Rare Sparky74 Posted July 18 #376 Share Posted July 18 2 hours ago, Aus Traveller said: Even though I don't want to, I might have to use our phone with an app.☹️ No! Don’t give in! If enough of us politely refuse to use the app they’ll have to continue to offer an alternative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare arxcards Posted July 18 #377 Share Posted July 18 2 hours ago, Sparky74 said: No! Don’t give in! If enough of us politely refuse to use the app they’ll have to continue to offer an alternative. By my recent cruises, most seems the vast majority are happy to use the app, as it knocks down any appearance of queuing. I am also happy to do it the old way - on Princess, Royal, HAL and others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mr walker Posted July 18 #378 Share Posted July 18 21 hours ago, Sparky74 said: I tend to got to the MDR for breakfast. I ask for a shared table and enjoy conversation. It’s much more civilised having someone bring breakfast to me. And I eat less than I would at the buffet. DW & I mostly do this - and the idea of being more civilised is the same for us. Sometimes though we are too late for MDR breakfast & buffet it is 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aus Traveller Posted July 18 #379 Share Posted July 18 3 hours ago, Sparky74 said: No! Don’t give in! If enough of us politely refuse to use the app they’ll have to continue to offer an alternative. That is what my husband said. Well, something similar, but I won't repeat it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mr walker Posted July 18 #380 Share Posted July 18 21 hours ago, Sparky74 said: .....For me, one of the (many) things I enjoy about cruising is disconnecting and getting away from screens. I stood my ground and just turned up for breakfast each morning and told them they could book me in. DW thinks I can be a bit bloody minded at times… 🤔 21 hours ago, Aus Traveller said: We will just be turning up at the dining room for breakfast - no booking in. I am prepared to pre-book dinner times. We don't carry our phone around the ship with us. I almost always carry my phone onboard- in flight mode. It serves as my general purpose camera, my clock, counts my steps & helps me to be where I want to be. Also, sometimes when we travel with others we engage, for a spot of fun, in a sort of treasure hunt, where we choose things for the others to find, taking a photo which we show them & they have to find. They then show us a photo as proof! Without a phone with a camera it would be hard to do, as I am not a good drawer 🙂 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruiser3775 Posted July 18 #381 Share Posted July 18 Being one of those people who thinks my smart phone is smarter than me, I found it difficult to use an onboard app, but took advantage of my local library offering a one hour one-on-one tech help session, with a young librarian who patiently taught me to use some of the phone's useful features, so I was able to use it better. I don't mind carrying the phone around the ship, have no compulsion to keep checking my texts or emails. They can wait while I am on holidays. Change is always hard, but I like to think I am moving with the times a little. And I love the medallion when it opens my cabin door for me, too. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aus Traveller Posted July 18 #382 Share Posted July 18 3 minutes ago, cruiser3775 said: Being one of those people who thinks my smart phone is smarter than me, I found it difficult to use an onboard app, but took advantage of my local library offering a one hour one-on-one tech help session, with a young librarian who patiently taught me to use some of the phone's useful features, so I was able to use it better. I don't mind carrying the phone around the ship, have no compulsion to keep checking my texts or emails. They can wait while I am on holidays. Change is always hard, but I like to think I am moving with the times a little. And I love the medallion when it opens my cabin door for me, too. I did manage to install the Princess Medallion app and use it. I suppose I will have to move with the times and use the P&O app. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Sparky74 Posted July 18 #383 Share Posted July 18 3 hours ago, arxcards said: By my recent cruises, most seems the vast majority are happy to use the app, as it knocks down any appearance of queuing. I am also happy to do it the old way - on Princess, Royal, HAL and others. Call me a Luddite but I also refuse to use self service checkouts. 🤷♂️ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Mycruiseobsession Posted July 18 #384 Share Posted July 18 1 hour ago, Sparky74 said: Call me a Luddite but I also refuse to use self service checkouts. 🤷♂️ I prefer them for small purchases. Bread and milk. In and out But not this business of a whole trolley. I did like the Princess Medallion App, ordering coffee to my deck chair instead of standing in line, then waiting in line for them to call my name. Was much nicer sitting in a virtual line reading a book rather than standing and waiting and waiting and waiting as I do on P&O ships. The P&O app is the worst, I really didn't find it useful at all. I am hoping the new Carnival Hub will run smooth on the Encounter next year! 🤞 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare arxcards Posted July 19 #385 Share Posted July 19 18 hours ago, Aus Traveller said: I did manage to install the Princess Medallion app and use it. I suppose I will have to move with the times and use the P&O app. Up till next March, you can still do it how you usually would on P&O, without an app. Beyond that, they are planning to do it the Carnival way with their Hub app. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mr walker Posted July 19 #386 Share Posted July 19 (edited) 16 hours ago, Sparky74 said: Call me a Luddite but I also refuse to use self service checkouts. 🤷♂️ 14 hours ago, Mycruiseobsession said: I prefer them for small purchases. Bread and milk. In and out But not this business of a whole trolley. I also find the self-serve checkouts very convenient for a small basket of goods, but not for a 'big shop'. Supermarket self-serve checkouts align well with internet banking & on-line booking, including for cruises & cruise related purchases 🙂 I've also discovered on-line ordering for beverages. Order on the app for a cheaper price & they send a text when your order is ready, drive to the parking spot & they bring the drinks out to you. I almost feel like I'm on a cruise 🙂 Thanks Dan!! Edited July 19 by mr walker typo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Mycruiseobsession Posted July 19 #387 Share Posted July 19 10 minutes ago, mr walker said: I've also discovered on-line ordering for beverages. Order on the app for a cheaper price & they send a text when your order is ready, drive to the parking spot & they bring the drinks out to you. I almost feel like I'm on a cruise 🙂 Thanks Dan!! Uncle Dan's a top bloke! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare arxcards Posted July 19 #388 Share Posted July 19 16 hours ago, Sparky74 said: Call me a Luddite but I also refuse to use self service checkouts. 🤷♂️ I just vote with my feet. If I have a choice between doing it their way and avoiding queues, I will adapt or book a different line. Carnival has tried to improve their open seating MDR dining via the app, and it has been well accepted by a large majority of their passengers. Same with registers. If I don't have to queue more than a couple of minutes, I prefer the checkout chicks/guys to scan & bag my groceries - but will use self-serve if the checkouts are busy. A true Luddite would take a baseball bat to the self-serve machines to make sure nobody else could use them either. Some that choose not to use self-serve checkouts are among those saying that Coles and Woolies are gouging their customers. They are an efficiency measure, so yes that is for shareholder profit, but also affects what you pay at the register. Staff in these stores are now under more pressure to deliver customer service for next to no additional cost. As a child, I recall the groceries being on a wall behind the counter, where the grocer would climb a ladder and bring it over to the counter, often weighing and bagging much like the woolies/coles deli does these days. Then you would line-up to repeat at the fruitos, and the butchers, and the Co-op for milk & bread tokens. My mum would spend 4hrs every Friday getting all of the shopping done. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nnps Posted July 19 #389 Share Posted July 19 18 hours ago, Sparky74 said: Call me a Luddite but I also refuse to use self service checkouts. 🤷♂️ I LOVE self-service checkouts and found the app for dining very useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Sparky74 Posted July 19 #390 Share Posted July 19 5 hours ago, arxcards said: …A true Luddite would take a baseball bat to the self-serve machines to make sure nobody else could use them either… Don’t tempt me. 🤣 If I wanted to "sabotage" them I’d have to use my shoe rather than a baseball bat. 🤔 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare arxcards Posted July 19 #391 Share Posted July 19 2 hours ago, Sparky74 said: Don’t tempt me. 🤣 If I wanted to "sabotage" them I’d have to use my shoe rather than a baseball bat. 🤔 Or create a Crowdstrike bug. 🤣 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare arxcards Posted August 6 #392 Share Posted August 6 On 6/10/2024 at 8:09 AM, ceeceeDee said: I suppose poor Dora might have a last minute reprieve. Pacific Dawn had a very narrow squeak before Ambassador picked her up. Only time will tell. After all this time it still seems a shame we our losing our home grown cruise line. P&O might not have been everyone's cup of tea, but an awful lot of people cut their cruising teeth on P&O ships and it's sad to lose a part of our history. Not to confirm either way, but it appears Dora is no longer up for sale. It may mean she has been sold for another life of cruising, but it could also mean that she has been sold for scrap. On way or the other, it would seem her future has been decided. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ceeceeDee Posted August 6 #393 Share Posted August 6 8 minutes ago, arxcards said: Not to confirm either way, but it appears Dora is no longer up for sale. It may mean she has been sold for another life of cruising, but it could also mean that she has been sold for scrap. On way or the other, it would seem her future has been decided. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the poor old girl's destiny is the former and not the latter. I'm just too sentimental.🥺 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare arxcards Posted August 22 #394 Share Posted August 22 Absorbing P&O Australia in more ways than one. Carnival Splendor has recently exited her drydock in Sembawang, Singapore with a familiar looking motif. First Carnival ship to wear a Southern Cross badge. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cruise and Travel Guy Posted August 22 #395 Share Posted August 22 4 minutes ago, arxcards said: Absorbing P&O Australia in more ways than one. Carnival Splendor has recently exited her drydock in Sembawang, Singapore with a familiar looking motif. First Carnival ship to wear a Southern Cross badge. Well, look at that. Eagle-eyed spotting. It may be safe to assume that Splendor will remain in Australia for a long time to come. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare arxcards Posted August 23 #396 Share Posted August 23 1 hour ago, The Cruise and Travel Guy said: Well, look at that. Eagle-eyed spotting. It may be safe to assume that Splendor will remain in Australia for a long time to come. True. It is from a friend's eagle eye, as she is in Singapore ready for the cruise back to Sydney. Nice touch. I would have hoped that Carnival could rotate a ship in & out from time to time, but the logo sure does suggest otherwise. Then again, ask someone from Alabama and they might suggest it is a stylised version of the Stars & Stripes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruiser3775 Posted August 23 #397 Share Posted August 23 1 hour ago, arxcards said: Absorbing P&O Australia in more ways than one. Carnival Splendor has recently exited her drydock in Sembawang, Singapore with a familiar looking motif. First Carnival ship to wear a Southern Cross badge. I'm in Singapore now, getting on Splendor tomorrow for the cruise back to Australia. I haven't taken an internet package, but will try to report back on any visible changes since the dry dock. It's great to be cruising again! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare arxcards Posted August 23 #398 Share Posted August 23 3 minutes ago, cruiser3775 said: I'm in Singapore now, getting on Splendor tomorrow for the cruise back to Australia. I haven't taken an internet package, but will try to report back on any visible changes since the dry dock. It's great to be cruising again! Awesome. It would be nice if they have at least upgraded their cabin TVs to 12 inch. 😉 Apart from a couple of tweaks to some of the buffet station brands, I am not aware of much in the way of visible changes. Have a great cruise. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joejoe 59 Posted August 23 #399 Share Posted August 23 On 7/17/2024 at 4:28 PM, Sparky74 said: I was recently reminded that on Carnival bacon is only available every second morning at breakfast in the buffet. I wonder if that will be the case on the Encounter and Adventure going forward. 🤔 Is that for real...I don't believe it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruiser3775 Posted August 23 #400 Share Posted August 23 Yes, bacon every second day was my experience. Also, it was the only breakfast buffet item that had to be served up to you. You couldn't help yourself to bacon. Don't know who confused baconwith caviar or Lobster! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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