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

[wowzz]

11 minutes ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

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.   

You are right, of course. The issue is, how many of the crusing clientele will be up to speed with the technology?

Over the next 10 years, no problem, but right now there will be a reluctance by some traditional lines to go down a path that is uncomfortable for their more "mature" customers.

 

[cruisingguy007]

12 minutes ago, wowzz said:

You are right, of course. The issue is, how many of the crusing clientele will be up to speed with the technology?

Over the next 10 years, no problem, but right now there will be a reluctance by some traditional lines to go down a path that is uncomfortable for their more "mature" customers.

 

 

In the USA, most actually. We've integrated technology into our everyday lives at a stunningly fast pace. I have zero doubts about the tech competencies of my fellow countrymen/countrywomen. As the tech gets smarter (AI) it will be able to monitor for anomalies and improve efficiencies. Even the most non-tech folks will be able to navigate in the tech arena if they can read or hear.  

 

The magic of tech is that it can help someone who can't read find a book called "learning to read" with simple voice search technology. There is tremendous power in tech. It's like walking on the moon, over and over again! Limitless. 

Edited May 30, 2021 by cruisingguy007

[sanger727]

20 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

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😂. 

 

 

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😉. 

 

japan is so future forward. We loved it. We actually had a couple hotels that had smartphones in the room, free, anc available for guests to use. We used them when they were available to save on our data.

 

sorry to those who are anti smart phone. But non-smart phone users in the future will be on par with non-internet users today. It’s soooo useful and there are such cheap and accessible options today. It just opens up the entire world to you with maps, information, and translations for when you are traveling. I’ve never met someone who tried a smartphone and didn’t like it, only people who won’t try it.... 

[broberts]

1 hour ago, Charles4515 said:

 

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.....

 

I read similar predictions a decade past, and didn't google blow a couple of billion on a glasses experiment a few years ago.

 

Some tech will stick  but alot won't. Voice command for one is unlikely to become mainstream as a personal assistant device interface.

 

All that is beside the point. What is germane in this thread is that while mass market lines are likely going to make more use of cellphones and tablets, I suspect there will be a significant market segment for human provided service.

[cruisingguy007]

12 minutes ago, broberts said:

 

I read similar predictions a decade past, and didn't google blow a couple of billion on a glasses experiment a few years ago.

 

Some tech will stick  but alot won't. Voice command for one is unlikely to become mainstream as a personal assistant device interface.

 

All that is beside the point. What is germane in this thread is that while mass market lines are likely going to make more use of cellphones and tablets, I suspect there will be a significant market segment for human provided service.

 

Google glass was pretty awesome and people were literally getting robbed for their glasses because they were so limited and had high value. Think of them like a cockpit visor. Imagine flipping down your sun visor and having navigation, voice commands, reviews etc. It was ahead of it's time but lots of valuable lessons were learned from the tech. The tech will be used more in the military industrial complex in it's current form but don't discount it in the future. Say in your hotel mirror or bathroom mirror to watch TV or access the internet. The integration efforts were absolutely successful but people are conditioned to use their phones. This won't always be the case . You'll see it again to be sure. Right now it's more practical for a solider operating in a forward operating base combat zone in Fallujah for maps/intelligence. It will come back for civilian applications to be sure.    

Edited May 31, 2021 by cruisingguy007

[evandbob]

When I walked around a pool deck I noticed the majority of cruisers either were on their phones or tablets, or had them nearby.

 

CC posters seem to be a very small subset of the older, more traditional cruising population and therefore a little less prone to technology

 

The pandemic has accelerated the pace of technological advances, but it was coming anyway.

[cruisingguy007]

19 minutes ago, evandbob said:

When I walked around a pool deck I noticed the majority of cruisers either were on their phones or tablets, or had them nearby.

 

CC posters seem to be a very small subset of the older, more traditional cruising population and therefore a little less prone to technology

 

The pandemic has accelerated the pace of technological advances, but it was coming anyway.

 

It's a matter of the user (who actually provides the real value in the form of data) vs the benefit of the technology that the end user experiences. Figuring out how to create value for the end users to continue to allow data collection is the difficulty. The pandemic was great for dialect and voice data applications, as well as spending patterns and such (commerce) but people moving about creates greater data points to be sure. Communication has been saturated for quite some time and algorithms well established.

 

There is also a natural progression of tech convenience that even the most hesitant will eventually adopt because of perceived value and convenience. A car is a lot more convenient than horseback, even though those both get you to where you need to go. Air travel perfectly explains it actually. We cruise for pleasure, not because it's the best (or most efficient) mode of transportation.      

Edited May 31, 2021 by cruisingguy007

[zekekelso]

2 hours ago, evandbob said:

When I walked around a pool deck I noticed the majority of cruisers either were on their phones or tablets, or had them nearby.

The good old paperback is much better for reading by the pool. You can leave it on a lounger to save your spot while you go back to bed and then eat breakfast. Nobody is going to risk their laptop doing that. 

[pris993]

On 5/28/2021 at 11:37 AM, zekekelso said:

I sure hope this comes true and politics doesn’t kill it. 

The problem today every thing is political.    For those traveling internationally, we will face requirements from other countries.   That should be sufficient.  

[evandbob]

9 hours ago, zekekelso said:

The good old paperback is much better for reading by the pool. You can leave it on a lounger to save your spot while you go back to bed and then eat breakfast. Nobody is going to risk their laptop doing that. 

IMO, Kindles are much better readers than laptops or paperbacks, unless you are borrowing the paperbacks from the ships' library?  Who wants to bring 6 or 7 paperbacks on a week long cruise?

[ontheweb]

23 minutes ago, evandbob said:

IMO, Kindles are much better readers than laptops or paperbacks, unless you are borrowing the paperbacks from the ships' library?  Who wants to bring 6 or 7 paperbacks on a week long cruise?

6 or 7 sounds like a lot, but 1 or 2 sounds much more reasonable. Maybe even 3 at the most.

[broberts]

24 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

6 or 7 sounds like a lot, but 1 or 2 sounds much more reasonable. Maybe even 3 at the most.

 

We all read at different material at different rates. James Clavell's Shogun easily outweighs seven Betty Neels titles.

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, evandbob said:

IMO, Kindles are much better readers than laptops or paperbacks, unless you are borrowing the paperbacks from the ships' library?  Who wants to bring 6 or 7 paperbacks on a week long cruise?

 

I read books on an iPad. I also download newspapers. Also some videos I pre download from Netfix and HBO. I used to bring a few paperbacks and get books from the ship's library but sadly many ship's libraries have been eliminated.

[electro]

3 hours ago, evandbob said:

IMO, Kindles are much better readers than laptops or paperbacks, unless you are borrowing the paperbacks from the ships' library?  Who wants to bring 6 or 7 paperbacks on a week long cruise?

The other benefit for Kindle, Kobo, is that you can adjust the font size. Can't do that with a paperback.

[ColeThornton]

7 minutes ago, electro said:

The other benefit for Kindle, Kobo, is that you can adjust the font size. Can't do that with a paperback.

 

That's what reading glasses are for.  😉

[cruisemom42]

12 hours ago, zekekelso said:

The good old paperback is much better for reading by the pool. You can leave it on a lounger to save your spot while you go back to bed and then eat breakfast. Nobody is going to risk their laptop doing that. 

 

Hopefully this is meant to be tongue-in-cheek. 

 

Personally I'd also never leave a paperback that I had started reading and wanted to finish. I've seen too many piles of things left on chairs moved or dumped near the towel returns....

[cruisemom42]

3 hours ago, evandbob said:

IMO, Kindles are much better readers than laptops or paperbacks, unless you are borrowing the paperbacks from the ships' library?  Who wants to bring 6 or 7 paperbacks on a week long cruise?

 

Electronic readers have been such a boon to me. Not only can I have a ready library of dozens of books to choose from when I want to relax and read, I can also have all of my references with me about the ports being visited -- guide books, history books, etc. 

 

They have made it so much easier to travel light.

[LHT28]

28 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Hopefully this is meant to be tongue-in-cheek. 

 

Personally I'd also never leave a paperback that I had started reading and wanted to finish. I've seen too many piles of things left on chairs moved or dumped near the towel returns....

People go grab a book from the library & leave it on the chairs ..they never crack the cover not intend to

they just want the chair  when they decided to use  🤔

[CPT Trips]

13 hours ago, zekekelso said:

The good old paperback is much better for reading by the pool. You can leave it on a lounger to save your spot while you go back to bed and then eat breakfast. Nobody is going to risk their laptop doing that. 

Prohibiting paperbacks might be a step in discouraging chair hogs. Who wants to lose their smart phone?🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, CPT Trips said:

Prohibiting paperbacks might be a step in discouraging chair hogs. Who wants to lose their smart phone?🤷🏻‍♂️

 

Maybe people will just bring an old one to leave to hold their chair  😉

 

If someone want to save chairs they will find a way

[ldubs]

14 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Electronic readers have been such a boon to me. Not only can I have a ready library of dozens of books to choose from when I want to relax and read, I can also have all of my references with me about the ports being visited -- guide books, history books, etc. 

 

They have made it so much easier to travel light.

 

So true.  It is now nothing to carry a pretty decent library in that little notebook.   Beyond that I appreciate the page formatting tools.  I have both the Fire (older model) and Paperwhite.   For setting back and reading a good book, I prefer the Paperwhite.      

[BoozinCroozin]

I have no issue with a vaccine passport. As long as I have easy access to get it, I will be fine with it.

[Pudgesmom]

EU announced today they are launching their digital covid “certificate” for citizens. I hope we aren’t far behind.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/european-union-digital-covid-passport

Edited June 2, 2021 by Pudgesmom

[CPT Trips]

7 hours ago, Pudgesmom said:

EU announced today they are launching their digital covid “certificate” for citizens. I hope we aren’t far behind.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/european-union-digital-covid-passport

if the metric system gives us any clue, it will be a cold day in #€££ when we get a vaccine passport.

[Pudgesmom]

6 minutes ago, CPT Trips said:

if the metric system gives us any clue, it will be a cold day in #€££ when we get a vaccine passport.

What would be your objection to having a way to show other countries that you are vaccinated?