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

[WeighAnchor]

I can confirm what the OP said is true. On non-RFID doors on Royal, my card has always opened the door whether DW had the deadbolt on or not. Though I don't know, I have a very strong suspicion that the SA keys might do the same.The locks at the bottom are primarily used if the key card reader loses power. The deadbolt is designed as a reinforcement to make it harder to open your door by just pushing in the lower latch with a slim jim or other similar device.

 

On a separate note, you need to be careful about losing your room key because your room number (less the first digit which represents the deck) is on the lower left side of the Sea Pass. Even if you tell them you lost the key, they don't re-code it; meaning the lost key is still good and will open both locks if someone wants to go deck-by-deck and try the key. I know this because my wife misplaced her Sea Pass and we reported it as lost, but she later found it; both Sea Passes still worked. However, in most hotels, if you lose a key, they redo the code and the old keys will no longer work. This appears not to be the case on Royal.

[Hey Tina]

I can confirm what the OP said is true. On non-RFID doors on Royal, my card has always opened the door whether DW had the deadbolt on or not. Though I don't know, I have a very strong suspicion that the SA keys might do the same.The locks at the bottom are primarily used if the key card reader loses power. The deadbolt is designed as a reinforcement to make it harder to open your door by just pushing in the lower latch with a slim jim or other similar device.

 

On a separate note, you need to be careful about losing your room key because your room number (less the first digit which represents the deck) is on the lower left side of the Sea Pass. Even if you tell them you lost the key, they don't re-code it; meaning the lost key is still good and will open both locks if someone wants to go deck-by-deck and try the key. I know this because my wife misplaced her Sea Pass and we reported it as lost, but she later found it; both Sea Passes still worked. However, in most hotels, if you lose a key, they redo the code and the old keys will no longer work. This appears not to be the case on Royal.

 

I'm glad to know someone else had a similar experience with the deadbolt.

[ONECRUISER]

including the welds?

Good one...

[hellsop]

Yes, if the steward's "normal" card opened the deadbolt, I'd call that either a fake lock, or a serious breakdown of the ship's security protocols. The "emergency" card (that can unlock the deadbolt) should be reserved for emergencies.

 

And, apparently, registered guests assigned to that cabin. Which I'd think is also fine.

[Spurschick]

 

Also, what do the associates who are standing at the entrance to the guest services line actually do? I learned early that in order to not have to bother talking to them that I could just say I was adding money to my cash account and enter the line regardless of what my actual purpose for being at GS was, so for those of you who stop and talk to those associates, what are yall doing?

We are resolving issues that can be handled without actually needing to stand at a desk. If you are wanting to do currency exchanges, deposit money or have an issue with an account yes, generally, you need to go to the desk. But there are a lot of things that can be resolved by these associates.

 

IMHO feeling like you have to lie to/deliberately bypass them then it is very unfair on them. Especially if you get to the desk and the GS person feels like it is something the Associate in line could have resolved as it makes them look like they can't do their job to their associates.

Edited August 9, 2017 by Spurschick

[Hey Tina]

We are resolving issues that can be handled without actually needing to stand at a desk. If you are wanting to do currency exchanges, deposit money or have an issue with an account yes, generally, you need to go to the desk. But there are a lot of things that can be resolved by these associates.

 

IMHO feeling like you have to lie to/deliberately bypass them then it is very unfair on them. Especially if you get to the desk and the GS person feels like it is something the Associate in line could have resolved as it makes them look like they can't do their job to their associates.

 

Thanks for sharing your opinion.

[Mikew0805]

 

Also, what do the associates who are standing at the entrance to the guest services line actually do? I learned early that in order to not have to bother talking to them that I could just say I was adding money to my cash account and enter the line regardless of what my actual purpose for being at GS was, so for those of you who stop and talk to those associates, what are yall doing?

 

Actually I can answer this and how it was helpful to me. Last Monday on the Enchantment my Seapass card had the Coca Cola logo on it indicating that I had purchased the soda package. Well, I had actually purchased the Refreshment package and knew that it should have the RR instead. So I went to guest services right away, even though I knew it would be a long line, but I needed it fixed. Well, while standing there one of those associates asked me what I needed, and when I explained he pointed me to another location where they were selling the drink packages, and told me they could fix it. I went to that location.. no line, and fixed in less than 1 minute. There were still 20+ people in front of me when I was at guest services, so this person was a big help to me.

[Mikew0805]

Ugh.. I just realized how old this thread is. :rolleyes:

[chengkp75]

Okay, here's the deal on the door locks. With the cabin door closed, any person's key that is registered in that cabin will open the door. So will cabin steward, maintenance, and supervisors key cards. With the deadbolt thrown, you have added the "extra level of privacy" in that the stewards, maintenance, and supervisors cannot override the deadbolt. It only makes sense that all the keys for the people registered in the cabin can override the deadlock, and access the cabin at any time. To override the deadlock, some lines give a few (typically not more than 5-6 per ship) senior supervisors a pass key card that overrides the deadbolt, and Security and an even fewer number (2-3 per ship) senior officers will have "hard" keys that can be used to override the deadbolt, or open the lock when the batteries fail. Cabin steward's key cards are programmed to only open a set of cabins they are assigned to, room service will have a master for all pax cabins, as will maintenance. In an emergency, there is a set of master keys that will override the deadbolt in the Captain's safe that is distributed to the crew teams that are assigned to ensure cabins are empty, and to the fire teams.

[Mikew0805]

Okay, here's the deal on the door locks. With the cabin door closed, any person's key that is registered in that cabin will open the door. So will cabin steward, maintenance, and supervisors key cards. With the deadbolt thrown, you have added the "extra level of privacy" in that the stewards, maintenance, and supervisors cannot override the deadbolt. It only makes sense that all the keys for the people registered in the cabin can override the deadlock, and access the cabin at any time. To override the deadlock, some lines give a few (typically not more than 5-6 per ship) senior supervisors a pass key card that overrides the deadbolt, and Security and an even fewer number (2-3 per ship) senior officers will have "hard" keys that can be used to override the deadbolt, or open the lock when the batteries fail. Cabin steward's key cards are programmed to only open a set of cabins they are assigned to, room service will have a master for all pax cabins, as will maintenance. In an emergency, there is a set of master keys that will override the deadbolt in the Captain's safe that is distributed to the crew teams that are assigned to ensure cabins are empty, and to the fire teams.

 

The highlighted red is what I am referring to. This is not the case on Navigator & Oasis for sure, on my most recent cruises on those ships, in the two cabins we occupied. My other half likes to leave the bathroom door open while in the shower. So he deadbolts the door. I came back sooner than he anticipated on these two occasions and had to wait for him to get out of the shower, because it would not open the dead bolt. Just flashed red instead of green on the door, and did not even unlock the primary lock because the dead bolt was engaged.

 

I believe that higher management or security can gain access, but we have not been able to.

[chengkp75]

The highlighted red is what I am referring to. This is not the case on Navigator & Oasis for sure, on my most recent cruises on those ships, in the two cabins we occupied. My other half likes to leave the bathroom door open while in the shower. So he deadbolts the door. I came back sooner than he anticipated on these two occasions and had to wait for him to get out of the shower, because it would not open the dead bolt. Just flashed red instead of green on the door, and did not even unlock the primary lock because the dead bolt was engaged.

 

I believe that higher management or security can gain access, but we have not been able to.

 

It's been my experience that the passenger key card will not override the deadbolt, but that is on another line, and I think it may be ship specific, but I was mainly saying that I don't feel it is strange for all the cards from the cabin to be able to open the deadbolt. Sort of wondering why the OP feels it is necessary to have privacy from the other occupant of the cabin.

[cb at sea]

Those "levers" that "lock" the door in hotels requires a special tool to access and open them. I know....our "lever" locked us out once...had to sit in the hall until maintenance came with a tool to let us back in!

[lenquixote66]

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

 

 

100% correct .