Door locked but they can still come in?

[lovejone]

I was just wondering if this has happened to you on Princess... Sometimes we would sleep in or be taking a nap in the afternoon or evening, obviously we had the double lock engaged has to not be distrubed and the maid would still manage to swip her card and enter the room catching me once not dressed and other times just waking us up! I found it quit disturbing thinking that at anytime someone can just get into our room when we were there alone (2 girls cruising).... As far as I can remember, on Celibrity, if the double lock was engaged, no one could come in...

 

Shouldn't that access be restricted?

[Colo Cruiser]

I was just wondering if this has happened to you on Princess... Sometimes we would sleep in or be taking a nap in the afternoon or evening, obviously we had the double lock engaged has to not be distrubed and the maid would still manage to swip her card and enter the room catching me once not dressed and other times just waking us up! I found it quit disturbing thinking that at anytime someone can just get into our room when we were there alone (2 girls cruising).... As far as I can remember, on Celibrity, if the double lock was engaged, no one could come in...

 

Shouldn't that access be restricted?

 

 

Even though the door is double locked it can still be opened.

This would be a major issue in an emergency if it could not be opened.

[Sincity]

Just hang the "Do not disturb" card outside. They SHOULD respect that.

[Maraprince]

Yes! It happened to us many years ago on the original Royal Princess in Europe. We were 3 women, relaxing, in various lounge wear when all of a sudden Security peeks into the cabin with their pass key and tells us, "Sorry! Just doing a routine check."

 

To say we were shocked would be an understatement. Luckily, everyone was dressed in something when the Security person opened the door.

 

Princess was the only line that we encountered this.

 

MARAPRINCE

[Pam in CA]

Even though the door is double locked it can still be opened.

This would be a major issue in an emergency if it could not be opened.

This is true. Princess provides a card in each cabin (kept on the inside of the door) that you put into your card slot on the outside. One side of the card says, "Privacy Please"; the other side says, "Please make up my cabin" or something like that. When you have the "Privacy Please" in the slot, stewards will not attempt to come in since it indicates that you're in there and don't want to be disturbed.

 

Princess was the only line that we encountered this.

I had this happen to me on the Prinsendam last year. The hair dryer in my cabin was literally being held together (and not very well) by rubber bands; an electrical shock waiting to happen. One night, at about 11:15PM, as I was on the john with the door open (hey, I was single in the cabin), my steward walked right into my cabin. When I started screaming, he said he was replacing the hair dryer. At 11:15PM... at night???? Give me a break! Yes, I reported him.

[FolksOfMeans - ByNoMeans]

This is true. Princess provides a card in each cabin (kept on the inside of the door) that you put into your card slot on the outside. One side of the card says, "Privacy Please"; the other side says, "Please make up my cabin" or something like that. When you have the "Privacy Please" in the slot, stewards will not attempt to come in since it indicates that you're in there and don't want to be disturbed.

 

 

They WILL enter the Cabin.:mad:

 

Last December, on a Sydney/Aukland, Diamond Cruise, we had the door double locked AND the " Privacy Card" in the slot.

At 10:30 P.M., our Steward entered our Cabin, with out bothering to knock, to deliver the Patter.

 

Trust me - He learnt a few "new" words and did not do it again.

 

He did find out that there is a Mail Slot outside of the Cabin.

[Coral]

I have had this happen 2x on a cruise. It really irked me!

[Pam in CA]

They WILL enter the Cabin.:mad:

 

Last December, on a Sydney/Aukland, Diamond Cruise, we had the door double locked AND the " Privacy Card" in the slot.

At 10:30 P.M., our Steward entered our Cabin, with out bothering to knock, to deliver the Patter.

 

Trust me - He learnt a few "new" words and did not do it again.

 

He did find out that there is a Mail Slot outside of the Cabin.

Wow, I'm surprised at that and that's something I would have reported. He may have been new but that's something he should have known. I don't like to get stewards or any other crew in trouble but when they clearly violate privacy, then it's an issue that needs to be addressed by their Supervisor.

[ggprincess2004]

We tend to be no nonsense about access to our stateroom. The privacy please sign is in use the vast majority of the time. We promptly switch it to "please make up our cabin" when leaving for an activity, and for dinner, but other than that, we keep the privacy sign on. It has worked for us.

[TonyFred]

They have to be able to enter a cabin if there is an emergency, such as a fire, abandon ship, etc. Some folks would sleep through any alarms or simply ignore them.

However, that does not excuse them for entering under non emergency situations, especially with the Do Not Disturb sign on the door.

[debshomespun]

We were told by one of our room stewards, that when they use their pass key, if we are in the cabin, and have the "double" lock on, it will show red, indicating we are in the room, and they are NOT supposed to enter. Room stewards can get in a hurry, and just knock, and many times the occupants will not hear, and the stewards then just enter.

[Host CJSKIDS]

This is true. Princess provides a card in each cabin (kept on the inside of the door) that you put into your card slot on the outside. One side of the card says, "Privacy Please"; the other side says, "Please make up my cabin" or something like that. When you have the "Privacy Please" in the slot, stewards will not attempt to come in since it indicates that you're in there and don't want to be disturbed.

 

I had this happen to me on the Prinsendam last year. The hair dryer in my cabin was literally being held together (and not very well) by rubber bands; an electrical shock waiting to happen. One night, at about 11:15PM, as I was on the john with the door open (hey, I was single in the cabin), my steward walked right into my cabin. When I started screaming, he said he was replacing the hair dryer. At 11:15PM... at night???? Give me a break! Yes, I reported him.

 

You must have been so startled when your steward walked right into your cabin since you were by yourself. I know I would have been both upset and furious had this happened to me. Glad to hear that you reported him.

[Pam in CA]

They have to be able to enter a cabin if there is an emergency, such as a fire, abandon ship, etc. Some folks would sleep through any alarms or simply ignore them.

 

However, that does not excuse them for entering under non emergency situations, especially with the Do Not Disturb sign on the door.

Trust me when I say that you will NOT sleep through the emergency alarm when it goes off in your cabin, even in the middle of the night. The first alarm wakes you up; with the second, you remember where you are; with the third, you realize this is not a drill; and by the seventh, you're dressed and grabbing your medications and lifejacket. This happened to me last October at 1:55AM; there was a fire in the cooler (industrial refrigerator) in the buffet, a transformer had blown. It turned out to be much ado about nothing as the stand-down was called just a few minutes later when we were told it was OK to go back to sleep. Yeahsureright. Let me slow down my adrenalin a bit, first. :)

[TonyFred]

Trust me when I say that you will NOT sleep through the emergency alarm when it goes off in your cabin, even in the middle of the night. The first alarm wakes you up; with the second, you remember where you are; with the third, you realize this is not a drill; and by the seventh, you're dressed and grabbing your medications and lifejacket. This happened to me last October at 1:55AM; there was a fire in the cooler (industrial refrigerator) in the buffet, a transformer had blown. It turned out to be much ado about nothing as the stand-down was called just a few minutes later when we were told it was OK to go back to sleep. Yeahsureright. Let me slow down my adrenalin a bit, first. :)

 

And trust me, I travel with a friend who...let's say....indulges too much when traveling. (Wine). The boat could sink and he would sleep through it.

I am NOT exaggerating. He is in a coma state after too much to drink.

[lovejone]

If there is an emergency - I mean of course they would have to enter if I would be missing in roll call but other then that they shouldn't have the right to enter if it's locked from the inside... Pretty embarrasing to come running around to get the door with your pants down yelling - no, no, no, there's someone in here and pushing the door so fast the girl at the other end must of been shocked!!! LOL

[FolksOfMeans - ByNoMeans]

Wow, I'm surprised at that and that's something I would have reported. He may have been new but that's something he should have known. I don't like to get stewards or any other crew in trouble but when they clearly violate privacy, then it's an issue that needs to be addressed by their Supervisor.

 

 

No, we didn't report him; didn't want to get him into trouble.

He apologized the next day.

Put the Patter in the Mail Box after that.

Advised him in a "nice way' to never enter a Cabin, for unecessary reasons, when the "Privacy Please" sign is in the slot.

[madjohn]

I understand that there are pass keys but I would think the one the stewards are to use during regular business would not open if the door was locked from the inside. I would think that there would need to be an emergency or some kind of log when going into a cabin that required the inside lock to be unlocked.

 

If I was in my cabin with the door locked from the inside and someone came in they will 1) hear about it and 2) the pursers desk will have a visit very shortly.

 

John

[DEERINH2O]

Ok not that I would want anyone coming in when the deadbolt is on, I can say that it was a blessing our room steward had one.

Last year, we shared a balcony cabin with our son, 15 years old, our two girls ages 16 and 18 were across the hall. We had been down in a lounge hangin out, just DH and I, and the kids came and said they were going to bed, they had been in the kids club. My son said he left his key in the room, so could he use mine, sure I give it to him and off they go. Kiss Kiss and goodnight. Well we had met a few friends in the bar, so we stayed we talked and talked and a few drinks :eek: and next we knew it was 3 am. So off to the cabin we go. Get to the room and try our key and it doesn't work, try again, still no. Knock softly, since it was so late, no response. We then realize that we have the girls key, ok go to their room, they are both sound asleep and we wake them and ask if they have our key, they say they did but left it when they made sure their brother was safe and sound. Ok long story short, we couldn't get in because the deadbolt was locked. My son had gotten up and locked it after the girls left to be safe. Luckily at that time our room steward walked by, she was up getting ready for her shift to start and helped us get in the room. Otherwise we would have been on the floor in the girls cabin.:rolleyes: That would be the only reason I would want them to get in...

 

Kathy

[cruisecrasy]

I am now freaked out but in a good way!

 

As a single lady cruiser, I am now aware that I am vulnerable...so I shall put a 'noisy'

necklace on the door knob and perhaps the desk chair or something for intruders to stumble over on the floor in front of the door -

I can then sleep knowing no one comes in without me hearing them and they then will hear me along with 1/2 the ships pax also :)!

 

Thanks to the OP for posting - 'forewarned is forearmed'!

 

Have happy & 'safe' cruisin'! :)

[D&N LUV 2 TRAVEL]

Still can't believe the cabin steward would do that. You would think they would cover important stuff like that in their procedures. In Feb when we had the privacy card on the door our steward would just slip the patter under the door.

 

Wow, I'm surprised at that and that's something I would have reported. He may have been new but that's something he should have known. I don't like to get stewards or any other crew in trouble but when they clearly violate privacy, then it's an issue that needs to be addressed by their Supervisor.

[IKE]

Sorry this has happened to You and other Cruisers. We have 70 Cruises under our belt with all Cruise Lines and luckily it never happened to us. I think the room steward should "KNOCK" first before taking it upon himself to enter your cabin. This I think is rude. The chances of people taking a nap during the afternoon and retiring in the evening is a big possibility and then You even had the "Do Not Disturb" Sign on your door. I would definitely report Him. On Princess, they have a mailbox outside your door whereby He could leave the Patter for the next day. No excuse for this at all in my opinion. I can understand emergency situations but from what you have said it is thoughtlessness on part of the stewards.Why bother putting a sign on the door ! IKE

[Sea Fan]

My husband was pleased the steward could use their key also. Last week we were coming back from Hawaii on the Golden Princess. He was in a Poker tournament I went back to the cabin and turn the bolt lock with out thinking about it, then I was sitting out on the balcony. I didn't hear him knocking so luckily our steward came by and let him in this was around 10:30 pm I was surprised she was still up.

 

I have never had a problem with them coming in when I have the Privacy sign out.

[sherryf]

Now you've all got me worried! We'll be on our honeymoon and will certainly want a bit of privacy... perhaps at all hours of the day and night. ;) I sure don't want anyone walking in on us! :eek:

[rochelle_s]

If for some reason you do not have your key..you can always get a temporary replacement from the pursers desk.

 

Rochelle

[princessmargaret]

I have never been intruded upon by a cabin steward on any of my eight cruises. That being said, I do think the direct communication is best. On our last cruise, we had Piotr, the best, most efficient ever. At the beginning of the cruise, he spoke to my husband about the fact that he would not enter our room unless the sign to make it up was out. Fine with us, we tend to be a bit anal about the signage anyway. And he was the best. I think he did the rooms in stages rather than cleaning them entirely at once.

Whenever you went back it looked good and things were refreshed.

 

So my point is that if you do not wish to be disturbed, tell them that the sign for makijg up the room must be out. Even with language barriers, you can make yourself understood. It saves them from embarassment, too.