him, and an 8 hour flight for the rest of our family as well. I am so excited to go.... can't wait. :) I hope to tour the Kamaka factory while I'm there. What a historic place that is!
 
My family just surprised me with the announcement that we're going to meet up in Honolulu next spring! (We all live far away from each other and Honolulu is exactly halfway between where my brother lives and where I live). I'm so excited, and my mind immediately thought, "To take the DaSilva? Or not to take the DaSilva?" This thing is my *baby*. I want so badly to take it with me on all my adventures. The only thing is, I'm nervous for the times when I'll have to leave it in the hotel room. How likely is it to get stolen, really? I think we're planning to stay in a nice hotel, and I'll have my locked case with me. But even a locked case won't deter someone who wants what's in it. Should I quit my worrying and just take it?

P.S. I know I'll get at least one reply saying to leave the uke at home and buy another in Hawaii. But I don't need to buy another uke and would rather take this one with me because, well, I'm in love with it.

coming from a hotel loss prevention background from a 5 star then 4 star resort...Take it. No one will steal it. It isn't worth it.
I can't tell you how many times the cleaning ladies told us of the rolexes, cash, and other valuable equipment left out. With modern technology on the doors, we could tell who entered each room so theft was unheard of.
 
Have a great time. I travel with a cheaper "travel uke" but if you love your uke you will take good care of it. I've never had anything stolen out of numerous hotel rooms. Airports and restaurants are the worst places, also hotel lobbies if they are crowded and on the main paths. A buddy laid his laptop down in a hotel lobby, paid the bill and it was gone! In a decent hotel the uke should be safe in your room.
 
I agree..unless you want to buy a uke in Hawaii, bring one with you!! Like John says, nobody will take it with the high tech systems in use today!! Just as a precaution...don't leave the uke out in the open!!!
 
Thanks for the tips! I'm always really paranoid about not setting stuff down in the airport, etc. I'll always have a hand on it. :)
 
I have been surprised at some hotels how wide open the rooms can be when cleaning crews come. I have come back to our room, and found the door wide open, and nobody inside (no doubt getting some supplies from a cart down the hall), and anyone could have wandered into our room and carried something out. The cleaning crew wouldn't know if that room was ours, so even if they saw somebody, they wouldn't know. The cleaning crew is probably OK, it just the others that might take advantage of an opportunity that worries me.

In Switzerland, one of our hotels had no locks on any of the rooms. The Swiss have a culture of honesty, I later read, but I was uneasy thinking of all the non-Swiss travelers around. I am sure I am just a paranoid urban girl, but I did loose my laminated map of Rome out of my jeans pocket while in Rome (where pick-pockets are notorious). And, I have had 2 cars stolen from my own neighborhood over the years.

–Lori
 
Should be no problem!! Just keep your uke with you and for longer periods of time, keep it with the hotel! I have done that a few times!!
 
I have been surprised at some hotels how wide open the rooms can be when cleaning crews come. I have come back to our room, and found the door wide open, and nobody inside (no doubt getting some supplies from a cart down the hall), and anyone could have wandered into our room and carried something out. The cleaning crew wouldn't know if that room was ours, so even if they saw somebody, they wouldn't know. The cleaning crew is probably OK, it just the others that might take advantage of an opportunity that worries me.

In Switzerland, one of our hotels had no locks on any of the rooms. The Swiss have a culture of honesty, I later read, but I was uneasy thinking of all the non-Swiss travelers around. I am sure I am just a paranoid urban girl, but I did loose my laminated map of Rome out of my jeans pocket while in Rome (where pick-pockets are notorious). And, I have had 2 cars stolen from my own neighborhood over the years.

–Lori

Because you live in Los Angeles!!!! haha Did you have a Honda or Toyota by any chance? The parts business is booming

I agree with everyone else that your uke might have the most value to YOU, but I'm sure maids see much more "bling". Just follow the advice of the frequent travellers and you'll be fine.
 
I travel a fair amount for work and always take a soprano with me. I also keep a uke in my office so I can pick it up and play a song or two when I need work inspiration The problem for me with the "cheap travel uke" solution is that once you've played really good ukes it's difficult to go back to playing a "cheap travel uke". So I bought a good quality "travel uke" for ~$400 and I use that. You can buy quite a good quality used uke for that price, even an old Martin O if you buy carefully. Okay it's not a DeSilva but it also makes my playing a whole lot more enjoyable than playing on a low end instrument. The problem for me with insurance is that you've still lost the instrument and there's no way that you forget that. I too put the 'do not disturb' sign on my door so there's no one coming in and out of my room. I just wouldn't want to be worrying about my uke the whole time I was there which is something that I would do but maybe you wouldn't (from your posts about this uke thought I"ll bet that's not the case <g>). good playing, g2
 
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