Guide to Guest Communication on Excursions

[RELS]

I read over in the Silversea Passengers FB group that the communication method for shore excursions is no longer the little radio boxes with earphones each guest had (tuned to the same frequency as the guide's), but somehow now uses guests' cell phones.

 

Can anyone expand on this one way or another? If this is true, what technology carries the communication?

 

And, most important, what do they do for people who lack the proper apparatus (don't have a working international cell phone, don't have ear buds/phones, have their bluetooth being used by their hearing aids, etc)?

 

[cruiseej]

It was reported last summer that it works via a mobile WiFi transmitter carried by the guide, so there is no need for people to enable international data service on their phone. And also reported that they have units for people who have no smart phone or headphones. I haven't seen anything about it sinse then. 

[jpalbny]

We used this system in November. It worked well. IIRC you have to turn on airplane mode (or at least turn off mobile data) for it to work. So you DO NOT need an international data plan.

 

I forgot to bring my earpieces, which would have made it work even better, but it was fine.

[Lois R]

I cruised 4 times between July and Dec and had different experiences each cruise. I do know on one sailing (honestly cannot remember which one) but on one of them the Shore Excursion folks showed me a box they would have provided if you didn't have your own phone to use. 

 

I also took various tours where no equipment was needed at all.  Smaller groups...no need for anything.

The tour guides were really good....example in the Azores.....never used any phones or boxes.

 

I do remember the first cruise was out of Athens last summer and there were various issues with the system......it seemed like at that point they had not gotten all the glitches removed. But I am guessing by now, 7 months later, they have things working better.

 

 

[RELS]

18 hours ago, jpalbny said:

you DO NOT need an international data plan.

This is great to know!

 

I forgot to ask in my original post -- is there an app needed? Is it available for both iPhone and Android? If there is an app, I'd like to download it before I travel, for a variety of reasons.

 

 

[Lois R]

7 hours ago, RELS said:

This is great to know!

 

I forgot to ask in my original post -- is there an app needed? Is it available for both iPhone and Android? If there is an app, I'd like to download it before I travel, for a variety of reasons.

 

 

Yes, there is an app........I can't remember the name........maybe someone who has sailed recently might know.  It is something like itour (I think).

[Silver Spectre]

58 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Yes, there is an app........I can't remember the name........maybe someone who has sailed recently might know.  It is something like itour (I think).

There is and it’s called ‘itour Smartguide’. It’s available on both Android and Apple.

[Senga]

We used this system on our Scenic River cruise and it worked fine.  I used the app on my iPhone but didn’t have an international plan.

[Silver Spectre]

5 minutes ago, Senga said:

We used this system on our Scenic River cruise and it worked fine.  I used the app on my iPhone but didn’t have an international plan.

That’s because it works on an offline local Wifi basis.