A little vent about Closed Captioning on Ships

It seems so illogical and quite unacceptable to me that ALL the ships I have ever been on do not have adequate Closed Captioning for the TVs. Ugh, I find it so frustrating to see the same Ship sponsored pre-taped stuff running on channel after channel day-in and day-out that isn't closed captioned, nor any of the movies.

I understand that the satellite programming maybe can't for some reason (although satellite reception on land gets it) may not be able to support it, but there is no good reason for the movies and the pre-taped "advertising" shows.

I'd love to be able to relax in the stateroom at bedtime or whenever and watch a movie or view the possible excursions, descriptions of ports, etc. that they put on at least 5 different channels--all day long.

I usually have little to nothing to complain about on the end-of-cruise comment card, but ALWAYS give a pretty detailed description of my unhappiness in this regard.

Okay, vent over.;)

Wow I thought I was the only one complaining about the lack of captioning. Please keep up the comments and complaints. When I talk to the front desk they always look at me like nobody else ever complained.

I know that Princess gets their programming in a package from a USA supplier. There is no reason on god's green earth that all the movies and the prerecorded programs should not be captioned. Somehow their supplier finds non captioned versions even though almost all movies and most TV programs are shown with captions in the USA.

The cruise line would have to pay someone to caption their own prerecorded programming but it is so cheap now so no excuse there.

Given the average age on many cruises, you know there are a lot of hard of hearing passengers on board who would appreciate captioning. If we all complained maybe something would change.

Just saw your posts and I want to add my frustration on this issue. I am so used to using CC at home that it is a real disappointment on board. I always request it on the pre-material about my disability.

I've also had annoying experiences with the Audio assistive devices for the theaters that don't work. Opened one up finally, no battery. No one at the front desk had any replacement batteries. The suggestion was - I could buy some in port - for their devices?!.... (We were on a transatlantic cruise.)

I've concluded that the "access" facilities listed on web sites as available on board are just empty window-dressing, to show what good corporate citizens they are.

I think you got it right. They have the assistive listening systems because they are required by law but they really do not want to have to deal with them. I have a cochlear implant so I need a receiver with an output jack for my implant. Always request this in advance and usually get to talk to the sound engineers on board. One showed me all the headset type receivers they have in a cupboard at the back of the theater. He told me nobody ever uses them. Of course there were no signs telling people they were available and nothing in the Princess Patter or at the front desk. People won't ask for something they don't even know exists.

And then if they do get to try them and have a bad experience like you did, they will never try them again. Pity because a good listening system can be magic.

PLEASE KEEP ON BUGGING THEM ABOUT HEARING ACCESS :O)

I travel around the US a lot for my job writing about RV destinations, and have been amazed by the variation at our National Park Service visitor centers (and private facilities) regarding access for hearing impaired people.

I've seen movies that were wonderful because of hearing loops and good captioning. But more likely there were videos with zero captioning. Or those with captions that worked for the first 30 seconds but conked out. Or fancy big devices that fit into a theater seat arm to provide an individual caption reader (but didn't work.)

It's enough to make you militant. I've concluded that captions are the simplest and least likely to need human involvement to work since TV monitors come equipped. But cruise lines are really annoying me with their inability to provide such a simple, built in technology!

. . . I've concluded that the "access" facilities listed on web sites as available on board are just empty window-dressing, to show what good corporate citizens they are.

Agree!

. . . I've concluded that captions are the simplest and least likely to need human involvement to work since TV monitors come equipped. But cruise lines are really annoying me with their inability to provide such a simple, built in technology!

Agree!

. . . There is no reason on God's green earth that all the movies and the prerecorded programs should not be captioned . . .

 

The cruise line would have to pay someone to caption their own prerecorded programming but it is so cheap now so no excuse there.

Agree!

Just saw your posts and I want to add my frustration on this issue. I am so used to using CC at home that it is a real disappointment on board. I always request it on the pre-material about my disability.

 

I've also had annoying experiences with the Audio assistive devices for the theaters that don't work. Opened one up finally, no battery. No one at the front desk had any replacement batteries. The suggestion was - I could buy some in port - for their devices?!.... (We were on a transatlantic cruise.)

 

I've concluded that the "access" facilities listed on web sites as available on board are just empty window-dressing, to show what good corporate citizens they are.

Could not agree more!

I wondered if it had something to do with the satellite programming. Our last two cruises (Royal Caribbean) we had NO closed captioining at all. That was frustrating. Television shows or movies at home or subtitles are show closed captioned but not on the ship. I thought it had to do with the signal?

I guess hearing impared is not considered a handicap. I am treated more as a nuisance than handicapped. Some cruise have DVDs and Videos that can be rented and those often are captioned.

Hi Doris

I know exactly what you mean about hearing loss being considered a nuisance - just wait till it happens to them and then they'll understand. I've had people in my support group crying and asking "why do they treat me so mean when they are so kind to people with vision loss or in a wheelchair?"

Under the ADA hearing loss is definitely a disability. A physical disability means you are unable to do everyday things such as seeing, hearing, speaking, walking, standing etc. Stuff that other people just take for granted. Just because someone is not totally deaf does not mean they can understand and participate like people with normal hearing.

The ADA reaquirements can make a huge difference but the cruise lines will only comply if passengers speak up about their needs. People who use scooters or wheelchairs seem to do a good job of advocating for themselves and the cruise lines have spent a lot money to help them. Hearing access will cost very little but why should they do anything if nobody complains.

I called the access department and was told the same thing we are always told....that they cannot guarantee all the channels will have closed captioning. So, I asked, can you guarantee that at least ONE channel will have closed captioning and she could not answer that either. So, she is supposedly sending an email to the ship we are sailing on to ask ;-) (Jewel of the Sea)

I called the access department and was told the same thing we are always told....that they cannot guarantee all the channels will have closed captioning. So, I asked, can you guarantee that at least ONE channel will have closed captioning and she could not answer that either. So, she is supposedly sending an email to the ship we are sailing on to ask ;-) (Jewel of the Sea)

I received this email recently for my upcoming sailing on Carnival Splendor. But I am not getting my hopes up. I will report back after cruise (after July 23)

Dear xxxxxxxx,

Carnival Cruise Lines is dedicated to offering a quality cruising experience for all of our guests.

We have received confirmation that there will be closed captioned movies in-cabin as well as at the Seaside Theatre for your upcoming cruise.

Sincerely,

Jacqueline xxxxxx

Guest Access Support

Carnival Cruise Lines | 3655 NW 87th Avenue | Miami, FL 33178 |

This matter is one that concerns me. I normally cruise on HAL and there is no provision for closed captions on any of their ships. I think it also depends where the ship is registered and the legislation applicable to that country. Most HAL ships are registered in the Netherlands and I don't know what the legislation for deaf people is in that country. In Australia and UK a certain percentage of programmes on TV must be captioned by law. It is very difficult to hear the Captain's daily broadcast and safety announcements on the public broadcast system

This matter is one that concerns me. I normally cruise on HAL and there is no provision for closed captions on any of their ships. I think it also depends where the ship is registered and the legislation applicable to that country. Most HAL ships are registered in the Netherlands and I don't know what the legislation for deaf people is in that country. In Australia and UK a certain percentage of programmes on TV must be captioned by law. It is very difficult to hear the Captain's daily broadcast and safety announcements on the public broadcast system

We were on HAL for several cruises, and the lack of captioning in staterooms and theaters was among the reasons we stopped sailing with them for the time being.

So true about safety announcements and the public broadcast system. It is challenging enough for people without disabilities to know what's going on in a disaster, but it would be extremely frightening to me to seek information from panicky people in an event like the Costa ship a few years ago.

The ADA Americans with Disabilities Act applies if a ship uses any USA port facilities such as starting or ending at a US port or visiting one. Where a ship is registered as nothing to do with it.

Unfortunately, when the ADA was written in the late 80s, captioning was very new and so there is almost no requirement to provide captioning. Title II covers state and local governments and they must provide captioning if any state or local funding is used to provide a video or TV program. In the USA there are separate laws passed in the late 90s which require almost 100% of TV programming to be captioned. The actual quality of captioning is the next battle.

Safety is paramount with the ADA so I think we have a good case for a visual notification system. The Access Board regulations for cruise ships will include this if they ever get them published. They've been working on them for more than 10 years.

We love HAL and their TV sets do have the captioning feature but that's not much use if the movies and programs are not captioned.

Just keep on requesting captions and complaining when they are not there. It's a slow and frustrating but surely it will change if we all speak up.

Whiterose:

Someone at HAL is missing the boat. Pun intended. The cruise line has to know that maybe 80% of its passengers are 50 and up. This is the demographic that would have progressive hearing loss due to natural aging. There is a lack of advocacy here because the passengers are just getting by instead of requesting accessibility.

Whiterose:

Someone at HAL is missing the boat. Pun intended. The cruise line has to know that maybe 80% of its passengers are 50 and up. This is the demographic that would have progressive hearing loss due to natural aging. There is a lack of advocacy here because the passengers are just getting by instead of requesting accessibility.

Don't dispute the fact there needs to be more advocacy done. Also don't dispute the fact that hearing loss of a natural part of life the impacts many over the age of 50. However many people who from hearing loss have not accepted the fact they have even have hearing loss, don't seek professional help and or in denial hearing aids part be necessary.

Case in point I have a several friends that are in great denial over their hearing loss and have suffered for many years as they refuse to accept the fact that they might need aids.

I received this email recently for my upcoming sailing on Carnival Splendor. But I am not getting my hopes up. I will report back after cruise (after July 23)

 

Dear xxxxxxxx,

 

Carnival Cruise Lines is dedicated to offering a quality cruising experience for all of our guests.

 

We have received confirmation that there will be closed captioned movies in-cabin as well as at the Seaside Theatre for your upcoming cruise.

 

Sincerely,

 

Jacqueline xxxxxx

Guest Access Support

Carnival Cruise Lines | 3655 NW 87th Avenue | Miami, FL 33178 |

Just to update. ..this was a load of bull. Cc was NOT available in room movies (perhaps pay ones only but not the ones on loop) and it was not on big screen either.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Forums mobile app

Thanks for the update - all too typical, sadly!

Captioning is improving and coming more common on movies on the ships but they also need to turn it off so is realistically only able to be on on demand movies and movies on a channel dedicated to cc like languages are

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Dancinman66

Not sure if I understand your reasoning. Closed captioning is not a foreign language though I admit sometime the mistakes make it look like one. Not fair to restrict it to one channel only. People who do not want the captions on their TV can keep them turned off.

I have never seen captioning on the big screen for Movies Under the Stars or in the theater which makes me sad because I would love to enjoy a movie like everyone else. Some people might complain so perhaps the ships could show captioned movies once or twice a week.

I called the access department again because i never received a call/email back and I never received a response to my email request. I did receive an email last week:

Good day Sarah.

Hope that this email finds you well. The Jewel of the seas has responded in regards to the Closed Captioning available on sailing's, please see their response below.

We don't have control over CC. The Satellite channels like CNN, TBS, provide their own CC and not all the time.

We do apologize that we cannot supply you with a more detailed answer, however it is dependant upon what the satellites and networks are able to provide.

Best regards,

So, as you can see, it's not much of an answer...a bit frustrating too.

Just turned down a 161 day cruise on Viking since none of their ships will offer closed captioning.  I have looked up the pertinent laws on this and I think it is clear that ADA feels under Title II that closed captioning is mandatory for cruise ships that embark or disembark passengers in a US port.  Fairly clear and has been the law for years.  I loved my last Viking cruise of 12 days but cannot fathom having zero input on the world for 1/2 of a year on a World Cruise or ability to watch a movie at sea.  Of importance, the cruise lines continue to dissemble on the aspect of what is CC transmitted and what isn't.  All CC (CC1 thru CC4) is transmitted in the 21st line of the 542 lines (or so) of the TV.  It would cost CNN or MSNBC loads of money to take that line out of a broadcast program.  However, since it is broadcast and received by the ship, they may not be paying for the captured signal.  If that is true and they are using video receivers (not real TVs which have a built in encoder for CC), then they would be unable to decode line 21.  They would have to replace all their TVs and pay for the captured signal. They don't do that.  It is the cruise ships that will not invest in a $50K decoder.  DO NOT LET THEM FOOL YOU WITH THEIR TECHNICAL GOBBLYGOOK ABOUT THE STATIONS REMOVING THE CLOSED CAPTIONS!!  The Closed part of it is so that the watcher can turn it on or off on the TV. (otherwise it would be open captioning).  The fact that they make excuses is that they don't understand it themselves.  I had three I.T. guys from Viking in my cabin and they didn't have a clue.  I have blue tooth hearing aids and they couldn't even turn that on on the TV.

It is apparent to me that the cruise industry could do a lot of good for themselves and passengers by learning about the ins and outs of closed captioning.

Just turned down a 161 day cruise on Viking since none of their ships will offer closed captioning.  I have looked up the pertinent laws on this and I think it is clear that ADA feels under Title II that closed captioning is mandatory for cruise ships that embark or disembark passengers in a US port.  Fairly clear and has been the law for years.  I loved my last Viking cruise of 12 days but cannot fathom having zero input on the world for 1/2 of a year on a World Cruise or ability to watch a movie at sea.  Of importance, the cruise lines continue to dissemble on the aspect of what is CC transmitted and what isn't.  All CC (CC1 thru CC4) is transmitted in the 21st line of the 542 lines (or so) of the TV.  It would cost CNN or MSNBC loads of money to take that line out of a broadcast program.  However, since it is broadcast and received by the ship, they may not be paying for the captured signal.  If that is true and they are using video receivers (not real TVs which have a built in encoder for CC), then they would be unable to decode line 21.  They would have to replace all their TVs and pay for the captured signal. They don't do that.  It is the cruise ships that will not invest in a $50K decoder.  DO NOT LET THEM FOOL YOU WITH THEIR TECHNICAL GOBBLYGOOK ABOUT THE STATIONS REMOVING THE CLOSED CAPTIONS!!  The Closed part of it is so that the watcher can turn it on or off on the TV. (otherwise it would be open captioning).  The fact that they make excuses is that they don't understand it themselves.  I had three I.T. guys from Viking in my cabin and they didn't have a clue.  I have blue tooth hearing aids and they couldn't even turn that on on the TV.

It is apparent to me that the cruise industry could do a lot of good for themselves and passengers by learning about the ins and outs of closed captioning.  This question is handled very well under Closed Captions on Wikipedia.