TV Guide-Is it just me?

[vandalayceo]

I realize this is a pretty minor annoyance, but can someone explain why Princess prints the TV listings the way they do-ie they show the channel, the particular show or movie, followed by all the times that item is on.

Why can't they list the way it is normally done-time, with what is available in those time slots.

The way it is done makes it extremely difficult to quickly look up what is playing at any given time.

[tjcletsgo]

I realize this is a pretty minor annoyance, but can someone explain why Princess prints the TV listings the way they do-ie they show the channel, the particular show or movie, followed by all the times that item is on.

Why can't they list the way it is normally done-time, with what is available in those time slots.

The way it is done makes it extremely difficult to quickly look up what is playing at any given time.

 

I totally agree! :mad: I found that to be sooo frustrating on my October Golden cruise.

[PescadoAmarillo]

I couldn't agree more. Even worse is when the Patter is done that way: bauchi and such playing in Explorers Lounge at 7pm, 9pm, and 11pm, listed only once at 7pm.

[beg3yrs]

I couldn't agree more. Even worse is when the Patter is done that way: bauchi and such playing in Explorers Lounge at 7pm, 9pm, and 11pm, listed only once at 7pm.

 

I agree with y'all about the TV guide. Sounds like something to note on the post-cruise survey.

 

Regarding the Patter, I suspect when the list all the showtimes together, they do it as they are trying to save some print space for other items. Still, listing events that way does make one read more carefully.

[Jasperdo]

My guess is that it uses less pages that way. Here's an example of what it looks like:

 

Golden Princess by Jasperdo, on Flickr

[Potstech]

All they would have to do is make a dat time spreadsheet and put it in the room. It is not rocket science and they could put it on a tv channel for anyone to look at and make it available for download to digital devices. So easy to do it a better way.

[AKman2495]

I just figure it is another activity..like those puzzles they leave by the library. Gives you a mental challenge in your room;)

 

It is also very convenient when you know what you want to watch. On the last cruise we started watch the old Love Boat episodes...we could find out when they were on each day very quickly using that guide format.

 

The problem is most people don't know what's on, which makes this guide next to useless.....

[Steviewonder1]

They do that as Most of the TV channels you see originate on the ship and are pre-recorded and run over and over all day and night. There are less than 20 live channels off satellite on the ship. Also some channels in some bars and other areas of the ship are not available on your TV in your stateroom, read that as Sports channels which from time to time include Monday night Football, Football Playoffs, Superbowls and other top shelf sporting things. You likely will not see any College games or Bowl games.

[vandalayceo]

They do that as Most of the TV channels you see originate on the ship and are pre-recorded and run over and over all day and night. There are less than 20 live channels off satellite on the ship. Also some channels in some bars and other areas of the ship are not available on your TV in your stateroom, read that as Sports channels which from time to time include Monday night Football, Football Playoffs, Superbowls and other top shelf sporting things. You likely will not see any College games or Bowl games.

 

I understand why they have many programs repeated throughout the day, but that still doesn't answer why they can't publish the listings in a way that is easy to use.

[tjcletsgo]

I want to see a guide that sorts shows by time. If it's 9:00 pm I want to see what's on at 9:00 pm.........:o

[giselleacttwo]

I understand why they have many programs repeated throughout the day, but that still doesn't answer why they can't publish the listings in a way that is easy to use.

 

Unlike a typical programming guide, movies and shows don't always start on the hour or half hour. If they listed everything by the time it started (11:05 here, 11:40 there...) the guide would have to be much, much, larger because they would need a new line for every new time slot and there are a lot more of them than just every half hour.

[negc]

They do that as Most of the TV channels you see originate on the ship and are pre-recorded and run over and over all day and night. There are less than 20 live channels off satellite on the ship. Also some channels in some bars and other areas of the ship are not available on your TV in your stateroom, read that as Sports channels which from time to time include Monday night Football, Football Playoffs, Superbowls and other top shelf sporting things. You likely will not see any College games or Bowl games.

Is it true that sports programs such as Monday night and Sunday NFL games that are shown on TVs in some of the bars on the ship can't also be viewed on our stateroom TVs? Seems strange and difficult to understand. That certainly isn't the case on ships of other lines.:confused:

[Steviewonder1]

It depends on the ship. On the Crown we saw ESPN Football on Monday night in our suite, but on the Ruby in the Eastern Med we did not. Some of it may depend on where the ship is travelling. Much harder to get US TV in Europe.

[negc]

It depends on the ship. On the Crown we saw ESPN Football on Monday night in our suite, but on the Ruby in the Eastern Med we did not. Some of it may depend on where the ship is travelling. Much harder to get US TV in Europe.

 

But if the location of the ship was the determining factor, why would the games be shown on TVs in some venues yet not available in the staterooms? I can understand why it might be difficult to get reception while in some locations, but if they can get the program for broadcast in the lounges, they should also be able to ahow it on stateroom TVs. It should be all or nothing.

[caribill]

But if the location of the ship was the determining factor, why would the games be shown on TVs in some venues yet not available in the staterooms? I can understand why it might be difficult to get reception while in some locations, but if they can get the program for broadcast in the lounges, they should also be able to allow it on stateroom TVs. It should be all or nothing.

 

 

Some stations are licensed 100% of the time for all staterooms. This would include stations like CNN International.

 

Some broadcasts are licensed only for limited viewing, such as the Superbowl which is not licensed for the staterooms by Princess. Showing these extra cost broadcats in venues that also can sell profit making beverages helps offset the cost of the broadcasts. Paying even more licsensing fees to show in the staterooms would mean additional costs and probably less sales in those venues.

 

So the problem is not a technical one (other than having to assign a channel on the in-cabin TVs for this), but a financial one.

[DrivesLikeMario]

I totally agree, OP. It drives me absolutely nuts trying to figure out what's on and when! :mad:

[DDDDale]

One of the many things I liked about the new Royal is the Televisions. They don't have the "guide" that other Princess ships have and it was WAY easier to determine what was available to watch. They are more like the "smart" TVs we have in our homes. There were many recently released movies to chose from and, like netflix or the like, they can be watched on OUR schedule, whenever we want. Huge improvement. Watching television on other Princess ships now seems like going 20 years back in time.

[Times Prince]

I must voice a minority opinion about the format of the TV listings - I like it and it is not a big deal to see when the next movie starts.

 

It is in a format where a) it costs least to print, and b) one can easily determine when the show of interest starts.

 

What I do object to is that one channel with the primetime movies that they never seem to list. Rare is the cruise where they list the movies in the Patter, and often we happen across a movie midstream that we really wanted to see.

 

... and StevieWonder, on our New Year's cruise we saw almost all the College Bowl games, with the championship game shown on MUTS

[negc]

Some stations are licensed 100% of the time for all staterooms. This would include stations like CNN International.

 

Some broadcasts are licensed only for limited viewing, such as the Superbowl which is not licensed for the staterooms by Princess. Showing these extra cost broadcats in venues that also can sell profit making beverages helps offset the cost of the broadcasts. Paying even more licsensing fees to show in the staterooms would mean additional costs and probably less sales in those venues.

 

So the problem is not a technical one (other than having to assign a channel on the in-cabin TVs for this), but a financial one.

 

Thanks for the explanation. So the other lines which offer such programming in both staterooms and in revenue producing venues, have apparently decided to absorb those added costs in order to satisfy the wishes of their guests. I know the bottom line is always a significant factor when any cruise line makes its decisions, but I wonder why other lines determined that the cost was worth it while Princess has determined otherwise. :confused: