Regent's new time zone policy

[WC11]

I'l stick this up the flag pole. The policy now on Voyagers World Cruise is to jump time zones only a half an hour at a time to ease cruise lag as we go west. My Watch sets off the Atomic radio stations and only will push pull times zones. So one cannot adjust the minute hand. Fortunately I brought a cheap Timex and I wear that the day the we are a half an hour off world time. Today I called the reception desk to ask what time it was and they were 45 minutes off. I think it's a train wreck and I have always enjoyed an extra hours sleep on these ships that go west. I wish they would change it back.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Presumably this is just an experiment on the captain's part that will either succeed or fail. I know in December on Voyager the captain saved our last hour's change until disembarkation morning, instead of the day before, to ease that final morning--that made sense. I agree I love those extra hours, although perhaps if a ship was going east it might make sense to do it in smaller increments.

[RachelG]

I don't think this is necessarily "new" as I have heard others mention it on crossings.

But I would rather they changed with the time zones. That is just the way my brain and internal clock functions. This 30 min thing just sounds confusing to me.

[Hambagahle]

I, too, wish it would change with the time zones. On our navigator TA last May one of the time changes was at 2.30pm - that's right -- in the middle of the afternoon. I found this very odd. Almost as though they had forgotten one of the nights time changes and said "oops"!!

[Hambagahle]

I, too, wish it would change with the time zones. On our navigator TA last May one of the time changes was at 2.30pm - that's right -- in the middle of the afternoon. I found this very odd. Almost as though they had forgotten one of the nights time changes and said "oops"!!

[traveller333]

The policy now on Voyagers World Cruise is to jump time zones only a half an hour at a time

 

This is not new, ships have done this for several years.

[rallydave]

In my opion, this is rediculous and borders on absurd, especially changing times at 2:30 in the afternoon thus confusing everone while they are up. We will be traveling from Seward to Japan on Navigator in September and I certainly hope times don't change as described here.

 

My watch changes in one hour increments and changing in anything less or more will result in the watch losing its' accuracy and while not an "Atomic" watch, it does keep time within a second per month and don't want to lose that accuracy.

 

Seem like with crossings, the ship could and should possibly change time every other day, if possible to avoid changes every nite but, to change 30 minutes every day and then have everyone from crew to passengers disconbobulated all the time especially in the middle of the afternoon defies logic and normalcy.

 

Just plain STOP the changing in less than an hour increment.

[Travelcat2]

I see both sides of this issue. We recently had to add 4 hours in about 6 days. As nice as that sounds, after a couple of changes, we found ourselves going to sleep too early and getting up too early. By the time the third change came around, we were dreading it.

 

My biggest objection would simply be watches that are adjusted by satellite. While I am not a clock watcher while on board, I do check my watch to make sure we attend events on time.

[WC11]

20 years ago I don't think anyone would care. But we are so connected with the outside world now on these ships. Some of us trade online or have to make business calls. It's confusing.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

While I am not a clock watcher while on board, I do check my watch to make sure we attend events on time.

 

Well that's the main point isn't it? We all wear a watch or have one handy so we don't miss some exciting event on board. Can't imagine them changing the clock in the middle of the day!!

 

We gained back 3 hours as we meandered up the Atlantic from Brazil--I loved it! I got to sleep in without feeling guilty and without missing brekkies!

[esther e]

HAL did this last October in the Caribbean. It messed our minds up for a day. If I'm going to gain/lose an hour, best it be when I'm sleeping.

[JMARINER]

My biggest objection would simply be watches that are adjusted by satellite.

 

Hope I am not stepping on your post CAT. Not that it matter to much to the discussion, but "Atomic clocks" are controlled by land based radio signal and not from orbiting satellites. The transmitter for the US is in Colorado and covers the US, Canada and about as far south as central America. It's signal does not go very far out to sea. I have used mine and it stops getting the signal usually a day or two out (or in) from US so I have to set it manually. There are other brands that use a transmitter in England and Germany, but again the only cover the continental area. I would like to find a small alarm clock that uses satellite time correction other than a GPS unit.

 

On the subject, I don't remember half hour time changes before on any of the six crossings I have been on. Only half hours changes for India and in Australia and a few other ports, but never at sea. I don't like the idea. J

[rallydave]

Hope I am not stepping on your post CAT. Not that it matter to much to the discussion, but "Atomic clocks" are controlled by land based radio signal and not from orbiting satellites. The transmitter for the US is in Colorado and covers the US, Canada and about as far south as central America. It's signal does not go very far out to sea. I have used mine and it stops getting the signal usually a day or two out (or in) from US so I have to set it manually. There are other brands that use a transmitter in England and Germany, but again the only cover the continental area. I would like to find a small alarm clock that uses satellite time correction other than a GPS unit.

 

On the subject, I don't remember half hour time changes before on any of the six crossings I have been on. Only half hours changes for India and in Australia and a few other ports, but never at sea. I don't like the idea. J

 

Actually for the US time signals are broadcast from two locations. WWV broadcasts out of Fort Collins Colorado and WWVH broadcasts out of Hilo Hawaii so the people on the world cruise can easily be getting WWVH as it broadcasts on the same frequency as WWV in Colorado. Also Canada broadcasts on CHU which has different frequencies than WWV and WWVH.

 

My educated guess is that watches sold in the US receive the US WWV/WWVH frequencies and not CHU from the Canadian National Dominion Observatory in Montreal. Not sure of any frequencies outside of North America.

 

So, if you do have a WWV watch, it simply won't sync if it can't receive the radio signal and you would need to set in manually. In any case, you do have to set your time zone for these watches and most only cover the Continental US so anywhere outside of the 4 Continental US Timezones, you would still need to manually set the hour so even if you receive the short wave time signal, your watch will only sync the minute and second and you would have to set the hour manually.

 

Hope this tech explanation words and helps.

 

Dave

[WC11]

The manual for my watch says there also transmitters in Japan and Europe, doesn't mention Hilo and I know there is one there. There are none in the Southern Hemisphere but the watch should keep it accuracy as long as I don't mess with it.

 

The fellow cruisers I have talked to don't like this. Hopefully they abandon this idea. I think if they try this on port days it will really cause confusion.

[Travelcat2]

Thanks JMARINER for explaining that. Now I wonder why they don't use satellites:confused: Well, if we are adjusting our own watches on board, I'll go along with any time that they say it is -- after all, we are on vacation.

[JMARINER]

Actually for the US time signals are broadcast from two locations. WWV broadcasts out of Fort Collins Colorado and WWVH broadcasts out of Hilo Hawaii so the people on the world cruise can easily be getting WWVH as it broadcasts on the same frequency as WWV in Colorado. Also Canada broadcasts on CHU which has different frequencies than WWV and WWVH.

 

My educated guess is that watches sold in the US receive the US WWV/WWVH frequencies and not CHU from the Canadian National Dominion Observatory in Montreal. Not sure of any frequencies outside of North America.

 

So, if you do have a WWV watch, it simply won't sync if it can't receive the radio signal and you would need to set in manually. In any case, you do have to set your time zone for these watches and most only cover the Continental US so anywhere outside of the 4 Continental US Timezones, you would still need to manually set the hour so even if you receive the short wave time signal, your watch will only sync the minute and second and you would have to set the hour manually.

 

Hope this tech explanation words and helps.

 

Dave

 

AFAIK, While the time is broadcast on WWV and WWVW (2.5,5 10, 15, 20 Mhz) and CHU (Call signs) the so called "atomic clock and watches" sold in the US are only set to receive on WWVB (60 kHz) out of Fort Collins as per standards set forth by The Time and Frequency Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Commercial GPS and other Navigational equipment might obtain data down from WWV and WWVH but I do not think there is a true watch or alarm clock model. The two that I own are only WWVB receivers. If you know of one let me know.

 

That having been said, It doesn't really matter what the official UTC time is when the ship choose to operate on a different, half hour time.

 

Or in the words of that old Navy saying "What ever the Captain wants, the Captain gets"

 

J

[JMARINER]

Thanks JMARINER for explaining that. Now I wonder why they don't use satellites:confused: Well, if we are adjusting our own watches on board, I'll go along with any time that they say it is -- after all, we are on vacation.

 

 

They use Satellites for your GPS which includes an "atomic clock" time stamp. It is just that the alarm clock models don't use that system. Why? The GPS receiver have to have a line of sight up to the sky. They don't work well or at all inside a building or ship. The alarm clocks and watches that update automatically get a shortwave radio signal that penetrates walls and ceiling much more easily.

 

I love my alarm clock especially on the ship as it has a small laser that project the time on the ceiling (in rainbow colors no less). I like being able to see what time it is if I wake in the middle of the night without having to find my glasses. I think it would be a great idea if the had them on the ship instead of the Timex.

 

I have always ad the good luck to have the stewardess set the ships nightstand alarm clock to the new time the night before. Maybe they all do that.

 

But like you said "when on the ship go along with any time they say it is"

 

J

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Ooh, I like the sound of that alarm clock! Presumably you have to press a button or something for the ceiling display to appear?

 

Our recent clock changes were announced by the little card on the bed, *but* our stewardess also changed the clock in the room!!! A bit confusing, but we had our own watches to figure it out.

[larry1365]

The manual for my watch says there also transmitters in Japan and Europe, doesn't mention Hilo and I know there is one there. There are none in the Southern Hemisphere but the watch should keep it accuracy as long as I don't mess with it.

 

The fellow cruisers I have talked to don't like this. Hopefully they abandon this idea. I think if they try this on port days it will really cause confusion.

 

WC11 -- Rest assured, this won't be done on port days. It is just done while on long sea day-stretches. Don't worry, when we get to Nuku Hiva we will be on the local time..

 

In 2007, when we were heading eastbound and for long stretches...Dag had the clocks set forward at 2:00 in the afternookn...all of a sudden it was 3:00 pm.

 

I've yet to talk to anyone who has been complaining about the current situtation...but it seems others are. Sorry. Hopefully it won't spoil your experience.

[JMARINER]

Ooh, I like the sound of that alarm clock! Presumably you have to press a button or something for the ceiling display to appear?

 

 

The alarm clock will project an image on the ceiling when the button is pressed, battery only, or if I plug it in, it stays on all the time. I usually plug it in at the desk(110v), set it on top of the TV and have it project above the bed. It also tell the temperature. Here is what it look like. At home it picks up the broadcasted time and set itself, even daylight time change. They are called projection alarm clock and can be found on the web from $15.00-$75.00 US. J

 

[mikeIam]

WC11 -- Rest assured, this won't be done on port days. It is just done while on long sea day-stretches. Don't worry, when we get to Nuku Hiva we will be on the local time..

Just to confuse things the Marquesas are 30 minutes different from Tahiti. They are -9:30 GMT and Tahiti is -10:00 GMT