E-Docs rant!!

[aggietd]

I know a lot of people will dissagree with this post, but I an slightly miffed and need to rant!!

 

Been waiting for the day when my travel docs are released (we sail in four weeks) and have been watching eagerly the cruise doc page, it was set at receive your docs electronically and has been since we booked the cruise, tried to change it to receive by post ( I didnt mind the small charge that they said there would be) it would not allow me to change it, thought maybe I would be able to do this once they were released.

 

This morning, there was the magic words, the docs were there, but gone was the receive by post button, leaving me no option but to print them of.

 

Have one problem though, my printer is only working on black and white at the moment, so I had to opt for the 'printer friendly version' fine but that means the luggage tags are in black and white, and on them it says best printed in colour. back on cruise doc page noticed a button with said request luggage tags so thats what I have done!!

 

 

Also small niggle, but when I looked at the 'full' brochure there are all sorts of things in it that are not in the printer friendly version, Friendly 11 pages, Full 37 pages, that is one lot of ink!! I know about most of what is extra but, Am I being to picky!! but part of the excitement of the cruise was getting the Docs in the post, I know we should be saving resorces but!!

 

Love to hear others opinions on this, well rant over.

 

Still looking forward to a lovely cruise.

 

Nancy

[brianjb]

I had the same issue with printing.

 

But I only printed the page that had the luggage tags. I could read the rest of it once I downloaded it.

 

My luggage tags are printed in black and white. I am wondering whether I need to reprint them

[aggietd]

That colour thing was what bothered me, did ask my travel agent and she said black and white was fine, but I just requested them from royal caribbean anyway.

 

Nancy

[wwcruisers]

Nancy, I wouldn't think that black and white luggage tags would be a problem. After all, lots of folks wait and have the porters tag their luggage at the pier. Those are handwritten tags -- no color coding, and sometimes barely legible.

[macruisefan]

1. Everything you can see on a printed version you can see on your computer screen at no cost, and no waste of paper.

 

2. Luggage tags are completely unnecessary, be they mailed or printed- color or black & white. The porter will happily and swiftly attach a luggage tag in no time at all.

 

3. You're going on a cruise. Your complaining comes across as silly and missing the big picture.

[dmwnc1959]

It's worse when you don't own a printer and the library charges .10 cents a page. :eek: Good thing I only cruise once a year.

[traveling1969]

Used to love getting our cruise doc's by mail but the novelty has since worn off. There is really not much in them and none of it is needed for the cruise (that will change when we're no longer able to get luggage tags by mail). DW STILL prints them off (30-some pages worth... AAARRGH) but if they make her smile it's worth it! Luggage tags are "best" printed in color but black and white will work fine. Hope you have a great cruise.

 

Bon Voyage to all!

[buckirj1]

After what I went through last night, I just wish edocs were easier to find on RCI's website.

[Robertac1004]

my travel agent always prints my docs and mails me luggage tags-besides getting me the best price and room available, guess that's why I love him!

[mrsdoc3]

1. Everything you can see on a printed version you can see on your computer screen at no cost, and no waste of paper.

 

2. Luggage tags are completely unnecessary, be they mailed or printed- color or black & white. The porter will happily and swiftly attach a luggage tag in no time at all.

 

3. You're going on a cruise. Your complaining comes across as silly and missing the big picture.

 

1. I agree. Read on the screen, if you can stay awake.

 

2. Luggage tags may be unnecessary, but they are fun -- be they mailed or printed. I really like seeing the cruise luggage tag on my bags as they wait to be loaded for the journey to the port. Besides, porters may put incorrect info, or illegible info, on tags. On our last cruise, we had porter put tags on at the port, and one of our bags was misdelivered because of his poor penmanship. Black & white tags are fine -- they just aren't as pretty.

 

3. I don't think the complaining was silly. I often have issues with web sites (including Royal's), and sometimes it's calming to know that others may be having the same issues. I am not even able to select if I want my documents electronically or by mail. Sorry if my concern seems silly to you.

[Ladysilver]

37 pages?? Am I required to have all that to board the ship? I guess I better buy more printer ink! :eek:

[mation101]

Welcome to the 21st century.

[Retired LEO]

37 pages?? Am I required to have all that to board the ship? I guess I better buy more printer ink! :eek:

 

The only thing that you need to print out is your set sail pass to board. The edocs are just for your reading enjoyment. :D

[TBone2K]

If you want to keep a copy handy what I do is use a program on my computer called a PDF printer. There are several programs that do this, but I use one called "bullzip". Basically the program creates a printer on your computer, but when you print to it, it makes your printout into a PDF file (Adobe). You can then save the file on your computer so you can open it later, or even copy it to a memory stick or email it to a friend in case you don't have your own printer. I also copy the files to my smartphone in case I need to look anything up quickly or we need a last minute copy of something.

[joand452]

37 pages?? Am I required to have all that to board the ship? I guess I better buy more printer ink! :eek:

 

I don't think so -- it's the cruise contract (we may miss a port, etc., etc.), so just save it as a PDF and read at your leisure.

 

I think the only page we need to check in is the printed and signed SET SAIL pass. At least that's all they look at when we enter the terminal!.

 

I've usually printed it off and taken it with us, only to throw it away the last day of the cruise! Let them recycle all that paper!! :D

 

Just doing the SET SAIL pass this next cruise. Watch, I'll get there, and they'll ask for more pages! :eek:

[Smurphy]

I only print the set sail pass. As others have said, I save the rest as a pdf file and then save it on my iPhone (ibooks) with all my other travel documents (airline & hotel confirmations, excursion details, insurance policies, camera manuals, copy of passports, etc.) I love going paperless!

 

Happy sailing!

[GSuitesailing]

I don't think there really is a need to print the entire 37 pages of the e-docs. I only print the set sail pass.

[CoupleUK]

I appreciate that we're now at a time where every penny/cent is scrutinized by the cruise line (and most customers) BUT I actually miss the excitement of receiving the docs thru the mail.

 

Remember when you got them in a nice zip up canvas folder? - we still use that whenever we go away, it could a 1 night or a cruise, but it is handy for "stuff".

[Dayenu]

If you think pages are missing in the "print" version, see if you can highlight the text in the full version, Ctrl-C and then Ctrl-V in Words. Words will let you print everything.

[FLACRUISER99]

I only print the set sail pass. As others have said, I save the rest as a pdf file and then save it on my iPhone (ibooks) with all my other travel documents (airline & hotel confirmations, excursion details, insurance policies, camera manuals, copy of passports, etc.) I love going paperless!

 

Happy sailing!

Go one step more and put the pdf file (and other travel docs)on your cloud, Sky Drive, or google drive and you can access them from any computer.

[macruisefan]

The only thing that you need to print out is your set sail pass to board. The edocs are just for your reading enjoyment. :D

 

Actually, the only thing you need is an appropriate form of identification, and a credit card (or cash deposit if you aren't securing your online account with a credit card).

[beachnative]

If you can only print your luggage tags in black and white, take a magic marker, highlighter, crayon, fingernail polish, or whatever and color the edges of the paper....that will give some identifying color if that was your desire.:)

 

As others have said, the ones the porters put on your bags do not have color.

[pcur]

If you want to keep a copy handy what I do is use a program on my computer called a PDF printer. There are several programs that do this, but I use one called "bullzip". Basically the program creates a printer on your computer, but when you print to it, it makes your printout into a PDF file (Adobe). You can then save the file on your computer so you can open it later, or even copy it to a memory stick or email it to a friend in case you don't have your own printer. I also copy the files to my smartphone in case I need to look anything up quickly or we need a last minute copy of something.

 

I save any document related to upcoming travel as a PDF, and then transfer a copy of the PDF file to my Nook. I keep a PDF of our passports, maps, web pages, reservations, everything. I also save my cruise e-docs to my Nook.

 

When we check in at a hotel, pick up a car rental, just about anything, I just open my Nook and show the document to the customer service person.

 

I use Nitro PDF Creator software that loads right into Internet Explorer, and also loads as another "printer", so when I go to print anything it shows as a printer selection.

[DrD]

yes, put the pdf on your tablet of choice. Save a tree.

[PhoenixDawgCruising]

Correct me if I am wrong ( I know some folks around here LOVE to do that!), but can't you still get the old-school docs by mail for a fee ($35 I think?)

 

If so, I will continue to get the docs by mail, and I am more than happy to pay the fee, when I think of what I pay for cruising, a $35 fee to make me happy is really nothing.:)

 

The reason I will pay for them isn't even really for me, my kids have a whole tradition when it comes to sticking the tags on the luggage, I'm not going to take their tradition away because RCCL chooses to cut corners, I'll simply pay to get what I want, that's generally the way the world works.:rolleyes: