Printed Port Guides

[Cruzin Terri]

i am presently on the Nautica.  One of the things I noticed is that the printed Port Guides are no longer inserted in Currents on the evening prior to a port call.  A little more research revealed that they are only on the interactive TV.

I visited Destination Services and asked if there was a way to get a printed copy of the guides.  I was told that everything is virtual now.  So I asked if I could download it to my mobile device.  The answer is no, it is only available on TV.  So I told them it is a bit difficult to carry the TV into port with me and the only other alternative is to take notes, which then no longer makes it virtual.

They agreed to print copies for me, but it was only for me.

Somehow, I don’t feel that this was something Oceania thought out very carefully.

Is the Nautica the only ship doing this, or is this fleet wide?

Terri

Edited April 16, 2022 by Cruzin Terri

[Flatbush Flyer]

Just now, Cruzin Terri said:

i am presently on the Nautica.  One of the things I noticed is that the printed Port Guides are no longer inserted in Currents on the evening prior to a port call.  A little more research revealed that they are only on the interactive TV.

I visited Destination Services and asked if there was a way to get a printed copy of the guides.  I was told that everything is virtual now.  So I asked if I could download it to my mobile device.  The answer is no, it is only available on TV.  So I told them it is a bit difficult to carry the TV into port with me and the only other alternative is to take notes, which then no longer makes it virtual.

They agreed to print copies for me, but it was only for me.

Somehow, I don’t feel that this was something Oceania thought out very carefully.

Is the Nautica the only ship doing this, or is this fleet wide?

Terri

On our most recent cruise (Riviera), the printed inserts were available for ports replacing relatively “last minute” schedule changes.

FWIW, you could take smart phone pix of the info on the TV.

[Cruzin Terri]

4 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

On our most recent cruise (Riviera), the printed inserts were available for ports replacing relatively “last minute” schedule changes.

FWIW, you could take smart phone pix of the info on the TV.

You would have to take a number of pictures because you have to keep scrolling down.  The whole page does not show up on the TV. The TV is very wide and the whole page would not fit across even in landscape.  It would be so small you would not be able to read it.  Not user friendly.

This was not thought out very carefully on O’s part.

Terri

Edited April 16, 2022 by Cruzin Terri

[Flatbush Flyer]

4 minutes ago, Cruzin Terri said:

You would have to take a number of pictures because you have to keep scrolling down.  The whole page does not show up on the TV. The TV is very wide and the whole page would not fit across even in landscape.  It would be so small you would not be able to read it.  Not user friendly.

This was not thought out very carefully on O’s part.

Terri

Hopefully you put this in your mid or end of cruise review.

[Cruzin Terri]

1 minute ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Hopefully you put this in your mid or end of cruise review.

I did.

Terri

 

[FetaCheese]

Was also disappointed when printed next day menu was omitted from daily. It was nice to be able to see entire menu, and make written notes. Also was a nice souvenir to take home, as a remembrance of cruise. I prefer printed stuff. Guess I'm old school !

[NattilyAttired]

I am guessing that, in this age of Covid, Oceania (like so many other companies) is doing everything it can to provide "contactless services." Examples: submitting our room key photos digitally from home, having digital boarding passes and other records, virtual muster drill, etc. By eliminating some of the paper goods which are circulated by staff to guests, they are reducing both costs and risk of contagion. As I said, this is a guess and is not stated as fact. 

[Cruzin Terri]

17 minutes ago, NattilyAttired said:

I am guessing that, in this age of Covid, Oceania (like so many other companies) is doing everything it can to provide "contactless services." Examples: submitting our room key photos digitally from home, having digital boarding passes and other records, virtual muster drill, etc. By eliminating some of the paper goods which are circulated by staff to guests, they are reducing both costs and risk of contagion. As I said, this is a guess and is not stated as fact. 

I would tend to agree with that, except that we are still getting printed copies of Currents and other useless paper.  This is something that I feel is something useful and yet this is what they chose to eliminate. We still get the specialty restaurant reservations, ads for future cruises, spa appointments, jewelry and casino tournaments.  

The one thing that is helpful is the thing that goes.  I mentioned it in the mid cruise comment form that we received (paper).

Terri

Edited April 16, 2022 by Cruzin Terri

[nursinadream]

Does Oceania have a phone app that offers all that good info?  I watched a YouTube video about cruising in general that encouraged cruisers to get their cruiseline app because so much is offered there.

Deb

[pinotlover]

Last summer our cruise line made it simple. QR codes. Menus, excursions, daily ship events, et.al. a QR code. One reads the QR code and merely does a screen shot of what they want to save. It’s then in photos.

 

Instead of carrying paper  around if you insist upon keeping it as a memento, just email the photo to yourself, once home, and print it out.

 

QR codes are time and materials savers for all. Oceania should give them a try. In Charleston last month, many of even the upscale restaurants had QR codes for menus and wine lists. No more one use toss and creating more unnecessary trash , or having to continually wipe down menus. 

[susiesan]

2 hours ago, NattilyAttired said:

 By eliminating some of the paper goods which are circulated by staff to guests, they are reducing both costs and risk of contagion. As I said, this is a guess and is not stated as fact. 

No one gets covid from a piece of paper.

[NattilyAttired]

NVM. Some people just want to argue.

[Cruzin Terri]

I received a call from Destination Services tonight.  They thanked me for my comments and assured me that they would pass them on to the front office in Miami.  They said that this is fleet wide now.  I again told them that this does not work very well for those of us who appreciate the ability to take that information ashore with us.  And not everyone even knows that this information exists on the TV.

Terri

[Cruzin Terri]

48 minutes ago, NattilyAttired said:

NVM. Some people just want to argue.

I am not trying to argue.  I am trying to be practical.  They had something that was very workable and took it away.  I wonder who thinks up these things.

Terri

[susiesan]

26 minutes ago, Cruzin Terri said:

I am not trying to argue.  I am trying to be practical.  They had something that was very workable and took it away.  I wonder who thinks up these things.

Terri

The continued degrading of cruising in 2022. Higher and higher prices and less and less services.

[basor]

We found the port information in the currents and took that page with us....

[Cruzin Terri]

Not the same information.

Terri

[PhD-iva]

20 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Last summer our cruise line made it simple. QR codes. Menus, excursions, daily ship events, et.al. a QR code. One reads the QR code and merely does a screen shot of what they want to save. It’s then in photos.

 

Instead of carrying paper  around if you insist upon keeping it as a memento, just email the photo to yourself, once home, and print it out.

 

QR codes are time and materials savers for all. Oceania should give them a try. In Charleston last month, many of even the upscale restaurants had QR codes for menus and wine lists. No more one use toss and creating more unnecessary trash , or having to continually wipe down menus. 

O’s internet/wifi is abysmal. Don’t make me use a QR code to do anything while on board!

[JudiK]

22 hours ago, NattilyAttired said:

I am guessing that, in this age of Covid, Oceania (like so many other companies) is doing everything it can to provide "contactless services." Examples: submitting our room key photos digitally from home, having digital boarding passes and other records, virtual muster drill, etc. By eliminating some of the paper goods which are circulated by staff to guests, they are reducing both costs and risk of contagion. As I said, this is a guess and is not stated as fact. 

What a pain that was. Picture was too big or too small. Took us quite some time to get acceptable pictures 

[pinotlover]

2 hours ago, PhD-iva said:

O’s internet/wifi is abysmal. Don’t make me use a QR code to do anything while on board!

While I totally agree with your position regarding Oceania’s dismissal wifi, connection to the Internet is not required to read most QR codes. This is especially the case for the simple codes used for menus and brochure type materials. 
 

Basically think of it as an app like your calculator. You don’t need the Internet or wifi to get it to work.

[robbie21]

I have found that QR code menus are seldom convenient to use.  Generally you see only a small portion of the menu and have  to scroll up or down a lot.  Sometime you have to zoom to read it and then zoom back to scroll to the next section. You can't, for example, flip from the wine list back to the entrees without scrolling and zooming. Basically a frustrating PITA.  Waiters have told me that they get lots more questions on the menu when QR codes are used and it wastes their time.