RCI App vs Paper Compass & Pen...

[NavyCruiser]

It's now the Year 2020. 

Just downloaded the latest & greatest RCI App on all of our Family's iPhones & Androids phones, for our upcoming cruise this wkend.

Looks great.  Very nice Detailed info, with Daily Planner & My Calendar info.  Nice colorful pics...

With previous experiences with glitchy RCI Apps before, wonder if this latest version is any more USEFUL, rather than our previous 30+ cruises with marking our Paper Compasses with Pen & highlighters once onboard, which seems to work fine so far.

Seems like the RCI App are more intended to sell us more Excursions, Optional Dining, Shopping, Spa & Fitness purchases, than actually making the App more USEFUL for the Activities that we normally highlight on the Paper Compasses to do each day.

Also, we're still nervous about everyone from our Family's young kids to Elderly folks who's not very tech-savvy on learning how to place on Airplane mode, then turn on ship's Wi-Fi to use the RCI App, since we had extremely bad experiences many years ago with Ship's communication charges.  Think they're catching on that I've previously told everyone that Airplane mode doesn't work on Cruise Ships....😎

Thinking of last Millenium's practices of once onboard, throw everyones' cell phones into the safe & enjoy the cruise with Paper Compasses, or get with today's technology & we can safely use the RCI App on cell phones while we're onboard...?

[davekathy]

Paper Cruise Compass for us. 

[twangster]

The app is better and better every month and the format of the current paper compass isn't that great now that they have you searching all over the place based on activity type versus time of day.  Both have challenges.

 

For last minute changes like skipping a port due to weather the app is better as long as you refresh.  

 

For ships that include it it's nice being to look at your account often to verify no funny charges.  

 

However I still consider the paper to be the source of truth unless you skip a port and they make up activities on short notice.

[alfaeric]

I'd rather have the e-compass than a paper one.  Best part for me is that my aging eyes don't require reading glasses for the paper compass.

 

But I must say, given the tone of the question- it seems like your mind is already made up to use the paper compass, so why even ask?