Discontinuing the Patter?

[pris993]

Variety is the spice of life, glad  many of you enjoy your electronic devices.  For those who us who could careless, we just want to continue to use what has worked out well for  years for us.  Choices are the name of the game.   Choices:  where and when you eat on board,  choices on entertainment on board, choices on how to get info.  I am happy to pick up the Patter at Customer Service, along with summary of world news.  Just like I am happy to walk into a bank, doctor's office and market to do business over doing on line.  Enjoy your device as you choose, I will enjoy getting paper copies, I am sure Cruise Lines can accommodate all of us. 

[MamaFej]

Different strokes for different folks, for sure. My 79 year-old dad uses his iPhone for far more than I use mine, which is a lot. He has the Apple Watch, as well, doing all sorts of things with it. One of the things he loves about doing things on his phone, rather than with paper, is the ability to change the size of whatever he's viewing. The older my eyes get, the more I appreciate this ability as well. One of my adult kids refuses to read books on a tablet, insisting on physically turning the pages. 

 

It's nice that there are so many options for people.

[JF - retired RRT]

18 hours ago, katisdale said:

I also didn't think I needed a smart phone. However, as my age-related hearing loss worsened I needed hearing aids. The aids best suited for my loss work in conjunction with a smart phone. I've got the phone and my hearing aid is adjustable using my phone. I can increase or decrease the sound I receive, apply noise cancelling as the noise from plane engines and wind noises while driving. I can even silence the aids if I so choose without removing them, just using the phone. I am now a happy smart phone user.

Me, too!! I rarely get phone calls on my smart phone (very few friends, no relatives), but it's worth the cost to adjust my hearing aids, bank by phone, keep a calendar of appts.

A computer in my pocket. Who knew?😉

[caribill]

18 hours ago, PrincessLuver said:

People still use checks? 😁

 

Princess does when they send out some types of refunds.

[MissP22]

18 hours ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Me, too!! I rarely get phone calls on my smart phone (very few friends, no relatives), but it's worth the cost to adjust my hearing aids, bank by phone, keep a calendar of appts.

A computer in my pocket. Who knew?😉

We threw in the towel a few years ago & got smart phones. There are so many advantages over the old phones like messages for deliveries, watching movies, messages for appointments, news, tracking luggage, etc.

Not for reading the Patter.

We'll never go back.

Edited May 14, 2021 by MissP22

[Doug R.]

For those of you loudly announcing that you are leaving Princess over the lack of a printed Patter:

 

NOW HEAR THIS!!!! THIS IS ALL RUMOR AND/OR IDLE SPECULATION. CEASE AND DESIST!!!!

Edited May 14, 2021 by Doug R.

[LACruiser88]

3 hours ago, Doug R. said:

For those of you loudly announcing that you are leaving Princess over the lack of a printed Patter:

 

NOW HEAR THIS!!!! THIS IS ALL RUMOR AND/OR IDLE SPECULATION. CEASE AND DESIST!!!!

If they discontinue delivering a Patter (our granddaughter calls it the Platter) to each cabin, perhaps they will have some available at the Passenger Services Desk???  I can't imagine leaving Princess because they stop the Patter, really???

[Doug R.]

1 hour ago, LACruiser88 said:

If they discontinue delivering a Patter (our granddaughter calls it the Platter) to each cabin, perhaps they will have some available at the Passenger Services Desk???  I can't imagine leaving Princess because they stop the Patter, really???

Exactly! I am fairly tech literate for an old goat in his 70's yet though I prefer a printed Patter,  I happily refer to the online edition while out and about onboard. I think the strong anti-smartphone expressed  here is due to the misconception that they are going to be charged for using the intranet to take advantage of the medallion features and the fear that they will ;receive and be charged for phone calls.

[Steelers36]

8 hours ago, Doug R. said:

NOW HEAR THIS!!!! THIS IS ALL RUMOR AND/OR IDLE SPECULATION. CEASE AND DESIST!!!!

Yes.

[tip]

On 5/6/2021 at 10:12 PM, snoozecrooze said:

 

Regardless, it would also be incredibly hypocritical of Princess if they continued to allow paper advertisements in the case that they do start to limit patter dispersal in this scenario. No one wins here with the absolute needless pile of waste and I hope the ads are gone for good.

Exactly!  If saving paper is the goal, stop leaving a half dozen or so advertising throwaways at my door each day.

[MissP22]

13 hours ago, Doug R. said:

Exactly! I am fairly tech literate for an old goat in his 70's yet though I prefer a printed Patter,  I happily refer to the online edition while out and about onboard. I think the strong anti-smartphone expressed  here is due to the misconception that they are going to be charged for using the intranet to take advantage of the medallion features and the fear that they will ;receive and be charged for phone calls.

I seldom carry my expensive smartphone around all day long just to take a few photo's & refer to the patter occasionally. It's definitely easier to carry a heighted copy of the patter & not have to worry about losing or damaging my phone. 

[CruiseMrB]

One of my problems with smartphones and smart devices is that I was in IT for well over 30 years. I know what these devices do and how secure or insecure they might be. I am always cognizant of the risks because it was my freakin' job to be more paranoid than you are and to take action based upon that paranoia. This served me well while working, but hard to turn off after retirement.

 

That's why I don't want a smartphone or tablet on a cruise ship. If I have to use one, I will use a burner cell or one that I have in a drawer and not put a sim chip in it and have a burner google account (android). Then I will use my regular smartphone, which is probably cleaner than yours, for land use at destinations for phone calls, texts, and communications. 

 

I'll probably bring a Farady bag for our real phones and keep them in the safe while not actively using them.

 

BTW - you're crazy to have a smart lock on your front door. A regular lock is pickable at your front door. A smart lock is pickable anywhere in the world.

[4hunters]

On 5/14/2021 at 8:42 AM, Doug R. said:

NOW HEAR THIS!!!! THIS IS ALL RUMOR AND/OR IDLE SPECULATION. CEASE AND DESIST!!!!

^^^ THIS! ^^^

Edit:  Folks, the good ol' paper Princess Patter isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Edited May 15, 2021 by 4hunters

[trbarton]

On 5/6/2021 at 6:51 PM, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

It would be nice if on day 1 the cabin steward would ask if you wish to have a hard copy or not, or even if during the check-in on the personalizer it asked if you prefer paper or digital (just like my electric, cable and cell phone companies offer for my bills)

I don’t think asking on the Personalizer would work. I say this because I always ask for a robe & 99% of the time there’s no robe there. 
 

Tom😀

[Sailaway John]

Do not get rid of the PATTER. It is an important part of cruise life and information. 
 

[getting older slowly]

I think it come down to choice.... some of us prefer a real book, other love kindles and the like..

 Cruises offer lots of opinions, a paper news letter and cruise cards, can work hand in hand with medallions and smart phones....

 

Just saying one day the battery will go flat... 

remember the idea of the paperless office... and how then every area had a printer....

people like a hard copy,  something to hold in your hand.....

 

I love technology worked with 3D Cad for 25 + years... but one like to switch off...

and went through the period where your new computer was truly obsolete a month later..

the constant upgrades.....

 

just saying...   the old way should not be thrown in the bin...  

[Ombud]

On 5/13/2021 at 6:04 AM, PrincessLuver said:

People still use checks? 😁

Yes I get checks sent to me but when I changed banks 17 years ago, I never got around to ordering some to use. Just paid everything online and with a debit card. Did finally get a visa a few years back so I'm 'modern' now

 

Also loved having those useless ads held. Steward was great about holding paper. Port guides were available at PSD

Edited May 16, 2021 by Ombud

[richsea]

18 hours ago, CruiseMrB said:

One of my problems with smartphones and smart devices is that I was in IT for well over 30 years. I know what these devices do and how secure or insecure they might be. I am always cognizant of the risks because it was my freakin' job to be more paranoid than you are and to take action based upon that paranoia. This served me well while working, but hard to turn off after retirement.

 

That's why I don't want a smartphone or tablet on a cruise ship. If I have to use one, I will use a burner cell or one that I have in a drawer and not put a sim chip in it and have a burner google account (android). Then I will use my regular smartphone, which is probably cleaner than yours, for land use at destinations for phone calls, texts, and communications. 

 

I'll probably bring a Farady bag for our real phones and keep them in the safe while not actively using them.

 

BTW - you're crazy to have a smart lock on your front door. A regular lock is pickable at your front door. A smart lock is pickable anywhere in the world.

What exactly is it that you are afraid of?

[CruiseMrB]

2 hours ago, richsea said:

What exactly is it that you are afraid of?

• Location tracking by the cruise app off the ship (before and after cruise, whenever app is on the phone)
• Identity theft
• Data breeches
• Ransomware (actually not high on my list as an individual, but very high for a cruise line with my data and my well-being involved while out to sea on their ship.)
• Information being sold
• Bad things that I can't even imagine - the "unknown unknown"

This is what my thought process has had to be for 35 years, and I was good at it. This is why I always liked not having any electronic gear in use on a cruise. I didn't have to think about it. Now I have to think about it again while retired and on vacation. Yeah, it's hypervigilance. But I'm stuck with it.

 

While on the ship, I understand the reasoning for tracking. I'm not a huge fan of it, but I understand the need. 

Edited May 16, 2021 by CruiseMrB

[JF - retired RRT]

6 hours ago, Ombud said:

Yes I get checks sent to me but when I changed banks 17 years ago, I never got around to ordering some to use. Just paid everything online and with a debit card. Did finally get a visa a few years back so I'm 'modern' now

 

Also loved having those useless ads held. Steward was great about holding paper. Port guides were available at PSD

Me too! Same bank for 20+ years. Ordered new checks 15 or so years ago and have moved 6 times...still using those "old" checks. Maybe write a check about once a month. I feel sorry for USPS😢

[JF - retired RRT]

6 hours ago, Ombud said:

Yes I get checks sent to me but when I changed banks 17 years ago, I never got around to ordering some to use. Just paid everything online and with a debit card. Did finally get a visa a few years back so I'm 'modern' now

 

Also loved having those useless ads held. Steward was great about holding paper. Port guides were available at PSD

Me too! Same bank for 20+ years. Ordered new checks 15 or so years ago and have moved 6 times...still using those "old" checks. Maybe write a check about once a month. I feel sorry for USPS😢

[Tak8]

I'm hoping those leaving over no potential paper Patters are the Chair hogs.  I don't see paper Patter going away, but maybe less available.  Pick one up near Piazza.

[Thrak]

On 5/7/2021 at 1:25 PM, greenie082756 said:

If I remember correctly you could go into the electronic version of the patter and mark what you were interested in and it would show up on top (or something like that). Its been a few awhile since we last cruised as well so my memory is not 100%.

 

I like both paper and electronic. I do not mind too much carrying around my phone as I do it everyday now. These changes could be / should be fun.

 

On one of our last cruises a number of folks (us included) went to the Vista Lounge for Trivia because it was listed for that venue in the online version of the Patter. We all sat around for a little bit and then I went looking around the ship to see what the deal was. I found Trivia in session in Explorer's. When I told the staff that it was clearly listed as being in Vista Lounge they said they never check the electronic version and had no idea it was listed that way. I went back to Vista Lounge - where people were still waiting - and told them the activity was in Explorer's. Naturally it was too late to get involved with Trivia at that point. The location was listed correctly in the paper version.

Edited May 18, 2021 by Thrak

[ontheweb]

5 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

On one of our last cruises a number of folks (us included) went to the Vista Lounge for Trivia because it was listed for that venue in the online version of the Patter. We all sat around for a little bit and then I went looking around the ship to see what the deal was. I found Trivia in session in Explorer's. When I told the staff that it was clearly listed as being in Vista Lounge they said they never check the electronic version and had no idea it was listed that way. I went back to Vista Lounge - where people were still waiting - and told them the activity was in Explorer's. Naturally it was too late to get involved with Trivia at that point. The location was listed correctly in the paper version.

Score +1 for paper.😉

[rbtan]

On 5/6/2021 at 1:33 PM, CruzinNoony said:

I read somewhere that they are discontinuing the Patter.  Tell me it isn't so.

No great loss. We found the Patter to be garbage compared to the daily on Cunard or Celebrity. It was more about sales & other junk as opposed to quality info. Very little about news & things. More about where to shop.