Using Something Else Other than Princess Card to Keep the Lights on in Cabin on Regal

[Astro Flyer]

The last RCI ship we sailed had a easily visible storage area (like a business card holder) for cruise cards on the wall adjacent to (or on?) the door. It wasn't necessary to activate electricity but it was a simple & inexpensive way to store cruise cards...and less likely to forget them in the cabin. ;)

Edited March 4, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[crochetcruise]

On the new ships you have to place a card into a slot near the door in order to have the lights function. It keeps people from leaving the lights on all the time. In theory you are to use your cruise card. In actual practice you can use an old cruise card, a hotel key card you neglected to turn in, etc. It just has to be a card in the slot.

 

The hotel I stay at in my State Capital also has this facility. You can turn the lights on and off independently, it just means (for me) that you take the card out of the slot as you're going out the door. I have checked into the room to find a card provided by Housekeeping so there are welcoming lights to greet the entering guest, and I can get into the room safely. It was an initial shock, but it does help to control wastage of electricity. When Dad and I stayed at a 3 star motel, I had to teach him how to use the card, I'd used it when staying at the Cancer Council facility for Radiotherapy, but he'd forgotten what to do!

 

It's actually very easy to use, I quickly settle into the new routine of coming into the room, swapping the Housekeeping card for my card, and settling down.

 

Does anyone know if they use this system on the Golden Princess please?

 

Crochetcruise :cool:

[caribill]

Almost everybody receives junk mail advertising credit cards and some of these invitations include a dummy credit card. I just use one of those.

 

When we were on the Royal, our cabin steward had left on purpose an old cruise card in the slot. All we had to do was push it down to turn on the lights. When we left the cabin, we pulled it up a little.

[Wehwalt]

The lights will turn only if you put the card in. However it will only stay on about 30 or 60 seconds if you take the card out. They only stay on with a card. But using other cards to keep them on defeats the whole purpose of saving on energy consumption which adds cost of running the ships generator sets when it is not really needed. If some one is in the cabin then what is the problem with leaving the card in. Seems a little petty to have a problem with it.

 

______________

 

I'm all for the environment, but using my regular key card would have put my key card in an unfamiliar position and I might have forgotten it (I keep the lanyard with it hanging from the doorknob). Accordingly, I used another cruise card I happened to have with me. Petty or no, I'm paying for the privilege. I generally left the card in, but shut off the lights when leaving the cabin. My steward never touched it.

Edited March 4, 2015 by Wehwalt

[Rancher Dave]

I'm all for the environment, but using my regular key card would have put my key card in an unfamiliar position and I might have forgotten it (I keep the lanyard with it hanging from the doorknob). Accordingly, I used another cruise card I happened to have with me. Petty or no, I'm paying for the privilege. I generally left the card in, but shut off the lights when leaving the cabin. My steward never touched it.

 

Yes, it is different for many of us...and I did forget it in there once. Fortunately room steward was a few steps away...and I remembered it right after the door shut. He let me back in and suggested perhaps getting a spare. That was on NCL Getaway with same system.

[shredie]

I used an old hotel key card.

 

 

Finally a use for those old cruise cards!

[RDC1]

A folded up piece of paper works fine. Anything that fits in the slot, long enough to reach bottom and stiff enough to be able to insert.

 

Not rocket science.

[RocketMan275]

Most new hotels, at least those nicer than Rodeway Inns, use precisely the same system, of course.

 

Since I always leave my cruise card on the desk by the door and grab it on the way out, and since I do what Mom taught me and turn out the lights when I leave a room, it actually prompts me both to turn off the electricity and take my card. But maybe I'm just insufficiently rebellious.

 

Rebellion is very liberating. Try it, you'll like it and your mother won't mind.

Edited March 4, 2015 by RocketMan275

[stocks]

Take the cover off the ships map.

[BEFdoc]

Hi..I read a thread about other types of cards you can keep in the card slot in your cabin to keep the lights on other than your Princess card but cannot find the thread. I'm looking for some ideas as to what to use. Everything I have in my possession in my wallet is not something I want to place in that slot. I thought someone said even an index card (cut to size) would work but I thought it had to have a magnetic strip of some kind.

 

Thanks

 

The light switches are not "real" card readers. Any flat non-conductive material will do. I was using a paper parking pass ticket and it worked fine.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

...Does anyone know if they use this system on the Golden Princess please?...

 

Not as of last October.

[royalcruz]

I'm going to use my old Loehman's loyalty card. :)

 

European hotels have used this card system for years...we never had an issue there because my DH and I always leave and enter the room together. However, on cruises he goes to the gym or walks around early in the morning while I sleep in, so I'm glad to have the warning that we'll need a backup system.

[Colo Cruiser]

The hotel I stay at in my State Capital also has this facility. You can turn the lights on and off independently, it just means (for me) that you take the card out of the slot as you're going out the door. I have checked into the room to find a card provided by Housekeeping so there are welcoming lights to greet the entering guest, and I can get into the room safely. It was an initial shock, but it does help to control wastage of electricity. When Dad and I stayed at a 3 star motel, I had to teach him how to use the card, I'd used it when staying at the Cancer Council facility for Radiotherapy, but he'd forgotten what to do!

 

It's actually very easy to use, I quickly settle into the new routine of coming into the room, swapping the Housekeeping card for my card, and settling down.

 

Does anyone know if they use this system on the Golden Princess please?

 

Crochetcruise :cool:

 

It is not on any other ship besides the Royal/Regal.

[rdsqrl]

Actually, it seem rather petty for Princess to implement such as system. Might work to save Princess a few bucks, but I have no obligation to save Princess money. What works for them, doesn't necessarily work for me.

Yes, how dare they try to conserve energy and steward the precious natural resources of the planet? Pretty cheeky of them. Thank goodness for our stalwart CC members, always ready to thwart such flighty utopian gestures.

 

Most new hotels, at least those nicer than Rodeway Inns, use precisely the same system, of course.

 

Since I always leave my cruise card on the desk by the door and grab it on the way out, and since I do what Mom taught me and turn out the lights when I leave a room, it actually prompts me both to turn off the electricity and take my card. But maybe I'm just insufficiently rebellious.

I think you meant to say, insufficiently cranky.

[jrzebird]

On the Royal last October, my room steward had fashioned a 'card' out of heavy cardboard and it was in the slot when I arrived and I used it the entire 10 days. I had brought an old cruise card (after having read about it in my Roll Call) and I thought that the steward was very ingenious and thoughtful.

 

It was no big deal and I felt good saving some energy. As others have said, each light can be controlled separately once the card is in the slot, so you don't have to have every light blazing. I suppose that there are those who complain about anything, just to hear the sound of their own voice.

 

Maureen

[caribill]

We always turn off the lights before leaving the cabin, so I find the "need a card in the slot" extremely annoying. For us it saves no more electricity than if it did not exist.

I will believe Princess is serious about saving energy when they no longer have the TV on in every cabin on embarkation day.

[Colo Cruiser]

[quote name='caribill']I will believe Princess is serious about saving energy when they no longer have the TV on in every cabin on embarkation day.[/quote]

Have not seen that in a long time.

[Lucky TGO]

I was on the Royal Princess and I used my Patriot's coffee card and it worked Is that cheating?? I don't know but we won the Superbowl. LOL

Tony from Chelsea MA

[SoCal Cruiser78]

[quote name='RocketMan275']Actually, it seem rather petty for Princess to implement such as system. Might work to save Princess a few bucks, but I have no obligation to save Princess money. What works for them, doesn't necessarily work for me.[/QUOTE]

I agree. I find these systems quite parental and annoying. A used gift card is now one more thing I have to remember to pack :(.

[caribill]

[quote name='Ryndam2002']I agree. I find these systems quite parental and annoying. [/quote]

They are widely used in the best of hotels (as well as some not the best) in Europe, Asia and Africa.

I was once in a Chinese hotel and when the card was removed, not only did the lights go out, so did the outlet for the fridge.

[Wehwalt]

[quote name='jrzebird']
It was no big deal and I felt good saving some energy. As others have said, each light can be controlled separately once the card is in the slot, so you don't have to have every light blazing. I suppose that there are those who complain about anything, just to hear the sound of their own voice.
[/QUOTE]

Each to her own, I suppose. Given all the wattage pumped through the ship's night lighting that probably makes it visible from space, there are limits to how seriously I can take an energy conservation drive that affects only the paying passenger. And as of my last voyage (starting Feb 2), they still left the TVs on set to the safety program.

I also have seen them often in Europe. Very often they control the A/C as well. Which is why I generally keep an old key card handy.

That being said, I do turn off my lights when I leave my cabin. I just don't want to have to fumble for the cruise card I just put away on my return to get lights, or risk leaving it behind because it is not on my lanyard hanging from the doorknob where I invariably leave my cruise card. Sorry if this offends people, but Princess seems to value my business despite my sins, my sins, my most grievous sins, at least according to my TA. Edited March 4, 2015 by Wehwalt

[CruisinFinsUp]

We also tend to come and go at different times and we use those fashionless lanyards! :D

We are packing a used gift card. But we will still continue our normal practice of turning off all the lights before we leave - and just turning on those we need when we return.

I've seen some other threads where folks suggest the A/C is part of the card system - is it or is it not??

If the A/C is not included, I wonder how much energy is really being saved? Do that many pax leave all their lights on? The stewards are in 2x a day. Is this a way for them to exit the room faster when they are done? By turning off one switch instead of all? I hope that the stewards are not leaving all the individual switches ON then leaving and pulling the card - I would not like it if I put in the card and the whole room lit up!:eek:

[crochetcruise]

[quote name='Ryndam2002']Not as of last October.[/QUOTE]

Thank you Ryndam. I still have over a year, but at least I am now, thanks to other posters generosity in sharing their experiences, aware I might encounter this feature. Personally, I found it a good reason to, "Pause and mentally check you've got everything needed with you," before leaving the room.

Crochetcruise :cool:

[pablo222]

[quote name='abisha']Hi..I read a thread about other types of cards you can keep in the card slot in your cabin to keep the lights on other than your Princess card but cannot find the thread. I'm looking for some ideas as to what to use. Everything I have in my possession in my wallet is not something I want to place in that slot. I thought someone said even an index card (cut to size) would work but I thought it had to have a magnetic strip of some kind.

Thanks[/QUOTE]

Just go to the desk and ask for a door-only card.
(That can't charge, like you might give to kids.)

You don't have to remember to bring anything.

[SOLIVITA LADY]

[quote name='cristine']My husband used one of his business cards on the Royal and it worked perfectly[/QUOTE]

We used business cards too on the Royal and will do so again on the Regal in April. Worked great.

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