Constellation communication question

[varoo]

......It would be way too easy to confuse all the cards, especially after a couple martinis.

 

We'd definitely need some kind of "signal" though, because half the group is guys, and half is women. Only one couple, so yea......could be awkward. lol

No confusion if you just mark a large single digit on each room key card in order of the rooms: 1, 2, 3, 4.....

 

1 for Tom's room, 2 for Sally, etc.

or color code them using different colored markers, with everyone in the group using the same coding scheme.

If a card is lost, the number or color would be meaningless to anyone outside your group.

 

That is the way we code our extra room key cards when we cruise together as a family group and get keys to each other's rooms.

 

We don't carry them all around with us, but leave them in the cabin and just take the one we need when we need it.

 

 

The only difference is that we pound on the door and wait for a reply before entering someone else's room to avoid intruding on a possibly embarrassing situation.

 

But your group would probably already be using the Do Not Disturb sign anyway for privacy to indicate times when you do or don't want your stateroom attendant or a maintenance person to enter.

There is also a deadlock switch on the door.

 

 

Edited October 18, 2015 by varoo

[skoeper]

Just a thought -- Since they will provide a TTY in your stateroom upon request that will interface with the TTY at guest relations,

maybe the TTYs in the staterooms can also interface with one another.

 

If not, would guest relations have the ability (and willingness) to transfer TTY messages from one stateroom to another?

 

 

Also, written messages can be left in the mail holders outside the door of each stateroom (or you can slide them under the door), together with using the flashing telephone signal as an indicator to check for mail.

 

Those are excellent ideas! We need to stop in at guest services and ask how the tty's work onboard. If they provide the flashing light when phone rings AND we can see who called, we could use the tty to call back.

 

I love the notes in the mailbox and then following up with a flashing phone call. You are very intuitive!

 

I want to thank everyone for great ideas. I bet we will end up using almost all of them to work together to make it work for us. These ideas may work for us for years to come on the cruises we hope to take together in the future too.

 

Thank you all!

[skoeper]

No confusion if you just mark a large single digit on each room key card in order of the rooms: 1, 2, 3, 4.....

 

1 for Tom's room, 2 for Sally, etc.

or color code them using different colored markers, with everyone in the group using the same coding scheme.

If a card is lost, the number or color would be meaningless to anyone outside your group.

 

That is the way we code our extra room key cards when we cruise together as a family group and get keys to each other's rooms.

 

We don't carry them all around with us, but leave them in the cabin and just take the one we need when we need it.

 

 

The only difference is that we pound on the door and wait for a reply before entering someone else's room to avoid intruding on a possibly embarrassing situation.

 

But your group would probably already be using the Do Not Disturb sign anyway for privacy to indicate times when you do or don't want your stateroom attendant or a maintenance person to enter.

There is also a deadlock switch on the door.

 

 

 

That's a really good idea, having everyone write the numbers on the cards based on the cabins. #1, #2, etc. It will work great because we are all side-by-side.

 

I'm not sure about this ship, but the other Celebrity ships we've been on have a light switch right inside the door. If someone had to use their key for another's room, they could open the door just enough to flicker the lights on and off. That would work too, without having to walk ALL the way in the room. From the pictures I've seen for the cabins, it looks like there's a hallway as you enter the cabin with the bathroom and a closet in it. That would give us some buffer too :)

 

I think it's all coming together for a plan for us :) Thanks so much!

[alcpa1]

Skoeper,

There ARE some connecting cabins on the M class ships. I don't know when you are cruising but deck 11 balcony cabins do connect. It may be too late for you but consider these A1 cabins for your next cruise.

[skoeper]

Skoeper,

There ARE some connecting cabins on the M class ships. I don't know when you are cruising but deck 11 balcony cabins do connect. It may be too late for you but consider these A1 cabins for your next cruise.

 

Thanks! When we booked, we did try to get some connecting ones, but there weren't 5 close to each other. As time went on, we only needed 4, but there still weren't 4 balconies near each other. Since half were newbies, and also having a hearing loss, we thought it was best to get 4 all in a row.

 

Thanks for the suggestion though! We did try :)

[Beanb41]

An idea for communication if one group leaves their cabin could be to purchase a small blackboard say A4 size with a magnetic backing. This blackboard could then be attached to exterior of a cain door as they are all metal and thus magnetic. Thus if group from one cabin goes to dinner or the show etc a note can be left on the blackboard "Gone to Dinner" "Gone to show" or whatever and erased when they return. A whiteboard would do a similar job

[skoeper]

An idea for communication if one group leaves their cabin could be to purchase a small blackboard say A4 size with a magnetic backing. This blackboard could then be attached to exterior of a cain door as they are all metal and thus magnetic. Thus if group from one cabin goes to dinner or the show etc a note can be left on the blackboard "Gone to Dinner" "Gone to show" or whatever and erased when they return. A whiteboard would do a similar job

 

That's a great idea, as a matter of fact, I just bought a magnetic whiteboard for the cabin door, lol. It will really help when we leave the cabin to let the others know where we are, but it won't help with the "hey, are you ready?" or the "I forgot my hairspray, can I use some of yours?" or the "don't forget about the napkin folding class (ha!) in 10 minutes!" kind of things that groups usually end up doing lol.

 

Hearing loss makes life a challenge, but I'm a total planner and I'm trying to figure out ways to make it as easy as possible, especially for the newbies in the group. I REALLY want them to love cruising as much as I do :)

 

Thanks for the great suggestion :) I'm sure it will help!

[varoo]

Those are excellent ideas! We need to stop in at guest services and ask how the tty's work onboard. If they provide the flashing light when phone rings AND we can see who called, we could use the tty to call back.

I would suggest not waiting until you get to guest services on the ship to find out if they have the TTYs you need, but instead contact the Special Needs department about them in advance.

 

Let them know how many TTY's you will need so they can make arrangements to put enough of them on the ship (preferably plus a spare or two just in case), have them installed in the proper staterooms and tested to be sure they are functioning properly.

 

Toll free in the USA 1-866-592-7225,

 

or email

 

special_needs@celebrity.com

 

(underscore between special and needs)

 

 

Website link: Visual/ Hearing Disabilities | Celebrity Cruises

 

 

They should also find out and let you know in advance whether or not the members of your party will be able to use the TTYs on the ship to communicate with one another.

 

Try to have them send you email acknowledgement of whatever special aids they agree to provide for your group and print out a copy to take with you.

 

 

According to their website, amplified telephones in the staterooms and assistive listening systems in the theatre are only available on their newer Solstice class ships, so the Constellation would not qualify for them, but it can't hurt to ask anyway.

 

 

(By the way, in earlier post I meant to say deadbolt, not deadlock, although you probably figured out what I meant. ;) )

 

Wishing all of you a wonderful cruise, and many more to follow.

 

 

P.S. Ask about the closed captioning on the TV screens too, and if any members of your group use those rabbit ear things or other such small, lightweight amplification devices for their TVs at home, whether they can bring them along to have hooked up to the TV in their stateroom.

 

 

Edited October 18, 2015 by varoo

[skoeper]

I would suggest not waiting until you get to guest services on the ship to find out if they have the TTYs you need, but instead contact the Special Needs department about them in advance.

 

Let them know how many TTY's you will need so they can make arrangements to put enough of them on the ship (preferably plus a spare or two just in case), have them installed in the proper staterooms and tested to be sure they are functioning properly.

 

Toll free in the USA 1-866-592-7225,

 

or email

 

special_needs@celebrity.com

 

(underscore between special and needs)

 

 

Website link: Visual/ Hearing Disabilities | Celebrity Cruises

 

 

They should also find out and let you know in advance whether or not the members of your party will be able to use the TTYs on the ship to communicate with one another.

 

Try to have them send you email acknowledgement of whatever special aids they agree to provide for your group and print out a copy to take with you.

 

 

According to their website, amplified telephones in the staterooms and assistive listening systems in the theatre are only available on their newer Solstice class ships, so the Constellation would not qualify for them, but it can't hurt to ask anyway.

 

 

(By the way, in earlier post I meant to say deadbolt, not deadlock, although you probably figured out what I meant. ;) )

 

Wishing all of you a wonderful cruise, and many more to follow.

 

 

P.S. Ask about the closed captioning on the TV screens too, and if any members of your group use those rabbit ear things or other such small, lightweight amplification devices for their TVs at home, whether they can bring them along to have hooked up to the TV in their stateroom.

 

 

 

All great ideas and we've done most of them already :) The Special Needs department SAYS they are providing a CART typist for us. This is truly rare, and because of that, I've emailed several times stressing just exactly what that is. We don't need an ASL interpreter, only two in our group even know ASL very well, so I hope they are aren't just plain confused on what we are asking for. I think it might be hard to know what shows we are going to and just where we need the CART and they haven't asked us. So we shall see what we get :)

 

I did email just now to ask how the tty's work. Great suggestion to make sure NOW and not wait until we are onboard. Celebrity is woefully behind on accessibility :( Twice I've been promised assisted listening devices for the shows and one time they couldn't find the devices, no one knew where they were. The 2nd time, they provided me with a device that you need to stick in your ear. That doesn't work well with hearing aids, the hearing aids are already in the ear, lol. Both won't fit!

 

I usually cruise with my hearing husband, so we pick and choose shows that are more visual and of course, he can hear announcements, alarm clocks, etc. But this time he is not going and a bunch of people just like me are, so this will definitely be different. I'm just happy to be on a cruise ship, lol. Being able to keep up though would be really nice!

 

Thanks again for the suggestions :)

[skoeper]

 

 

P.S. Ask about the closed captioning on the TV screens too, and if any members of your group use those rabbit ear things or other such small, lightweight amplification devices for their TVs at home, whether they can bring them along to have hooked up to the TV in their stateroom.

 

 

 

I forgot to respond to the captioned t.v. idea. In the past, it didn't work. The t.v.'s could not have captioning. Worth asking about again though, you never know. Not that we watch t.v. AT ALL while on a cruise, haha.