Steve Jobs has Ruined Cruising

[purpletequila]

On 1/20/2020 at 9:41 PM, farmermd said:

Just back from our first Edge cruise and one of my observations is the now prolific use of phones throughout the ship.  I sat at the Martini Bar one afternoon and observed 4 people in a row at the bar with their noses buried in their phone, oblivious of me taking pictures of them. I observed a person on the pool deck on a sea day having a FaceTime conversation with his grandkid. Numerous times I heard the sounds of incoming text messages and emails.  All of this will only get worse as internet access on ships gets faster and cheaper, especially when it is offered as a “free” perk, and as cruise lines encourage the use of their app while onboard to get the latest schedule of activities and “chat” with fellow cruisers. As a CC Elite member, I get 90 free internet minutes. I used a total of 7 minutes on my seven day cruise, and that was only to check in for my early flight. 
 

Part of the allure of cruising used to be a total disconnect from the world and having new conversations with different people. The allure is quickly fading...

 

People on these boards can be so rude.

While we have no control over what others do, I completely understand. I used to love pulling up to a bar and having real conversations with other cruisers. It was fun and I formed some real friendships. 

Human interaction is decreasing on the daily but it's the way of the world. Part of all of this is a concerted effort on the part of powers that be to normalize this lack of face to face conversation and said human interaction for the coming robot invasion. LOL  Sounds crazy but so true. Sooner rather than later you'll be like going to Dr C3PO. 

[purpletequila]

15 hours ago, Crown Vic said:

Princess does ‘track’ passengers via their RFID Medallions. On a recent Princess Cruise, we left our medallions in the cabin as we had requested regular ‘sea pass’ cards. In one dining room, the maître d’ told us that “we weren’t there” as our medallions ‘said’ we were in our cabin. Invasion of privacy? Oh boy! 1984 in 2020. Big Brother and all that...you are ‘bring watched’...

OH?  LOL I can not even begin to tell you how much fun I would have had with the maitre d. 

[4774Papa]

6 hours ago, purpletequila said:

 

People on these boards can be so rude.

While we have no control over what others do, I completely understand. I used to love pulling up to a bar and having real conversations with other cruisers. It was fun and I formed some real friendships. 

Human interaction is decreasing on the daily but it's the way of the world. Part of all of this is a concerted effort on the part of powers that be to normalize this lack of face to face conversation and said human interaction for the coming robot invasion. LOL  Sounds crazy but so true. Sooner rather than later you'll be like going to Dr C3PO. 

Resistance is futile.

 

Great points you made.  I am 72 and find the cyber generation dramatically changed our way of life.  When I was a kid, we were always outside playing sports or games. We rode our bikes to the movies on Saturday.   Once computers became commonplace in the late 20th Century, kids switched to cyber fun and not outside fun.  Wonder why we have so much more obesity today!?

 

The Smart Phone takeover is amazing.   I can go into restaurants and sometimes see half the people there are making love with their cell phones.  Also, the younger the person, the more likely this is the case.

 

When I visit my Grandchildren, ages 13 and 10, the time that I have with them to communicate verbally is severely limited by their  addictions to electronic devices.  Only when we go to the beach when those aren't there can we act like normal people.

 

My Step Son has it right.  He rations the use of electronic devices to 2 hours a day and less during a school night.

[Sascol]

On ‎1‎/‎20‎/‎2020 at 9:55 PM, Pushka said:

 Although I do object to people conducting activity like watching movies etc, without earphones. 
 

And I think Nokia were the first. 

Oh my goodness this is the WORST.  If you are using a device anywhere outside of your house, have at it but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE use headphones of you are watching a video, listening to music or using facetime.

[mayleeman]

I use closed captions with no sound on many movies with Amazon Prime.  

[Cyber Kat]

21 hours ago, 4774Papa said:

I find myself taking a few photos on the ship that may include people.  It is hard to take such photos without including people, unless you go out at 3am.

I know you are probably kidding about grabbing his camera and throwing it overboard, since that would probably get you kicked off the cruise ship and you could be charged for assault.

But it sounds like the OP was deliberately taking photos of the people on their phones, which at the very least is not nice - and rather rude (since so many are concerned with the perceived rudeness of the phone users).  
 

Taking photos around the ship - for the purpose of taking photos of the SHIP - is far different from taking photos of strangers because you don’t like their behavior.  

[Cyber Kat]

20 hours ago, farmermd said:

 

 

 

So help me understand - you have a reasonable expectation of privacy while sitting at a bar on a cruise ship that the general public has been invited to sail on?  Yes, I think people have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their cabins and public bathrooms/locker rooms on a ship, but not in bars, restaurants, pool areas.   And if the picture is taken in a public area, is it then illegal to post on public forums or social media?  

 

Just at a glance, I do not see anything in CC guidelines that prohibit posting pictures of people in public places.  If I am wrong, please correct me so I can change my habits.  

So you would be okay with someone deliberately taking photos of you because they didn’t approve of your appearance or what you were doing - for the specific purpose of ridiculing you?

 

Sorry, IMO taking photos of someone to make fun of them or to post them on social media so others can make fun of them is just plain rude.  Far more rude and offensive than someone sitting at a bar enjoying some aspect of their phone.

 

It really has nothing to do with expecting privacy in a public place, but more to do with simply having respect in general.  I wonder about people who expect others to be polite while being rude themselves.  The bottom line is that it’s not nice.

[Silkroad]

14 hours ago, marieps said:

Congrats to the OP for sparking a conversation (on the web) with 90+ replys in less than 20 hours.  How many of you responded from a phone...on a ship?

Alas, no. I am posting from my iPad, wishing I could be on a ship😉

[bizeemom4]

On 1/21/2020 at 12:37 AM, The_Big_M said:

 

How is having a conversation on facetime or skype any different from a conversation with anyone else you're with, or even as mentioned above, strangers at the bar?

 

The only issue is people running it with speakers loud, which applies to whatever is on there whether a movie, or facetime, or music. Don't see any need to run to your cabin if you have facetime and have earphones in.

 

Because the volume at which the Facetime conversations are held is always louder than a standard face-to-face conversation. Regular discourse isn't projected through the speakers of a cellphone. Person yelling into the phone and child yelling/squealing/singing back is my usual experience, unfortunately.

[Cyber Kat]

21 hours ago, davekathy said:

A picture is worth a thousand words...

I see nothing wrong with what is taking place in this photo, except if one wanted a photo of those gorgeous doors (which I would have been far more interested in) or the rug, one should have gone in for a closer shot.

 

 I would not have even noted the people on their phones.  Not my business.

[K.T.B.]

35 minutes ago, Sascol said:

Oh my goodness this is the WORST.  If you are using a device anywhere outside of your house, have at it but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE use headphones of you are watching a video, listening to music or using facetime.

 

It's a shame that people actually need to be told this!

 

Common courtesy is no longer commonplace.

[Silkroad]

To return to the OP’s original post, I don’t care what people do with their devices on a cruise, provided they exercise common courtesy. Keep the noise level down to the level of the venue, and mute them in the theater. As someone else mentioned, many people don’t realize they’re speaking much more loudly into devices than they would otherwise, especially when using FaceTime or Skype. That said, many people do need to do some work while aboard, and others must deal with family or other personal issues. I have observed many people stepping away, or leaving a venue completely when they need to take a prolonged call. Civility still exists, even if it’s a bit spotty.

[Sascol]

37 minutes ago, bizeemom4 said:

 

Because the volume at which the Facetime conversations are held is always louder than a standard face-to-face conversation. Regular discourse isn't projected through the speakers of a cellphone. Person yelling into the phone and child yelling/squealing/singing back is my usual experience, unfortunately.

Yes, 100% true.  Facetime conversations are MUCH louder than a typical face to face conversation and one end of the conversation is from a small, tinny speaker that cuts through the air like a knife if the person on the device is not using headphones (which, let's admit is at least half of the time).  Last cruise we were on there was a woman talking into her iPad by the spa pool.  Several passengers went over to her and asked her to lower it.  I was on my way over to do so as well when one of the pool attendants got to her and asked her to turn it off or turn it down.  She was completely clueless to her surroundings. 

Edited January 22, 2020 by Sascol

[davekathy]

11 hours ago, K.T.B. said:

 

A little off topic here....

 

Take a gander at Eric Pickersgill's photo Series "Removed":  LINK  It's both eye opening and sad.

The picture posted is on topic!! The picture isn't mine. 

Edited January 22, 2020 by davekathy

[davekathy]

43 minutes ago, Cyber Kat said:

I see nothing wrong with what is taking place in this photo, except if one wanted a photo of those gorgeous doors (which I would have been far more interested in) or the rug, one should have gone in for a closer shot.

 

 I would not have even noted the people on their phones.  Not my business.

Posted only for effect of what the OP was whining about. Nothing more! The picture isn't mine. 

Edited January 22, 2020 by davekathy

[bikerunner]

25 minutes ago, Sascol said:

Yes, 100% true.  Facetime conversations are MUCH louder than a typical face to face conversation and one end of the conversation is from a small, tinny speaker that cuts through the air like a knife if the person on the device is not using headphones (which, let's admit is at least half of the time).  Last cruise we were on there was a woman talking into her iPad by the spa pool.  Several passengers went over to her and asked her to lower it.  I was on my way over to do so as well when one of the pool attendants got to her and asked her to turn it off or turn it down.  She was completely clueless to her surroundings. 

You point out the main thing here, imo, people are not aware of there surroundings anymore.  Where they are, what they are doing etc.  I am a complete observer from my days running large banquets, aware of everything going on and being able to spot problems that are and might happen.   Unfortunately these days many/not all people are oblivious to there surroundings and not able to take in things, mostly being to enthralled with there phone/tablet   I agree many still show the common courtesy needed or that should be shown.   Of course Im also a person who if was sitting near/next to above lady I would start talking rather loudly to anyone/calling waiter over etc but that doesnt always work anymore.  

Edited January 22, 2020 by bikerunner

[Globehoppers]

I think this is one of the better discussions I have read on CC.  Most of the posts on other threads are inane:  "do you think I would like ship "Y",?" "which cabin should i pick?", "should I spend $2 for a latte or get a regular coffee?," "my take on ship "p" cruise report."  Etc.  Who cares?  If you can't choose  cabin or ship by yourself, you likely shouldn't be cruising.  If you can't decide whether to spend $2 on coffee, again you shouldn't be on that cruise.  One can buy a lot of coffee for the price of a cruise.

 

FYI my wife loves her BMW X5 and a drive  previously loved BMW550i.  Just completed a 1300 mile road trip  in the 550i and got 28-plus mpg.  The twin turbos are amazing!

Edited January 22, 2020 by Globehoppers

[mayleeman]

6 minutes ago, Globehoppers said:

FYI my wife loves her BMW X5 and a drive  previously loved BMW550i.  Just completed a 1300 mile road trip  in the 550i and got 28-plus mpg.  The twin turbos are amazing!

 

So which phone works best for texting in those?

[farmermd]

27 minutes ago, Globehoppers said:

I think this is one of the better discussions I have read on CC.  Most of the posts on other threads are inane: 

 

 

Thank you!  Forums IMO are about discussion on topics to get differing opinions.  I do get board with Cruise Critic forums because it does seem to be the same old questions every hour. 

 

I simply posted my observation to see what others thought - I was not trolling.  No different than someone posting their thoughts on the quality of food in the MDR.   I think this has been a great discussion.  And just as I saw on the ship, about 50% of cruisers need their phone with them at all times, 25% know phone etiquette and only need it occasionally and the other 25% either leave the phone at home or locked in the safe in their cabin.

 

And to emphasize, at no point do I think I came across as rude and  disrespecting others opinions.  At least that was not my intention.  But I can't say the same for some others that posted in this thread.

[yorky]

14 minutes ago, farmermd said:

 

Thank you!  Forums IMO are about discussion on topics to get differing opinions.  I do get board with Cruise Critic forums because it does seem to be the same old questions every hour. 

 

I simply posted my observation to see what others thought - I was not trolling.  No different than someone posting their thoughts on the quality of food in the MDR.   I think this has been a great discussion.  And just as I saw on the ship, about 50% of cruisers need their phone with them at all times, 25% know phone etiquette and only need it occasionally and the other 25% either leave the phone at home or locked in the safe in their cabin.

 

And to emphasize, at no point do I think I came across as rude and  disrespecting others opinions.  At least that was not my intention.  But I can't say the same for some others that posted in this thread.

Sadly very common on Cruise Critic these days where some individuals seem to take great enjoyment in insulting others and making them feel bad about themselves.

[farmermd]

2 hours ago, Cyber Kat said:

So you would be okay with someone deliberately taking photos of you because they didn’t approve of your appearance or what you were doing - for the specific purpose of ridiculing you?

 

Sorry, IMO taking photos of someone to make fun of them or to post them on social media so others can make fun of them is just plain rude.  Far more rude and offensive than someone sitting at a bar enjoying some aspect of their phone.

 

It really has nothing to do with expecting privacy in a public place, but more to do with simply having respect in general.  I wonder about people who expect others to be polite while being rude themselves.  The bottom line is that it’s not nice.

 

A couple of points here - #1 - Photography is about many things - journalism with pictures, preserving history, capturing memories, advertising, art, etc.  Taking a picture of someone at a bar on a phone is no different than taking a picture of a child begging in the street of India, a couple kissing on the Spanish Steps, a wedding couple on the beach - all pictures I have taken while on vacation because I enjoy photography, not that I am that great at it.

 

#2 - We can't have it both ways in todays society with all of the electronic devices around - privacy in a public setting AND constant communication with the world.  From redlight and toll cameras, to street surveillance cameras to ring doorbells or video cameras at the entrance of every retail location you enter these days - there is no privacy.  When I am out in public, I expect someone somewhere is watching me and taking pictures or video of me doing something dull, fun, or dumb.  Do I like it? No.  Is there anything I can do about it?  No, not if I want to socialize with anyone at all.  The privacy in public ship sailed a long time ago.  Can you say People of WalMart!  

 

#3 - You mention respect in general.  Everyone seems to be focusing on the people at the bar.  That was not the only observation I mentioned.  Respect in general includes keeping your FaceTime conversations muted to the public, your notifications muted to the public, or putting down your phone when ordering a drink or paying for something when people are behind you, or just plain being aware of your surroundings in public.  Electronic devices are great.....when used appropriately with the correct etiquette, something that some parents are not teaching their children.

 

Ok, just my thoughts.  

[jjsnonna]

A reverend with that behavior,really?  What a nerve?  Surprised he wasn't slapped with law suits.  And his solution really worked, didn't it?

[farmermd]

And one other thing, not that I need to mention it, but yeah - my thread title was a bit bizarre but it got your(everyone that clicked on the title) attention and made you look and join the discussion!  I think some people's funny bone is broked....

[farawayatsea]

"A couple of points here - #1 - Photography is about many things - journalism with pictures, preserving history, capturing memories, advertising, art, etc.  Taking a picture of someone at a bar on a phone is no different than taking a picture of a child begging in the street of India, a couple kissing on the Spanish Steps, a wedding couple on the beach - all pictures I have taken while on vacation because I enjoy photography, not that I am that great at it".

 

If I caught you taking a picture of me without asking I would be very annoyed and would let you know and make you delete the photo. . It's just plain creepy.

[jjsnonna]

23 hours ago, Oville said:

From the OP’s original post “I sat at the Martini Bar one afternoon and observed 4 people in a row at the bar with their noses buried in their phone, oblivious of me taking pictures of them”.  There was nothing incidental about these photos.

And it's kind of creepy.