Why Princess needs to invest more in tech...

Unless Princess has changed their system, won't work well. The system only leases you an IP for 30 minutes, once you log off the ship net, after that lease expires you will not have a device address to connect.

Can't wait to try it on our cruise this October. Thanks for sharing.

Unless Princess has changed their system, won't work well. The system only leases you an IP for 30 minutes, once you log off the ship net, after that lease expires you will not have a device address to connect.

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Unless Princess has changed their system, won't work well. The system only leases you an IP for 30 minutes, once you log off the ship net, after that lease expires you will not have a device address to connect.

http://www.cruisewithgambee.com/2014/08/17/ripple-cruise-communicator-review/

For the most part I could care less about any of this.

 

What I want is: A very nice ship that is not over crowded, really good food, great entertainment each night that is over 30 min long, great groups in lounges, great table mates, very good paid well employees. Know I'm getting a little older but these are the same things I wanted in 1991 when I started on the Crown Princess which IMO had all these items.

 

Then I'll take care of everything else myself. And if I can't take care of it, it doesn't need taken care of!

Add a promenade deck that goes all the way around with teak loungers :)

I love the sound of this ship. The new tech features announced today are awesome. RCL is leaving the rest in the dust when it comes to technology.

 

 

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Go visit the RCI forum. Lots of discontent about these features. Most of the discontent seems to be with the RFID bracelets (optional use as a Sea Pass Card) and the Dynamic Dinning concept which does not include traditional seating.

Go visit the RCI forum. Lots of discontent about these features. Most of the discontent seems to be with the RFID bracelets (optional use as a Sea Pass Card) and the Dynamic Dinning concept which does not include traditional seating.

Oh, I know...I've been reading the comments ...entertaining ;). I haven't done traditional dining in years and wouldn't book a cruise that I had to. Now I'm torn between Oasis class or Quantum for our next cruise

Ok I also grew up when technology went from tubes to transistors to computers. I started in Broadcast Television and Radio at age 15, along with a Ham Radio License. I went thru the conversion from B&W TV to Color in the late 60's. Thru computers, cell phones, and RFID's at Disney last Thanksgiving. I have never had issues with any technology. I can tell the difference between if it is MY issue or the Company I am trying to communicate with in any manner needed, RFID, NFC, Laser or Card Swipe. I am just waiting for the US Banking world to wake up and get Chip and Pin across the board so some folks can get their swipe card issues secured. Anything that makes things work better and faster on a ship, airplane, or car I am all for. Most issues in getting things to work for most consumers are "Cockpit Issues", the user does not know all the right things to make the transaction issue work.

Princess will make the right choices for new technology when it is proven and functional for most folks. Right now that is the issue given the amount of folks that are on the ship that cannot get their sign and cruise card to open their cabin door.

Just look what they've done on the two new ships. They won't even allow switching the input to view you DVD's. I think they're headed for pay-per-view movies in the near future on all their ships.

WOW, that is silly! Every time we travel around Christmas we always bring with us Christmas with the Kranks and other favorite Christmas movies, which may not be on pay-per-view. We always bring with us our favorite movies to perhaps watch in our room. Unfortunately, the last time we had to set up a laptop in the middle of the bed to do so, since the TV was disabled for HDMI connections (despite IT's help).

I think it is silly to disable the TV's for HDMI connections and require to only use pay-per-view movies. Heck, what if we decided to bring our Wi and wanted to hook it up to the TV?

Princess needs to step up! :rolleyes:

WOW, that is silly! Every time we travel around Christmas we always bring with us Christmas with the Kranks and other favorite Christmas movies, which may not be on pay-per-view. We always bring with us our favorite movies to perhaps watch in our room. Unfortunately, the last time we had to set up a laptop in the middle of the bed to do so, since the TV was disabled for HDMI connections (despite IT's help).

 

I think it is silly to disable the TV's for HDMI connections and require to only use pay-per-view movies. Heck, what if we decided to bring our Wi and wanted to hook it up to the TV?

 

Princess needs to step up! :rolleyes:

:rolleyes:

I have never had a problem hooking up a laptop, iPad or other device to the TV. That includes the Royal, most of the Grand Class, Island/Coral, Sapphire/Diamond, and Sea/Dawn Princess. Mostly with HDMI, but also a few times with component and composite. On the Royal, the HDMI was not disabled, just the ability to change inputs. I unplugged the ship's HDMI cable and plugged mine in and things worked fine.

The only time we had an issue was Pacific Princess! Try her!

WOW, that is silly! Every time we travel around Christmas we always bring with us Christmas with the Kranks and other favorite Christmas movies, which may not be on pay-per-view. We always bring with us our favorite movies to perhaps watch in our room. Unfortunately, the last time we had to set up a laptop in the middle of the bed to do so, since the TV was disabled for HDMI connections (despite IT's help).

 

I think it is silly to disable the TV's for HDMI connections and require to only use pay-per-view movies. Heck, what if we decided to bring our Wi and wanted to hook it up to the TV?

 

Princess needs to step up! :rolleyes:

To my knowledge, Princess does not have any pay per view movies. :confused:

To my knowledge, Princess does not have any pay per view movies. :confused:

Perhaps not yet, I only replied to what someone else said to my response earlier in this thread about this topic.

I like technology but I do keep my phone switched off when I am away. I am fairly up to date with technology these days but steer away form smart phone apps as a waste of time.

I was thinking about this overnight and realized how easily and quickly I adapted to some smartphone apps after buying my first smartphone. Here's some examples:

Google maps has helped me immensely when travelling within Australia, and in the UK when I had a local SIM.

If we're at a restaurant and enjoying a wine, particularly non-Australian wines we've never tried before, I often look up the region and winery right there and then.

My currency converter app is very useful indeed.

The weather app has saved me from a drenching on more than one occasion as it allows me to view the BOM weather radar to look for gaps in the rain.

In fact I use my smartphone more for non-communication reasons, than to phone, text or email people. I do think many of the young folk today over-use their technology IMHO, but that's their generation, their life-style and their choice.

My currency converter app is very useful indeed.

I don't for the life of me know why I didn't have an app of this sort installed but, thanks to this post, I have one now. I can't believe I overlooked something this simple.

Thanks for goosing my old brain. :D

Just watched the video. All I can say is WOW. This is one cool ship. While I've always liked the understated elegance of Princess, I just might have to explore the possibility of booking a cruise on the QOTS in the coming years.....:):):)

Bob

Go visit the RCI forum. Lots of discontent about these features. Most of the discontent seems to be with the RFID bracelets (optional use as a Sea Pass Card) and the Dynamic Dinning concept which does not include traditional seating.

Two items that have yet to exist as the QOTS has yet to sail.

I don't for the life of me know why I didn't have an app of this sort installed but, thanks to this post, I have one now. I can't believe I overlooked something this simple.

 

Thanks for goosing my old brain. :D

You're welcome, Thrak :)

My childhood was in the 40s. I grew up around technology. My dad owned a neon sign business and I would help wire the signs as I was small enough to crawl around inside. My friends and I spent a lot of time rebuilding old radios. My dad loved the latest gadgets. I remember when he brought home a Polaroid camera and that we were first in the neighborhood to get a TV. First show I watched was Captain Video. My military time and my entire civilian career was in technology. Even though I have been retired for 20 years, I still get the latest gadgets. We have three iPads. Bought two of them in Honolulu on two different cruises, because we were there on the day they went on sale. Always go on a cruise with iPhone, iPad, Kindles and the means to hook them up to the TV so we can watch the movies we brought with us. Other than my family and fitness, my two biggest loves are gadgets and cruises. So, for any new tech they introduce on cruise ships, I say "Bring it on."

Thank you for this. People like to vilify technology, especially on vacation, when, in fact, for many of us, it provides quite a bit of enjoyment in our lives. We don't tell readers not to read, or card players not to play cards, or trivia buffs not to compete. My husband likes to say there are 3000 different cruises taking place on every cruise, because everyone does it differently.

I have been accosted enough on cruises for using technology to grow a thick skin, but it does humor me to consider that if I were in the library looking up some information for the next port, people would commend that, but do it on an iPad and I get, "Can't you ever unplug?" Of course these same people tell us they can't cruise for more than two weeks because they have to get home to check mail and pay bills. Ironically, it is only because DH and I are techies and use technology while cruising that we can cruise at all.

Add a promenade deck that goes all the way around with teak loungers :)

Thanks, at least there are two of us. For everyone else. Well this is a family show.

Just get me on the ship quicker, which already is pretty streamlined. The rest, I don't care. We go away to escape totally.

Add a promenade deck that goes all the way around with teak loungers :)

I agree! I have found that anytime I have been on a ship without one, it just doesn't seem like a "proper" ship somehow. I realize that balconies have replaced them to a large degree, but I will tend to book ships that have prom decks as long as they still exist.

Rumor has it that even HAL may be eliminating them from future newbuilds :(.

I have been accosted enough on cruises for using technology to grow a thick skin, but it does humor me to consider that if I were in the library looking up some information for the next port, people would commend that, but do it on an iPad and I get, "Can't you ever unplug?"

I think the right answer would be: "Can't you ever mind your own business?"

I think the right answer would be: "Can't you ever mind your own business?"

Go visit the RCI forum. Lots of discontent about these features. Most of the discontent seems to be with .... the Dynamic Dinning concept which does not include traditional seating.

I looked into what the fuss is and I can see why many are unhappy with the concept.

First, the way it is now, on both Princess and RCCL.

o There is traditional fixed-time dining where you are assigned to the same table with the same other passengers for the entire cruise.

o Second is anytime dining (My Time Dining (MTD) on RCCL) where you show up when you want and can choose to be seated with others or just the people you show up with.

o The menus are the same in all the main dining rooms each evening.

o Each evening of a cruise segment there will be a new and different menu. Some items will be always available, but must will be different each evening.

o When there is a formal evening, it will be in all the main dining rooms.

With Dynamic Dining (DD) on the newest ship.

o there will be five no-extra-charge restaurants plus a larger number of restaurants with a cover charge

o Each of the five will have its own menu which will be the same for the entire cruise. In other words, you have five fixed menus to pick from no matter how long the cruise segment. A seven day cruise has five fixed menus. A 15 day cruise has five fixed menus.

o There will be no dining room with today's arrangement of a different menu each evening.

o You can book which dining room you want to eat in each night of the cruise online in advance. To get your choice of dining time, it is best to choose the menu (and thus the dining room) as soon as you book your cruise. Thus months in advance, you decide what you want to eat each evening and what time you want to do so. Family groups who want to eat together will have to coordinate what type menu they want each evening.

o Since you can book the main evening's entertaining in advance on RCCL, you need to coordinate the time of each evening's dinner with the entertainment options that you have also selected months in advance of the cruise.

o Unlike today's traditional dining, there will no longer be the opportunity to meet people at dinner the first evening and dine with them every evening -- unless everyone agrees to change their existing reservations for the rest of the cruise after agreeing on which menu they want each evening and accepting whatever new reservation times are still available.

o Formal evenings will only be observed in one of these five dining rooms. (I assume you will know at time of booking which evenings will be formal.)

o Of course you can wait until each evening on the cruise to decide where to eat, but the time you can eat will depend on what is still available after all the other times that have been booked in advance.

I looked into what the fuss is and I can see why many are unhappy with the concept.

 

 

With Dynamic Dining (DD) on the newest ship.

(really good description)

My one thought is that DD sounds a fair bit like NCL's Freestyle but with the weirdness of fixed menus.