Meraviglia - key card question - I'm confused

[tbmrt]

I've been reading about the cabin keyslots and am confused. 

 

 to get full power in the room you must insert your plastic room key into a slot near the entrance. Very easy to forget the key in the room as it is also the power switch.

 there is a entryway light that stays on as a safety when the room key is out. It’s very bright. Not very intuitive to think putting the power key in the slot turns OFF a light but, in this case, it does.

 

I get up early and head down for coffee without waking husband...So if I leave the card in the lot overnight to shut off the safety light and take it out, will the lights go on?

------------

We were able to take our key cards with us the lights did not work, however the A/C did and we were able to charge the laps tops without the keycard in the slot.

 

Is above correct?

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

Can’t you just put his card in the slot and take your own?

[HipHipOnAShip]

Easiest solution is to take a "blank" gift card with you and use it the slot.  Alternately, as @Georgia_Peaches said, just switch the cards 🙂

 

[cruzlover]

Some cruise lines are catching on to the “any credit card” trick. We were just on the Disney Wish and the room card was the only one that worked. Not sure about MSC though

[Zephyr173]

No, you cannot just carve up a credit card style card and toss it in the receptacle.  I don't know exactly how , but I suspect it's NFR technology, but not only does your cruise card need to be inserted, but it has to be in the proper position.  When you first insert your card, irrespective of how, power will go on for a few minutes; after that, the card has to be inserted properly.  In the same fashion, once you remove your card, power will be shut off after a couple of minutes.

 

While on Meraviglia recently, our cruise card had a hole punched in advance for a laniard, and we used this as a cue for proper alignment for the power receptacle.

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 hour ago, Zephyr173 said:

No, you cannot just carve up a credit card style card and toss it in the receptacle.

You are correct!  When we were on Seashore we had issues with our cabin a/c.  As part of a fix, our butler gave us a generic key card to keep in the slot 24/7 hoping this would somehow prevent the room from getting too warm.  It didn't, but it was nice of our butler to try.  It was then that she explained that it has to be an actual key card in the slot.

Edited October 25, 2022 by Georgia_Peaches
typo

[Best Cat Mom]

On our cruise last week, we used the "Please Make Up Room / Do Not Disturb" card in the slot. Our Assistant Butler even used it a few times after he made up our room. Worked the same as a key card for us.

[Zephyr173]

Hi Best Cat Mom,

Your comment seems to refer to Fantasia class (Fantasia, Divina, Precious, Splendida) ships where you can trick the power receptacle with a bit of arts & craft. 
 

There is no DND card on Meraviglia class

ships, but rather a button in the cabin that activates a light outside. 

My recollection of MSC Sinfonia is that there was no such power control system.

 

But, there was a DND/clean card that you would slide in the the key slot outside the cabin door. 

[mafig]

If you are in the Yacht Club, don't you get a bracelet.?  Then can't you use one of your cards in the slot permanently?

[phissy]

47 minutes ago, mafig said:

If you are in the Yacht Club, don't you get a bracelet.?  Then can't you use one of your cards in the slot permanently?

Not all ships have “smart” technology. 
fantasia class ships do not use bracelets.

We also used plastic ( do not disturb) sign in cabin for light slot.
Meraviglia class ships are newer and use the bracelet technology.

However, the bracelet is totally unreliable . You do want your card with you, especially if you go to casino.

We bring our  “old” MSC cruise card from previous cruise and keep it in light / power slot during cruise.

[Essiesmom]

When we were on Divina, any card in the slot would do.  When we went on Seaside, I took my old MSC cards a,one to use in the slot.  Didn’t work.  Had to be card for current cruise.   Y card usually went in the slot when we entered the cabin.  But I was usually the first out of the cs in in AM, so I would be leaving my sister in the dark if I didn’t find her card and trade it out.  So I got the bracelet so my card could stay in the slot.  Interesting thing, though.  The last morning I ran up and down our corridor taking cabin pics.  The insides were dark… it I discovered my key card would turn the lights on in any cabin…  EM

[Zephyr173]

On 10/25/2022 at 8:36 PM, phissy said:

We bring our  “old” MSC cruise card from previous cruise and keep it in light / power slot during cruise.

That's really hot (or cool ?) information.  Super smart

 

Well... I had not read EM's post (#11) before being amazed by Phissy's (#10).  Back to arts & crafts, or as mafig suggests, hoping to God your bracelet works,

Edited November 4, 2022 by Zephyr173

[Essiesmom]

Perhaps I could speculate that on Seaside, it might have worked with a card from a previous cruise ON THAT SHIP.  But since she isn’t scheduled to sail from here any time soon, I’m not likely to be able to try that theory out.  EM

[hamrag]

On 10/25/2022 at 11:19 PM, Georgia_Peaches said:

.....When we were on Seashore we had issues with our cabin a/c.  As part of a fix, our butler gave us a generic key card to keep in the slot 24/7 hoping this would somehow prevent the room from getting too warm.....

Wow....a butler provided a key that would have opened other cabin doors, crazy and lacking in security!!

[Georgia_Peaches]

54 minutes ago, hamrag said:

Wow....a butler provided a key that would have opened other cabin doors, crazy and lacking in security!!

Well it was a card in the slot that kept the electric on. I assumed it was a key card. Never occurred to me to ask or even think about removing it, much less use it to access another’s stateroom. 

[hamrag]

5 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Well it was a card in the slot that kept the electric on. I assumed it was a key card. Never occurred to me to ask or even think about removing it, much less use it to access another’s stateroom. 

Honestly, I was not suggesting you would rather simply pointing out the risk the butler took in providing such opportunity!

[Georgia_Peaches]

4 hours ago, hamrag said:

Honestly, I was not suggesting you would rather simply pointing out the risk the butler took in providing such opportunity!

I didn't think you were suggesting I would do something like that ☺️...I was just having a hard time wrapping my head around anyone who would do such a thing.  I guess you're right though...you never can tell what some people will do.

[Essiesmom]

I think the card he gave you was not a ‘master key’ for cabin doors, but one that would turn on all of the lights.  Did you even try to use it to open your cabin door?  EM

[Georgia_Peaches]

2 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

I think the card he gave you was not a ‘master key’ for cabin doors, but one that would turn on all of the lights.  Did you even try to use it to open your cabin door?  EM

That's what I'm thinking as well.  I never removed it from the slot.

[hamrag]

On 11/6/2022 at 12:24 AM, Georgia_Peaches said:

That's what I'm thinking as well.  I never removed it from the slot.

Yes, that sounds a much more likely type of card as no butler could take such risk as to provide a master key to any guest!