What cruiselines are NOT requiring us to carry smartphones???

[bazzaw]

I am not that old fashioned and do have a smartphone. But I resent being forced to use it or even have to carry it upon my person. I am thinking that I will place Princess on my personal Blacklist because of Medallion. How about RCL? We have a Cunard cruise first up in 2023 and then hopefully will do an RCL cruise locally - and maybe a cruise in Japan( there are a few cruiselines which do Japan so would like an alternative to Princess) 

[SinbadThePorter]

I don't know that you have to have a smartphone to sail on Princess. You only need it if you want to run the app.

 

The app has never worked properly for me, so I don't use it on board. The Medallion doesn't really have much to do with smartphones, except maybe for ordering via the app, and there are several alternative methods of ordering.

 

[MMDown Under]

8 minutes ago, bazzaw said:

I am not that old fashioned and do have a smartphone. But I resent being forced to use it or even have to carry it upon my person. I am thinking that I will place Princess on my personal Blacklist because of Medalliinon. How about RCL? We have a Cunard cruise first up in 2023 and then hopefully will do an RCL cruise locally - and maybe a cruise in Japan( there are a few cruiselines which do Japan so would like an alternative to Princess) 

I have a smartphone but do not carry it with me.  When I worked, we were expected to take our phone with us.  When I was told to take it to the toilet, I knew it was time to finish work.  

Surely cruise lines won't expect me to carry a phone with me!  They certainly didn't when I last cruised.

[lyndarra]

The last couple of times I cruised with HAL (2017 & 2018) I had a smartphone but their app was so buggy I couldn't use it despite numerous trips to CSD. Managed quite well without it.

[MMDown Under]

17 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

The last couple of times I cruised with HAL (2017 & 2018) I had a smartphone but their app was so buggy I couldn't use it despite numerous trips to CSD. Managed quite well without it.

Surely cruise lines understand that a large proportion of their passengers are seniors and not all have smartphones or are not proficient in their use.  

[OzKiwiJJ]

You don't need to have a smartphone if you don't want one. Much of the pre-cruise stuff can be done through the Personalizer version of the app. You'll just have to take pot luck with arrival groups. Take paper copies of vaccination cert, and a printout of your RAT photo if you can. They'll sort it all out during check-in. All you need onboard is your medallion.

[mum and son]

I cruise regularly with my parents, who are 88 and 86yo, neither can work out how to make a phone call on their phones. We don't take their phones with us and it makes absolutely no difference. 

 

They even struggle with opening the cabin door with their medallion. I often hear them outside the door trying to work out how to get in. They make it eventually 🤣.

 

[MMDown Under]

54 minutes ago, mum and son said:

I cruise regularly with my parents, who are 88 and 86yo, neither can work out how to make a phone call on their phones. We don't take their phones with us and it makes absolutely no difference. 

 

They even struggle with opening the cabin door with their medallion. I often hear them outside the door trying to work out how to get in. They make it eventually 🤣.

 

Thank you

[MMDown Under]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

You don't need to have a smartphone if you don't want one. Much of the pre-cruise stuff can be done through the Personalizer version of the app. You'll just have to take pot luck with arrival groups. Take paper copies of vaccination cert, and a printout of your RAT photo if you can. They'll sort it all out during check-in. All you need onboard is your medallion.

Thank you

[Tripmode33]

Currently on Luminosa and frustrated at needing to carry phone to get into breakfast or brunch without suffering undue stress.  Will try and do full Luminosa report, good and bad, once home next week. 

On Princess, App is very handy prior to cruise and ordering food and drinks once onboard but I can lock it in safe and not carry around if I don't want to. I don't feel I can do that on Luminosa if wanting breakfast in MDR which is sad. Dinner is fine if a fixed time sitting. Just walk to your table. Perfect. Your Time Dining guests suggest you need App unless you don't mind stress.

[bazzaw]

What App is required for Luminosa??

[Hogbay]

39 minutes ago, bazzaw said:

What App is required for Luminosa??

Don't do apps ... it is Not a requirement to sail on any ship . But Carnival hub on either i or g store .

[Hogbay]

2 minutes ago, Hogbay said:

Don't do apps ... it is Not a requirement to sail on any ship . But Carnival hub on either i or g store .

https://www.carnival.com.au/hub-app

[Chiliburn]

7 hours ago, bazzaw said:

How about RCL? 

The only technology you require for Royal Caribbean is to set up a account with your details,I.D credit card ( a travel agent can do it for you). and just turn up at the terminal with a dumb look.

[cruisine21]

On my last Princess cruise with my then 88 and 92 yr old parents they didn’t take a smart phone. Mum never learnt to use one.

[mum and son]

7 hours ago, Tripmode33 said:

Currently on Luminosa and frustrated at needing to carry phone to get into breakfast or brunch without suffering undue stress. 

Why do you need a smart phone to eat in the MDR? Do you register for dinner and that's how they notify you that a table is available?

[Tripmode33]

8 hours ago, mum and son said:

Why do you need a smart phone to eat in the MDR? Do you register for dinner and that's how they notify you that a table is available?

Say breakfast starts at 8am. A few minutes before you'll notice on the App that you can book in. So you select whether sharing or not, then usually about ten minutes later they message you a table number. There are waiters at the door to show your app to so they'll take you to the table.

Meanwhile, if not using App, you line up before it opens at 8am. They open and ask you if you used App. They offer to do it for you on their machine and ask you to step aside and come back in 20 minutes to check if you've been allocated a table. So the crowd of discontent non-app users build up outside the mostly empty restaurant, until they finally offer you a table. Not the ideal start to day for those that choose not to, or can't, use the App.

They will bring you a paper menu if you really can't use your phone for menu.

[mum and son]

4 minutes ago, Tripmode33 said:

Say breakfast starts at 8am. A few minutes before you'll notice on the App that you can book in. So you select whether sharing or not, then usually about ten minutes later they message you a table number. There are waiters at the door to show your app to so they'll take you to the table.

Meanwhile, if not using App, you line up before it opens at 8am. They open and ask you if you used App. They offer to do it for you on their machine and ask you to step aside and come back in 20 minutes to check if you've been allocated a table. So the crowd of discontent non-app users build up outside the mostly empty restaurant, until they finally offer you a table. Not the ideal start to day for those that choose not to, or can't, use the App.

They will bring you a paper menu if you really can't use your phone for menu.

Oh that does sound painful. Luckily I always cruise with my parents to assist them. But they would always want to be handed a paper menu in an MDR regardless. Isn't that part of the charm of cruising? You get to dine in a full service dining room, which is something that is very hard to find these days at home??

 

People used to compliment me on my son's table manners all throughout his youth, and I used to say "he goes on a lot of cruises and knows how to sit up at a formal table and use cutlery, napkins etc". So many kids don't ever get that experience now.

[LuckiePuris]

On 11/10/2022 at 9:03 AM, mum and son said:

Oh that does sound painful. Luckily I always cruise with my parents to assist them. But they would always want to be handed a paper menu in an MDR regardless. Isn't that part of the charm of cruising? You get to dine in a full service dining room, which is something that is very hard to find these days at home??

 

People used to compliment me on my son's table manners all throughout his youth, and I used to say "he goes on a lot of cruises and knows how to sit up at a formal table and use cutlery, napkins etc". So many kids don't ever get that experience now.

I traditionally like the paper menus however I understand why they’re limiting them at the moment to avoid spread of germs between guests with menus being passed from guest to guest.

 

 

[MMDown Under]

8 hours ago, LuckiePuris said:

I traditionally like the paper menus however I understand why they’re limiting them at the moment to avoid spread of germs between guests with menus being passed from guest to guest.

 

 

Can you see the menus on the tv in your cabin?

[Amaroo Andrew]

Having done 2 Princess and 1 Carnival cruise in the past couple of months I have experienced both systems. Having said that I must admit to being a bit of a luddite when it comes to mobile phones although I do have one. All the initial and ongoing stuff was done by my PA (tech savvy son) my mobile stayed in the cabin most of the time.

As much as it pains me to say the Carnival Ap worked a little better for the MDR stuff in that after making a mobile reservation the Ap messaged back when your table was ready unlike the Medallion Ap. This, along with the Tiger Masala Curry Bistro,are the only good things I have to say about Carnival Splendor!

On Majestic Princess there was usually chaos at the MDRs with large queues outside, inadequately set tables and waiters scampering about trying to find unoccupied tables. The Princess MDRs are Ap free zones for service as the staff are still operating on the pen and pad ordering system, not that this is a bad system. And what a joy it is on a Formal Night Dinner to look around the room and see a sizable percentage of people engrossed in their mobile phones texting, Twittering and YouTubing during their meal.

I am currently trying to find out to set up a permanent 7.30 MDR reservation at the same shared large table in the same restaurant with the same waiters for our next cruise on Coral. I'll be happy then and will use the magnificent Medallion to open the cabin door and order drinks.

[OzKiwiJJ]

29 minutes ago, Amaroo Andrew said:

 

I am currently trying to find out to set up a permanent 7.30 MDR reservation at the same shared large table in the same restaurant with the same waiters for our next cruise on Coral. I'll be happy then and will use the magnificent Medallion to open the cabin door and order drinks.

I think if you want the large table for just your group of people then you need to link all your bookings so that when you go to book your dining it sees you as one 'party". After that I'm not sure.

 

However once on board talk to the dining room host - the person who sorts out which table you get each night - and ask for/confirm the same table each night. If it's Mariana in the Bordeaux MDR she is very helpful.

 

 

 

 

[LuckiePuris]

7 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

Can you see the menus on the tv in your cabin?

I’m not too sure sorry but i imagine it could be hard to remember them by the time you’re ordering (it would be for me!)

[MMDown Under]

1 minute ago, LuckiePuris said:

I’m not too sure sorry but i imagine it could be hard to remember them by the time you’re ordering (it would be for me!)

Yes, I would write down my choices. 

[LuckiePuris]

6 hours ago, Amaroo Andrew said:

And what a joy it is on a Formal Night Dinner to look around the room and see a sizable percentage of people engrossed in their mobile phones texting, Twittering and YouTubing during their meal.

 

 

Like with everything though, not all guests will use technology for those reasons mentioned.

 

We enjoy using our phones other times for social media, news, catching up with family, and will take the phones to dinner so we can check the menus/take some photos, but meal times are important times for us together so phones wouldn’t be used in the MDR for those reasons.

 

The people you describe above may use their phones at the table regardless if it was needed for the menus or not.