How do you keep track of daily programs?

[zhuangcorp]

I just had a look at a sample daily program, I can't believe how many activities are crammed in a single day. In fact for most hours of the day, there are 2 or 3 activities to choose from. Many of the titles I don't even understand what the event is actually about. 

 

Anyways, how do you keep track of daily programs? Do you bring the newsletter with you and keep it in your pocket? or is it available to view in the navigator app? 

[Cruising-along]

It will be available to view on the navigator app.  

Before that became available, sometimes we would bring it with us, but usually we're back and forth to our cabin so often, it's easy to check at those times. 

[zhuangcorp]

2 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

It will be available to view on the navigator app.  

Before that became available, sometimes we would bring it with us, but usually we're back and forth to our cabin so often, it's easy to check at those times. 

I don't see the program in my navigator app. Is that just because my cruise hasn't started yet?

[Cruising-along]

2 minutes ago, zhuangcorp said:

I don't see the program in my navigator app. Is that just because my cruise hasn't started yet?

Yes, once you're on the cruise it will change daily.  In my experience the Navigator had so many mistakes I wouldn't trust it to be correct before the cruise anyway.  But that could be because it was a new app when we last sailed.

You'll also be able to see menus and lots more each day.  🙂  

[zhuangcorp]

1 minute ago, Cruising-along said:

Yes, once you're on the cruise it will change daily.  In my experience the Navigator had so many mistakes I wouldn't trust it to be correct before the cruise anyway.  But that could be because it was a new app when we last sailed.

You'll also be able to see menus and lots more each day.  🙂  

Yes, I can already see the menu. I assume its just the daily menu of the actual live cruise wherever the ship is currently. I take a quick glance at the menu daily just to see what they have. But I don't see why they would show the daily menu but not the daily programs. 

[syesmar]

@zhuangcorpI take a highlighter for the When & Where, so I can highlight what I want to do and then see it at a glance.

[Cruising-along]

11 minutes ago, zhuangcorp said:

But I don't see why they would show the daily menu but not the daily programs

If it is in fact the menu for that day wherever the ship happens to be (I really don't know),  that's a good question. 

I know that things can change (we've had times when we had to miss a port due to weather etc., and they had to scramble to make up and distribute new, changed daily programs.  Like I said, good question.  

Edited May 4, 2022 by Cruising-along

[Mary229]

Once on ship you can add activities to your app itinerary.  It will then send you alerts to remind you of an upcoming event.  Be sure to compare the app to the paper.  Mine has been correct on this sailing 

[Heartgrove]

We have sailed a number of times including the original version of Navigator. We find it very useful -  especially with all of the activities offered. This is in comparison to Viking Ocean where there is hardly any variety to choose from.

[TiogaCruiser]

10 hours ago, zhuangcorp said:

I just had a look at a sample daily program, I can't believe how many activities are crammed in a single day. In fact for most hours of the day, there are 2 or 3 activities to choose from. Many of the titles I don't even understand what the event is actually about. 

 

Many of those “activities” are ads for sales “events”/sales spiels. Such things as diamonds, expensive watches, purses, arch supports, etc.

[SeeSun&Sea]

Before the App, I would yellow-highlight & annotate the paper schedule, then take photos of each page.

In this modern era -- I am not a fan of getting alerts while on vacation... and l dislike sharing my personal information with corporations. So I may not personalize Navigator App.

[zhuangcorp]

What do you do when you don't even know what the event is about?  I see a lot of events with undefined titles. For example I saw "GoPro adventures". I have no idea what this means. 

 

Many titles are "Enter the world of (insert person's name)". I have no idea who that person is, or what the event is about. 

 

Why don't they include some simple description. 

[vicd1969]

3 minutes ago, zhuangcorp said:

What do you do when you don't even know what the event is about?  I see a lot of events with undefined titles. For example I saw "GoPro adventures". I have no idea what this means. 

 

Many titles are "Enter the world of (insert person's name)". I have no idea who that person is, or what the event is about. 

 

Why don't they include some simple description. 

If it's a smaller venue, chances are that the event is a sales promotion thing if you aren't sure what it's about. For example, GoPro Adventures likely is a demo on what the GoPro cameras can do and thus a promotional activity. "Enter the world of XXX" - probably also a promotional activity. 

[zhuangcorp]

https://www.beyondships2.com/uploads/8/2/4/5/8245255/cr_231_sea.pdf

 

Here is a sample day. I have no idea what "black label studio" means. also "complimentary gaming lessons". Again "gopro vacation" shows up, no idea what that means. 

 

What is "team trivia"? I see this show up a lot. What is Caribbean deck sale?

Edited May 4, 2022 by zhuangcorp

[SeaSickCecil]

Hi and welcome to Holland America.  Black Label Studio is the professional photographers trying to sell you a session where they will take photos and try to sell you a very expensive package (think wedding photo book).  Complimentary gaming, means come to the Casino and learn how to play a table game (roulette, poker, craps...no idea what type of gambling they have on a ship except the slots since I don't gamble...think Las Vegas or Atlantic City).  By giving you a gambling lesson at your game of choice they hope to get you to put down your actual money and support the casino.  Caribbean deck sale is when the clothes shop on board puts out their tee shirts, purses, watches etc at a 'marked down' price.  It's usually a mad house and only lasts for a couple of hours until the ship can get rid of it's old merchandise...think selling shirts advertising the Caribbean stops while the ship is now going to Alaska.  

Team Trivia is the only activity on your list where they aren't trying to sell you something or take your money.  It is what it says it is.  People meet up in the lounge and join groups until you have 6 people on your team (and this can change daily or for each trivia time...you're not forced to stay with a team) and then the staff member reads questions of general interest (think Jeopardy!) and each team answers them on a piece of paper.  At the end the correct answers are read out, much fighting occurs from some very enthusiastic people who are 'always right and know that that isn't the correct answer' and the team with the most correct answers wins.  The prize is the knowledge that your team is smarter than all the others for that moment in time.  There can be music trivia, general knowledge trivia and sometimes HAL specific trivia.  You'll also see Bingo on the daily schedule (buy a Bingo card and try to win money).  And sometimes there are crew run/passenger participant games during the day in the show room.  

I haven't been on a ship in two plus years (sob) so can't remember all the activities.  We always find something to do however.

If there are any other entries you want to know about, ask away.

 

[zhuangcorp]

Thanks. You said there is no prize for winning the trivia. Is there any prize for any of the events? For example, if you win the ping pong tournament?

[zhuangcorp]

Also, what is "275,ooo Paradise Lotto Drawing Jackpot"

[TiogaCruiser]

The Windows seminars are no longer available as HALs contract with Microsoft is no longer. So you can line them out.

 

World of Le Vain is jewelry sales. Those items are also available at our local mall.

 

Acupuncture seminars may provide you with some information, but they are geared towards sales of shipboard treatments.

 

The lectures on shorex will focus on the available shore excursions at upcoming ports. Don’t expect a lecture on the port, and you won’t be disappointed. In the past, HAL had some excellent lectures about the ports, their history, what to do. Etc. that was apart from the shorex presentations.

Shopping Ashore, you can pretty much expect to hear what stores are cruise line recommended (ie: Diamonds International, where to buy the tanzanite you absolutely need, etc.)

 

No simple descriptions because they want you to come and find out.😉

Edited May 4, 2022 by TiogaCruiser

[Torquer]

25 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

The lectures on shorex will focus on the available shore excursions at upcoming ports. Don’t expect a lecture on the port, and you won’t be disappointed. In the past, HAL had some excellent lectures about the ports, their history, what to do. Etc. that was apart from the shorex presentations.

Pre-covid, we always found the port presentations interesting, even though we almost never go on a HAL shore excursion.  Even when they are talking about their own shore excursion, you might learn that you want to visit the site being discussed on your own.  We definitely found them worth the time.

 

Another presentation you will almost always have on a cruise is a Q&A session with the captain and/or his top officers.  This is always interesting and worth attending.

[oaktreerb]

EXC presentations are generally educational lectures and demonstrations related to the area in which you are cruising.  On our recent cruise they included a presentation about the history of surfing.  In Alaska it may be a presentation about the native Alaska people, their language, and the native culture in different regions of the state.  These may be presented by a local expert or the cruise director.   EXC might also include a cooking demonstration like how to cook Salmon.  Cooking classes are always popular with HAL cruises and at this time you are not allowed to “taste the food”. Watch for EXC  it stands for Explorations Central.

[SeaSickCecil]

Thanks. You said there is no prize for winning the trivia. Is there any prize for any of the events? For example, if you win the ping pong tournament?  Well having never won a ping pong tournament I can't say.  Let me say that over the years the prizes for various activates went from great (umbrella with HAL logo, coffee mugs with the ship's letter) to fair (deck of cards, Microsoft vinyl tote bag) to who cares (ship pins of the various destinations HAL sails...I have a whole collection of those).  Post Covid and with financial troubles and fewer passengers who knows if they will have prizes at all.  You might get a small token.  I'll have to win at trivia next week to find out 😊

 

The Lotto Jackpot is another gambling activity I'm guessing.  Lotto is short for Lottery.  You probably buy a ticket or many for a chance for your ticket to be drawn and win a prize.  I don't take part in those things.  My onboard time is better spent watching the waves or reading a book.  If it's like a lot of Casino lotteries it is progressive, so the first draw wins $5, the 2nd draw wins $10 until everyone has bought a lot of tickets and there are very few left to win the big prize.

 

I thought the daily activities used to have a $ next to those activities that cost actual money to participate in.  Or the offer of free 'champagne' which is actually really horrible sparkling wine.

[0106]

I love team trivia, play every day when I’m on a ship. Usually no prize, sometimes a trinket, like a pin.

[rkacruiser]

If you feel intimidated by the programming that you read in When and Where, please don't consider a cruise on Princess with their daily Princess Patters or on a MSC ship with their daily program sheets.  The variety of daily activities that When and Where offers is considerably less than what other cruise lines offer.  

[rkacruiser]

20 hours ago, zhuangcorp said:

Anyways, how do you keep track of daily programs? Do you bring the newsletter with you and keep it in your pocket? or is it available to view in the navigator app? 

 

No experience with the App; my "App" is to write down on a small piece of paper the times/locations of the events I want to try to attend and stick that piece of paper in a shirt pocket.  Some do use the "tear off" section of the When and Where and take that with them; I have done so as well.  

[Duquesmom]

If I remember correctly while onboard, if you tap on a listing in the App,

you will get a more detailed description of the event.