Stateroom keycards - in the terminal, or at your door?

So, first time on Carnival here after being a long time RCI faithful.. I have recently read some threads here where people have mentioned that your keycards are NOT distributed at check in like they are with RCI, but are left in an envelope or something outside your actual stateroom once the corridors open?

Perhaps I'm over thinking things...but in short, couldn't this potentially lend itself to someone else taking a "tour" of other peoples rooms if they so desired before you got there, or potentially stealing cards and enjoying a drink or two on someone else's tab before the ship even leaves port?

The cards should be in a sealed envelope in the mailbox outside the cabin. There is a note on the envelope that says to contact guest services immediately if the seal has been tampered with or broken.

You’re over thinking it. They are placed in a sealed envelope, if you happen to notice the seal was broken and/or a card was missing just go to guest services

Having the keys placed outside the room instead of getting them at the port saves a lot of time. On NYE I boarded the Victory, my first picture of the Victory from my Uber was taken at 12:58.... I have a picture of myself walking on the gangway at 1:19

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The cards should be in a sealed envelope in the mailbox outside the cabin. There is a note on the envelope that says to contact guest services immediately if the seal has been tampered with or broken.

Interesting, ok, thanks.

Again, I'm surely overthinking things, but it just seems weird after being used to getting our keycards at the desk during check in.

What do we use to get aboard then? Again, on RCI...once you have your Seapass from check in, that's your "key" at the gangway.

Having the keys placed outside the room instead of getting them at the port saves a lot of time.

Never found it to to be a time consuming process ever on RCI - the cards were pre-printed (minus the photo) at check in and all they had to do was take our photos and then run the card through the printer to transfer it to the actual card - takes about 30 seconds per person.

Interesting, ok, thanks.

 

Again, I'm surely overthinking things, but it just seems weird after being used to getting our keycards at the desk during check in.

 

What do we use to get aboard then? Again, on RCI...once you have your Seapass from check in, that's your "key" at the gangway.

 

 

 

Never found it to to be a time consuming process ever on RCI - the cards were pre-printed (minus the photo) at check in and all they had to do was take our photos and then run the card through the printer to transfer it to the actual card - takes about 30 seconds per person.

You use your boarding pass to get on the ship and you use it for any purchases you wish to make prior to getting your key card from your cabin. If you are using a passport they use that photo and don't take one. CCL's new procedure is a definite improvement over the old one.

Two weeks ago on the Triumph ours were picked up inside the Terminal. There are no mailboxes outside the cabins on this old but beautiful ship. When we had a notice it was slipped under our door.

I don't think this is happening on all ships, is it?

Both methods work.

They are trying it on ships now, adding more as time goes by. Plan is to have it fleet wide. Might need some updates for older designed ships but they will work it out as they progress. Technology advances and things get quicker.

Have never heard of any "false" entry except for confusion of a cabin number and a child tearing into the envelope. Parents were upset and Guest Services fixed it quickly, issued new cards for neighboring cabin and had those taken to cabin by staff member. (Child was 5. Parents were VERY upset. Christmas cruise from MIA)

I don't think this is happening on all ships, is it?

I don't think it's being done on all ships but it's my understanding that is the plan.

Just looked at some stateroom tour videos from the Pride and it looks like they do have the little mailbox things outside the doors, so I guess we can expect this method for our cruise.

All good, just something different than what I'm used to, and yes, I'm probably overthinking the risks. ;)

Was on the dream last week, cards were given to is in the terminal.

Just looked at some stateroom tour videos from the Pride and it looks like they do have the little mailbox things outside the doors, so I guess we can expect this method for our cruise.

 

All good, just something different than what I'm used to, and yes, I'm probably overthinking the risks. ;)

I'm also going with overthinking the "risks"....However you mentioned the Pride....I'm guessing the Carnival Pride. We sailed on the Pride this past September. Not sure if it's changed, but we were given our s&s cards at checkin, but can't say if thats changed since then. Also, you mentioned RCI a few times, and they are also putting their seapass cards in envelopes in boxes outside the cabins on some ships. We sailed on the Anthem of the Seas last May and our cards were at our cabin....probably the most efficient boarding process we've had on any cruise we've taken to date. FWIW.

Just looked at some stateroom tour videos from the Pride and it looks like they do have the little mailbox things outside the doors, so I guess we can expect this method for our cruise.

 

All good, just something different than what I'm used to, and yes, I'm probably overthinking the risks. ;)

They've always had the little mailbox things outside the doors, but this is a relatively new concept for Carnival. It isn't on all ships, yet. It wasn't being used on the Pride on our last cruise, but it may have changed in the last year or so.

In your mail box.

I'm not sure if this new procedure is used on the Pride or not. I know it is used on all ships out of Miami.

However, there should be no worries about anyone taking your Sail & Sign card and making purchases.

Basically, everyone's photo is taken or scanned from document at the terminal before boarding the ship. If someone takes your key and tries using it while you're on board, your picture will come up.. and if you are still not on board, then no picture will come up, and the crew members will know it's not that person's card as you are still not onboard!!

Don't worry about this, they've been doing it in Miami for more than a year without any issues!

Another good thing to know my boyfriend and I went straight to the bar when we got onboard, they use your “boarding pass” you print out before you leave home and scan it if you did not go to your room to pick up your cards

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Got it.

Just not sure I see the "time savings" in the end vs doing it the RCI way where the cards are 99% pre-printed upon arrival for check-in and they just take run them through the imprinter in a few seconds to add your photo.

I just looked at some examples and from what I see the Carnival S&S cards don't have your photo embossed on them like RCI does? I guess this makes it easier for card distribution aboard the ship vs in the terminal.

In the end, whatever floats their boat. ;)

Got it.

 

 

 

Just not sure I see the "time savings" in the end vs doing it the RCI way where the cards are 99% pre-printed upon arrival for check-in and they just take run them through the imprinter in a few seconds to add your photo.

 

 

 

I just looked at some examples and from what I see the Carnival S&S cards don't have your photo embossed on them like RCI does? I guess this makes it easier for card distribution aboard the ship vs in the terminal.

 

 

 

In the end, whatever floats their boat. ;)

The pictures are not on the cards. The time savings is you skip a whole other line. So when you’re done at the desk out front and through security, that’s it. Right to the ship if they are boarding. Otherwise you had to wait in a long line to get your cards. Trust me it is WAY faster.

Got it.

 

Just not sure I see the "time savings" in the end vs doing it the RCI way where the cards are 99% pre-printed upon arrival for check-in and they just take run them through the imprinter in a few seconds to add your photo.

 

I just looked at some examples and from what I see the Carnival S&S cards don't have your photo embossed on them like RCI does? I guess this makes it easier for card distribution aboard the ship vs in the terminal.

 

In the end, whatever floats their boat. ;)

You actually save time by not having to go to another line where you would get your S&S cards.

Also, if you are ever at a port that has the cards in your cabin mailbox be sure when you print your boarding pass it has the bar code on it. Seen a few people who haven't and weren't able to order drinks or anything until they went to GS and had new one's printed.

I don't think this is happening on all ships, is it?

No, not yet anyway. I just got off the Dream in New Orleans and we were handed our Sign & Sail cards in the terminal before boarding.

takes about 30 seconds per person.

Times a couple of thousand people, or even a thousand or so couples and families, it adds up. On our last cruise we found the process in Galveston to be much faster than previous cruises. Not sure how it was handled in other ports, but at check in in Galveston, the person checking you in would at one point have to stop what they were doing and retrieve your cards from a central location at the long check in counter. If you were at the far end of said counter it could take almost a minute to walk over, find the cards, and walk back. Doesn't sound like much, but as I said, it adds up.

The time savings is you skip a whole other line. So when you’re done at the desk out front and through security, that’s it. Right to the ship if they are boarding. Otherwise you had to wait in a long line to get your cards. Trust me it is WAY faster.

Ok, so...who checks you in then, confirms ID's, etc etc?

The procedure at RCI is that you arrive at the terminal, go through initial security (Xray, walkthrough, etc) and then you line up for the check-in customer service people. Brief wait usually in line, head to a desk when one opens up (usually at least 20-30 CS agents working), present boarding pass, show/confirm ID's, get seapass cards, and then you're cleared to the waiting area, or immediately to boarding. Your Seapass is all you need to prove you've been checked in and cleared to board at that point.

I'm still not quite sure how CCL seems to skip that check-in step. Are the people at the Xray machines at the initial security area checking people in as well??

Ok, so...who checks you in then, confirms ID's, etc etc?

 

The procedure at RCI is that you arrive at the terminal, go through initial security (Xray, walkthrough, etc) and then you line up for the check-in customer service people. Brief wait usually in line, head to a desk when one opens up (usually at least 20-30 CS agents working), present boarding pass, show/confirm ID's, get seapass cards, and then you're cleared to the waiting area, or immediately to boarding. Your Seapass is all you need to prove you've been checked in and cleared to board at that point.

 

I'm still not quite sure how CCL seems to skip that check-in step. Are the people at the Xray machines at the initial security area checking people in as well??

There are people at the door checking boarding passes for the times with staggered check in. Then you stand in line and agents are there with small desks and Tuffbooks. They check your ID/scan your Passport and boarding pass. Go in another line for security then to the lounge. There used to be another line that you had to stand in to set up your onboard account and get your S&S cards. If you do a search you will find a bazillion threads on this.

It’s really no big deal. The Oasis Class ships have been doing it this way longer than Carnival from what I understand.

There are people at the door checking boarding passes for the times with staggered check in. Then you stand in line and agents are there with small desks and Tuffbooks. They check your ID/scan your Passport and boarding pass. Go in another line for security then to the lounge. There used to be another line that you had to stand in to set up your onboard account and get your S&S cards. If you do a search you will find a bazillion threads on this.

That sounds like exactly what RCI does at Baltimore, and what we experienced with RCI at both Bayonne and Ft Lauderdale. The only difference being security is at the very beginning (before the desk laptop checkin, ID scan, etc). That's the stage RCI gives you your seapass.

It’s really no big deal. The Oasis Class ships have been doing it this way longer than Carnival from what I understand.

We've sailed on an Oasis class, and they distributed Seapasses at initial check in as well...unless that's changed, it was quite a few years ago.

Anyhow, like I said, it's no big deal to me in the end, I'm just curious where the perceived time savings are distributing on the ship vs just passing them out at the initial check in desk. The 30 seconds per person thing is only because RCI embosses your photo right on your seapass, something Carnival doesn't appear to do with their S&S cards from what I've now learned.

In the end, whatever the lines do to expedite the whole arrival and boarding thing, I'm cool with. ;)

The process is great - worked incredibly well on Vista last week and Victory last month. If you're 100% checked in online, you can be from terminal front door to boarding in a couple of minutes!