The Department of Homeland Security is considering a vaccination passport for international travel

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, slidergirl said:

I don't use my iPhone to look at/write on CC - I use my MacBook Pro.  I believe that poster does something similar.  I did CC LONG before I finally got an iPhone (had my RAZR for years until it died).  Not everyone uses their phone as their only way of connecting...

 

 

The only reason I don't do CC on my smartphone is that CC stinks on a mobile browser. When the CC app worked I did CC on my smartphone all the time.  

[zekekelso]

5 hours ago, cruisingguy007 said:

There is free wifi everywhere.

I can think of one place near and dear to us that doesn’t have free WiFi 🙂 

[sanger727]

4 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

That is what I think is going to happen.  

 

My cell phone provider is encouraging their customers who use their 3G cell phones to upgrade to a 4G or 5G unit.  Their argument is that 3G service may become unavailable when the various communication companies complete their roll out of 5G.  I admit that I have no understanding of all of these "Gs".  But, maybe now is the appropriate time to make a change.  

 

Their offer is to upgrade my flip cell phone to a 4G for free.  Or, there are multiple choices for smart phones that they offer.  

 

So, what to do?  Is this just a "sales pitch" by my provider?  Is this really a potentially "real problem" on the horizon? 

 

 

If you don’t have a smart phone, then you don’t have any ‘g’s, so you don’t need to worry about 3g vs 4g. Do i think that 3g may become unavailable in the future? Yes. Kinda like trying to find a dial up provider in a high speed world. 
 

but I really truly think you are missing out without using a smartphone. For example, I purchased a short term international plan when I went to Japan a few years ago. We could navigate the subway system, make our way all through Tokyo, and navigate ourselves on maps with my smartphone. It wasn’t just a convenience or premium item. The subway system is really complicated and very difficult to navigate without real time internet access. 
 

we also used a translation app. Many people in Japan don’t speak English and things aren’t labeled in English. Could walk around with the translation app up and communicate with people or scan labels to see what things were.

Edited May 30, 2021 by sanger727

[winemama]

10 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

Exactly.  Our cell phones have not been turned on for 14 months now.  Now that we're retired and not commuting, we only used them for calling the shuttle after a cruise.

Is there a smart phone in the US without monthly charges?

walmart  check out trac phones

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, sanger727 said:

If you don’t have a smart phone, then you don’t have any ‘g’s, so you don’t need to worry about 3g vs 4g. Do i think that 3g may become unavailable in the future? Yes. Kinda like trying to find a dial up provider in a high speed world. 
 

 

On the contrary currrent flip phones are either 3G, 4G or LTE. Since 3G will be turned off on Verizion at the end of 2021 and off on AT&T in February 2022. Sprint 3G off in January 2022 and T-Mobile 3G ends in April 2022.  Anyone with a 3G flip phone does need to worry. They will need a new phone of some type as the 3G flip phones will no longer have service.. All those Tracphones, burner phones and the like that are on 3G also won't have service. 

Edited May 30, 2021 by Charles4515

[Charles4515]

5 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

That is what I think is going to happen.  

 

My cell phone provider is encouraging their customers who use their 3G cell phones to upgrade to a 4G or 5G unit.  Their argument is that 3G service may become unavailable when the various communication companies complete their roll out of 5G.  I admit that I have no understanding of all of these "Gs".  But, maybe now is the appropriate time to make a change.  

 

Their offer is to upgrade my flip cell phone to a 4G for free.  Or, there are multiple choices for smart phones that they offer.  

 

So, what to do?  Is this just a "sales pitch" by my provider?  Is this really a potentially "real problem" on the horizon? 

 

 

The carriers are turning off their 3G networks to reuse that spectrum for 5G. It is not a sales pitch. 

[Charles4515]

I have recently been traveling and eating out and a smartphone is pretty much a necessity. Many restaurants have gone contactless. You have to scan a QR code on the table to bring up a menu on the smartphone. They don’t hand out menus. The cruise lines plan to be contactless too. It will be inconvenient to cruise without a smartphone. So there are other reasons besides vaccine passports to have a smartphone.
 

People without smartphones won’t be able to fully function is society. 

Edited May 30, 2021 by Charles4515

[LHT28]

19 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

I have recently been traveling and eating out and a smartphone is pretty much a necessity. Many restaurants have gone contactless. You have to scan a QR code on the table to bring up a menu on the smartphone.

 

Then they will not be getting my business

If  restaurant want people to use  a smart phone then they should provide  it to the customer 

JMO

 

[ilikeanswers]

7 hours ago, broberts said:

I'm not so sanguine about state actors not being interested. It occurs to me that a well publicized breach of a country's database could make travel much more difficult for those nationals disrupting trade, etc. Not to mention loss of reputation.

 

I would like to think a government would consider the biosecurity consequences of such an attack. Though I suppose there are some national governments willing to self sabotage😂. 

 

19 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

For example, I purchased a short term international plan when I went to Japan a few years ago. We could navigate the subway system, make our way all through Tokyo, and navigate ourselves on maps with my smartphone. It wasn’t just a convenience or premium item. The subway system is really complicated and very difficult to navigate without real time internet access. 

 

we also used a translation app. Many people in Japan don’t speak English and things aren’t labeled in English. Could walk around with the translation app up and communicate with people or scan labels to see what things were.

 

Smart phone was our number 1 tool in Japan. I agree the maps made navigating Tokyo's and Kyoto's public transport so easy. Tokyo has something like three different rail networks and that doesn't even include the metro and light rail. So if you rely on the maps in the stations they only have information for the network of that station. Using the map app you can see all the different networks which made it so much easier to transit between them. And the translation apps while not perfect still make a world of difference especially in those convenience stores. You can make sure what you buy is edible😜. 

 

But I have to say I find smart phones over all useful for travel. I compare my pre smart phone travel days and I do feel the smart phone has improved my travel experiences. I been able to find sites that are locally famous, it helped me locate local eateries I never would have found on my own thanks to all the local bloggers, the amount of great views points I have discovered that aren't marked on the usual tourist maps pretty much make up my photo collection😁and you would be surprised how much money you save buying online tickets😉. 

[Donald]

When the First World Countries go with digital COVID Vaccine tracking, the people without Smartphones can stand in the long Immigration lines with the other dinosaurs.  

[crazyank]

4 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

I have recently been traveling and eating out and a smartphone is pretty much a necessity. Many restaurants have gone contactless. You have to scan a QR code on the table to bring up a menu on the smartphone. They don’t hand out menus. The cruise lines plan to be contactless too. It will be inconvenient to cruise without a smartphone. So there are other reasons besides vaccine passports to have a smartphone.
 

People without smartphones won’t be able to fully function is society. 

Nope,  plenty of places in europe using normal menus.  

 

3 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Then they will not be getting my business

If  restaurant want people to use  a smart phone then they should provide  it to the customer 

JMO

yep, totally agree

[puppycanducruise]

I heard that a "vaccine passport" would be on the agenda for the G7 meeting later this year.

[Charles4515]

9 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Then they will not be getting my business

If  restaurant want people to use  a smart phone then they should provide  it to the customer 

JMO

 

Certainly you will get by in life without a smartphone but it will be inconvenient. On a cruise the dining reservations are going to be done on a smartphone app. The daily activities will be on an app. You will be the one waiting on lines. Venues that require tickets will want them on your phone to scan. When I did the London Eye a few years ago I went right in. Those without tickets on their phone were in long lines. 

[Joebucks]

On 5/28/2021 at 5:00 PM, SRQbeachgirl said:

 

I did, but it seems that many people are worried that any federal vaccine passport will become mandatory in order to travel anywhere.

 

It has also become routine that anytime a government official makes a statement, another government official has to later "clarify" the original statement. Not that it surprises me, since I work for the government and deal on a daily basis with the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing or saying.  

 

While it is definitely true the miscommunication is sometimes from a lack of organization. It is also contributed to by people only hearing what they want and/or news articles pushing deceptive headlines.

[crazyank]

8 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

On a cruise the dining reservations are going to be done on a smartphone app. The daily activities will be on an app. You will be the one waiting on lines. Venues that require tickets will want them on your phone to scan.

Wow, you must have a terrific crystal ball since you apparently know what every cruise line in the world will do in the future.

[Charles4515]

39 minutes ago, crazyank said:

Wow, you must have a terrific crystal ball since you apparently know what every cruise line in the world will do in the future.

 

Some of us see the future. Others are living in the past. The onboard apps that the major cruise lines have made with cruise check in, daily activities, dining reservations, menus, excursion reservations, digital keys, folio, are not for play.The Royal app for example does all that. They will save the lines a lot of costs. You can go down to the pursers desk or excursion desk but much of the former staff will be gone. 

Edited May 30, 2021 by Charles4515

[wowzz]

34 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

 

Some of us see the future. Others are living in the past. The onboard apps that the major cruise lines have made with cruise check in, daily activities, dining reservations, menus, excursion reservations, digital keys, folio, are not for play.The Royal app for example does all that. They will save the lines a lot of costs. You can go down to the pursers desk or excursion desk but much of the former staff will be gone. 

That may well become the case, but significant number of cruise lines are nowhere near that level of technology at present. 

In 20 years time, yes, but not at the moment. For example, P&O have just introduced a new Excellence class ship, with another to enter service next year, neither of which will have modern app based technologies.  

[mom says]

1 hour ago, Charles4515 said:

 

Some of us see the future. Others are living in the past. The onboard apps that the major cruise lines have made with cruise check in, daily activities, dining reservations, menus, excursion reservations, digital keys, folio, are not for play.The Royal app for example does all that. They will save the lines a lot of costs. You can go down to the pursers desk or excursion desk but much of the former staff will be gone. 

The tone of your post is unnecessarily  condescending. There are alternatives to all of these, for the present (and no doubt near future). Some can be done online  from home. Others are available on the cabin TV or on a personal tablet. Cabins still have phones . Sail cards are still in use. And paper is still available on request. 

[zekekelso]

I think Disney gives us a hint where things are going. It was about (10?) years ago they switched from cards to “magic band” technology at their land resorts. The cruise industry is just adopting that. Now Disney is finding magic bands to be passé and is witching to cell phone - app technology. I expect cruising will do the same eventually. 
 

One thing Disney has never done is leave people behind. They provided alternative for those who didn’t want magic bands, and have options for those without a cell phone. Especially in the US, I don’t see a cell phone mandatory cruise for a looooong time. 

[Charles4515]

2 minutes ago, mom says said:

The tone of your post is unnecessarily  condescending. There are alternatives to all of these, for the present (and no doubt near future). Some can be done online  from home. Others are available on the cabin TV or on a personal tablet. Cabins still have phones . Sail cards are still in use. And paper is still available on request. 

 

Of course there will be alternatives for those who can't do or won't do "smart" but those alternatives will give lessor cruise experience. 

[Charles4515]

7 minutes ago, zekekelso said:

I think Disney gives us a hint where things are going. It was about (10?) years ago they switched from cards to “magic band” technology at their land resorts. The cruise industry is just adopting that. Now Disney is finding magic bands to be passé and is witching to cell phone - app technology. I expect cruising will do the same eventually. 
 

One thing Disney has never done is leave people behind. They provided alternative for those who didn’t want magic bands, and have options for those without a cell phone. Especially in the US, I don’t see a cell phone mandatory cruise for a looooong time. 

 

In a few years it won't be cell phones used. It will be a wearble with a voice assistant like Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri. Face recognition will identify us. There will be smart glasses for the screens. Many people will get chipped.....

[cruisingguy007]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

That may well become the case, but significant number of cruise lines are nowhere near that level of technology at present. 

In 20 years time, yes, but not at the moment. For example, P&O have just introduced a new Excellence class ship, with another to enter service next year, neither of which will have modern app based technologies.  

 

You'd be surprised how easily technology could be implemented. They have a native intranet and it doesn't take much effort to revamp availabilities and tech upgrades.   

[zekekelso]

13 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

Many people will get chipped..

cant they just use the chip from my Covid vaccine? 

[cruisingguy007]

29 minutes ago, zekekelso said:

I think Disney gives us a hint where things are going. It was about (10?) years ago they switched from cards to “magic band” technology at their land resorts. The cruise industry is just adopting that. Now Disney is finding magic bands to be passé and is witching to cell phone - app technology. I expect cruising will do the same eventually. 
 

One thing Disney has never done is leave people behind. They provided alternative for those who didn’t want magic bands, and have options for those without a cell phone. Especially in the US, I don’t see a cell phone mandatory cruise for a looooong time. 

 

RFID. Indeed. It's part of the AI intelligence platform. 

[cruisingguy007]

36 minutes ago, mom says said:

The tone of your post is unnecessarily  condescending. There are alternatives to all of these, for the present (and no doubt near future). Some can be done online  from home. Others are available on the cabin TV or on a personal tablet. Cabins still have phones . Sail cards are still in use. And paper is still available on request. 

 

You can still buy a quill and ink, horse and buggy, a sewing machine, build a large wooden plane, vegetable/fruit seeds, a black and white TV, VCR, cassette tape player etc etc. There is always an "alternative". Pointing that out is no retort. Charles4515 made a good point.