Voayger flat panels?

[scm]

Are the flat panel TVs installed in the Voyager standard category suites yet? I had heard they were to be in by mid-November.

[BILLP1]

They are installing them on this weeks cruise...

[larry1365]

Would love to see a photo or two...or at least a description of where they are being installed in the standard suites. At one time there was talk by Regent execs of installing two...one at the end of the bed and one over the desk. Thanks.

 

Larry

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Let's hope they install them on a moveable arm. I'll try to take a picture if we get one in our cabin, but won't be on for 3 weeks.

[cruiseej]

We're on the Dec. 21 cruise, and I'd love to know what type of connector to take to plug my laptop into the new TVs for reviewing photos at night. If anyone who's on the Voyager this month can provide info, I'd appreciate it.

 

-- Eric

[Margate Cruiser]

Have a cable that came with your camera. Yellow and white on one end and a single male on the other end for your camera

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Hmm, what kind of camera would that be? My camera cable is USB at the business (non-camera) end. I'll be lucky if I get it charged this trip, but I guess I should do that, what with mayan ruins, and palm trees, and such!

[cruiseej]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I'm looking to connect my computer, not camera, to the TV. I download photos from my camera to my Mac laptop, mostly for security so I can have multiple copies rather than just photos on a memory card. But it's nice to review photos, and the Mac's iPhoto software makes is easy both to edit and to turn the photos in to a self-running slideshow at the click of a single button. Since I'll be traveling with my wife and parents, it'd be a lot easier to put the pictures up on the TV than have everyone huddle around the 12" laptop screen. So if I know what type input connectors the TVs have, I can figure out it I have (or want to get) the right type of cable from my computer. For example, at home, I use a computer video out to S-video cable to plug into the TV in my den. The older TVs on the ship almost certainly didn't have an S-video jack, but new flat planel ones might. So, if anyone knows, or anyone who's sailing on Voyager in the next week or two can check and let me know, I'd be most appreciative.

 

-- Eric

[Margate Cruiser]

I don't no the name of the cable. But you stile show your pictures direct to the TV with slide show from your camera. Just bring the cable that came with your camera. The one other than the one that has a ubs connector. That's one that has a yellow and whit or red and white on one end and a single male on the other or one similar to a single male. Just asking what camera age you bringing and the model?

[cruiseej]

I shoot primarily with a Nikon D70 camera (trying to resist the urge to move to a D80 or D300). I also have a small Pentax Optio WP camera for when I don't want to lug my camera bag with the SLR and lenses; it can also be used underwater (probably not much on this cruise, but it was nice to have on the PG). The two cameras have different connectors and cords, so I usually just download pictures to the computer for a quick initial edit. I could copy them back to a memory card to stick in the camera to see them on the TV, but that's more work than I want on my vacation! (grin)

 

-- Eric

[Margate Cruiser]

Maybe the ship has a dvd player in the room. Make a dvd on your laptop and play on the tv.

[Margate Cruiser]

I am bringing my nikon cable. You can reach me in cabin 924 We will be on for wo weeks starting the 7th. Name is Steve

[cruiseej]

Steve, we're on the Dec. 21-Jan 6 cruise; sounds like we'll just miss you! Thanks for your suggestions. Hmmm, I wonder if there is a DVD player in the room? I'm not sure I even know where my Nikon to video cable is; I always pop the CompactFlash card out of the camera and put it in a fast Firewire card reader that plugs into the computer. I'll probably skip bringing my computer to S-video cable; it's a bit bulky to take when I don't know if the TVs have an S-Video input.

 

-- Eric

[Wendy The Wanderer]

The TVs are nice, but frankly I rarely watch TV on a cruise. I do wish they would put a decent sound system in the rooms, preferably with an ipod dock as well as a CD player.

[cruiseej]

Wendy, I agree that we have rarely turned on the TV on our cruises, except for background music sometimes. With this trip in mind, I bought a portable iPod speaker system designed for travel, so we can have good music whenever we're in the room. (After reading lots of reviews and comments online, and doing listening tests in several stores, I was happy with the Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere; it lacks the big bass and fuller sounds of the Altec Lansing IM7 we use in the back yard, but the Logitech is only 1.5 pounds and has a travel case that makes it easy to throw into a carry-on bag.) I just figured the TV might be useful for looking at our pictures, but it's certainly not a necessity.

 

-- Eric

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Eric, I looked at ipod speakers last summer, and thought long and hard about it. Ended up getting a pair of speakers for our cottage, which is great.

 

But I have yet to find a pair that are portable enough for me for travel, with good sound. I've looked at the Logitech portables, and I just don't want to carry them, but it sounds like I have not seen the model you mentioned, so perhaps it's time to look again. Thanks!

[cruiseej]

Wendy, the Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere is a refresh of a model they've sold the past couple years called the mm50. You might still find some stores that have the older mm50's in stock, but the new model (released in September) seemed to have a few improvements. They're a little long, although skinny, at 13" x 3.5" x 1.5". I liked that they can run plugged in or from the internal rechargeable battery (a little Beethoven or Bruce on the balcony, anyone?), and that they come in a fairly sturdy travel case (good enough for travel in the carry-on bag, possibly not for going in packed luggage). I think the sound is pretty good for a 1.6 pound unit; it obviously can't match the bass of larger, heavier speakers, but I don't really envision cranking the volume way up on a cruise or in a hotel room! And for just over $100, it just called out to give it a try. (If you decide to grab one before you go, they're pretty widely available: I saw them at both Circuit City and Best Buy. Ha! If we had a little more time before you left, I could have shipped you mine, and you could have left them on the ship for me when we arrive on the 21st!)

 

-- Eric

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Yeh, I first saw the mm50 at the Apple store. I looked the new one up, and it's about the same form factor as you said. Too big for me. Just can't see lugging it around, and it would get pretty limited use. I may buy something after we move in February, something that's small, but might be useful in the bedroom, or as you say, on the balcony.

 

I did get a gang-connector (or whatever it's called), so that we can both listen to my ipod on the plane. Also got a pair of sound-reducing earbuds which work pretty well at sound reduction (I travel the subway every day to work), so might be good on a plane, but the sound overall is not as good as the original ones I got with my nano.

[hvsteve1]

The new sets are in the same location as the old ones. They are on an arm so you can sing them toward the sitting area or the bed. They cleverly put a remote control receiver on the front of the cabinets so you don't

have to be able to aim at the set to use it. They do not have plug-ins on the set, but there is a tv-audio jack on the back that is being used for something. You could unplug that and put in your white/black/yellow RCA jacks. There is a DVD player above the TV. There is also a new interactive tv system. More on that when I get home to cheaper computer minutes. The Seven Seas reception is tonoght, so I will try to ask the hotel officer if all the tv sets are now installed. The stewardess says ours was done last week.

[cruiseej]

Hvsteve1, thank you for the on-board report!

 

-- Eric

[hvsteve1]

All flat panels are now installed. The tv system is interactive. You can view shore excursions and order them with your remote. There are also more than 240 free on demand movies, ranging from new video releases to old favorites. More later.

[scm]

1. The interactive system is a definite plus. Four channels of live TV (Fox News, CNN, ESPN, and TNT). Live video view from the bridge, as well as a scrolling updated map position, l/l, speed, course, wind speed and direction, and outside temp. Upcoming port videos, four daily movies, ..... The interactive system includes 124 (guess we weren't in expensive enough a suite to get 240 -- like the difference in inflight video between cabins:)) movies and documentaries -- start, stop, resume later. Also, continuous access to your bill, online.

 

2. Connecting an aux device to the TV requires some doing. As noted before, it is on the back, right hand side as you face the TV -- three standard RCA plugs that connect the DVD player to the TV. You can unplug them, and use an RCA connection or an S-video plug. Just be sure to have a video signal to the set, or it will cut off the audio (couldn't figure out why my iPod stopped when it was clearly playing! -- just keep the DVD player video plug in, and paused so you can listen to audio). Also, switching to that aux input takes some doing. For the time being, you have to ignore the instructions about switching channel 0, either for the aux input or for DVDs, and instead push the bottom of two buttons in the center of the remote -- right between the volume and channel buttons.

[Jimpeyton]

Can anyone tell me if the Mariner has flat panels? We are staying in a Horizon suite starting Jan 4th. Looking forward to our South American cruise. Thank you