Lanyards for Sea Pass-- the are probably no longer needed, right?

[RedIguana]

16 hours ago, poocher said:

All you have to do is open your camera, it will read and open the QR code and then the menu.  No special reader needed.  Having said that, I’m not crazy about menus on my phone either.  I’d prefer a paper copy.

Not true in all cases. Your phone may or may not have one built in, and if it does it may not be on by default or operate from the camera. I am currently using a 3 year old low-mid tier samsung, I had to find the QR reader and drag it to the samsung internet utilities. To use mine I have to open samsung internet, open options, and then open the reader. I have a new semi-flagship phone I just haven't migrated over to yet, hopefully I won't have to go through all that.

 

I think I will need to get an app to install one on my Fire 10. I am just literate enough to sideload the playstore not found by default on the Fire series:)

 

I too would rather use a large enough menu to read. 

[poocher]

Wow, much less complicated on my IPhone!

[dswallow]

59 minutes ago, RedIguana said:

Not true in all cases. Your phone may or may not have one built in, and if it does it may not be on by default or operate from the camera. I am currently using a 3 year old low-mid tier samsung, I had to find the QR reader and drag it to the samsung internet utilities. To use mine I have to open samsung internet, open options, and then open the reader. I have a new semi-flagship phone I just haven't migrated over to yet, hopefully I won't have to go through all that.

 

I think I will need to get an app to install one on my Fire 10. I am just literate enough to sideload the playstore not found by default on the Fire series:)

 

I too would rather use a large enough menu to read. 

 

It's likely an improvement made in later base OS releases. It's just a simple behavior within the regular Camera app on various Samsung Galaxy models I have. Definitely that way on the Galaxy S20 and S21 lines. And I'm pretty sure it worked that way on the Galaxy S9 but no longer have one to double check.

The feature can be turned off; but otherwise just happens when a QR code is seen in the Camera view.



QR code only; if you want to scan other types of bar code you usually need some specific app.

[RedIguana]

1 hour ago, dswallow said:

It's likely an improvement made in later base OS releases. It's just a simple behavior within the regular Camera app on various Samsung Galaxy models I have. Definitely that way on the Galaxy S20 and S21 lines. And I'm pretty sure it worked that way on the Galaxy S9 but no longer have one to double check.

I think my S4 had one built in to the camera, my J-7 (2018) is where I have to do it different. I have a new in box S20 FE sitting at home for when ever I get around to setting it up, so nice to know it already built in. Wife has an A-8 international, not sure about hers (have an S20 I have to set up for her also, we were due). I'm not sure if they got away from them for a while due to security concerns. 

[Sunshine3601]

21 hours ago, VicRock said:

I hope they have paper menus when we go.  Otherwise it will take us forever to order.  My husband has a terrible time reading the phone menus.  I'm not even sure his phone has a QR reader. & 1 of us will have to share with our son who takes FOREVER to decide. My phone made mine easier to find QR in a recent update but it'll still take me a few minutes to figure it out as I never use it.  I just know I've seen it more frequently.  Lol.

I agree.    I absolutely hate using those QR codes.    I always have trouble with them and I am someone that uses my phone on a daily basis for many different things.    A couple months ago majority of restaurants we frequent abandoned the QR codes and went back to regular menus or paper menus.    So much easier for everyone.

[VicRock]

20 hours ago, poocher said:

All you have to do is open your camera, it will read and open the QR code and then the menu.  No special reader needed.  Having said that, I’m not crazy about menus on my phone either.  I’d prefer a paper copy.

That's not true for all phones.  It was not the case with my phone before the update. Maybe now it is but I don't use them if there's another option.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

Regardless of how your phone reads the codes (and yes, on my Samsung, I just have to point the camera at it), it has to connect to SOMETHING (whether internet or an on board server) to call up the menu.  

 

Disconnect your computer from the internet, then try to go to cruisecritic.com.  Same thing.  

[lovesthebeach2]

I use my camera on my iPhone to open QR codes. There’s a setting in the camera that when it’s on, you just point to the QR code and it opens up. Very easy.

[ArthurUSCG]

For vast majority of android phones in use, a QR code reader has been built into the stock camera app since Marshmallow (Android 6.0). The phone just needs to be connected to the shipboard wifi and  does not need to be logged into the data plan. Samsungs might need to go into the camera app and turn on the QR code reading abilities.

I haven't tried royal's app, but they should also have the ability to call up the stock android camera functions for reading the QR codes. That would bypass any manufacture silliness,

Edited July 15, 2021 by ArthurUSCG

[Tree_skier]

So I was spending the day organizing around the house and uncovered this little treasure trove!

 

 

[cynt]

Love the WOW bands when I sail. Reminds me a lot of WDW. Hands free, no lanyard, no need for pockets. I wish they would upgrade all of their ships to include WOW bands. 

[smokeybandit]

Your typical restaurant QR code is just a URL to an online menu.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

13 hours ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

I use my camera on my iPhone to open QR codes. There’s a setting in the camera that when it’s on, you just point to the QR code and it opens up. Very easy.

Put your phone on airplane mode and try to open a QR code. 

[dswallow]

46 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

Put your phone on airplane mode and try to open a QR code. 

 

The QR codes for Royal Caribbean menus open up the Royal App, which works on local ships WiFi and does not require internet access.

[Eddie Wilson]

At the sake of sounding ancient, DW and I enjoy placing our phones in the safe and forgetting about them for most of the duration of a cruise.  

 

We have never utilized on board wi-fi or had to use a computer on board.

 

We will bring a phone if getting off the ship, and every so often will use a restaurants wifi to call our kids.  

 

When cell phones were first introduced they were called “car phones” because the unit was installed in a cars trunk.  It was a status symbol to have a car phone, so some had FAKE car phones, to be hip and cool.

 

Now its a status symbol to not carry a cell phone. It represents freedom and personal independence.  Just an opinion.

 

Eddie

Edited July 16, 2021 by Eddie Wilson

[dswallow]

1 hour ago, Eddie Wilson said:

At the sake of sounding ancient, DW and I enjoy placing our phones in the safe and forgetting about them for most of the duration of a cruise.  

 

We have never utilized on board wi-fi or had to use a computer on board.

 

We will bring a phone if getting off the ship, and every so often will use a restaurants wifi to call our kids.  

 

When cell phones were first introduced they were called “car phones” because the unit was installed in a cars trunk.  It was a status symbol to have a car phone, so some had FAKE car phones, to be hip and cool.

 

Now its a status symbol to not carry a cell phone. It represents freedom and personal independence.  Just an opinion.

 

Eddie

 

I've always made it clear my phone is for me and my needs. I carry it most all the time. But I can choose to not answer it. It's there for me to use when I need to use it and not a tether for others to keep their access to me -- unless, maybe that is something I'm wanting at that time. It's a tool. Nothing more. Nothing less. At the very least, it's my timepiece. At the very most, it can be a huge resource to find information about something, or be a way to keep in touch with someone important. But it's for my benefit, not for anyone else's.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

6 hours ago, dswallow said:

 

The QR codes for Royal Caribbean menus open up the Royal App, which works on local ships WiFi and does not require internet access.

And if you don't have Royal's wifi?  I'm not paying $11/day just to open a menu. 

[Iamcruzin]

The only time I find the need for a fanny pack is at the airport going through security. Anything that would normally be in my pockets go in the fanny pack and the fanny pack goes in the plastic tote to be scanned.

 

Personally I don't care who wears a lanyard. They must be popular because they had lanyard kiosks set up at check in at Cape Liberty as well as on board the ship. We just purchased the wow band but I hardly put that on either. It was easier to hand them or seapass for drinks than having to take that off and put it back on. DW wore hers and used it to get in and out of the room.

[lovesthebeach2]

2 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

And if you don't have Royal's wifi?  I'm not paying $11/day just to open a menu. 

royal wifi used for their app is free

[ArthurUSCG]

4 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

And if you don't have Royal's wifi?  I'm not paying $11/day just to open a menu. 

There is a difference in connecting to the wifi and purchasing or being logged into the internet plan.

If your just connected to the wifi, you are limited to accessing just the onboard server, this is where the  app connects to and where the QR codes will load the menus from.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

3 minutes ago, ArthurUSCG said:

There is a difference in connecting to the wifi and purchasing or being logged into the internet plan.

If your just connected to the wifi, you are limited to accessing just the onboard server, this is where the  app connects to and where the QR codes will load the menus from.

Thank you!  That's what I was trying to find out.  

 

I still don't plan on carrying my phone around.  I'll either have a waterproof camera or DSLR for pictures.  

[Biker19]

12 minutes ago, ArthurUSCG said:

If your just connected to the wifi, you are limited to accessing just the onboard server, this is where the  app connects to and where the QR codes will load the menus from.

The connection to WiFi does allow access to some shore side RCI affiliated sites and it could be that the menu may be hosted there.

[jean87510]

Haven't seen this answered or may have missed it.  Do they have print out menus for people who 1.  may be unable to comfortably view phone with QR code due to vision issues or 2.  have a menu outside restaurant where one can easily look at selections.  Im asking this because Im trying to arrange a 90th birthday cruise for MIL and she can't even increase volume on her phone let alone a QR code.  She's pretty good with downloading pictures on FB so I suspect it may be selective.

[Biker19]

4 hours ago, jean87510 said:

Do they have print out menus

Yes.

[dswallow]

5 hours ago, jean87510 said:

Haven't seen this answered or may have missed it.  Do they have print out menus for people who 1.  may be unable to comfortably view phone with QR code due to vision issues or 2.  have a menu outside restaurant where one can easily look at selections.  Im asking this because Im trying to arrange a 90th birthday cruise for MIL and she can't even increase volume on her phone let alone a QR code.  She's pretty good with downloading pictures on FB so I suspect it may be selective.

 

Every restaurant onboard including the main dining room has printed versions of the menu available for the asking. In fact during the last week I was on Adventure of the Seas at the end of June, it seemed to be the default question when you were seated at Chops was if you wanted a printed menu or were OK using the QR code and the app.