Shore Ex Assistance on Ship

[Funsun60]

We plan to download HAL Navigator app as recommended. However, on reading some comments, there are some instances when the app may not work or there are problems with the phone when on board. As shore excursion info is updated on the app re: change of place to meet or change in time of the excursion, is there another method to obtain this info outside the app if we run into this issue? Will the shore ex staff be able to help, is the info available on the TV, etc. Thanks for any info you can provide.

[sahara1]

We were not able to use the app on our old phone. We never new if we were booked on an excursion, where to meet, when or if it was changed or cancelled. They just kept saying they were paperless!

[YourWorldWithBill]

I have heard that the Navigator has problems with certain older cell phones. But on our cruise in May it worked perfectly.

[Mary229]

If there is a change of time or meeting you will receive a letter in your stateroom.  And yes Shorex does have office hours and can help with a variety of tasks

[Ottawa traveller]

Shore excursion info is available on the TV.  You can also book on the TV.

[colbe]

7 hours ago, sahara1 said:

We were not able to use the app on our old phone. We never new if we were booked on an excursion, where to meet, when or if it was changed or cancelled. They just kept saying they were paperless!

The information is also on your TV.

[Funsun60]

Thanks to everyone for your help. I will go forward with the belief our phone app will work, but know if we have problems, that any updated  info about our previously booked excursions can be obtained via other resources on the ship. We plan to do most ports on our own so only have a couple of excursions through HAL. Happy cruising to all

[Crewbie]

We didn't use the app on our time recently on the Zuiderdam, mostly first relying on checking in with the shore excursion office onboard and then eventually referencing/checking on current meeting times and locations via the TV interface from our room. It took some time for these to be regularly room accessible in that it felt like the meeting times and places weren't always directly loaded into the TV shore excursions menu until later in the journey, but the team onboard felt at least responsive and understanding that not everyone was on or able to access the app. We were waitlist on a few excursions - in cases of waitlist, the shore excursions team notified by phone call and/or by a paper letter.

 

Hopefully all will be well and you'll have no issues with the app, but just in case, I hope it's a bit of comfort knowing you have many options should the app go awry: you can locate the excursion office, let them know and underscore if you do have any difficulties getting the info/using the app (they were helping many on our ship get familiar with it the first day), keep track of what their office hours are, check out their TV display even if it's off hours (it did rotate to displaying meeting times and locations when I wandered by), and know that your TV should have all that information under the shore excursion menu, too. (At the last ditch, the shore excursion personnel were regularly at the main stage the day of in getting groups on their way, if you ever had a last-minute inquiry.) Hope happy cruising to you.

[Funsun60]

Thank you for this excellent and extensive reply. Hope you had a great time on your recent cruise, although no cruise can be a bad cruise.

[Banditswife]

Do the tour operators also have your name & cabin #?  I remember them having trouble reading our tickets from our phones, wonder if they've gotten this corrected.  And if the app doesn't work on our phones, how do the tour operators know we have a paid tour ticket?

[Cruise Suzy]

21 minutes ago, Banditswife said:

Do the tour operators also have your name & cabin #?  I remember them having trouble reading our tickets from our phones, wonder if they've gotten this corrected.  And if the app doesn't work on our phones, how do the tour operators know we have a paid tour ticket?

 

They scan your keycard. We don't have smartphones and have no problem.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Cruise Suzy said:

 

They scan your keycard. We don't have smartphones and have no problem.

I was wondering after reading many of the previous posts what happened if you do not have a smartphone. Thanks for letting me know it is not necessary.