Light Switches on Star Princess

Does anyone know if the light switches on Star Princess have been upgraded to the kind that need a key card inserted to keep the lights on?

I really don't think so. Only a few ships (Regal, Royal, and Majestic) have that "feature" as far as I know. I have to wonder why it would make a difference.

I really don't think so. Only a few ships (Regal, Royal, and Majestic) have that "feature" as far as I know. I have to wonder why it would make a difference.

Does anyone know if the light switches on Star Princess have been upgraded to the kind that need a key card inserted to keep the lights on?

Midway Bill...we sailed the Star in January & there are no light switch changes. The only non Royal-class ship I have read with the card system is on the Island's new added aft section of cabins.

...You can put any card or business card in the light slot and then turn lights on or off normally.

Thus my question - I wanted to make sure I brought some card I don't normally carry. If I walked aboard today I would have my debit card, my driver's license and my military ID card.

Thanks

Thus my question - I wanted to make sure I brought some card I don't normally carry.

During boarding, princess usually gives you a pocket map of the ship.

2x3 or so, and 100 pages folded together.

The back cover is card stock.

Tear it off and insert in light slot.

During boarding, princess usually gives you a pocket map of the ship.

2x3 or so, and 100 pages folded together.

 

The back cover is card stock.

 

Tear it off and insert in light slot.

Great idea!! I'll remember not to toss that map booklet into the trash when I board the Royal.;p

Thus my question - I wanted to make sure I brought some card I don't normally carry. If I walked aboard today I would have my debit card, my driver's license and my military ID card.

 

Thanks

One could always just make a card out of the breakfast hang tag or any other thing onboard. Any piece of stuff will work - a folded daily trivia sheet would do. I wouldn't be using a debit card for anything though. A credit card is much safer. I especially wouldn't use a debit card to cover my onboard expenses. There are far too many stories of problems caused by using a debit card for that rather than a credit card.

We were on the Star in March, and they didn't have the new switches at that time.

When we were on the Regal and the Royal we used the key cards from our pre-cruise hotels, but our steward took it out every time he entered the cabin. We asked him not to do it, but he said if his supervisor caught him he'd be in trouble so we let it go.

We were on the Star in March, and they didn't have the new switches at that time.

 

When we were on the Regal and the Royal we used the key cards from our pre-cruise hotels, but our steward took it out every time he entered the cabin. We asked him not to do it, but he said if his supervisor caught him he'd be in trouble so we let it go.

Did you really need the lights on when you were out? We turn them off.

Won't matter for the OP but for others, we just save one of our old Princess cruise cards, atthough have used library card or others when in a pinch. This issue plays out even more in hotels in Europe.

Does anyone know if the light switches on Star Princess have been upgraded to the kind that need a key card inserted to keep the lights on?

No. I doubt they will upgrade any existing ship to new light switches.

I really don't think so. Only a few ships (Regal, Royal, and Majestic) have that "feature" as far as I know. I have to wonder why it would make a difference.

If all the cabin lights are left on, the generators have to work harder to keep up the power supply, the diesel engines that drive them then have to work harder which burns more fuel.

With the huge amount of fuel burnt by the Cruise Lines the savings can be substantial.

We were on the Star in March, and they didn't have the new switches at that time.

 

When we were on the Regal and the Royal we used the key cards from our pre-cruise hotels, but our steward took it out every time he entered the cabin. We asked him not to do it, but he said if his supervisor caught him he'd be in trouble so we let it go.

Yet when we were on the Royal, our cabin steward had an old cruise card already there when we first entered the cabin. Whenever he serviced the cabin, let left the card there, but up a little so the lights would go out.

I really don't think so. Only a few ships (Regal, Royal, and Majestic) have that "feature" as far as I know. I have to wonder why it would make a difference.

If all the cabin lights are left on, the generators have to work harder to keep up the power supply, the diesel engines that drive them then have to work harder which burns more fuel.

With the huge amount of fuel burnt by the Cruise Lines the savings can be substantial.

My question was in regard to why it would make a difference to the OP. I can't understand why someone would find it necessary to leave the lights on when they are gone. Perhaps the OP thinks it will kill all power so they can't charge phones, etc. unless the lights are on. I don't waste electricity at home (where I am charged for it) and don't leave the lights on in hotels or ship staterooms when I'm out. I just wondered why the OP cared about the lights being off when not in the stateroom.

Having just sailed the 49 day Silk road tour on the Majestic Princess, the card switch not only controlled the lights but also the room's climate control. It was not fun coming back to a stuffy stateroom after going ashore on tour.

One could always just make a card out of the breakfast hang tag or any other thing onboard. Any piece of stuff will work - a folded daily trivia sheet would do. I wouldn't be using a debit card for anything though. A credit card is much safer. I especially wouldn't use a debit card to cover my onboard expenses. There are far too many stories of problems caused by using a debit card for that rather than a credit card.

I am waiting for conspiracy theories on the light switch stealing my identity,

if I insert the wrong thing.

As to saving power. No problem.

I usually close the drapes and turn off the lights and tv when leaving for the day,

to reduce the A/C load so that the room will be as cool as possible.

If I used my actual room key card in the lightswitch slot, I would constantly be

locked out of the cabin ... but at least I'd know where my card was.

If all the cabin lights are left on, the generators have to work harder to keep up the power supply, the diesel engines that drive them then have to work harder which burns more fuel.

With the huge amount of fuel burnt by the Cruise Lines the savings can be substantial.

If lights left on bothers you, you should pop over to this thread on leaving one's balcony door open:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465099

My question was in regard to why it would make a difference to the OP. I can't understand why someone would find it necessary to leave the lights on when they are gone. Perhaps the OP thinks it will kill all power so they can't charge phones, etc. unless the lights are on. I don't waste electricity at home (where I am charged for it) and don't leave the lights on in hotels or ship staterooms when I'm out. I just wondered why the OP cared about the lights being off when not in the stateroom.

I was under the (perhaps mistaken) impression that the lights turn off automatically after some short period of time with no card in the slot. I don't want to jump up every 10 minutes we're in the cabin to turn the lights back on, and I don't want to use my credit card, drivers license or military ID. Since pulling a card out of a slot is not the normal way I turn lights off when leaving a room, I didn't want to risk forgetting one of them and have it go missing or forgetting my cruise card and locking myself out. (Now, please don't turn this into a discussion about the honesty of the room stewards - I have no concerns there)

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If lights left on bothers you, you should pop over to this thread on leaving one's balcony door open:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465099

The small amount of electricity wasted by two light bulbs is nothing compared to the balcony door left open all night so people can hear the waves. :p

[quote=Thrak;53839663

]Did you really need the lights on when you were out? We turn them off.

The first time we had to insert a card to keep the light on (Carnival), it took about 20 minutes for DH to leave the cabin with the key card still in the device and lock himself out (lol). That is why I want a card to put in there to work the lights normally not to leave them on.

If all the cabin lights are left on, the generators have to work harder to keep up the power supply, the diesel engines that drive them then have to work harder which burns more fuel.

With the huge amount of fuel burnt by the Cruise Lines the savings can be substantial.

In addition how about trying to reduce the huge amounts of pollutants cruise ships dump into the air? Keep all the lights burning 24-7, brilliant idea.

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In addition how about trying to reduce the huge amounts of pollutants cruise ships dump into the air?

If one feels this way, why would they take a cruise vacation?

If you're not part of the solution, you're the precipitate.

The new cabins on the Island Princess have this feature.

We travel a great deal, and run into more and more places using this feature. For those of us charging devices, it's annoying. We don't leave the lights out when we leave, but we would like the power to work.

Thus my question - I wanted to make sure I brought some card I don't normally carry. If I walked aboard today I would have my debit card, my driver's license and my military ID card.

 

Thanks

Don't put so much effort into this -- just fold up one of the many pieces of paper left in your cabin and stick it in the slot.