Key Cards

When you register you are given the key to the city!  You are given your individual key card that will do everything for you from the moment you get on the ship to your final diembarkment.  What does it do? It is your most important form of identification, room access key, and method of payment for all services and items offered by the cruise line.  On some older ships, interestingly enough, the key card activated for payment purposes is different from the room access key card.

In most instances you will receive your key card during the check-in process.  You will present your boarding information and identification, usually a passport or state issued driver’s license with birth certificate.  You will have your picture taken (so smile), which shows on the staffs screen every time you use your card, used to track when you leave and re-enter the ship at port.  And last but not least,  you will be required to register a credit card, debit card or put money on the card for the means of how you will pay for all the lovely things your play purchase or do during your cruising adventure.  

If you are not on a freestyle dining cruise where you can eat when and wherever you want, you will have stricter dining parameters.  When you are on the ship and you change your dining room and/or time assignment for dinner, the Maitre’D will provide you with a supplemental dining card for you to use when dining, while your original key card will be what you use to access your stateroom and make purchases on the cruise ship.

Each card will have the name of the ship and cruise line, date of your cruise, dining room and time assignment, customer identification number assigned from the cruise line, and your emergency assembly assignment. Your stateroom number is not shown on your key card in case it is misplaced or stolen. Typically your key card will also show your frequency cruise program status as either a first time cruiser with the cruise line or falling into any of their tiers if you have cruised before with this particular cruise line. Different cruise lines have different names for it: Carnival-Sail & Sign Card, Disney-Your Key to the World Card, Royal Caribbean-Seapass, and Norwegian-Arc Card.  Whichever its name, make sure you carry your key card everywhere you go while on the cruise, as it acts as essentially your key and wallet while on the ship. On some ships, Disney Cruise line in particular, you may have to use your key card to turn on lights in your stateroom.

If you misplace it, immediately notify your room steward or the guest services desk so a replacement can be reissued to you.  For those who lose their key card, most ships have the capability of issuing you a replacement;  just realize you may have to pay a processing fee.  Also keep it away from contact with your cell phone and any other items that have a tendency to de-magnetize the metallic strip on the back of your card.

When purchasing an item or services on the cruise, you simply provide your card to the cruise line employee

who swipes it as is done when you use a credit or debit card at home.  Each transaction you make is tracked in real time.  All purchases on the cruise ship, including shore excursions offered by the cruise line, are payable by using the key card.  The vast majority of purchases made off the cruise ship, except specially designated facilities located on a private port operated by the cruise line (mostly in the Caribbean), are made with your cash, debit or credit card.  That all said, t is highly recommended that you check the activity and balance on a daily basis.  You can check your activity and balance by using any of the cruise ship kiosks or with the guest services desk.  Checking daily allows you to confirm purchases and keep track of your spending.  A friend of mine found a room service gratuity on the activity statement that she was able to recognize right away, dispute and have it removed.  Also, some cruise travelers are surprised at the end of the cruise how each transaction really adds up, so that checking regularly can help you avoid surprises. 

On the first day of cruising, your cruise statement balance may start at zero or may be positive or negative. You may have received an onboard credit from the cruise line, which is sometimes given based on a cruise line’s awards program or as part of an offering at the time you booked the cruise. Other times, you may have pre-purchased a specialty dining reservation, pre-ordered stateroom gifts or made a spa reservation, all of which will be reflected on your transaction summery.  Additionally, most cruise lines have an automatic gratuities program that each passenger, even children, contribute typically $12.00 per day, which is allocated among cruise ship employees.  This charge can be modified or eliminated upon your request. At any rate, unless you change the amount or cancel automatic gratuities, you will have been charged without ever having used the key card for any transaction on the ship.

At the end of your cruise on the last day, the cruise line usually slips your final cruise statement under your stateroom door.  If you have a positive or negative balance and you have registered your credit or debit card, no further action on your part is required as the cruise line will charge the entire amount at the end of your sailing.  If, however, you are paying with cash and you owe, you must provide payment to the guest services desk or be denied being let off the ship. Literally, you will be stopped at the point when they are scanning your card to allow you to disembark and be told to pay the amount and come back. If you are paying by cash and you have a positive balance, you are advised to visit the guest services desk prior to final disembarkation to receive the money owed to you. Otherwise, the cruise line will issue you a refund check four to six weeks after your cruise or if the amount is less than $5.00, most cruise lines will donate that amount to a charity of its choice unless you retrieve your refund before leaving the ship.

Each key card makes a nice memento that you can keep with you after your cruise.  Cruise lines change the design from time to time as well.  The future of key cards at least for new ships may be in doubt as they may

become replaced by wristbands that serve the same purpose. Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas class of ships is introducing a wristband that passengers use for stateroom access, purchasing items, and exit and entry onto the ship.  At least for the moment, however, with so many current ships utilizing key cards, the immediate future is relatively safe.