Sign & Sail cards can be erased

[shofer]

I discovered on our trip to Hawaii that these cards with their useful magnetic strips can be erased! I was carrying my cell phone with me all the time in a little purse with my room card and after about a week, I couldn’t unlock the room door! I went down to customer relations where they issued me a new one and asked if I had it next to a cell phone or digital camera. When I said I had a cell phone, they said that cards were frequently erased by the batteries of these devices. Since I had promised my daughter to keep my phone with me at all times so she could notify me in case of an emergency, I ended up needing to get a third card before we finished the cruise.

[templed]

Sounds about right...

 

I was staying at a Sofitel in DC... and had the same thing happen... worst part of that was coming home a bit tipsy, and not being able to get in the room... ;)

[chessbriar]

Don't put a magnet in your pocket either. I killed my card

[hajekfam]

Don't put a magnet in your pocket either. I killed my card

Same thing happened to me on boarding. I was carrying a purse that had a mini compartment covered by a flap on each side - perfect size for a key card - that I put my card in upon checkin. There was a magnetic clasp to hold the flap down. We used hubby's card to enter the room, so I didn't retrieve mine until later in the day when we went to get soda stickers. When I went back to the room, it took a few times for my card to register. Even though I did not put the card back near the magnet, eventually, my card stopped working and I had to get a new card. Boy was I embarassed.

[rianvi]

Two separate incidents happened to me. The first was when we were on the Horizon in 2005, the sea pass card and the room key card were separate. I kept them together in my pocket or wallett when in port. I deactivated them twice until guest relations figured out what was happening. On the Mercury this year, one card for both but when in port I had my credit card as well and the same thing happened. Now I have a sleeve that it fits into and nothing happens to it.

Peace..........Anna

[chessbriar]

Hajekfam,

 

I had one of the CC magnetic pins I put in my pocket. Used the card no problem. Next time could not enter the room. Went to the desk and they used my and my wives card to make me a new one. Then neither worked. Went to the desk again and they issued us new cards, went back to the room and still didn't work. They sent someone up to help, they took the keys to get them remade. Kathy took a picture of me sitting dejected outside our cabin with our luggage. Truth be told, it was one of our best cruises ever.

[hajekfam]

Mine was doubly embarassing because I lost my original card before we even made it to our cabin. When we checked in at the pier, I was holding our boarding documents. While waiting for the elevator upon boarding, hubby asked me where I put something - so I put down the paperwork and looked for it. When I grabbed the paperwork, I must have left the key card. Got up to the room and no key card. So I go down to guest relations and get a new one that I immediately put into my purse for safekeeping. That's when the magnet zapped it. I am sure that guest relations talked among themselves about the crazy lady that needed two card replacements in the same day.

[judyfssw]

I think that you'll find that two credit cards with their magnetic stips facing each other will deactivate both of them. I, too, lost my seapass before I made it to our room. I was given the trophy for having being the first person on our cruise to loose my key. Someone has to do it, why not me?????????

[tangerinebunny]

Thanks folks, now I know why my husband's credit card stopped working at the gas pump - and here he thought it was the prices!

[etoile]

Happened to me on HAL! I was also rooming with someone I had never met before the cruise, and we weren't getting along too well, so I accused her of locking the door (with the deadbolt) once. She swore she hadn't. Well, the next time it happened, she wasn't even in the room, so I was really confused. I went to the front desk and asked about it, and the woman there asked if I had anything magnetic. Why yes...I was a member of a group and I had a magnetic name tag! I had to apologize profusely to my roommate after that...

[LDeBord]

Same thing happened to me on boarding. I was carrying a purse that had a mini compartment covered by a flap on each side - perfect size for a key card - that I put my card in upon checkin. There was a magnetic clasp to hold the flap down. We used hubby's card to enter the room, so I didn't retrieve mine until later in the day when we went to get soda stickers. When I went back to the room, it took a few times for my card to register. Even though I did not put the card back near the magnet, eventually, my card stopped working and I had to get a new card. Boy was I embarassed.

 

This also happened to my SIL. The first time it happened they went over the reasons why it happened but they couldn't figure out why it wouldn't work. The second time it happened.....she and her husband were upset.....they just couldn't figure out why it happened again. The third time it happened they were furious. The front desk had her show them just where she was keeping her card. She showed them the mini compartment in her purse and they showed her the magnetic clasp that held the flap down. Needless to say she was embarrassed and she changed the location of the card.

[timbo89]

There are several credit card protectors that will work equally as well on the sign and sail card to prevent the magnetic strip from being disabled.

 

Here is one such company card-protectors.com/

[cdbaum]

Depending on how sensitive the magnetic stripe is on the room card, or any other card, salt water can deactivate or corrupt it as well. People often put the cards in a safe place while snokeling, safe from loss but not waterproof, and find that they don't work afterward.

 

Not that it going to happen all the time but in some cases under the right circumstances it can.

 

The one that really makes me laugh are computer service companies that put their card on a magnet, to stick on the computer case???

[hajekfam]

I looked at the credit card protectors and it looks like all they would protect is the strip from being scratched or corroded. It doesn't look like they would protect from a magnet. It would need to be made of some material that the magnetic force couldn't penetrate - not tyvek, paper, etc.

[emilygrace]

This has happened to me on almost every cruise I have been on, regardless of the cruise line (RCL, Princess, Cunard). If I put the card in my pocket it will demagnetize from my body chemistry. I now have them punch a hole in the card and I wear it on a lanyard around my neck, except for formal nights (haven't found the perfect formal lanyard yet). The girl at the purser's desk on Cunard (QM2) was quite snippy about replacing it. I'd only had it for about an hour and hadn't gotten down to the purser's desk to have them punch the hole in it yet.