Safe in cabin, please explain card swiping

[travgurl]

Leaving tomorrow for the cruise. Why do I need a card with a magnetic strip on the back to use for the safe? A friend who took a Hawaiian cruise said all he did was punch in a number on a key pad for the week. He never used a card. Thanks!

[shipshapegal]

some ships have the keypad, some have the card swipe type. you can use something other than a credit card, even an old motel room key or expired gift card. anything that swipes. do not use your room key as the room steward has a master and that would open the safe. hope this helps. smooth sailing...

 

smiles, b

[CruiseCentric]

Leaving tomorrow for the cruise. Why do I need a card with a magnetic strip on the back to use for the safe? A friend who took a Hawaiian cruise said all he did was punch in a number on a key pad for the week. He never used a card. Thanks!

 

Doesnt sound like they were on a Carnival cruise

 

 

This link explains the process

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2161315810085339509xrqKLS

[momofmn00]

:confused: I am a little stumped. Whe we are aboard the conquest, our safe would only open to the card it was swiped with last, meaning, that although DH and I shared the same room cabin if he swiped his to lock it, and we returned to the room, I was unable to swipe it with my S&S card (this was b4 knowing not to use it!). If I tried to use my S&S after this, the "alarm" would go off, and not unlock. So my confusion is, if this was so, than how would my room attendant be able to unlock it, even if he had the master?:confused:

[fllady61]

That is a safety procedure. If it could be opened with any card, then anyone entering your room could open it.

 

I used my Drivers liscens because it was easier than a credit card. They tell you NOT to use your sail and sign card. If you lose it, and someone goes in your room, and you have used your S*S card, they can rob you blind.

 

So yes, if your DH swipes it, you have to get the card from him that he swiped it with to open it.

 

AGAIN, THIS IS FOR YOU PROTECTION.

[momofmn00]

Thanks, and GREAT to know for my next cruise! :D

[Honeybear]

I think I might be able to explain. If you use a card to lock your safe you MUST use the exact same card to open it. NOT even one from the same account (example) you and DH both have a Sam's card, same account, if you lock it, his will NOT unlock it.

Now once in a while both cards from one account will work but I don't understand that one so I won't try to explain it.

The room attendant won't have your Sam's card (example). So don't lose it!! LOL

[momofmn00]

Yes, that makes it a little clearer! :D

[HeidiHo]

I have always been under the impression that the reason you shouldn't use your S&S card to lock your safe is because using it could cause it to become demagnetized. I don't think it has anything to do with your cabin steward being able to get into your safe. True, if you use your S&S card and then lose it, then someone could get into your cabin and safe but they'd have to know where your cabin is. There is no cabin number on the card so unless it was actually stolen by someone who knew where your cabin was, there isn't much risk of anyone getting into your cabin. Having your S&S card demagnetized is just an inconvenience because you would have to go to the pursers desk for a new one. My son's card once became demagnetized (don't know how). It was no big deal but I'd hate to have to go down to the pursers desk several times because it kept getting demagnetized from swiping it in the safe. Just bring any old caard with a magnetic strip. I have old S&S cards or old gift cards that I usually bring.

[fllady61]

Who mentioned your room steward getting into it. I did not.

 

If there was a theif on board, and he got your S&S card, and you had used it, I can gurantee that a professional thief would walk the floors looking for the cabin it belonged to. Or could even say I forgot my cabin number, and if the pursers desk was not on top of things, would give this person your cabin number. and poof your stuff is gone.

 

I never thought about taking an old card to use. maybe i will do that this next cruise. Lord knows i have plenty of old cards around because our bank just changed names so we got new cards from them. so the old one would not go through even if someone di d find it and try to use it.

[miami]

Sorry.... that is one of the dumbest ideas I have ever heard of.

[UpstateCruizer]

We had an intresting time on the Triumph trying to find a card that would actually work. I had two of the grocery type swipe cards and neither would work. I had a gift card credit card and that didn't work. I didn't want to use the only credit card we use for purchases so I wasn't sure what we were going to do. My husband had a Sears credit card in his wallet that he never activated :confused: so we tried that. Worked perfectly and since it had never been activated it wouldn't matter if he had gotten lost. The boys had no credit cards and their store cards didn't work either. Hubby pulled out his AAA card and that worked perfectly. We saved that Sears card to bring with us for our safe again.

[fllady61]

Sorry.... that is one of the dumbest ideas I have ever heard of.

 

 

May be a dumb idea, but on one of the cruise ships, not sure which company, there were many rooms broken into and robbed. So that had to have a pro.

 

But seriously, the safe itself states do not use your s&s card.

 

We did not use the safe on our first cruise because we thought there was a charge for it.

[miami]

May be a dumb idea, but on one of the cruise ships, not sure which company, there were many rooms broken into and robbed. So that had to have a pro.

 

There are better ways. On another line, you set your own 4 digit code. This way everyone in the cabin can get into the safe at any time. There were many times that my husband, kids and I were not together.

[dc-snoopy]

some ships have the keypad, some have the card swipe type. you can use something other than a credit card, even an old motel room key or expired gift card. anything that swipes. do not use your room key as the room steward has a master and that would open the safe. hope this helps. smooth sailing...

 

smiles, b

 

Carnival uses the magnetic swipe locks for their safes. RCI uses the combination keypad locks. I don't know what other lines use. :)

 

We did prefer the combination pads since DW and I both used it. We ended up using our local Safeway card for the safe and would bury it in the book that I was reading that we left in the top drawer with our local Giant card. This way we could both access it. Unless someone knew exactly what they were looking for, it would take a while to find the book, look for the card, figure out which one worked (or try them both). We figured it was a complex enough problem that this would work for both of us. It didn't bother us to put them both there since we weren't planning on going to the supermarket while we were on-board. :)

 

Now, my mother had problems using her MasterCard. For some reason it had a lot of problems locking and unlocking and would only work sporadically. She ended up having to call maintenance and have them come and service the safe. It ended up working better, but still sporadically. I had to help her get her jewelry out of the safe several times during the trip. :(

[mrdood]

For those that don't know....

 

Some Carnival ships have keypads, some carnival ships have magnetic swipe readers.

 

There are a dozen "myths" about the sign and sail, no matter what, you are better off using some other expendable card that is easily passed between users of the cabin without any problems, a card you are NOT using for anything works best. Even drivers licenses need to be taken off ship and if someone has to run back for something...

[terisu10]

I take an old S&S card from a previous cruise - I have several on a lanyard in my "travel drawer" at home. I take one with me to use just for the safe, My husband and I coordinate our safe opening(s) and closing(s). It works well :eek: