R.I.P. Cruise Compass on Navigator of the Seas

[teddybear231]

I had a feeling this day would come...

 

Even though I do have an iPhone, I still love to read the cruise compass. We usually bring it down to breakfast and read it like a newspaper (I still get newspapers delivered as well). I like to mark things I want to do down, or circle/highlight certain items. Call me old school, but hopefully they still print up some copies that you can request from guest services for the people who want it.

[RoperDK]

5 hours ago, moonltnite said:

It should be an option, where those that want the printed copies can get them throughout the cruise - and others fine with just using the app can just view info there. 

 

I'm in IT - and there are some things I still feel are easier to review printed than on my phone or laptop. 

 

We like having a printed Cruise Compass to review at night for the next day.  The app looks like it'll be great for scheduling things - but some info you want to see all together and not by scrolling through page after page. 

 

This!  I cruised on Mardi Gras recently and missed have a paper copy of activities.  I am also in IT and live on my phone.  Carnival did not provide paper copies in the cabins but had a supply at GS for those who wanted them.  Problem solved....several hundred copies instead of several thousand.     

[davekathy]

If in fact RC is going to go forward with this stupid change (fleetwide) there should be a place in our CP or the app that we can request the Cruise Compass be delivered to our cabin during the evening turn down service. 

[SG65CB]

6 minutes ago, davekathy said:

If in fact RC is going to go forward with this stupid change (fleetwide) there should be a place in our CP or the app that we can request the Cruise Compass be delivered to our cabin during the evening turn down service. 

 

If the Cruise Compass will be by request only you can tell your cabin attendant and they'll deliver it daily as usual. 

 

[davekathy]

12 minutes ago, SG65CB said:

 

If the Cruise Compass will be by request only you can tell your cabin attendant and they'll deliver it daily as usual. 

 

That will work also. Still (if) a unnecessary change. 

[Vibe]

There is a small percentage of cruise passengers that participate in web browser message boards like this, that demographic is more likely to want a printed copy of the Cruise Compass. Most people these days especially the younger ones do everything on their smart phone through apps and would not be concerned if they had to use the Royal Caribbean app for everything. I found myself using the app more than the paper copies during my three Royal Caribbean cruises since the restart.

 

I just returned from a Disney Cruise, everything was on their Navigator app including dining menus. No paper at all.  It worked out very well, did not seem to have a negative impact.

 

Edited March 2, 2022 by Vibe

[DandDM]

I'll go on record as being someone that really likes the app and much prefers it to the paper cruise compasses.  Been on four cruises since the restart and have not missed the paper at all.  In fact, on our Navigator cruise that ended yesterday, our Steward brought the compasses a few times and they were ignored. 

 

I like being able to create my own calendar, reserve events, look at the events for future cruise days, and see menus (food and drink) at any time.

 

There are some improvements they can make: I wish they had a weather forecast specific to the ships planned location, and better port info available.

 

But I did get a few good chuckles reading this thread...

[neverbeenhere]

I can do without it, I guess.  It was always good to use as a coaster.  Can’t believe how many cruises I read the thing and never really used it to schedule anything. Just cruise the ship until we ran into something. 

[xpcdoojk]

So, for me… its value was in alerting me that there is an evening flowrider event.  So, I could then have the task of telling DW, you are on your own tonight for dinner, I will be on the FR.  This only works if we are traveling with friends….

 

Again, if you are saving 40 year old cruise compasses, please quit and toss them now before your children have to dig thru it and toss it.

 

JMHO and YMMV

 

jc

[OSUZorba]

16 hours ago, time4u2go said:

I could be wrong, but I would guess that most people are primarily interested in the detailed daily schedule portion of the cruise compass, as opposed to the "public service announcements" portion.  If nothing else, this could be printed on one page, as opposed to the current two-page printout, thus saving half of the paper.

I personally prefer the layout of all the operating times in one spot on the Compass. It is really annoying to click on every single thing to get the daily times.

 

Also they don't put any daily information about AO in the app at all.

 

I wish they would at least put a full compass in the app, or at least all of the information contained in it on the app in one spot.

[OSUZorba]

4 hours ago, DandDM said:

I'll go on record as being someone that really likes the app and much prefers it to the paper cruise compasses.  Been on four cruises since the restart and have not missed the paper at all.  In fact, on our Navigator cruise that ended yesterday, our Steward brought the compasses a few times and they were ignored. 

 

I like being able to create my own calendar, reserve events, look at the events for future cruise days, and see menus (food and drink) at any time.

 

There are some improvements they can make: I wish they had a weather forecast specific to the ships planned location, and better port info available.

 

But I did get a few good chuckles reading this thread...

I think the app is great. I just think the UI fails at providing some of the information that was on the compass in a quick and easy way, which could be fixed.

 

I'm also on a computer all day every day. One of the biggest reasons I fall in love with cruising was the phone went into the safe when I got to my room the first day and didn't come out again until I was getting off. I don't like carrying it around with me. But I also rarely carried around the compass either, so that isn't a big issue unless they stop printing menus.

 

In the last two years I haven't printed a single thing for work, so I am not anti-computer, just anti-100 clicks to do what should be available in a quick glance.

[cublet]

Hello,

 

Where the daily Cruise Compass was not issued, was the brochure of ship's excursions printed and distributed? The amount of detail showing on the app (for ex UK cruises anyway) is not sufficient for me to make a decision on which to book.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

[soremekun]

17 hours ago, Husky1987 said:

 

I'm willing to bet quite a few people in this thread still write checks at the grocery store.

Maybe the peasants.  I bring gold bars and nuggets.

[soremekun]

1 hour ago, MadamGorgeous said:

Maybe a dumb question, but do you need internet connection to access the app while onboard? 

No purchase of internet plan is needed in order to use the app.  

[Biker19]

7 minutes ago, MadamGorgeous said:

When in airplane mode, it doesn’t function.  

Right, you need to turn on WiFi for it to work, but you DON'T need a paid Voom plan - the app gets its data via wifi from the ship. The app is not very good at reacquiring the ship wifi signal  - that's why you were getting those errors - you would have gotten the same error even if you had a paid Voom plan.

[Vibe]

5 hours ago, MadamGorgeous said:

Maybe a dumb question, but do you need internet connection to access the app while onboard? 

You can put your phone in Airplane mode then select the ships Wi-Fi, a purchase of a data plan is not required to use the Royal Caribbean app

[time4u2go]

46 minutes ago, MadamGorgeous said:

Actually, you do need an internet connection to use the app. When in airplane mode, it doesn’t function.

Not true.  You can be in airplane mode and enable wifi, which is all that is needed in order to use the app.

[cruiseguy1016]

7 hours ago, OSUZorba said:

I personally prefer the layout of all the operating times in one spot on the Compass. It is really annoying to click on every single thing to get the daily times.

 

Also they don't put any daily information about AO in the app at all.

 

I wish they would at least put a full compass in the app, or at least all of the information contained in it on the app in one spot.

 

This makes sense to people that want to carry their phone all over the ship with them. Many people do not want to do that. I would prefer to carry a piece of paper that I can fold and put in my pocket.

Edited March 2, 2022 by cruiseguy1016

[little britain]

Today the cruise compass says there is brunch in the MDR.

Today the app does not mention brunch. 
 

Give me paper version any day! 

[BND]

56 minutes ago, little britain said:

Today the cruise compass says there is brunch in the MDR.

Today the app does not mention brunch. 
 

Give me paper version any day! 

Since when does Royal do brunch in the MDR?

[njkruzer]

Just now, BND said:

Since when does Royal do brunch in the MDR?

Sometimes on sea days.

[JupiterTwo]

On 2/28/2022 at 4:41 PM, bonsai3s said:

Moses ended that 😉

The cruise was going swimmingly until the Red Sea parted...

[jbrinkm]

This is a super small population and not relevant to most cruisers, but my 12 year old is a planner but is too young to have the app (must be 13 to have a Royal account to log into app...). He would love to see and use the paper version of the Cruise Compass. 

[BND]

21 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

Sometimes on sea days.

I have never seen that on Royal.  Carnival, yes, Royal no.  We were just on HOTS for 14 nights in Nov/Dec and never once was "brunch" offered.  

[time4u2go]

3 minutes ago, BND said:

I have never seen that on Royal.  Carnival, yes, Royal no.  We were just on HOTS for 14 nights in Nov/Dec and never once was "brunch" offered.  

I think it was more common before covid. I definitely remember it from cruises in the past.