Newbie here with room safe question

[MissJammin]

Hi everyone. :D New to Carnival but not to cruises. This forum has been a wealth of info, thanks everyone for your tips & trip reports.

 

One question, I have searched but just haven't found the answer :o

 

Regarding the following tip:

There is a safe. Bring an old used gift card with a magnetic strip for the lock on the safe. DO NOT use your Sail and Sign card for this.

 

Why do you use an old gift card on for the lock on the safe? Doesn't it just open with a code? I'm very confused. :confused:

[drumline]

It won't open with a code. You just chose any card with a magnetic strip on the back and use that. We usually use a grocery or library card, basically something you can share with the others in your cabin and won't need to use for anything else that week.

[QLUVS2CRUZ]

I've never heard of using an old gift card. I think you usually swipe a credit card (it doesn't charge you) and/or there is a code. Perhaps any magnetic strip would work (hence the gift card) but I would have never thought to try that.

[firefly333]

some open with a code and some open with your sign and sail cards.

 

Have no idea why folks use a gift card, if you demagnitize your card, Id just go ask for a new one. Why use my own card? someone also posted they used their visa card magnetic strip and lost their card carrying it around on the ship, or they thought their cabin steward stole it or something and was all upset.

 

If I have one of the old ones that need a card, I am using my S&S card.

[momofzeke]

Welcome! :D

 

The safe does not use a code. You slide a card with a magnetic strip on the back (like a grocery store card, gift card, etc.) through a slot and that "sets the code" for the safe. That is the only card that will open the safe.

 

I'm probably not explaining this very well....

 

The previous poster is right.....it can demagnitize your credit card. Another reason not to use a credit card is that you obviously can't put the credit card in the safe if that is the card that opens the safe. :p

 

Some folks don't like to use the S&S card because then if someone manages to get ahold of your S&S card, and figure out which cabin you are in, they could gain access to your cabin and your safe.

[astropilot]

I've never heard of using an old gift card. I think you usually swipe a credit card (it doesn't charge you) and/or there is a code. Perhaps any magnetic strip would work (hence the gift card) but I would have never thought to try that.

 

 

Most cards with a magnetic strip will work to open and lock the safe. The reason you want to use an old card is because you don't want to be using and sharing a credit card to much of a chance to lose it of have the mag strip damaged. For the same reason you don't want to use you Sail & Sign card.

[starlight0229]

some open with a code and some open with your sign and sail cards.

 

Have no idea why folks use a gift card, if you demagnitize your card, Id just go ask for a new one. Why use my own card? someone also posted they used their visa card magnetic strip and lost their card carrying it around on the ship, or they thought their cabin steward stole it or something and was all upset.

 

If I have one of the old ones that need a card, I am using my S&S card.

 

Personally I wouldn't use my S&S card for a different reason. If you were to misplace your card on board the person who found it would have access to my cabin and my safe. The point of putting things into the safe is so that anyone who might have access to the cabin cannot access the safe, but using the S&S as the key to the safe it defeats the purpose.

[firefly333]

Personally I wouldn't use my S&S card for a different reason. If you were to misplace your card on board the person who found it would have access to my cabin and my safe. The point of putting things into the safe is so that anyone who might have access to the cabin cannot access the safe, but using the S&S as the key to the safe it defeats the purpose.

 

I wear mine around my neck on a layarnd. I never take it off outside the cabin. Someone would have to forcibly remove it to get it.

[CruiseCentric]

some open with a code and some open with your sign and sail cards.

 

Have no idea why folks use a gift card, if you demagnitize your card, Id just go ask for a new one. Why use my own card? someone also posted they used their visa card magnetic strip and lost their card carrying it around on the ship, or they thought their cabin steward stole it or something and was all upset.

 

If I have one of the old ones that need a card, I am using my S&S card.

 

 

A friend of mine used her S&S card it became demagnetized. She didnt find this out until she left a camera in the room when we were running late for a shore excursion. So she had to wait in line at the pursers desk to get a new card..you guessed it, the new card didnt work :) Needless to say we wasted 30-45 mins.

 

I just use and old card. YMMV

[CruzVinnieCruz]

some open with a code and some open with your sign and sail cards.

 

Have no idea why folks use a gift card, if you demagnitize your card, Id just go ask for a new one. Why use my own card? someone also posted they used their visa card magnetic strip and lost their card carrying it around on the ship, or they thought their cabin steward stole it or something and was all upset.

 

If I have one of the old ones that need a card, I am using my S&S card.

 

The reason passengers use an old depleted gift card is they seem to work. I have used the same one for the last four cruises and have yet to have a problem with it. I was using the S&S card and did have several of them demagnetize and they are notorious for it.

 

Most cards with a magnetic strip will work to open and lock the safe. The reason you want to use an old card is because you don't want to be using and sharing a credit card to much of a chance to lose it of have the mag strip damaged. For the same reason you don't want to use you Sail & Sign card.

 

The only cards I could not get to work in the safe were hotel room access cards. I tried several different ones and never had any luck with them.

[MissJammin]

Wow, you guys are great... quick response.

 

Does anyone know if the safes on Legend require a card with a magnetic strip? Would there be different safes in different category rooms? We will be in a balcony, but I have friends who will be in other categories.

 

Thanks

[CruiseCentric]

Wow, you guys are great... quick response.

 

Does anyone know if the safes on Legend require a card with a magnetic strip? Would there be different safes in different category rooms? We will be in a balcony, but I have friends who will be in other categories.

 

Thanks

Mag strip

 

Also welcome to Cruise Critic!!! Feel free to ask anything that comes to mind.

[Thirsty Cruiser]

Wow, you guys are great... quick response.

 

Does anyone know if the safes on Legend require a card with a magnetic strip? Would there be different safes in different category rooms? We will be in a balcony, but I have friends who will be in other categories.

 

Thanks

Same deal for all cat staterooms that I am aware of.

[MissJammin]

Thanks for the welcome Matigari.

 

I'm kinda leading a small group (OK tiny group, just 6 of us) of SCUBA divers on this cruise. So, I have been gathering cruising tips from my past experience, this & other boards and putting them into a document to give to the others in my group. I'm pretty excited about it, since one of the divers has never been on a cruise or dove in salt water.

[cuyahoga11]

some open with a code and some open with your sign and sail cards.

 

Have no idea why folks use a gift card, if you demagnitize your card, Id just go ask for a new one. Why use my own card? someone also posted they used their visa card magnetic strip and lost their card carrying it around on the ship, or they thought their cabin steward stole it or something and was all upset.

 

If I have one of the old ones that need a card, I am using my S&S card.

 

How do room buddies get in the safe if you are not around?

[AdrenalineRush]

Thanks for the welcome Matigari.

 

I'm kinda leading a small group (OK tiny group, just 6 of us) of SCUBA divers on this cruise. So, I have been gathering cruising tips from my past experience, this & other boards and putting them into a document to give to the others in my group. I'm pretty excited about it, since one of the divers has never been on a cruise or dove in salt water.

Im jealous!!! You sailed on WJ..I kept saying I would...alas it never happened.

[MissJammin]

Chillaxin don't get me started... I really Miss Jammin'! The best vacation ever, sorry you missed out on it.

[tnt091605]

some open with a code and some open with your sign and sail cards.

 

Have no idea why folks use a gift card, if you demagnitize your card, Id just go ask for a new one. Why use my own card? someone also posted they used their visa card magnetic strip and lost their card carrying it around on the ship, or they thought their cabin steward stole it or something and was all upset.

 

If I have one of the old ones that need a card, I am using my S&S card.

 

Someone posted a link to never use your S&S card. Their safe was opened by someone. I will not say. But they would have had to have a room key to get into the safe. So I think you can draw your own conclusions as to who took the jewelry. But I think it is good advise to use an old gift card.

[lizardhowson]

If you lose your sign & sail card, you get a new one. As soon as you get a new one, the old one won't work...no worries there.

 

If you use your sign & sail card for the safe, and you need the card for ship use, then no one else has the card available to get into the safe until they track you down.

 

Just use an old junk card, then hide it in the room somewhere so everyone who uses the room has access to it.

 

Reading these responses, some of you must really be paranoid ? I say be careful, but never paranoid !

[yakdaddy42]

A old hotel room key with a mag stripe works great if you stay in a hotel

before the cruise just keep the room key. we hide the key in the where we both know.

[FantasyLineAddict]

I use my driver's license

[yakdaddy42]

some states like ours dont have a mag stripe on the DL

[fllady61]

Hi everyone. :D New to Carnival but not to cruises. This forum has been a wealth of info, thanks everyone for your tips & trip reports.

 

One question, I have searched but just haven't found the answer :o

 

Regarding the following tip:

 

 

Why do you use an old gift card on for the lock on the safe? Doesn't it just open with a code? I'm very confused. :confused:

It depends on the ship. Glory is the swipe a card style. I think Sensation is also or it was before the upgrades last month. Which ship are you goin on? That may help us be able to answer your question a little more.

For safety, take an old credit card, drivers liscense, gift card, anything you don't use anymore that has a magnatic strip on it. Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

either way, all cabins have a safe, and there is NO extra charge to use them. I did not know that on my first cruise so I did not use it. I was use to hotels that charged up to 10$ for the use of the safe, and well we could not afford it, so we did not use it.

My second cruise, I found out the safe was free. So we now use it to store passports, my wallet (stuff I need when on land, not at sea in it) and cameras and jewlery as well as other things like meds in it.