using room card for lights/AC

As a solo traveler, I certainly would request my steward be certain he left lights on or at least the bed reading lights after he makes up the room at night. I will not enter a dark, empty room alone.

We experienced this card/lights business in Europe (particularly Italy) in several hotels. I wonder how much they really save with that system on Nieuw Amsterdam? We've all found 'ways around it'. :D

When they do turn down service in the evening they have always left the bed reading lights on.

We were on the NA last week. Cabin attendant left a card in slot, which we pulled up when we left. After dark he always left both reading lights by bed on.

If you're worried about entering a somewhat dark room, remember that the card slot is just a few inches from the door, above the light switches. It's quite easy to turn on the lights before you enter.

We didn't find the card slot to be any problem at all. If it saves a bit of power consumption, that's great.

As a single I didn't like it. When I left my key in the slot [2nd day], I had to go to the front desk to get another - no one else to let me in. At the front desk they gave me a second card - for room access only - no charging on it. [My cabin steward took it with him on the next to last day, but he was right in the area and gave it back to me.]

 

 

 

I'm used to my card either being in my pocket or on a lanyard. But if any similar size card will work, I will do that. I'm back on the NA next January

I don't understand why they would issue a card with room access but no charging capabilities. If you lose your card or deactivate by having it next to your phone, they just replace the card - and cancel the other one.

On this cruise we are using my AAA card for the lights: when ww go out, we take it out and put it in the holder with the "Privacy Please" card.

You can use anything in the slot...a folded piece of paper...anything, basically, the size of a credit card. I would leave it in there ALL the time.

I am sorry and I hope I am not offending anyone, but using a card to run the lights is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard of. Sometimes I just shake my head at HAL.

Well if it is the stupidest thing you have every heard, then there are a lot of stupid hotels etc all over the world doing this exact same thing! I have been taking a dummy card when traveling for years now - both on land and sea. I only use the dummy card in such circumstances where I need to be charging something when out of the room/cabin. I appreciate that these things - like the lights, re-using towels and recycling etc are in the interests of us all in trying to protect the planet. We are very aware of water wastage here in my neck of the woods where drought conditions are common. Just yesterday in the news we hear of the tragedy losing 150,000 Adelie penguins in Antarctica because of iceberg grounding as a result of global warming. While some of these things may be an inconvenience to some (don't see the issue myself!) these measures are something we are all going to have to learn to live with! :)

Reading back, that sounded like a bit of a lecture! Didn't mean it to be!! :D

Regards

Jan

Make sure if someone is going to remain in the cabin to watch TV or a movie, their card is the one in the slot, particularly if it's a decent movie, and the other person wants to leave. PITA to try and find the channel again.

We spent 2 weeks on he NA last year, and if we left anything in the slot, our cabin steward removed it and randomly placed it in the cabin so we had to play hide & seek. This continued even after complaints to Guest Services. And yes, we pulled it up to shut lights off.

Last Sept, for our Med cruise, the hotel we stayed in in Barcelona had the key slot for the lights. The bell hop showed us how it worked. On the NA, we were in the PS, though, and we dint have to deal with it (as mentioned here several posts back). Although, there were so many light control switches in there, it was a fun puzzle trying to figure out which one ran what!:)

Last Sept, for our Med cruise, the hotel we stayed in in Barcelona had the key slot for the lights. The bell hop showed us how it worked. On the NA, we were in the PS, though, and we dint have to deal with it (as mentioned here several posts back). Although, there were so many light control switches in there, it was a fun puzzle trying to figure out which one ran what!:)

We, too, had a hard time with all the light switches in the Pinnacle. I kept wishing someone who make a chart or label the many switches. :D

We just sailed on Norwegian Escape, and that ship has the card slot for the lights too.

Guessing it's the way the industry is going, and I don't see it as a bad thing.

Well if it is the stupidest thing you have every heard, then there are a lot of stupid hotels etc all over the world doing this exact same thing! I have been taking a dummy card when traveling for years now - both on land and sea. I only use the dummy card in such circumstances where I need to be charging something when out of the room/cabin. I appreciate that these things - like the lights, re-using towels and recycling etc are in the interests of us all in trying to protect the planet. We are very aware of water wastage here in my neck of the woods where drought conditions are common. Just yesterday in the news we hear of the tragedy losing 150,000 Adelie penguins in Antarctica because of iceberg grounding as a result of global warming. While some of these things may be an inconvenience to some (don't see the issue myself!) these measures are something we are all going to have to learn to live with! :)

 

Reading back, that sounded like a bit of a lecture! Didn't mean it to be!! :D

 

Regards

Jan

It would be interesting to know, from an ecological perspective, the relative impact of generating electricity to light the lights in N number of cabins, vs. the impact of, say, taking an elevator to change a single deck, or to run the photo printers when only a fraction of the pictures ever get sold. Seems to me that if HAL wants to be "green," the massive waste of power, paper, and ink in the photo area would have a much greater impact than the low-wattage cabin lights.

It's a shame people are so resistant to a great energy saving idea! Why find "ways around it" or say " it's the stupidest idea ever".

Simply use any card and push it down when entering the room. It turns on the same lights that you had left on prior and is convenient especially in a Neptune suite where there are many switches.

Outlets TV and bed lamps still work. Our Stewards put the bed lamps on each evening at turn down.

I love the idea of the energy saving this provides. If everyone imbraced the idea the savings would be substantial.

I am sorry and I hope I am not offending anyone, but using a card to run the lights is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard of. Sometimes I just shake my head at HAL.

 

Honestly first it was to save water, then it was re-use towels, and somewhere along the way it was the "one bar of soap" (on our last cruise we actually had to ask for a second bar and our steward wasn't too happy about us asking. I know it wasn't his fault) and now I need my key card to use the lights!

 

I guess on N. Amsterdam your room steward doesn't leave the lights on after he makes up the room at night anymore!

 

What next? Will we need to row the ship for a certain number of hours a day? (exaggeration I hope you all know)

 

I am sorry for a rant, but when does this nonsense end! Stuff like this really ticks me off.

 

OK my rant is over. Thanks for listening.

I think I love you.

I don't bring my own bags to the grocery store, either. And I don't feel guilty about it.

It would be interesting to know, from an ecological perspective, the relative impact of generating electricity to light the lights in N number of cabins, vs. the impact of, say, taking an elevator to change a single deck, or to run the photo printers when only a fraction of the pictures ever get sold. Seems to me that if HAL wants to be "green," the massive waste of power, paper, and ink in the photo area would have a much greater impact than the low-wattage cabin lights.

Couldn't agree more! Doesn't bother me about the lights though! Every little bit helps! :)

It's a shame people are so resistant to a great energy saving idea! Why find "ways around it" or say " it's the stupidest idea ever".

 

Simply use any card and push it down when entering the room. It turns on the same lights that you had left on prior and is convenient especially in a Neptune suite where there are many switches.

 

Outlets TV and bed lamps still work. Our Stewards put the bed lamps on each evening at turn down.

 

I love the idea of the energy saving this provides. If everyone imbraced the idea the savings would be substantial.

Unfortunately there will always be people who are resistant to change in whatever form it takes. Put them together with the climate change sceptics and it's going to be a long hard road to make a real difference! :(

Regards

Jan