There's a Hole in That Card!

[The Mikado]

So, what's with all the Princess cruise vets (as judged by their room card color) with holes punched in their cards and hung from lanyards? I get the lanyard but who punches the holes?

[Daisyloo]

I think you can go to the front desk and they will punch it for you.

[The Mikado]

1 minute ago, Daisyloo said:

I think you can go to the front desk and they will punch it for you.

Thank you.

 

For next time, San Fran to Hawaii RT, Nov 18.

[cr8tiv1]

Casino has a better (rectangular) punch and a free lanyard if you can wait until they open (after sail away).

 

[wallyj]

If your Princess ship has been upgraded where you need to place your cruisecard on the small display screen by your door to open, then you usually cannot punch a hole in those cruise cards as they have a RFID circuit in those cards and punching a hole usually renders the card unusable to open your cabin door.  Current example would be the Ruby, cabin door locks have been updated, Medallion net for internet available, but not Medallion as you are still issued cruisecard.

 

Most passengers who still want to carry thier card on a lanyard if it is RFID type, will then have thier card in a plastic sleeve which can be purchased in one of the shops on board, if not already in possession, unless they have sold out. 

 

Eventually most ships will be upgraded to Medallions, but my understanding is you can still request a cruise card, but it will be the one which should not be hole punched.

[flamomo]

Calypso Cove shop onboard also can punch a hole in your cruise card. The one drawback is that the shop (as well as the casino) doesn't open till at least an hour after the ship sails. I prefer going to the Passenger Services desk shortly after boarding to get mine done.

[CruisinFinsUp]

5 hours ago, wallyj said:

If your Princess ship has been upgraded where you need to place your cruisecard on the small display screen by your door to open, then you usually cannot punch a hole in those cruise cards as they have a RFID circuit in those cards and punching a hole usually renders the card unusable to open your cabin door.  Current example would be the Ruby, cabin door locks have been updated, Medallion net for internet available, but not Medallion as you are still issued cruisecard.

 

Most passengers who still want to carry thier card on a lanyard if it is RFID type, will then have thier card in a plastic sleeve which can be purchased in one of the shops on board, if not already in possession, unless they have sold out. 

 

Eventually most ships will be upgraded to Medallions, but my understanding is you can still request a cruise card, but it will be the one which should not be hole punched.

 

This.   But even if door locks are not updated, RFID cards have a mag strip on them so you may have one and not realize it.  

 

When we were on Caribbean Princess a year ago the crew were all already using RFID cards even though all the door readers were the old type - and our daughter was issued one as she kept demagnetizing her regular card.  The pass. serv. desk said the RFID cards don't demagnetize.    

Our daughter demagnetized the RFID card too.  They were quite baffled.   

 

Must have been a problem with her door lock as she has cruised many many times and she'd never had this issue before.  

[1Gizmo]

Your daughter must have a magnetic personality.

[MissP22]

46 minutes ago, cruisintoddler said:

 

This.   But even if door locks are not updated, RFID cards have a mag strip on them so you may have one and not realize it.  

 

When we were on Caribbean Princess a year ago the crew were all already using RFID cards even though all the door readers were the old type - and our daughter was issued one as she kept demagnetizing her regular card.  The pass. serv. desk said the RFID cards don't demagnetize.    

Our daughter demagnetized the RFID card too.  They were quite baffled.   

 

Must have been a problem with her door lock as she has cruised many many times and she'd never had this issue before.  

There must have been something wrong with your door system.

We were also issued both the Medallion & card at the time & my husband purposely tried to demagnetize his card with a very strong magnet & it didn't do a thing.

Strange.

[bonship]

Just got off the Ruby a few weeks ago, and as a good grandma  and frequent cruiser, I punched holes in all my grand kids' cruise cards so they could wear them on their lanyards and not lose them.  First time we left the ship, they told kids they couldn't use them and  cards could not be punched.  We had to scramble to the front desk for new cards and then buy new lanyards (overpriced in the gift shop) with plastic sleeves on them. 

[cabin4three]

Ours came with the hole already punched in.

Princess gave all passengers a cruise card  already hole punched at check in.

This was on the sapphire princess earlier this month. Princess shops were selling lanyards of course 😉. 

The children's club made lanyards on the first evening during family time.

 

[4hunters]

8 hours ago, MissP22 said:

There must have been something wrong with your door system.

We were also issued both the Medallion & card at the time & my husband purposely tried to demagnetize his card with a very strong magnet & it didn't do a thing.

Strange.

Correct. RFID cannot be demagnetized.  You have to physically destroy, or microwave (melt) to destroy a RFID chip. 

[Husky61]

19 hours ago, The Mikado said:

So, what's with all the Princess cruise vets (as judged by their room card color) with holes punched in their cards and hung from lanyards? I get the lanyard but who punches the holes?

A professional boxer.😁

[awhcruiser]

20 hours ago, The Mikado said:

So, what's with all the Princess cruise vets (as judged by their room card color) with holes punched in their cards and hung from lanyards? I get the lanyard but who punches the holes?

Guest services

[land lover]

3 hours ago, cabin4three said:

Ours came with the hole already punched in.

Princess gave all passengers a cruise card  already hole punched at check in.

This was on the sapphire princess earlier this month. Princess shops were selling lanyards of course 😉. 

The children's club made lanyards on the first evening during family time.

 

 This has only happened to us on Aussie cruises..2 last  Sept. Oct. on Sea Princess.

[MissP22]

8 hours ago, bonship said:

Just got off the Ruby a few weeks ago, and as a good grandma  and frequent cruiser, I punched holes in all my grand kids' cruise cards so they could wear them on their lanyards and not lose them.  First time we left the ship, they told kids they couldn't use them and  cards could not be punched.  We had to scramble to the front desk for new cards and then buy new lanyards (overpriced in the gift shop) with plastic sleeves on them. 

I would love to hear the reasoning for that decision. 

[wallyj]

17 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

I would love to hear the reasoning for that decision. 

Hi MissP22, in my earlier post, I explained cruisecards that have the RFID chip and circuit are rendered useless if you hole punch. If you are on a ship that still uses the old door locks where you slide your card into the door slot, then these cards can still be hole punched. Ships using the new door locks like Medallion ships , those cruise cards have RFID and should not be punched.

[MissP22]

10 hours ago, wallyj said:

Hi MissP22, in my earlier post, I explained cruisecards that have the RFID chip and circuit are rendered useless if you hole punch. If you are on a ship that still uses the old door locks where you slide your card into the door slot, then these cards can still be hole punched. Ships using the new door locks like Medallion ships , those cruise cards have RFID and should not be punched.

Understood. We've used the Medallions numerous time now.

I was wondering about the comment that the kids couldn't use the cards.

"First time we left the ship, they told kids they couldn't use them and  cards could not be punched." 

I read into the statement that only the kids couldn't use the cards and had to use the Medallions.

I'm still surprised that there isn't an area around the edge where a hole could be punched. 

btw- We only use Medallions.

[Daniel A]

On ‎8‎/‎30‎/‎2019 at 8:41 AM, cruisintoddler said:

 

our daughter ... kept demagnetizing her regular card.  The pass. serv. desk said the RFID cards don't demagnetize.    

Our daughter demagnetized the RFID card too.  They were quite baffled.   

 

Must have been a problem with her door lock as she has cruised many many times and she'd never had this issue before.  

Once, I had to get a replacement credit card as the existing one wasn't getting read in a few card readers.  When the new card came, DW stuck it to the fridge with a magnet so I would see it.  I had to get another card.  Maybe your daughter was sticking it up on the wall with a magnet in her cabin.  Just a guess.  I've also had problems with repeated key cards not opening hotel room doors.  I'm sure in those instances that it was the locks themselves.