Can anyone explain this please...

Here's a puzzle.

I've several friends currently on QE. One of them is travelling as a single passenger.

Late one evening, on returning to his cabin from the Lido, he discovered/remembered he had left his key-card inside :eek:

The lady at the Purser's Desk printed off a new card for his cabin. But the name shown on it wasn't the correct one... :confused:

She then discovered that my friend's name wasn't showing up on the computer records as being a passenger (despite him having been on board since January) :confused: .

The photograph of him on their records was correct, and the recorded credit card details were also right. But the name of the passenger, that their records indicated was "in" that cabin, was wrong.

The passenger whom they said was currently "in" the cabin, is someone that my friend knows, someone who was on a 12 night QE Mediterranean cruise nearly three years ago, at the same time as him.

But they did not share a cabin then... or at any other time!

I have seen a photograph of the key-card that was issued. It shows the wrong name on it, and also shows that person as being on board for the entire world cruise Jan-May '15. The name on the card is that of a person who to my certain knowledge is currently in the UK, not approaching Aqaba on board QE!

Anyone, any ideas?

That's bizarre, did your friend's original key - card have the correct name ?

What about excursion tickets/party invitations ?

That's bizarre, did your friend's original key - card have the correct name ?

What about excursion tickets/party invitations ?

"bizarre" indeed! :confused:

All has been correct until this incident. No issues with names at all.

I have no idea how this could happen...

I wonder if he'll turn out to be the first of many or it's just a one off computer glitch.

I hope it hasn't caused too much inconvenience for your friend.

I wonder if he'll turn out to be the first of many or it's just a one off computer glitch.

I hope it hasn't caused too much inconvenience for your friend.

I told him to ensure that if he wasn't listed as a passenger, then neither was his bar bill ;) :D

Hi Pepper

I've come across computer glitches onboard before - tell your friend to go and see the Future Cruise Reps as they will be able to access his actual booking details. They will then be able to forward those details to whoever needs them, onboard, to correct everything. I'm not sure why, but the Pursers don't have access to the part of the computer that shows actual bookings and all they do is contact the shore office in Southampton. As it is a weekend, and the Southampton offices are currently closed, they won't be able to move any further forward with the situation until tomorrow, Monday. It baffles me as to why the Pursers don't know to speak to the Future Cruise Reps when there's a querie over booking details!

During last year's QV World voyage, In Transet tickets were delivered to our cabins with our names on the envelope. Mine had my name along with some womans I never heard of. I was traveling solo so I was surprised I was sharing with a stranger. :eek:

I went down to the Pursers and they looked up the woman in their computer. She was in a cabin with a number similar to mine and with some gentleman. (She sure gets around). The purser said "some computer glitch, no problem". Not sure if she ever got her In Transit ticket.

Don

The purser said "some computer glitch, no problem".

Whereas what the purser should have correctly said was "someone has entered the wrong name, the wrong cabin or some other incorrect information in to our booking system".

I suspect that the majority of computer glitches turn out to be user errors. :p

I suspect that the majority of computer glitches turn out to be user errors. :p

When we were given our key cards when we boarded in Dubai a few years ago, I pointed out that my card had a red edge, when it should have been platinum. I was told that the computer said that this was my first voyage, and I would have to go to the future cruise desk to sort things out. When I went to the future cruise desk, I was reassured that I was in fact a platinum member, and told to go to the pursers' desk to get a new card. At the pursers' desk they looked at my card, and would not issue a new one, insisting that I was a first time passenger. I was having too much fun to be bothered by this, so I kept my original red edged card.

Towards the end of the voyage I looked at the monitor as I was boarding again from a port visit, and noticed that the picture was of some rather nice looking lady, but definitely about 30 years older than me. The security people didn't seem at all put off by this. I returned to the pursers' desk, where this time they did acknowledge that there was a problem - the card had my name and cabin number, but all of the other information was for another passenger on the ship. Yes indeed, they said it was a computer error back in Dubai.

Towards the end of the voyage I looked at the monitor as I was boarding again from a port visit, and noticed that the picture was of some rather nice looking lady, but definitely about 30 years older than me. The security people didn't seem at all put off by this.

Several years ago in the UK the credit card companies tried putting your photo on your credit card in an attempt to cut fraud. It never worked and the idea was quietly dropped. The reason ? Because the people whom you hand your credit card to could not care less. After all, why would they ? It's the same thing here - the security people could not care less - they could be shown a picture of Donald Duck and they wouldn't take any notice.

When we were given our key cards when we boarded in Dubai a few years ago, I pointed out that my card had a red edge, when it should have been platinum. I was told that the computer said that this was my first voyage, and I would have to go to the future cruise desk to sort things out. When I went to the future cruise desk, I was reassured that I was in fact a platinum member, and told to go to the pursers' desk to get a new card. At the pursers' desk they looked at my card, and would not issue a new one, insisting that I was a first time passenger. I was having too much fun to be bothered by this, so I kept my original red edged card.

 

Towards the end of the voyage I looked at the monitor as I was boarding again from a port visit, and noticed that the picture was of some rather nice looking lady, but definitely about 30 years older than me. The security people didn't seem at all put off by this. I returned to the pursers' desk, where this time they did acknowledge that there was a problem - the card had my name and cabin number, but all of the other information was for another passenger on the ship. Yes indeed, they said it was a computer error back in Dubai.

Just goes to demonstrate how much use photo ID is. When the Argylls were stationed in Ballykelly in Northern Ireland in the early 1980s I had a friend who spent 2 years gaining access to the barracks by showing the civilian security guard an ID card that had been issued to him by the Sultan of Oman's Army some five years earlier. The photo was ok but all the textual detail was written in Arabic. Never seemed to bother the security guards though.

J

Computers are almost perfect. Humans are in error.

I just wonder if the computer systems/programs are out of date on the Cunard Ships? It seems the newest ships are going touch less with arm bands for room keys/payments/charges/identification. Maybe a good level of Tech upgrade is needed??

? It seems the newest ships are going touch less with arm bands for room keys/payments/charges/identification. Maybe a good level of Tech upgrade is needed??

No, thank you.

Very classy, dinner suit and evening gown combined with a plastic or whatever arm band.

And no thank to total surveillance.

No, thank you.

 

Very classy, dinner suit and evening gown combined with a plastic or whatever arm band.

 

And no thank to total surveillance.

I concur. Cunard isn't Disneyworld. I don't want some garish arm band that beeps to register payment.

Let's keep Cunard classy please.

A couple of years ago at embarkation for the last leg of a world cruise I was asked 'Is Mr X with you?' Well, no, I was a solo traveller. They had printed details all ready to hand to him, for my room!

That night, while I was in bed with the light off, there was a knock at the door and the door opened. Oh no, was it Mr X? It took a couple of days to finally work out that the previous occupant had put in a request for hot milk each night, and the steward was trying to deliver it to my room.

As for Mr X, someone who had heard my story later met him and introduced me, and it became a bit of a joke.