Regent App and Excursions

[taxare]

Just received this regarding the Regent App for our upcoming cruise. I apologize if this was previously posted

but I don't recall seeing it:

Dear Valued Guests and Travel Partners,  During your upcoming cruise, we will be testing a new Regent Seven Seas Cruises mobile app, which will be utilized on select shore excursions throughout the cruise that will enable you to more easily hear the tour guide’s commentary through the comfort of your own smartphone and headset. To enjoy the benefits of this app, we encourage you to:  Download the Regent Seven Seas Cruises app from the Apple app store (for iPhone 6 or later) or the Google Play store (for Android 7 or later). Bring your smartphone, headphones and chargers on your cruise and bring your smartphone and headphones along with you – fully charged – to your shore excursions. A full list of shore excursions that will utilize this app can be provided to you by the Destination Services desk on board. Your tour guide will help you connect to the audio through the Regent Seven Seas Cruises app during the relevant excursions. For additional questions, please visit Destination Services on board.    I see pluses and minuses to this. I can see that the sound and availability of your own phone could be better. However (I'm sure the tech gurus will correct me here) we don't generally turn on our phones to roaming in the countries that we are visiting. We use wifi and if necessary wifi calling. Although we could get a SIM card when visiting various countries that's a hassle and with my carrier to get unlimited coverage in every country is quite expensive. I believe to get the Regent APP we would have to get coverage from the local country???

[BBfromCA]

My guess is that they will be using a device that connects to your phone via bluetooth, which can be used without any cell service.

[Sharle]

New to me. Guess there would have to be some wireless connectivity for this to work. Doubt that you would be required to turn on roaming. We keep our phones on airplane mode for the entire cruise and just use wifi where available.

[rallydave]

Not a lot of range, have to stay really close to guide.

 

 

By the way, apps don't work via bluetooth.  Apps need the internet because you set up bluetooth straight from the phone so doubt it is bluetooth with the App so you will need data and won't be able to use airplane mode.

Edited August 27, 2019 by rallydave

[ROLLTIDE2]

What about people who don't have a compatible phone?  Will guides still speak out loud, or will they be speaking into a device connected to the phones through the app?  And I'm thinking this app may drain the battery, so some people's phone battery may not last for a longer excursion.  

 

Which cruise(s) will be they be testing this on?  I have not seen anything for a Navigator cruise in October.  In any event, it should be an interesting test.

[xrvlcruiser]

I wish Regent would use Whispers . . . .I think that's the name.

Peggy

[rallydave]

Just downloaded the app and it does rely on wifi not bluetooth so perhaps the guide has a wifi router on his or her phone and transmits a wifi signal to the group??  Might work without data however as some have mentioned, limited range, limited battery life, need for ear buds or headphones and need for a smart phone with the app and ability to connect to wifi. For the age point on Regent likely many customers will not hear the guide without the necessary equipment.

 

We went on a river cruise and they provided the equipment to be able to listen to the guide and Regent really needs to do the same and not limit enjoyment to the need for a smart phone and ear buds/headsets.

 

[xrvlcruiser]

rallydave: whisperers

 

I've used them on several River cruises and on Voyage to Antiquities and Silver Sea - they work well!

Edited August 27, 2019 by xrvlcruiser

[taxare]

This is for the British Isles cruise next month. They did say it was a test. They didn't say it was a requirement (yet...)

I will report back upon our return.

[xrvlcruiser]

Taxare:

 

Thanks for the heads up! I look forward to hearing your reaction after your trip.

 

Peggy

[rallydave]

17 minutes ago, xrvlcruiser said:

rallydave: whisperers

 

I've used them on several River cruises and on Voyage to Antiquities and Silver Sea - they work well!

Yes Peggy  we used them on our only River Cruise and they worked well.  Believe it a a matter of cost as Regent would have to purchase and maintain several thousand of this hardware and they are passing cost onto their customers.  I remember the name as smart vox but, probably several different units.  Far fewer people on River Cruises so a lot less hardware needs to be purchased.and maintained.

[xrvlcruiser]

Rallydave: I think whispers may be a nickname Smart Vox may be the real one.

 

You make a good point re: cost and maintenance.

 

Peggy

[forevertravel]

No interest on my part. My phone stays in the safe during the cruise. I have no desire to carry my phone on tours. We have never had an issue listening to the guides.

[flossie009]

Sounds like a useful development, and will be interested to hear the results of the testing.

 

Was a little worried that the communication from Regent to the OP referred to iPhone 6 or later. We both have an iPhone 5 but the App says it is compatible; just needs iOS 11.4 or later.

 

One of us usually carries a phone on excursions anyway - for photographs and emergencies.

Edited August 27, 2019 by flossie009

[Xerxes10]

2 hours ago, xrvlcruiser said:

I wish Regent would use Whispers . . . .I think that's the name.

Peggy

I agree. Many other lines do.

[Portolan]

Absolutely Regent should provide whisperers!  These are not expensive devices and the cost would be amortized over many, many cruises and hundreds of excursions.  On river cruises we've been on, they use rechargeable batteries and there are stands in the cabin to park them overnight for recharging.  I love the devices because I'm a photographer and frequently wander some distance from the guide to take pictures while still being able to hear the narrative.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

On 8/27/2019 at 10:33 AM, taxare said:

..I believe to get the Regent APP we would have to get coverage from the local country???

 

I can't believe that would be true, not at all.  Nor can I believe you need wifi.  It just wouldn't make sense, but then not everything Regent does makes sense.

 

On 8/27/2019 at 12:02 PM, rallydave said:

Not a lot of range, have to stay really close to guide.

 

 

By the way, apps don't work via bluetooth.  Apps need the internet because you set up bluetooth straight from the phone so doubt it is bluetooth with the App so you will need data and won't be able to use airplane mode.

 

Really?  This makes no sense to me.  I certainly wouldn't do it.

 

22 hours ago, rallydave said:

Yes Peggy  we used them on our only River Cruise and they worked well.  Believe it a a matter of cost as Regent would have to purchase and maintain several thousand of this hardware and they are passing cost onto their customers.  I remember the name as smart vox but, probably several different units.  Far fewer people on River Cruises so a lot less hardware needs to be purchased.and maintained.

 

Quiet Vox or Whispers are great.  But I think they would have to be the responsibility of the tour guides.  Since these are all independent operators with different modes of work, I can't imagine Regent investing in these, since they'd have to provide all the relevant tour operators with equipment too.

[xrvlcruiser]

When I've used them, they've belonged to the cruise/river boat line - see Portolan's post #16.

 

The guide is given a specific unit - I don't have a clue about the tech details - with a microphone. It's a great system!

 

Peggy

[rallydave]

1 hour ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

I can't believe that would be true, not at all.  Nor can I believe you need wifi.  It just wouldn't make sense, but then not everything Regent does makes sense.

 

 

Really?  This makes no sense to me.  I certainly wouldn't do it.

 

 

Quiet Vox or Whispers are great.  But I think they would have to be the responsibility of the tour guides.  Since these are all independent operators with different modes of work, I can't imagine Regent investing in these, since they'd have to provide all the relevant tour operators with equipment too.

Wendy, I downloaded the App and it DOES require Wifi as it specifically says so in the APP which I assume would be on the unit given to the guide which would send out a wifi signal that everyone connects to.  Just checked and there are portable wifi routers that can set up their own wifi network, no internet connection necessary.  the smart vox system works the same way with wifi from the guide to the individual units.

 

As to guides bringing their own smart vox's.  On the river cruises the ship provides the units and not the guides.  Trying to find guides who would have to spend lots of money to purchase the system and maintain it is unlikely especially in the poorer countries.  Believe to make this effective, Regent would need to purchase the systems and probably why they are using smart phones and their App which will be problems for many customers.  

 

As the River Cruise did, they provide the units to the cruisers and the master units to the guides so that is where Regent would  probably have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to equip all of the ships.   If the river cruises do this on very repetitive itineraries,  for sure Regent would need to provide the units for their very varying itineraries.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

4 minutes ago, rallydave said:

Wendy, I downloaded the App and it DOES require Wifi as it specifically says so in the APP which I assume would be on the unit given to the guide which would send out a wifi signal that everyone connects to.  Just checked and there are portable wifi routers that can set up their own wifi network, no internet connection necessary.  the smart vox system works the same way with wifi from the guide to the individual units.

 

As to guides bringing their own smart vox's.  On the river cruises the ship provides the units and not the guides.  Trying to find guides who would have to spend lots of money to purchase the system and maintain it is unlikely especially in the poorer countries.  Believe to make this effective, Regent would need to purchase the systems and probably why they are using smart phones and their App which will be problems for many customers.  

 

As the River Cruise did, they provide the units to the cruisers and the master units to the guides so that is where Regent would  probably have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to equip all of the ships.   If the river cruises do this on very repetitive itineraries,  for sure Regent would need to provide the units for their very varying itineraries.

 

Thanks for clarifying  The portable router makes sense.  What I was not believing really was that you would need data.

 

Yes, that's how the river cruises do it, I know, but as you say I doubt Regent could do it that way.  And on a river cruise you generally have the same guide all the time. I know some tours in Europe provide these sets, but it's hit or miss.

Edited August 28, 2019 by Wendy The Wanderer

[Trunkabella]

We used a similar system as described in the original post on a Scenic River Cruise this summer.  It worked very well.  They had portable devices for those who did not have compatible phones.  This was a big improvement over trying to get close enough to the guide to consistently hear what they were saying, particularly on areas where more than one guide was speaking at the same time.

[FlyerTalker]

So....Regent wants me to connect to an unsecured WiFi connection just so that I can use my own hardware to hear a tour guide.  All so that they don't have to make their own capital investment in listening devices, or requiring that their tour operators do the same.

 

Sorry.  I apparently value data security a whole lot more than the folks at Regent HQ.

[flossie009]

Presumably the NCLH/Regent App will work in a similar manner to this VOX Wi-Fi System, with the ships providing the portable WiFi Routers to the guides.

[rallydave]

1 hour ago, FlyerTalker said:

So....Regent wants me to connect to an unsecured WiFi connection just so that I can use my own hardware to hear a tour guide.  All so that they don't have to make their own capital investment in listening devices, or requiring that their tour operators do the same.

 

Sorry.  I apparently value data security a whole lot more than the folks at Regent HQ.

Agree with you completely FlyerTalker.  Even with the hoped for encryption on the guides router cyber criminals are sure to figure this out and simply follow the tour bus and get into all the data on the cell phones and steal your information.  Using the quiet vox system that really would have to be provided by Regent even if people get into the wifi, no data in the quiet vox to steal.

[taxare]

I'll let you know what I find out in a few weeks.....