Why do people ask for a copy of the Cruise Compass?

[Familygoboston]

My favorite cruise director is the one I never see.:rolleyes:

 

He prefers not to see you either;):p

[printingchick]

Count me among the planners!:D There are the go with the flow- ers and the planners, and planners use Compasses for :

 

-deciding when to book MTD

-deciding when to book specialty dining

-determining when formal nights are (to either avoid or embrace them)

-determining if excursions might conflict with ship board activities

-and if sailing on a ship where you make show reservations, all of this is even more critical as you will need to plan shows and dining each evening

 

I find it less critical, tho interesting, to see them for the ships where you dont make advance reservations for shows, and I often don't bother.

 

For ships with advanced show reservations, I think it's practically required or you are just constantly running around trying to figure out where to be when, skipping things you booked to do other things you now think are more important, but didn't' know would be at that time etc.

 

Also the daily Compass on Oasis and Allure is 4 pages long, (the content not the ads, with ads, its about 8 pages long) I don't like to waste time reading the Compass while on my cruise, I'd rather be playing! Some people wont sail those ships for that reason (they don't want to plan) but others like to plan! Luckily, there are all kinds of cruise ships out there!

 

You pegged it to a "T"!!

 

GO SOX!!! :)

[tanelicus]

Count me among the planners!:D There are the go with the flow- ers and the planners, and planners use Compasses for :

 

-deciding when to book MTD

-deciding when to book specialty dining

-determining when formal nights are (to either avoid or embrace them)

-determining if excursions might conflict with ship board activities

-and if sailing on a ship where you make show reservations, all of this is even more critical as you will need to plan shows and dining each evening

 

I find it less critical, tho interesting, to see them for the ships where you dont make advance reservations for shows, and I often don't bother.

 

For ships with advanced show reservations, I think it's practically required or you are just constantly running around trying to figure out where to be when, skipping things you booked to do other things you now think are more important, but didn't' know would be at that time etc.

 

Also the daily Compass on Oasis and Allure is 4 pages long, (the content not the ads, with ads, its about 8 pages long) I don't like to waste time reading the Compass while on my cruise, I'd rather be playing! Some people wont sail those ships for that reason (they don't want to plan) but others like to plan! Luckily, there are all kinds of cruise ships out there!

 

 

But I am a "suggester" . I like to tell my kids what I read about and make suggestions on what type of activities they may be interested in.

[tanelicus]

The touch screens were awsome and made the whole planning process on the ship easy. Just being able to touch one and see whats happining over the course of a few hours was very convienient.

 

They really laid out nicely what was going on where during the day and night. Loved it on the FOS!!

[Familygoboston]

But I am a "suggester" . I like to tell my kids what I read about and make suggestions on what type of activities they may be interested in.

 

Ha ha! My CruiseEm is also afflicted with the planning bug (or is it genetic?)..now she needs to see the Compasses and have a plan everyday;):D

 

(Sox seem headed right down the toilet, printing chick, I'm pinning my hopes on the Celts for now, by the time they bow out it will almost be football season:p)

[darceyg]

Hi, I'd like to know where I can find Allure Eastern Caribbean compass?Anyone help? So that I can plan a birthday. Thanks.

[teajak]

i agree...I've never really seen the point either...for me it ranks up there with "who the Captain Is" or who is the cruise director...just not important to the enjoyment of my cruise...but to each their own...

Exactly the way I feel.Would people change a cruise if they didn't like the sound of the captain or cruise directors name?:rolleyes:

[erin_cruisers]

Count me among the planners!:D There are the go with the flow- ers and the planners, and planners use Compasses for :

 

-deciding when to book MTD

-deciding when to book specialty dining

-determining when formal nights are (to either avoid or embrace them)

-determining if excursions might conflict with ship board activities

-and if sailing on a ship where you make show reservations, all of this is even more critical as you will need to plan shows and dining each evening

 

I find it less critical, tho interesting, to see them for the ships where you dont make advance reservations for shows, and I often don't bother.

 

For ships with advanced show reservations, I think it's practically required or you are just constantly running around trying to figure out where to be when, skipping things you booked to do other things you now think are more important, but didn't' know would be at that time etc.

 

Also the daily Compass on Oasis and Allure is 4 pages long, (the content not the ads, with ads, its about 8 pages long) I don't like to waste time reading the Compass while on my cruise, I'd rather be playing! Some people wont sail those ships for that reason (they don't want to plan) but others like to plan! Luckily, there are all kinds of cruise ships out there!

Very well put. :)

I think some people DO plan out their daily activities months in advance right down to the minute, but...

we sure don't. Yes, a few major excursions, but not to the point of planning daily activities.

We prefer to go with our mood, which might change day of, etc.

Do we feel like going to a show tonight? Well, lets see how we feel after dinner. We might or might not.. etc..

 

He prefers not to see you either

Its funny you say that - on our Enchantment cruise last week, we kept running into (CD) John Blair's wife, like constantly, many times a day.

We'd yell over " Hi, Katrina"!!

She'd yell Hi! back. It got to be pretty funny.

I don't think John had a clue who we were, but Katrina sure did. :p

 

Exactly the way I feel.Would people change a cruise if they didn't like the sound of the captain or cruise directors name?

No. The only cruise we would cancel would be one Francesco Schettino was the Captain of. :cool:

 

However, we don't plan our cruises based on - ship, port, Captain, CD, entertainment, etc. - only whether or not a particular cruise fits our vacation schedule. (we don't have the luxury of planning our vacation times, our boss does.)

[newbiecruiser09]

I agree.

 

I've connected with folks on these boards who recently took the cruise I'm booked on. One VERY NICE cruiser actually MAILED me her Compasses before my Serenade cruise. Ours were a little different, but it was hugely helpful to be able to plan in advance. For example, the Sexy Legs contest was on a PORT day, not the SEA day. That's a fun time, so we made sure to plan to be out by the pool in time.

 

For those of us who book way in advance in order to LIVE our cruises in our imagination well before embarkation day, advance copies of the Compass for our cruise are a great tool!!

 

Another poster was also kind enough to send me compasses from Jewel when I mentioned I wanted to see what was going on on the sea days. Since we have not cruised alot, and since we do not get to cruise that often, we like to make sure we can do what we want and don't miss everything because we did not know what was going on.

 

This is best characterized by the proverbial "secretly unwrapping your Christmas presents" phenomonon. Every one thinks it would be better to at least see something than to wait to be totally surprised.

 

Whether I am "totally surprised" now or on board in December does not matter to me--the surprise is just as great. What is not a good surprise is to find out you've booked something at a time that something else is going on or that you have missed something because you did not look carefully enough the night before on the Compass left in your room (after a few too many DODs even:rolleyes:)

[Sh1035]

I love it when someone writes a great trip report, adds pictures and then someone always ask.......

 

Hey could you spend a day scanning all of those in for me......oops...wrong format ,too small,etc....really??? To me it's like being invited for dinner and asking is that it?

 

I too like reading them the night before. Then again I am on vacation so never make plans anyway. I like surprises.

[Familygoboston]

No. The only cruise we would cancel would be one Francesco Schettino was the Captain of. :cool:

 

LOL! No one wants to cruise with THAT guy!

 

I love it when someone writes a great trip report, adds pictures and then someone always ask.......

 

Hey could you spend a day scanning all of those in for me......oops...wrong format ,too small,etc....really??? To me it's like being invited for dinner and asking is that it?

 

I too like reading them the night before. Then again I am on vacation so never make plans anyway. I like surprises.

 

Too funny! I,always astounded by the people who post to folks doing a LIVE review..." could ya just run down to the spa and see what color the towels are in the steam room?":rolleyes:

[QTBabyNurse]

I never like to read them ahead of time...I like to be surprised every day! It's more exciting! :)

[beachchick]

We never look or ask for ship dailies in advance, but I can understand how it might be part of the excitement, the planning, the anticipation.

 

beachchick

[GGBNJ130]

My mother reads those cruise compasses and whatever else they are called on other cruise lines word for word on every cruise we go on, and I can careless about em. I know her and my cousin are planning on rushing over to get tickets for some ice skating show on Explorer of The Seas as soon as they board the ship. I told her, have fun, i'll be in the room, on the balcony, or walking the decks. I don't do bingo, and I don't do shows, and don't do contests...I donno what ill be doing this cruise coming up, because i'll be traveling w/ my female cousin who is around my age for the first time, and not my male cousin like usual, so picking up the hottest chicks onboard probably won't happen, especially now that i'm with my female cousin.

 

P.S. My male cousin is now married to one of the "hottest chicks onboard" that he met on a RCCL cruise, and had to cancel coming with us due to his job. But, I know i'll have a blast in a glass time w/ my female cousin, I can't wait! 90 something days away!

[Mercury]

Exactly the way I feel.Would people change a cruise if they didn't like the sound of the captain or cruise directors name?:rolleyes:

 

If someone wants to have a copy of the Cruise Compass then let them have it! Once again, it doesn't impact on you so let them be!

 

Same with the Captain/Cruise Director questions. Some folk have previously cruised with a (eg) Cruise Director who made their cruise that much more enjoyable and they therefore would be hapy if he/she were to be their cruise director again.

 

A big part of any holiday is the anticipation of it. Some will enjoy reading the Compass as part of this. Others will enjoy communicating on their Roll Call. Someone else might be happy to see a member of staff from the cruiseline again.

 

We're all different!

[Bettytrouble]

I never looked at them before, but now with teenagers, I need a little better idea of what the daily schedule is like.

 

This way we can book our flowrider lessons when it does not interfere with something I want to do,, as another posterr said- O KNOW WHEN THE CASINO OPENS- it helps plan cupcake decorating and the like. It isn't opening a present..it is more like being a good boyscout and being prepared.

 

When you have to change a spa appointment, it can be very tricky onece on board during busy season because stuff books up. From what my friends have told me, if you don;t get your Flowrider in ahead..well, you can wait 2 hours for your turn, thus scheduling the private lesson around the other activities makes sense.

 

This is the first time I have asked for Compasses, been on many many cruises. But with 2 13 year olds and an 11 year old , I want to be prepared and spend LESS time on board organizing things.

 

And I am a former HATER of pre-planning! It has been the kind folks here on CC that made me see the light! That, and the reps at C and A usually have no clue when I call with a question.....

[GGBNJ130]

My mother reads those cruise compasses and whatever else they are called on other cruise lines word for word on every cruise we go on, and I can careless about em. I know her and my cousin are planning on rushing over to get tickets for some ice skating show on Explorer of The Seas as soon as they board the ship. I told her, have fun, i'll be in the room, on the balcony, or walking the decks. I don't do bingo, and I don't do shows, and don't do contests...I donno what ill be doing this cruise coming up, because i'll be traveling w/ my female cousin who is around my age for the first time, and not my male cousin like usual, so picking up the hottest chicks onboard probably won't happen, especially now that i'm with my female cousin.

 

P.S. My male cousin is now married to one of the "hottest chicks onboard" that he met on a RCCL cruise, and had to cancel coming with us due to his job. But, I know i'll have a blast in a glass time w/ my female cousin, I can't wait! 90 something days away!

 

Well, here I am quoting my own comment...My cousin who is my age just backed out of the cruise, her mom who is still going, aka my older cousin, just emailed me less then 1 hour ago to tell me...

[teajak]

If someone wants to have a copy of the Cruise Compass then let them have it! Once again, it doesn't impact on you so let them be!

 

Same with the Captain/Cruise Director questions. Some folk have previously cruised with a (eg) Cruise Director who made their cruise that much more enjoyable and they therefore would be hapy if he/she were to be their cruise director again.

 

A big part of any holiday is the anticipation of it. Some will enjoy reading the Compass as part of this. Others will enjoy communicating on their Roll Call. Someone else might be happy to see a member of staff from the cruiseline again.

 

We're all different!

Wow! Just stating my opinion as everyone else has done.Are we having a bad day?:confused:

[Familygoboston]

Well, here I am quoting my own comment...My cousin who is my age just backed out of the cruise, her mom who is still going, aka my older cousin, just emailed me less then 1 hour ago to tell me...

 

Looks like your bid to find the "hottest chicks" onboard is back on!;) Not for nothing, but you might have better luck finding them if you read about where and when the activities are that they might attend in the Cruise Compass:rolleyes::D

 

Have fun on your cruise despite the constantly bailing cousins!

[Mercury]

Wow! Just stating my opinion as everyone else has done.Are we having a bad day?:confused:

 

No, not at all!

 

You had a "Roll Eyes/Sarcastic" emoticon next to your post, so I thought I'd explain why some folk would like the Compass/would like to know who the Cruise Director is etc.

 

As I said, we're all different - all have different likes/dislikes ;)

[LaffnStock]

Nope, that means ANAL. I'm very anal too. I certainly don't use the Compasses to figure out what I'm doing all week, but I do find them very helpful when trying to plan stuff OFF the ship. I like to have an idea when the Ice Shows are; when the Formal Nights are; what nights will be Production Shows, which I like to catch, and which will be Headliner Shows, which I can miss. Right now I went looking for an Explorer of the Seas Bermuda Cruise Compass because I'm trying to figure out the best night for us to take an evening excursion. I don't want to miss The Quest or the Love and Marriage Gameshow, or a few of the other one-night only shows, so I would like to know the general schedule for the main events. The rest I can pour over anally the night before!

[cycler01]

Hi

 

When we did the Summit in 2009 someone had posted some planners on a thread. If you go a website called something like beyond ships.com (not sure of spelling) & select a ship you'll find examples of planners (also menus) maybe embarkation day, sea day, port day etc. They're not up to date but you get some idea of some of the things that could be happening on your cruise. At least I know to check for the theatre shows timings in relation to the second sitting for dining when on our Jewel cruise next week.

 

Cheers

 

Dave