What new ship's amenity would you like?

[SueSea]

[quote name='kruznfool']Wouldn't it be nice if the onboard photographer(s) gave you a slip with some kind of identifier on it every time they took your picture and then you could review pictures with that identifier on the TV screen in your cabin?[/QUOTE]Carnival signed an agreement earlier this year to conduct a pilot enhanced technology to improve their photo process. It includes facial recognition software that will scan your face when you enter the kiosk and will find any picture with you in it. Don't know if they've started the pilot or not, though. For more info, see [url="http://www.carnival.com/CMS/Articles/digital_photo.aspx"]http://www.carnival.com/CMS/Articles/digital_photo.aspx[/url][url="http://www.iwsinc.com/News/carnival.cfm"][/url].

[catmand]

[quote name='kruznfool']Wouldn't it be nice if the onboard photographer(s) gave you a slip with some kind of identifier on it every time they took your picture and then you could review pictures with that identifier on the TV screen in your cabin?
[probably requires them to use high-quality digital cameras vs. using film]

And...you could order your picture right there on the TV, have them billed to your onboard account; they would then be printed and delivered to your cabin maybe sometime the next day?

Not only would this save all that wasted photographic paper but I bet it would be a lot easier to find your pictures on a ship where there are 3,000 other passengers!

For newer ships that are "wired", this really seems like it would be a technologically feasible and cost effective approach.[/QUOTE][font=Comic Sans MS][size=3]what a great idea....the pic's on the Star were all digital. I thought it was such a waste to see all of those snaps where we looked just [b][i]like our parents, [/i][/b]buy them, hell we would have paid to burn them. I thought something should be done but had no idea what. Again, I do think your idea is super.[/size][/font]

[bostonlass]

I like that idea of the rent a puppy, or something like that. Nothing like snuggling with a pooch when you're missing your own pet!

I second the pictures on the tv screen idea!! It's so hard to find yours in all of the other ones plus I'm not fond of everyone being able to see my picture.

[sunsetme]

STARBUCKS! and a dog to pet

[jemingway]

I second the swim in bar and sports bar with real bar food(high fat, high carbs, high cholesterol, etc.). How about a real library that is truly stocked, any type of talk/lecture that does not mention shopping, more stores(souvenir and otherwise), game arcade for older kids and more specialty restaurants(with greater atmosphere and privacy) to name a few.

[Nliedel]

[quote name='bostonlass']I like that idea of the rent a puppy, or something like that. Nothing like snuggling with a pooch when you're missing your own pet!

I second the pictures on the tv screen idea!! It's so hard to find yours in all of the other ones plus I'm not fond of everyone being able to see my picture.[/QUOTE]

As I have posted I have been stuck in the hospital for 38 days now (I am starting to count so this is BAD!! hehe)... anyway, yesterday on my daily wheelchair ride I saw one of the service dogs that visits Pediatrics. I went nuts!! I have not seen my dog in 38 days (thank goodness I have a wonderful husband who brings me pictures and great kid who bring me stories of her) and I did not know how much you can miss a dog!!! So a dog on a long term cruise would be wonderful for those who miss theirs.

I love the digital camera on the TV screens.. what a great idea!!!!!!

[srphnx]

[b][color=black]I love the idea of bars with food, I would love to take a little to go to feed a mascot dog.. fatten that fella up![/color][/b]

[irislady]

Great ideas from everyone...especially bars with food or at least some kind of appetizers even if they were an additional charge and port talks that are actually about the ports and not the shops.

We did miss the on-screen account access, too.

My then-3 year old nephew would tell you that the one thing he'd miss onboard Princess is the vibrating massage chairs with rollers that they had on the Pride (Carnival). My nephew and his older cousins and siblings had left the dining room to go to the game room with a handful of dollars. His older brother came back to the table all upset because they "couldn't get Stevie out of the chair", and he was spending all of their money in it. We had no idea what he was talking about it. We followed him to one of the lounge areas where Steven looked to be absolutely in heaven as he got a full body massage from the chair. The instant the chair stopped doing its magic he jumped up and stuck another dollar in it. The look on his face was so funny that total strangers walking by started handing him dollar bills! (BTW, after the crowds had dispersed and the kids were back on their way to the game room I HAD to try the chair... YEP... certainly worth a buck!!
Shae

[srphnx]

[b][color=black]Here is an idea that has never occured to me before.. bars have phones, phones call room service, the bar is a room, what if you offered a fat tip or what if you just brought your room service order to the bar? I am seeing sandwiches and beers in the future.[/color][/b]

[spaceguy]

I am waiting for my Princess cruise in Oct...But based upon other cruise experiences, why can't they do the history, culture, etc program of a port/country and at LEAST play it on the TV? At least do more than repeat the shopping talks.

I would like to be treated as a fully paying person (which I am) and have them include food choices such as non dairy/egg desserts and provide soy milk, soy "ice cream" soy cheese, (or rice versions) etc. I cannot eat dairy, eggs, or meat and the selections are VERY limited on the vegetarian menu as they include cheese or eggs. This includes many soups, salad dressings, and a majority of desserts. These would also be available from room service, at tea time, and in buffets....

[PescadoAmarillo]

[quote name='srphnx'][b][color=black]Here is an idea that has never occured to me before.. bars have phones, phones call room service, the bar is a room, what if you offered a fat tip or what if you just brought your room service order to the bar? I am seeing sandwiches and beers in the future.[/color][/b][/QUOTE]
I don't know why that wouldn't work, unless someone would complain about the dishes (so...bus your own table). We frequently travel in an inside cabin, and will order dinner from the room service menu, meet the person delivering it and lead them up (usually) one deck to a quiet outside deck, which is generally empty during the evening, and have our own balcony dinner. No one has ever said we couldn't do it (of course, the nice tip helps), and we just take the dishes down to the buffet area when we're done.

[Pam in CA]

Spaceguy... if you let the Maitre D' know in your dining room, I'm sure they'd be happy to accommodate you with dishes you can eat and enjoy. Just let them know and they'll bring the next day's menus (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and you can request preparation changes.

On the Royal Princess several years ago, we had a gentleman at our table who observed the Jewish dietary laws and was also diabetic. Every day, special dishes were prepared for him and he had a great cruise.

On our recent Regal cruise, a couple at our table were strict vegans (no meat, eggs, dairy, etc.) They were given several menus at a time and they could pick what they wanted from any of the menus. The Maitre D' was very accommodating and arranged the special dishes prepared for them.

As long as you have a dietary restriction, this shouldn't be a hindrance to your full enjoyment of your cruise. All you have to do is ask.

[Racegoer]

*Starbucks or similar quality coffee
*In room coffee makers, the hotels have them why not cruise ships
*Better selection of beers, how about a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale of a Stone IPA
*Poker room, with its boom in popularity
*a real system for making sure deck chairs were properly used, not saved all day, or lost with a quick dip in the pool or bathroom break.
Ditto on the Dogs

[Speechless]

This may be a retarded idea.

But I always thought it would be cool to have a lower deck on the aft reserved for deep sea fishing.

How cool would that be? huh.....huh?

And maybe they can use that same area, for skeet shooting.
Except the skeet dishes (or whatever you call them) are made of compressed fish food so you're actually BENEFITING the environment while having FUN!!!!

Or...or bungee jumping from Skywalker's.

GO KARTS!!!!

A shooting range

[cruzfiend]

I like the idea of a slide in the pool like Carnival has. They are great!!

[roohound]

On my Alaska cruise on the Coral this past May, the CD Brian Price did a proper ports of call lecture...we got to hear some of the interesting tidbits about the various ports and not once was any shopping mentioned..it was like heaven.

Diamonds International can bite me

..altho the worst was on Carnival (warning,,,slight off-topic tirade ahead). We took a ship's excursion to Tulum...and they said on the way back we'd have a bathroom break...and we'd be stopping at Lapis which was just this wonderful store. Ok, that's great. We stopped there (I think they sold mostly jewelry and some rugs and really high priced touristy crap. So me and this other gal enter the place and they were congregating the whole bus into one area to throw some spiel on us. We made a beeline for the bathroom, and one of the Lapis people was like no, no, no, you can't go to the bathroom, you must listen to the lecture first.

Excuse me?

Needless to say we ignored him and we were not even remotely amused.

Ok, tirade over

I also like the idea of bar food at bars, a drink card, and a ship critter would be nice.

Sphinx.....why not just stop at Horizon Court before you hit the bar and get a sandwich there? I know they have sandwich bars where they will make stuff specifically for you..but they also had a number of pre-made sandwiches...just grab and go.

[calikak]

[quote name='roohound']

Sphinx.....why not just stop at Horizon Court before you hit the bar and get a sandwich there? I know they have sandwich bars where they will make stuff specifically for you..but they also had a number of pre-made sandwiches...just grab and go.[/QUOTE]
Good call. My husband and I do this with the hamburger/pizza places, we'll pick up a burger and some fries before heading to the nearest bar, and nobody has complained to us. But it would be even better to have a menu of junk food available at the bar. I would definitely pay whatever it cost for a big plate of potato skins while I'm having a margarita. Mmmm...potato skins...

Being from Seattle, I'm with everyone on the Starbucks idea. :) Or, they could just dramatically improve the quality of the espresso bars they have on board.

srphnx is right about the Wake View bar on the Diamond/Saphire, my husband and I spent a whole week on the ship and never found that bar, probably because we didn't really like Club (con)Fusion and you have to go through Club Fusion to get to the Wake View. What good is a bar if you can't find it, or if you can, then you can't order a drink there? That being said, we're going on the one-nighter from Seattle to Vancouver this weekend with a bunch of folks that work for Princess at the pier here (one of our best friends is one of them), and they're all planning to hang out in the Wake View bar because none of the regular passengers will be able to find it. FYI, for any of you in the Seattle area, I hear that one-night cruise is only half-full so you can probably get a great cabin for a song!

[Nunu]

1. Tim Horton's or Starbucks coffee
2. Water slide for the kids
3. Shallower pools for the kids (5'10" depth? come on!)
4. Arcade for the kids

Bottom line, happy kids = happy parents

[roohound]

mmmmmmmm..potato skins................excellent call!

[bardgal]

IN ROOM Masseuse!!!! (included in your cruise fare)

NOW WE'RE TALKING!!!!!

[LetmeCurise]

Water Skiing off the aft of the ship while at sea..

[HighRoller]

A decent cup of coffee!...is that too much to ask as an amenity or is it a staple item and given right?

[tahoe782]

...A poker room
...Starbucks [free of course]
...In room coffee makers
..."Time Outs" for deck chair and show seat savers