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The Apple Ipad on Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships

Written by T.I. Cruiser on November 30, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Always present on the cutting edge of cruise vacations sits Royal Caribbean. Say what you want about some of their borderline archaic policies, when it comes to bringing the “new-ness” to the seven seas there is not another cruise line that brings it home better than Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean’s newest announcement is just another example of Royal Caribbean’s cruise innovation.

Recently Royal Caribbean announced a plan that puts an iPad in every cabin of the Splendour of the Seas early next year. Royal Caribbean (the cruise industries second largest cruise line) also stated their intentions of adding the Apple iPad to the cabins of more than a quarter of their fleet within the next two years. The other ships receiving the Apple treatment are the Legend of the Seas, Grandeur of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas and Vision of the Seas.

Anyone who has used the Apple iPad knows that it is an amazing device, capable of all sorts of wonderful things. Recently it seems like more and more people are starting to realize that apps aren’t just for Angry Birds. Through the use of customized applications companies are finally starting to really unlock the power of tablet computers.

Apple iPads that Royal Caribbean installs in passenger cabins will be set-up as a sort of high-tech cruise director. Through the use of the iPad passengers will be able to view listings of the activities and events taking place throughout the day allowing them to set an (personalized sort of) itinerary. Cruise passengers will also be able to use the iPad to surf the internet, order room service, watch movies and monitor their onboard accounts.

Also note that passenger use of the iPad won’t be confined to the cabins, you will be able to carry them around the ship. While I’m not sure why anyone would want to carry an iPad around a cruise ship but if you are so inclined you are able. Now, I think the iPad is great and can really shine in the capacity in which it will be meant to be utilized, but it does raise some concerns.

When I think of the iPad I can’t help but have visions of passengers with their heads down playing around on the iPad during dinner. I can see passengers showing up for the Vegas style shows and paying more attention to their iPads than the performers. In other words I think there is a pretty decent chance that bringing the iPad to a cruise ship will also bring a little too much of the “real world” to the cruise ship.

In the real world, teen’s text at the dinner table, electronic devices serve as baby-sitters and generally speaking there is a lot less family interaction in the “real world” than what you get on your typical family cruise. I just hope the introduction of real world electronic devices doesn’t detract from the family time that has always been a staple of family cruise vacations.

Carnival Cruise Lines Tells Passengers to Tip More

Written by T.I. Cruiser on November 2, 2011 · 2 Comments

Those of you planning to sail on Carnival Cruise Lines in the future may be in for a little surprise. An announcement has been made that Carnival Cruise Lines has increased the suggested amount they would like passengers to tip by about 15 percent. Starting with passengers departing on or after December 1 Carnival will be asking passengers to pay $11.50 per person, per day; a raise of $1.50 per person per day.

While its not much an increase, no one likes a surprise that results in having to spend more money (even a paltry $10.50 per seven day cruise). At least this increase won’t affect those passengers who have prepaid their gratuities for sailings occurring beyond the December 1^st start date. Of course Carnival didn’t notify those passengers already booked on this cruises who hadn’t already pre-paid their gratuities, meaning they will need to pay the new amount. Great job Carnival, even though most people don’t need one you just gave people a reason to complain.

While no one likes to pay more for anything, personally I’m not ready to lambast Carnival for this move since they haven’t raised the auto-tip amount since 2001. It also seems that we have been getting a bargain for years since Carnival had been suggesting $10 per person per day compared to the $11.50+ that was being done on competing cruise lines.

Where does the new money go?

This increase should mean a raise for the cruise ship staff, but will it? I am skeptical of the extent to which these new monies will make it into the hands of the staff that I am used to tipping. With the old policy I knew exactly where my money was going; $5.50 for the headwaiter/waiter, $3.50 to the cabin steward and $1 for the assistant waiter/cooks. The new breakdown of how tips are split up and handed out isn’t quite as good. The new guidelines are as follows; $5.80 for dining room services, $3.70 to cabin services and $2 for alternative services. What the hell does, “alternative services” mean? When I desire for the Maitre D to receive a tip, I hand him one. I don’t need the cruise line slipping him any of my money if I don’t deem it necessary. The Maitre D may be a jerk and jerks don’t deserve tips (we all have rules we live by).

According to Carnival, alternative services can include unspecified members of kitchen, entertainment, guest services and members of hotel staff. Now, although it seems as if we are being kept in the dark on who is getting the extra it seems that “alternative services” is an umbrella large enough to fit anything from the guy who fixes the ice-maker to standoffish Romanian dancer who scowls as she sells bingo tickets. For all I know I could be pitching in for a private jet for John Heald. I’m not saying these people don’t deserve a raise or that John Heald shouldn’t have a private jet, My skepticism stems from not necessarily agreeing on where that money should come.

In the past I usually tipped a bit extra to those who I felt went above and beyond. Now, even with the increase if I want to make sure those people actually get taken care of I will still need to give them an additional tip. Although I am sure nothing is amiss, it just seems like communication could have been handled much better than the effort Carnival has put in. If I am being asked to tip I should be permitted to know exactly who the party is on the receiving end of that tip.

What can I do if I am against Carnival’s new suggested tipping guidelines?

If for some reason you are a member of that group of passengers so vehemently against this increase, you do have an option. Remember any passenger who wants to adjust the auto-tipping amount can have this done at the purser’s desk. So if it really bothers you, you could just turn the auto-tip off and cash tip any amount you see fit. It’s not an avenue I would personally recommend since there have been reports on some cruise lines of workers seeing the list of people who removed tipping and one should never risk upsetting the person that handles their food. Besides, the potential for abuse with people removing the auto-tip and not tipping at all is too great. That would be an even bigger crime than Carnival slipping in the increase under the cover of darkness.

Dead Newborn Found on Carnival Cruise Ship

Written by T.I. Cruiser on October 17, 2011 · Leave a Comment

In what is probably the saddest cruise related story I have ever heard, the FBI has been investigating the death of a newborn on board a Carnival cruise ship. The body of the infant was discovered Wednesday on the Carnival Dream by a member of the ship’s crew. The Carnival Dream is home-ported in Port Canaveral and sails and itinerary that alternate between the Eastern and Western Caribbean. This tragedy took place during the Eastern Caribbean itinerary.

According to the investigation and an autopsy done by the St. Maarten authorities it was determined that the child died at sea somewhere between Miami and St. Thomas. Dutch authorities interviewed the 20 year old mother on Wednesday and took custody of the infant’s body. Since it was determined the infant died between those two areas and not in St. Maarten’s jurisdiction the case was handed over to U.S. authorities. The mother is from the United States and currently still in St. Maarten but should be returning home shortly, where she will face more questions from investigators.

While I would not be comfortable speculating on the actual circumstances surrounding this situation, according to St. Maarten Island time newspaper the mother did not know she was pregnant. I will say that cruise line policy clearly and strictly prohibits women more than 25 weeks pregnant from cruising without their doctor’s consent, so I tend to believe that part of the story.

Now before anyone jumps to any conclusions, or asks the question “how could she not have known she was pregnant” the Discovery Channel has a whole series called “I didn’t know I was pregnant”. On the show, mothers tell their stories about not knowing they were pregnant until the time they went into labor.

Now, I could imagine a scenario where the woman didn’t know she was pregnant until she went into labor. The sense of panic and confusion would be one so strong that even a rational person could snap. . Imagine not even knowing you are pregnant when a baby starts to crown. Now logically speaking I don’t understand why she wouldn’t contact the ship’s doctor, but under those circumstances how logical could one be. So before we start to vilify this woman please take into consideration what an extreme circumstance this whole thing happens to be. While it’s easy to throw out statements about how wrong and disgusting this sort of things is, obviously she is troubled (if only even momentarily) on some level that “normal” people can’t rationalize so try to leave those judgments to those who are more qualified to do so.