Energy-Saving Key Card Devices on Cabins

I have a great story about this and I'll try to make it as short as I can.
Everyone is briefed that you need to put your key in the slot to turn on the lights, what they forgot to tell us was that you must leave it in the slot to keep them on. A first time cruiser in an inside cabin took the key out and began to unpack. Lights go out and the cruiser is startled and the key falls to the floor. He crawled around to find the key, finds the key but now isn't sure where the door and the slot are. In time finds them and turns the lights back on.

We met these people at dinner the first night of the cruise. He was most unhappy, he didn't want to go on the cruise in the first place, he didn't want to meet new people and in general a grouchy fellow. If you know me, you know I will talk to folks and try to show them the best side of a situation. He was a tough sell. I suggested he look at all the things the ship had to offer, maybe he would find something exciting.He discovered karaoke.... he was a good singer, had a following and knew how to keep the lights on in his cabin. They found us at the end of the cruise to tell us they would cruise again.

".. and they live happily ever after".

Same here!!!

I am not a fan of these. I have had to use them in a couple hotels. Basically, these are bothersome. The push to be more green is definitely the instigator... longer-termed cost savings is another.

Thanks. I did not know this. I'm surprised at myself for not figuring this out. The first time I experienced this was last June on Carnival Magic. I asked the maintenance guy I happened to see in the passageway for assistance and he simply showed me to keep the S&S card in the slot. Now I feel like an idiot.

That's correct...any card will work. That's exactly what I do. It can be really annoying but I understand the energy saving concept.

We just keep an old gift card to leave in the slot. I don't mind coming "home" in the daytime with lights off, but in the evenings, I want some light.

I have never seen this. Now there was a "master switch" which controlled the AC and electric...

I had run into this in European hotels, we just put a business card into the slot and the power stayed on,

Any card will work. Bring an empty gift card or a closed credit card or the room key from that pre-cruise hotel stay. On a recent cruise we noticed the room stewards had old key cards hidden all over in the hallways so they had something to use in each room.

Good info .. will check it out ...