Can you hear me now?

[Redtravel]

On my last day of a 2 week cruise.  It’s my first Simply More excursion experience.  Many of the excursions include walking with guides talking.  We never got listening devices.  When you put big groups walking with a guide, only a few people close to the guide can hear. The rest are just playing follow the leader. Some folks walk slowly and lose the leader.  It would be a big help if Oceania issued a listening device for tours. 

[basenji56]

Viking handles this much better.  

[Harters]

32 minutes ago, basenji56 said:

Viking handles this much better.

In what way, please?

[DrHemlock]

Megaphones and ear trumpets.

[pinotlover]

The “ whisper “ systems used on my lines are efficient and preferred by most over trying to hear the voice of a talking guide.

 

They have their advantages and disadvantages for both the guides and the tour participants so they get varying use.

[davencl]

1 hour ago, basenji56 said:

Viking handles this much better.  

Taking our first Viking river cruise in August.  That's good to know.  I think Viking can do this better because they run the tours?  Oceania does not run any tours.  They are all third party.

[msn123]

I agree that they should always use providers who have "whisper" or VOX systems.  Especially since they are now filling the buses to capacity on many tours it is impossible to hear guides unless you are right in front of them.  Then they turn around to lead and keep talking and no one can hear.

 

(Don't get me started on the tall folks who push ahead and then don't move and the shorter ones spend most of the tour looking at tall backs!)

[CurlerRob]

2 hours ago, Harters said:

In what way, please?

I suspect that @basenji56 was referring to the QuietVox system used by Viking. Small receivers with headphone that receive from the guide's microphone. They work quite well (you can use your own mini-jack headphones if you like), range when I've used them is at least 100 yards, so lots of room to wander around without losing the narration or the guide. 🍺🥌

[Jim_Iain]

Ponant uses a similar system.    It is especially helpful as often up to 50+% of guests are French.   They usually have separate English / French tours but on mixed tours they have one French Guide and one English -   It was really wonderful so you didn't have to bundle up in a small circle to hear.

[mnocket]

With SM, does O have any motivation to improve their excursions?

[Harters]

15 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

I suspect that @basenji56 was referring to the QuietVox system used by Viking

Thanks. Assuming that Viking runs its own tours, as suggested by davencl, then of course it supplies the equipment. With O using third parties, you'd have to rely on whatever kit the company has. 

[basenji56]

49 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

I suspect that @basenji56 was referring to the QuietVox system used by Viking. Small receivers with headphone that receive from the guide's microphone. They work quite well (you can use your own mini-jack headphones if you like), range when I've used them is at least 100 yards, so lots of room to wander around without losing the narration or the guide. 🍺🥌

Yes, the QuietVox system is one of the better things on Viking. 

[1985rz1]

1 hour ago, Harters said:

Thanks. Assuming that Viking runs its own tours, as suggested by davencl, then of course it supplies the equipment. With O using third parties, you'd have to rely on whatever kit the company has. 

Our experience with QuietVox on Viking has been limited to Expedition ships.  Viking did not run its own land tours, but provided the third party guide with necessary equipment for him/her to use.  The pax are provided with the Vox and earphone equipment in the stateroom for use on all tours where appropriate.

[pinotlover]

Viking does not run its own tours in most ports. They use third parties like everyone else.

 

The passengers have their Vox system, with charger in their cabins and are supposed to bring them with them on each tour. Viking provided the main headset , and instructions as needed, to the guides for us on the tours. After the tours, the guides return the equipment to the Viking rep. 
 

The system has advantages and disadvantages for both parties.

[CurlerRob]

1 hour ago, Harters said:

Thanks. Assuming that Viking runs its own tours, as suggested by davencl, then of course it supplies the equipment. With O using third parties, you'd have to rely on whatever kit the company has. 

 

I'm not sure what davencl meant by 3rd parties. Viking organizes the excursions, but nearly always uses 3rd parties for buses/guides, etc. They just choose to provide the Vox systems to pax and the guides themselves. Cheers. 🍺🥌

[cruisinsusin]

Guides on 2 of 3 of the Oceania SimplyMore excursions we have just taken offered “whispers “ and the 3rd guide had a small microphone that allowed all to hear. 

[davencl]

36 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

 

I'm not sure what davencl meant by 3rd parties. Viking organizes the excursions, but nearly always uses 3rd parties for buses/guides, etc. They just choose to provide the Vox systems to pax and the guides themselves. Cheers. 🍺🥌

It wasn't worded as a question but I put a question mark at the end as I wasn't sure. This will be my first Viking river cruise so am glad to know this.  Yes on Oceania and NCL there is certainly jockeying for position...

Edited May 31 by davencl

[Redtravel]

5 hours ago, Harters said:

In what way, please?

We were on a Viking cruise in April.  Everyone has a listening device which they use on most excursions.  Viking groups are well adapted to levels of described difficulty.  Tour guides keep track of participants.  Oceania has huge groups on many tours.  If they stop and address the group, it is ok. It’s less desirable when guide walk and talk.

[Redtravel]

37 minutes ago, cruisinsusin said:

Guides on 2 of 3 of the Oceania SimplyMore excursions we have just taken offered “whispers “ and the 3rd guide had a small microphone that allowed all to hear. 

Took 6 excursion on my cruise. Never saw any listening device. Using 3rd party operators to provide tours is an excuse that makes Oceania not responsible for the quality of the tours. One big difference with SM when compared to Olife is that groups fill the bus.  Way too many people on a tour.  Also, the guides need to be aware of the age range of guests. Many are old.  We took tours 4-5 hours with no rest stop. 

[Harters]

2 hours ago, Redtravel said:

We took tours 4-5 hours with no rest stop. 

I would have, ahem, certain considerable difficulties with that. 

[ronrick1943]

Unfortunately hearing type device doesn't really help enjoying a tour if the tour size is just to big.  Big groups mean you see less as you have to keep moving and the tour director spends to much time trying to keep the tour together and the numbers of people the same as when leaving the ship.  When on a bus, too much time is spend loading and off loading.  Even a well planned tour can't cover everything--sometimes you pass something you really wanted to see, but the bus hasn't to keep moving.  We've even missed a planned stomper two because someone didn't return in time and we had to wait 25 minutes for the guide to find them.

[Tranquility Base]

One of the advantages of the listening devices that I have found is it helps me to find the guide again inside a busy location.

I sometimes wander a short distance from the group, and it can help to find the guide again by hearing what they are describing or which direction they are moving.

Obviously wandering too far can lead to issues, so I'm careful not to do that.

[Redtravel]

That assumes that guide wants to collect guests.  On some tours that happened. On some, the guide didn’t care.  
when the group is big, it takes time to load and unload.  
worst was a panaramic tour in Messina. Group was big.  Description didn’t match tour. Description had 15 minutes free time.  We had 2 hours. Stopped at a church at 10:30 and said meet me 12:30.  Not exactly a tour.  Since it was booked with SM money, no recourse.  We mostly sat outside church in hot sun.  Oceania needs to reassess their tours.  

[pinotlover]

Advantages for tour guide: They can speak in a normal voice to any size group giving instructions or information.

 

Disadvantage for tour guides: People take comfort in being able to hear the guide’s voice and wander off, dilly dally here or there, etc., and soon get separated by a considerable distance from the group. They think they’re close because they can hear the guid’s voice. People get lost! I have found they are great if I’m doing a vineyard tour or somewhere I can keep eye contact with everyone. I hate them on busy city streets where people easily get strung out.

 

Advantages for tourists : They can easily listen to all commentary of the guides.

 

Disadvantage for tourists: Much like some posters here on CC, some guides attempt to give a new definition to verbose and verbosity. Take an eight hour tour, they’ll talk every minute of that eight hours. It might be about their neighbor’s second cousin’s granddaughter, but they talk on and on. The only way to stop the noise is to unplug. Then you lose possible information or instructions you need. Their sole tip at the end is me , or others, not having strangled them after hour 3 or 4. 🤬

 

Fwiw, the sponsor company of the tours set the rules. I’ve taken groups out with a ten minute rule. The group will wait ten minutes after the assigned time for any stragglers and leave. Other sponsors will require the guide to wait and search for at least an hour. It isn’t up to the guide. I have no idea what Oceania requires.

[vlthom]

We have been on some O excursions where listening devices were issued.  They were issued by the tour company -- not O.  I find these devices to be helpful, when they work properly.  It does allow one to hear the guide from a distance where one might not otherwise be able to hear.  And they are especially helpful at crowded sites.  Not everyone uses or likes them, though.  My husband absolutely refuses to use them.  We did have some guides who did not speak into their microphones, though, too.  That was actually worse than not having the headphones at all because the guide always assumed that we could hear everything being said.