Harmony; Purpose of privacy locks on stateroom door & staff policing guest services?

[Hey Tina]

So to conduct your experiment with the deadbolt being opened by housekeeping, someone remained in your room with the door bolted shut until housekeeping came? The only way you can deadbolt a door is from the inside I'm assuming, so someone had to stay behind and "wait it out" so to speak...yes?

 

As I stated in my last post, I'm almost sure we deadbolted the room before bed one night and woke up the morning to the stateroom attendant opening our door. That was an unintentional "experiment" and it's what made us do the other experiments of deadbolting the door and having the other occupant to open it (successfully) with their key.

[JC5240]

Then I'd agree that this isn't supposed to happen, unless one of two things happened: you didn't have the Do Not Disturb sign on and they used their "override" card to get into the room to make up your room, or it is indeed a "fake lock" (which I feel as though it wouldn't be, so it is possible that there was an issue with your door).

 

It is possible that you are mistaken in thinking that you deadbolted the door before bed, though (not to doubt you...but there's been many instances where I swore I did something, only to be proven otherwise).

 

On my next cruise, I'm definitely going to test this now though lol.

 

EDIT: However, I do agree with other posters that any registered card to the same cabin may have the ability to override the deadbolt.

 

 

As I stated in my last post, I'm almost sure we deadbolted the room before bed one night and woke up the morning to the stateroom attendant opening our door. That was an unintentional "experiment" and it's what made us do the other experiments of deadbolting the door and having the other occupant to open it (successfully) with their key.

[Hey Tina]

Then I'd agree that this isn't supposed to happen, unless one of two things happened: you didn't have the Do Not Disturb sign on and they used their "override" card to get into the room to make up your room, or it is indeed a "fake lock" (which I feel as though it wouldn't be, so it is possible that there was an issue with your door).

 

It is possible that you are mistaken in thinking that you deadbolted the door before bed, though (not to doubt you...but there's been many instances where I swore I did something, only to be proven otherwise).

 

On my next cruise, I'm definitely going to test this now though lol.

 

EDIT: However, I do agree with other posters that any registered card to the same cabin may have the ability to override the deadbolt.

 

I agree, the deadbolt could have not been switched due to one of us forgetting. According to the steward the DND was not on the door and he suspected kids were going around messing with them so he advised us to put it really far up on the top of the door.

 

However, if the DND was taken but the deadbolt was on, it doesn't make sense that the steward would use the override card to come in and make up our room. We're obviously in the room (due to the override card needing to be used), so how is he gonna make it up?

[Biker19]

On my next cruise, I'm definitely going to test this now though lol..

Just realize that the RFID cards (and the locks) used on Harmony, like the OP's, are different than the cards used on other non-RFID Seapass card ships. The locks therefore could work differently on the other ships.

[Robo1098]

You learned early on what to say to avoid talking to the people at the front of guest services?? Why? I have found them helpful. Many times I was taken out of line to talk to one of the gest services people immediately. Many times they have been able to help me with the Ipad they had. Do you only think they could be helpful or trusted if they were behind the counter?

I don't think they would install 2700 fake locks when 99% of the people would never notice. Hotels rarely rock or sway so having one of those swinging locks isn't an issue.

[nelblu]

I understand the need for access, but in our case these locks were overridden by a simple room key. If I was in the room and turned the lock, the other occupant who had a key could come right in. Which means the lock has no real purpose, except to ease your mind (until you figure out that it's a fake lock)....I stay in hundreds of hotel rooms a year, and they all have a lock that will stop the door from opening more than a couple of inches even if a supervisor/manager/security opens it with a master key, however I also know from experience (privacy latch latched itself once when I left the room) that those can be fiddled with from the outside to gain access if need be.

 

 

Not on Oasis or Allure or any other ship that we have been on. Once the lock is in place, I can't get into the room with my sea pass after my early AM jog. My wife has to open the door.

[Hey Tina]

You learned early on what to say to avoid talking to the people at the front of guest services?? Why? I have found them helpful. Many times I was taken out of line to talk to one of the gest services people immediately. Many times they have been able to help me with the Ipad they had. Do you only think they could be helpful or trusted if they were behind the counter?

I don't think they would install 2700 fake locks when 99% of the people would never notice. Hotels rarely rock or sway so having one of those swinging locks isn't an issue.

 

I have no trust issues regarding the staff at the line, I chose to avoid talking to them because the first time I really did have to add money to my cash account and the other people in my party stopped to talk to them and joined the line a couple people behind me cause others had gotten in like while they were busy talking to them. From then on I just figured I'd bypass that portion. Rarely did I get in like with more than a few people in it anyway after I learned that they are open 24/7.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

The door-bolt only turns on a "privacy light"!

It is NOT an actual lock!

So the attendant knows you do not want to be disturbed .....whatever you are doing! ;)

[Hey Tina]

The door-bolt only turns on a "privacy light"!

It is NOT an actual lock!

So the attendant knows you do not want to be disturbed .....whatever you are doing! ;)

 

If this is true this is the most valuable post in this thread on the subject.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

Harmony is quite European in the materials and features used.....dead-bolts are VERY American most hotels in Europe will not have that - unless they are quite international....

[Hey Tina]

Harmony is quite European in the materials and features used.....dead-bolts are VERY American most hotels in Europe will not have that - unless they are quite international....

 

I'll have to test this on my next Royal cruise.

[Biker19]

Harmony is quite European in the materials and features used.......

including the welds?

[Hey Tina]

including the welds?

 

We're not doing that here, move it somewhere else.

[Maven3]

The door-bolt only turns on a "privacy light"!

It is NOT an actual lock!

So the attendant knows you do not want to be disturbed .....whatever you are doing! ;)

 

 

 

That makes sense, I have seen privacy lights connected to actual deadbolts in Vegas hotels.

 

I am going to bring a doorstop on my next cruise, it can serve as my deadbolt to keep the room steward out when we want privacy.

 

 

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[Thetrail]

Maybe those GS staff are just providing simple answers or tasks...so that others that need actual GS actions can move through more quickly....

That is exactly correct.:)

[Thetrail]

Again, I never said or intended to communicate that any guest was able to open our door with their key. If you are not able to accept that what I DID communicate (according to you) is not what I INTENDED to communicate, I don't know what to tell you. I also thought that typically housekeeping (room steward) couldn't open the door when deadbolted, but in my situation they could. If there was a door retainer, I would have used that, but there wasn't. In my situation, the deadbolt was just for show, e.g. a fake lock. What would make it a fake lock in your opinion, since that doesn't seem to meet the criteria?

LOL...OH BOY! One post and I'm done your WRONG.:rolleyes:

[Thetrail]

As I stated in my last post, I'm almost sure we deadbolted the room before bed one night and woke up the morning to the stateroom attendant opening our door. That was an unintentional "experiment" and it's what made us do the other experiments of deadbolting the door and having the other occupant to open it (successfully) with their key.

Sorry I fibbed, "I'm ALMOST sure", your credibility just went flushing down the drain, and your still wrong!:rolleyes:

[Hey Tina]

What are you talking about? Are you okay?

[Robo1098]

There are problems with the idea that the lock is fake. With all the cost cuts I don't believe they would install over 2700 fake locks. More likely it can only be opened by the occupant or a special card or you forgot to lock it or there was an issue with your lock. Fake lock just seems like the less likely answer.

[latserrof]

Did it strike anyone else that the OP 'learned early' to lie to the GS screeners ('in order to not have to bother talking to them')? And is comfortable admitting that?

Edited August 8, 2017 by latserrof
completeness

[Hey Tina]

Did it strike anyone else the the OP 'learned early' to lie to the GS screener?

 

Many other posters have commented about that part of my OP. Did you not finish reading the entire thread? I lied to them, yes, I did. Hopefully that strikes you just as is did the first time you read it.

[RomanceMama]

That was not the case for our two rooms. If there was one guest in the room with the lock turned the other guest could open the door with their key as if the lock wasn't turned.

 

So you're upset that the person sharing your cabin could get in the room when you had the door locked with their card. Its their cabin. Why shouldn't they be able to get in?

[Hey Tina]

So you're upset that the person sharing your cabin could get in the room when you had the door locked with their card. Its their cabin. Why shouldn't they be able to get in?

 

I'm not upset, I was questioning the purpose of the locks because I thought the deadbolt provided an extra layer of privacy. A couple of reasons I would want privacy could include having sex or changing clothes/being naked. So they shouldn't be able to get in because if I am having sex or changing clothes I would like to have a little bit of time to become presentable before opening up the door for the person sharing my cabin.

[latserrof]

Many other posters have commented about that part of my OP. Did you not finish reading the entire thread? I lied to them, yes, I did. Hopefully that strikes you just as is did the first time you read it.

I did read the entire thread, and all the comments about your efforts to avoid the screeners -- but none pointed out that you chose to lie to the screeners, or that you seem comfortable recounting that. Maybe you can't tell the difference?

[Hey Tina]

I did read the entire thread, and all the comments about your efforts to avoid the screeners -- but none pointed out that you chose to lie to the screeners, or that you seem comfortable recounting that. Maybe you can't tell the difference?

 

Why wouldn't I feel comfortable recounting/admitting (didn't see the edit of your OP until now) that? I stand by who I am and what I do, so if I lied, I lied. When you lie do you own up to it and admit it or act like it never happened? You seem to be really "struck" by my admission of lying, if I had to guess it's the latter. Nothing worse than pretending to be someone you're not.