old fool Posted July 14 #1 Share Posted July 14 We want to use an Apple air tag to keep track of the whereabouts of our 13 year old grandson while on board. Anyone have experience with this? If he carries an air tag can we just log into the WiFi using our laptop to get an idea where he is?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare rakkor Posted July 14 #2 Share Posted July 14 I'm not sure, it would be fine ashore, but when at sea then them "Find My" map will just be a sea of blue, you may get a relative position if you have a iPhone 12 or higher, I don't think SE's do it, but even then there will probably be GPS issues with that as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david63 Posted July 14 #3 Share Posted July 14 Wouldn't you need to have two wi-fi packages - one for the laptop and one for the air tag as you can only have one device connected at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted July 14 #4 Share Posted July 14 I use my AirTags on 8 items including my car. There are some basic limitations that you need to be aware of. 1. They do not use GPS. Instead they use BlueTooth and location is determined by them communication with anyone with and iPhone with BlueTooth enabled. The AirTag must be withing about 30 feet of an iPhone and will then report back to you the LAST TIME it as tagged. 2. Location shown will only be the coordinates and on-find me will probably only show a dot in the ocean. AirTags can not tell you where on the ship or on what floor so probably useless for tracking the whereabouts of you grandson except his last known coordinates in the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
napria Posted July 14 #5 Share Posted July 14 An AirTag won’t help per outlined above. If you really want to know where he is, I think you’ll need to pay for WiFi and have him carry a phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Pushpit Posted July 14 #6 Share Posted July 14 The deck factor is going to get you here, plus the lack of Apple receptors reporting back location given the often elderly cohorts on board. Just because he is near the bow or stern isn't going to help if there are 13 decks to work through. At that age I doubt that tracking / monitoring his movements makes a lot of sense, it's not as though he can go anywhere when the ship is sailing. I can see more value if it's at a port and you worry about him not getting back to the ship in time. It probably makes far more sense to get him to appreciate the various ways to contact you (e.g. if he has the wifi package via WhatsApp and similar) and that you appreciate him staying in touch. He also can use the house telephone system to call you in your stateroom. Kids have been on Cunard vessels quite happily for nearly 200 years - self included (I am not quite that old though) and it's only recent times that we've had this sort of technology. Mostly we managed reasonably well without it. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old fool Posted July 15 Author #7 Share Posted July 15 Thanks everyone. It seems very obvious but I completely forgot the old fashioned method of "use one of the hard wired phones located around the ship" and actually call our cabin to check in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnevale Posted July 15 #8 Share Posted July 15 I have never tried it so don’t know if it works, but I wonder if a set of Walkie talkies would provide you with the easy communication you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare rakkor Posted July 15 #9 Share Posted July 15 7 hours ago, Jim_Iain said: They do not use GPS. Instead they use BlueTooth and location is determined by them communication with anyone with and iPhone with BlueTooth enabled. The AirTag must be withing about 30 feet of an iPhone and will then report back to you the LAST TIME it as tagged True, but the phone that "finds" the airtag does as does the "Findee's" phone and uses these co-ordinates to show the airtag's current position so when looked for in the "Find My" app when at sea you'd see it's last know co-ordinates which would be a dot in the blue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david63 Posted July 15 #10 Share Posted July 15 2 hours ago, Carnevale said: I wonder if a set of Walkie talkies would provide you with the easy communication There are restrictions as to what type, if any, are allowed to be used by passengers on any cruise ship. This is one area where the Princess Medallion comes into its own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chengkp75 Posted July 15 #11 Share Posted July 15 4 hours ago, Carnevale said: I have never tried it so don’t know if it works, but I wonder if a set of Walkie talkies would provide you with the easy communication you want. Range of hand-held radios is severely limited on ships (if more than a couple decks apart, and more than half the ship's length apart, probably won't connect), unless your radio uses the exact frequencies used by the crew that the repeater antenna around the ship are tuned to. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killiekosmos Posted July 15 #12 Share Posted July 15 20 hours ago, old fool said: We want to use an Apple air tag to keep track of the whereabouts of our 13 year old grandson while on board. Anyone have experience with this? If he carries an air tag can we just log into the WiFi using our laptop to get an idea where he is?? No. AirTags require another Apple device with bluetooth to 'find' it, and with WiFi (or celluar connectivity) to report its location back to the AirTag owner, who would also need WiFi or cellular connection to access this data. Even if it did report 'location' it would be in 2 dimensions, not 3. If you have ever checked where your luggage is at an airport, you get a 'bird's eye' view, so an AirTag at best might show where on the ship is was (fore, midship, aft) but not the vertical component such as which deck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catchum Posted July 17 #13 Share Posted July 17 Often advocated on other boards is a white board or note pad in the cabin for people to log movements "12.30pm we are heading to lunch at ?????? Then listening to 2pm talk in theatre - will be in cabin 4pm - 4.30" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Essiesmom Posted July 18 #14 Share Posted July 18 On 7/14/2024 at 7:40 PM, Pushpit said: The deck factor is going to get you here, plus the lack of Apple receptors reporting back location given the often elderly cohorts on board. Just because he is near the bow or stern isn't going to help if there are 13 decks to work through. At that age I doubt that tracking / monitoring his movements makes a lot of sense, it's not as though he can go anywhere when the ship is sailing. I can see more value if it's at a port and you worry about him not getting back to the ship in time. It probably makes far more sense to get him to appreciate the various ways to contact you (e.g. if he has the wifi package via WhatsApp and similar) and that you appreciate him staying in touch. He also can use the house telephone system to call you in your stateroom. Kids have been on Cunard vessels quite happily for nearly 200 years - self included (I am not quite that old though) and it's only recent times that we've had this sort of technology. Mostly we managed reasonably well without it. Remember, it’s not just passengers that carry iPhones. Many of the crew will also. EM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esrs Posted July 19 #15 Share Posted July 19 On 7/15/2024 at 12:47 AM, Carnevale said: I have never tried it so don’t know if it works, but I wonder if a set of Walkie talkies would provide you with the easy communication you want. I'm pretty sure walkie talkies are expressly prohibited in the Cunard terms and conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alc13 Posted July 19 #16 Share Posted July 19 When I was 11 and my sister was 9, we crossed the Atlantic with our parents on the old Queen Elizabeth. I'm not sure our parents knew where we were all the time, but we couldn't really get lost, or into much trouble. We had a wonderful time roaming the ship. I can't speak for you or your grandson, @old fool, but I will say it's a very happy memory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElmaLee Posted July 19 #17 Share Posted July 19 On 7/18/2024 at 11:43 AM, Essiesmom said: Remember, it’s not just passengers that carry iPhones. Many of the crew will also. EM The main issue is that the ship will not show up on the map. The satellite image is not real time. At best you will see a blue dot in the sea with nothing to help located it. The ship will not be in the picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare D&N Posted July 19 #18 Share Posted July 19 I've never owned AirTags and am unlikely to. The promotional material suggests two things. If the phone and the AirTag are within about 10 metres of each other there will be a directional arrow showing the location of the AirTag. I imagine by that stage you would probably have the person carrying it in view. The other situation is where the AirTag location is picked up by other iPhones and is displayed on a map. I appreciate the map will only show plain blue but I get the impression that the location of the phone tracking it will be shown as well. I would have hoped that would have shown the general direction on the ship that it was located compared to the tracking phone. Of course that doesn't resolve the issue of what deck the thing might be on. I didn't find a demo video showing that sort of tracking, most cover the close location function but not longer distances. Some of the promo pictures show article location and a blue dot for phone location, but I don't know if that is what happens in reality. If it is how it displays it should indicate the general direction to move in even without a ship outline. Assuming that one doesn't just make simpler arrangements to keep in contact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare *Miss G* Posted July 20 #19 Share Posted July 20 On 7/14/2024 at 4:48 PM, old fool said: We want to use an Apple air tag to keep track of the whereabouts of our 13 year old grandson while on board. Anyone have experience with this? If he carries an air tag can we just log into the WiFi using our laptop to get an idea where he is?? You could always sail with Princess. Their medallion will let you know where other members of your party are. With Cunard, it’s old school. You’ll need to leave notes or voicemail or make arrangements to meet at certain times or places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick&Simon Posted July 20 #20 Share Posted July 20 We use Air Tags in our luggage on Cunard (and any other cruise line) and it works well. Upon boarding we go to a bar and check on our bags moving around the dock and ship and then when the are all outside the stateroom go and unpack. On one occasion a bag became detached from its labels and we were able to track it down to the Grand Lobby with no problem. Once underway forget it, it simply doesn't work accurately. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exlondoner Posted July 20 #21 Share Posted July 20 6 hours ago, *Miss G* said: You could always sail with Princess. Their medallion will let you know where other members of your party are. With Cunard, it’s old school. You’ll need to leave notes or voicemail or make arrangements to meet at certain times or places. The more I read about these Medallions, the more the terrify me. First I learn they unlock my door when I happen to be passing, and now I learn they enable my travelling companions to spy on me. How can this be permissible? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david63 Posted July 20 #22 Share Posted July 20 36 minutes ago, exlondoner said: First I learn they unlock my door when I happen to be passing Not sure why you see that as a problem as in 99% of cases you will be going into your cabin/suite and that only happens when you are about 10 feet from your cabin. 38 minutes ago, exlondoner said: they enable my travelling companions to spy on me You can turn that feature off if you wish There is no obligation to use the Medallion on Princess - you can ask for an "old fashioned" cruise card if you so wish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exlondoner Posted July 20 #23 Share Posted July 20 27 minutes ago, david63 said: Not sure why you see that as a problem as in 99% of cases you will be going into your cabin/suite and that only happens when you are about 10 feet from your cabin. You can turn that feature off if you wish There is no obligation to use the Medallion on Princess - you can ask for an "old fashioned" cruise card if you so wish. I don’t know how you can possibly know what I am doing on a cruise to think that in 99% of cases I am going to my cabin. It certainly wasn’t the case on QM2, when I had a cabin near the Library, so I often passed it to go there, or to the bridge viewing area, or to the Commodore Club. I bet parents won’t turn it off, which is sad, as I think I had most fun as a child or teenager when my parents didn’t exactly know where I was. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare *Miss G* Posted July 20 #24 Share Posted July 20 My medallion only opened the door when I was standing right in front the receiver. And, even then, I sometimes had to hold it up to the display so it could sense it. You entered each room (on the Sky Princess) through a little alcove so the receiver would only read the medallion when you entered that small area because that’s where it was mounted. It’s not as if someone was going to dart in front of me to get in my room first! 😂 To gain access to location services, you have to request it (and know all their details in order to do so), and they have to give their permission (through the “accept” process) first. I actually found it quite handy when I was looking for someone in my party. I also liked that my sister could find me without resorting to notes in the room or wandering the ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exlondoner Posted July 20 #25 Share Posted July 20 8 minutes ago, *Miss G* said: My medallion only opened the door when I was standing right in front the receiver. And, even then, I sometimes had to hold it up to the display so it could sense it. You entered each room (on the Sky Princess) through a little alcove so the receiver would only read the medallion when you entered that small area because that’s where it was mounted. It’s not as if someone was going to dart in front of me to get in my room first! 😂 To gain access to location services, you have to request it (and know all their details in order to do so), and they have to give their permission (through the “accept” process) first. I actually found it quite handy when I was looking for someone in my party. I also liked that my sister could find me without resorting to notes in the room or wandering the ship. Yes, I can see the benefits. But I would absolutely hate people to be able to find me. I might be having a triple ice cream cone in the Gelateria when I had said I was going to the Wellness Café for some muesli. Actually I’ve never set foot in either, but you get the idea. 😀 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now