What happens with guests who "don't do technology?"

[Bo1953]

On 2/14/2022 at 1:28 AM, Denny01 said:

To the OP about older folks and technology, most of us geezers are doing fine with all the new ways. And even before the X App, you had to use the X website and needed a computer/tablet to get the Fast Pass. And those, old and young, who couldn’t, did it through TAs or by phone with X. And the few who don’t show up w the Pass just work it at the terminal checkin. And uploading the vaccine card isn’t required, and they asked to see mine at the terminal even when I did. 
 

i lead an organization that provides classes to mainly retirees, and we moved all its registration and payments to online. Use to have hundreds show up to register in person and the Pandemic finally moved us to all online. Was very surprised how few called the office to get help or came in because they couldn’t do it themselves and we had close to 300 register. Of course got the “you have to have in person registration for older people” comments. Nope. Worked just fine and helped the few who needed it, but still did it all online. 
 

den

d - You may be able to create free sailings for yourself by teaching 'technical courses' on-board X ships for the more mature technophobe crowd...

 

bon voyage

[Denny01]

2 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

d - You may be able to create free sailings for yourself by teaching 'technical courses' on-board X ships for the more mature technophobe crowd...

 

bon voyage

I’d have to stick to a schedule, and not ‘tip a few’ prior! Nope to both. 

 

den

[Bo1953]

3 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

I’d have to stick to a schedule, and not ‘tip a few’ prior! Nope to both. 

 

den

I do not see sticking to a schedule an issue, but as for tipping a few, make it a wine and computer class... LOL

 

Cheers and bon voyage

Edited February 16, 2022 by Bo1953

[5waldos]

15 minutes ago, MarKay525 said:

Thanks - let the lanyard shopping begin!

If you have youngish kids or grandkids- get them some nice embroidery thread or thin lanyard string and have them make lanyards. I had my (then young) son making them out of the standard plastic lanyard string which kept him involved and busy before the cruise. But they were a bit stiff. 

[Denny01]

I do Kumihimo braiding and the first thing I did was lanyards….fun. Now I’m into exotic beading and so on with it. 

 

I should make a lot of lanyards and make them available on my Roll Calls! I’m sure CruiseCritic would just Love that.

 

den

[graphicguy]

Really, it's fine not using a smart phone.  Your Sea Pass will get you in your cabin, or optionally, into the Retreat.  You'll still need it to get off or on the ship, along with acceptable ID.

 

Is it easier navigating with a smart phone?  Much easier.  But, it's not a big deal using the Sea Pass card.

 

I had to chuckle about those who were brought up computing with punch cards.  My first foray  into computer science (my major) was a bit later than that.  We used a VAX PDP 11/70.  But, it too was the size of a small room with very specific environmental requirements.

 

Using a smart phone is a piece of cake, and probably easier than using stacks of paper, which has to be printed out from your computer to your printer to begin with.

 

If that's your choice, no issues, however.

[ExArkie]

23 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

I do not see sticking to a schedule an issue, but as for tipping a few, make it a wine and computer class... LOL

 

Cheers and bon voyage

You may not know this, but WINE is software that runs Windows-based programs under the Linux operating system. A decade or so ago it was, anyway. Haven't had a need for it since my Linux computer died and I found out I really didn't need to replace it.

 

Supposedly the name is a backronym from Wine Is Not a Emulator.

 

And, just to stay with the theme of this thread, I am a "geezer" (well, I'm 65...when does geezerhood start?) that still does some programming (or "coding" in the current vernacular).

[Bo1953]

25 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

I do Kumihimo braiding and the first thing I did was lanyards….fun. Now I’m into exotic beading and so on with it. 

 

I should make a lot of lanyards and make them available on my Roll Calls! I’m sure CruiseCritic would just Love that.

 

den

For those only in the know... LOL

 

bon voyage

[hrhdhd]

3 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Really, it's fine not using a smart phone.  Your Sea Pass will get you in your cabin, or optionally, into the Retreat.  You'll still need it to get off or on the ship, along with acceptable ID.

 

Is it easier navigating with a smart phone?  Much easier.  But, it's not a big deal using the Sea Pass card.

I'm not sure how it's easier to carry a smartphone vs. a Sea Pass card, but hey, if it works for you. I would just like the option to carry the card, and if others want to bring their phones, whatevs.

[TeeRick]

3 minutes ago, hrhdhd said:

I'm not sure how it's easier to carry a smartphone vs. a Sea Pass card, but hey, if it works for you. I would just like the option to carry the card, and if others want to bring their phones, whatevs.

I will just bring along my emotional support animal who is fully versed on all of the latest smartphone technology.

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, hrhdhd said:

I'm not sure how it's easier to carry a smartphone vs. a Sea Pass card, but hey, if it works for you. I would just like the option to carry the card, and if others want to bring their phones, whatevs.

You're right.  Doesn't matter to some.  That's OK.

 

I have my Celebrity app with my calendar of things I want to do with me at all times, on and off ship.  It has my excursions, too.  Plus, it also tells me when "all aboard" time is for each port, so I can enter that into my iPhone calendar and an alarm when I get so caught up at a port and lose track of time.

 

Plus, on board, with streaming wifi, I can make and receive calls. And, I can use it as a key to get into my cabin.  No worries about leaving the key card in the light switch when I leave and needing to get another key card at guest services.

 

I used to carry folded papers with me at all times to do all of that.  Now, I just use my phone.

 

I just find it a very useful tool.

[5waldos]

I carry my phone when I think there may be something I want to take pictures of- I do like that it is a phone/camera/computer. But not only for a door opener. 

[dazey]

For some reason I do not need a cell phone to remind me of where and when I need to be at all times.  I have a list(on the phone or on paper in the room) that I can access when I return from my latest adventure.  I am older and have functioned quite well(so far) without an added arm to tell me what is happening every moment. 

 

I also find it difficult to understand why two people dine together and just look at their phones.  Sometimes I see just one person looking at their phone and never speak to their dinner guest.

 

I know this is an age thing but I can still cruise quite nicely.

 

I admire people who can handle the cell phone and be so "with it". It comes so naturally.  It almost is like years ago when someone always had a cigarette in their hand(which really is a million times worse).

 

We all do what we have to do to get along.

 

 

[PTC DAWG]

I'm a sea pass kind of guy too on board....I'd be constantly leaving the phone somewhere, or getting into the pool with it in my pocket...or the worst case would be someone calling/texting/emailing me from home on the confounded thing...I'm on vacation.  

 

I don't mind using it to board, etc..or check the app in the room....especially the boarding part...seems to help expedite things.  

Edited February 16, 2022 by PTC DAWG

[PTC DAWG]

12 minutes ago, dazey said:

 

 

I also find it difficult to understand why two people dine together and just look at their phones.  Sometimes I see just one person looking at their phone and never speak to their dinner guest.

 

 

 

 

 

That's also a pet peeve of mine, I know it doesn't hurt/bother me, but it just seems sad to me to see two people at dinner not even talking to one another...

[5waldos]

4 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

That's also a pet peeve of mine, I know it doesn't hurt/bother me, but it just seems sad to me to see two people at dinner not even talking to one another...

But if you don't stare non-stop at your phone you might miss a picture of a cute kitty or puppy! And there is  the "What cha up to? " text from someone who you don't really care that much about. 

 

It is also something that drives me nuts. 

[LGW59]

5 minutes ago, 5waldos said:

But if you don't stare non-stop at your phone you might miss a picture of a cute kitty or puppy! And there is  the "What cha up to? " text from someone who you don't really care that much about. 

 

It is also something that drives me nuts. 

why does it drive you nuts, why do you care about what people at another table are doing innocuously? 

[5waldos]

In part it drives me nuts because it is not infrequently my daughter doing it. At my table. As far as other tables- it seems so rude to be sitting with someone and completely ignoring them while you attend to someone else you aren't with. Sure it is none of my business. So maybe I was exaggerating a wee bit. 

 

But things were different when I was a lass. 

[LGW59]

3 minutes ago, 5waldos said:

In part it drives me nuts because it is not infrequently my daughter doing it. At my table. As far as other tables- it seems so rude to be sitting with someone and completely ignoring them while you attend to someone else you aren't with. Sure it is none of my business. So maybe I was exaggerating a wee bit. 

 

But things were different when I was a lass. 

I'm still a lad, oh wait, can a lad be 62?!?  Please say yes

[bEwAbG]

Sometimes those people are planning things and you just might not have seen them talking about it.  In my household, we take turns doing research on whatever the question of the moment is.

[lyndarra]

On 2/15/2022 at 1:05 AM, Caribbean Chris said:

Around the same time, we bought an Apple 2e.

And around that time I taught myself to program in Atari Basic on my Atari 400 so that my kids could do math problems at home.

[5waldos]

12 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

I'm still a lad, oh wait, can a lad be 62?!?  Please say yes

Yes. 
 

Well, not really but I’ll say yes because it is a snowy cold and damp afternoon here and no reason to snow on someone else’s parade. 

[MarKay525]

3 hours ago, graphicguy said:

You're right.  Doesn't matter to some.  That's OK.

 

I have my Celebrity app with my calendar of things I want to do with me at all times, on and off ship.  It has my excursions, too.  Plus, it also tells me when "all aboard" time is for each port, so I can enter that into my iPhone calendar and an alarm when I get so caught up at a port and lose track of time.

 

Plus, on board, with streaming wifi, I can make and receive calls. And, I can use it as a key to get into my cabin.  No worries about leaving the key card in the light switch when I leave and needing to get another key card at guest services.

 

I used to carry folded papers with me at all times to do all of that.  Now, I just use my phone.

 

I just find it a very useful tool.

Totally get this. However, in my case I would have to purchase an entire new cruising wardrobe with pockets to carry said phone. A lanyard is much cheaper! Kay

[goofysmom99]

12 minutes ago, MarKay525 said:

Totally get this. However, in my case I would have to purchase an entire new cruising wardrobe with pockets to carry said phone. A lanyard is much cheaper! Kay

I use a little wrist lanyard from an old camera for my phone and carry my seapass in my pocket.  (And carry my reading glasses atop my head or I wouldn't be able to read the phone at all.)  😉

[Vagabond Knight]

11 hours ago, graphicguy said:

 We used a VAX PDP 11/70.  But, it too was the size of a small room with very specific environmental requirements.

 

Woo-hoo!  DEC 4-Ever!!!  I'm convinced that if Ken O and the engineers had a better marketing team, we'd all be on some advanced version of DECWindows today instead of these other flakey operating systems.

And to the person who suggested that some of us teach technology classes onboard... personally, I'd rather be fed to the sharks.  I just retired from that a few months ago and feel like that would quickly drain the peace and joy out of my cruise. Imagine people coming up to you during the remainder of the cruise, asking how-to questions and making please-fix-this requests! 😱