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Wow Bands vs SeaPass Card


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Couple of questions: Are wow bands water proof or do you have to take them off to go in the water? Do they have the time on them or do you have to wear them in addition to a watch? Is it true that in order to pay for a drink, you have to take the Wow band off and give it to the waiter? How about at stores on the ship? Can you use the wow bands to pay for goods and/or do you have to take them off for that too?  I don't think I'm seeing the value of the Wow band for me personally.

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1 minute ago, kontraxed said:

Couple of questions: Are wow bands water proof or do you have to take them off to go in the water? Do they have the time on them or do you have to wear them in addition to a watch? Is it true that in order to pay for a drink, you have to take the Wow band off and give it to the waiter? How about at stores on the ship? Can you use the wow bands to pay for goods and/or do you have to take them off for that too?  I don't think I'm seeing the value of the Wow band for me personally.

They are waterproof.  They do not have time on them, so you would still need a way to tell time.  Roaming waiters will need to take the band if they're going to be delivering you a drink.  Some of the bars and stores will have the scanner accessible where you can reach it and not have to take it off, but a lot of them do not.  You can use the Wow band to pay anywhere you would use your SeaPass card to pay IF they have a scanner.  I never used mine when I had access to them.  They just weren't comfortable for me.  It was easier for me to use a lanyard with my SeaPass card that I could easily snap off and hand over as needed.  I could see the benefit in the Wow bands for kids to be able to get into their rooms and not have to worry about losing their cards..but even then I think a lanyard works better (outside of being in/out of pools all day).

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34 minutes ago, kontraxed said:

I don't think I'm seeing the value of the Wow band for me personally.

The value is they are more convenient than digging in your pocket for SeaPass card.  That and if you are at the pool, nothing to worry about your SeaPass card floating away or leaving it at the chair.

I just like it for not having to worry about my SeaPass card, especially when coming back to the room.

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I have not used one yet but am looking forward to being able to use one, I know that it will be waiting in our room on Anthem in March and can not wait!   I have been on several cruises that I forget to put my sea pass card in my opposite pocket from my cell phone and it gets wiped clean.  I also do not like wearing a lanyard certain times such as when I am wearing a suit or in the pool, or hot tub.  I know that I will enjoy the convenience of it and look forward to more ships in the fleet having them! There will be times that I may just decide to carry the sea pass card, and there may be times that I exclusively wear the WOW band, it is just nice to have the option to use whatever I am in the mood for. 

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46 minutes ago, SuperStarian said:

@melski94 & @Matt Thanks!

I’m trying to avoid carrying around my SeaPass card because I’m not keen on strangers (8000 of my closest friends on Symphony) knowing my name and cabin information. Call me paranoid! ??‍♀️ :8_laughing:

I have a smart watch with a sports band so, I am used to the plastic on my wrist...

 

SeaPass cards do not contain the full cabin number.  Last three digits typically.  When the crew swipe your Wow band they see your picture and full name just like your SeaPass card.  

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I love the magic bands at Disney so I know I would like the wowbands.  That being said, I usually have a lanyard and that works great for me not losing it the sea pass card.  It however doesn't stop me from getting sunscreen on the sea pass card and having the print smear off... That would definitely not happen with a wow band.  Jane

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1 hour ago, mom2mybugs said:

It however doesn't stop me from getting sunscreen on the sea pass card and having the print smear off...

One of the mixed blessings of a ship that uses Wowbands. With the card being the swipeless type you'll need a plastic pouch for attaching to a lanyard. Pouch is needed due to the antenna inside the card could be broken/cut if a hole is punched in the wrong location.

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1 hour ago, mom2mybugs said:

I love the magic bands at Disney so I know I would like the wowbands.

Functionally, I'll agree with you here. But in terms of how they feel, YMMV.

We used magic bands on our Disney trip about 7 or 8 years ago now, and they worked great and were very comfortable. I had great expectations of the WOW band for our Anthem sailing last October. While they worked great on the functional end of things and I never had a problem, I ended up getting rid of mine because the material made my wrist sweat like crazy. Never had that problem with Disney's bands, so it's something about the specific variety of fluoroelastomer Royal uses (which I noticed is thinner / less rigid and doesn't have the same nice feel as Disney's magic bands).

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We went on a family cruise on the Anthem.  2 of the 8 had the WOW, the rest of us did just the card.  By the end the 2 that did it said they would never do it again.  My husband and I do not use lanyards.  One of us is always carrying both of our cards when on the ship.  IE when we go to the pool areas I take a beach bag with me to carry his tablet, my books, sunscreen, etc.  It has a zipper compartment and I place the sea pass in there.  When we go to WJ, dinner,, spa etc. he always has pockets so he carries them.  (Wallets are always in the safe on the ship).  In all of my cruises I have never seen anyone rifling through personal property of someone else.  

It might be me as a Jersey shore girl where you stick your entire wallet in your shoes on the beach and play in the water for an hr.  come back, your wallet is still there, along with your phone.  I have no fear of leaving my sea pass in my pool bag.  

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Just now, Pima1988 said:

We went on a family cruise on the Anthem.  2 of the 8 had the WOW, the rest of us did just the card.  By the end the 2 that did it said they would never do it again.  My husband and I do not use lanyards.  One of us is always carrying both of our cards when on the ship.  IE when we go to the pool areas I take a beach bag with me to carry his tablet, my books, sunscreen, etc.  It has a zipper compartment and I place the sea pass in there.  When we go to WJ, dinner,, spa etc. he always has pockets so he carries them.  (Wallets are always in the safe on the ship).  In all of my cruises I have never seen anyone rifling through personal property of someone else.  

It might be me as a Jersey shore girl where you stick your entire wallet in your shoes on the beach and play in the water for an hr.  come back, your wallet is still there, along with your phone.  I have no fear of leaving my sea pass in my pool bag.  

I agree with @Pima1988 , my wife and I had WOW bands on Harmony and even though we used them on sea days I always still had my sea pass card with me, I just didn't feel like they provided a lot of value in the way we traverse around the ship.

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48 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

Functionally, I'll agree with you here. But in terms of how they feel, YMMV.

We used magic bands on our Disney trip about 7 or 8 years ago now, and they worked great and were very comfortable. I had great expectations of the WOW band for our Anthem sailing last October. While they worked great on the functional end of things and I never had a problem, I ended up getting rid of mine because the material made my wrist sweat like crazy. Never had that problem with Disney's bands, so it's something about the specific variety of fluoroelastomer Royal uses (which I noticed is thinner / less rigid and doesn't have the same nice feel as Disney's magic bands).

Bummer...they really could run with these I think and make them cool and profitable.  I have about a million magic bands!  Jane

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1 hour ago, CGTLH said:

One of the mixed blessings of a ship that uses Wowbands. With the card being the swipeless type you'll need a plastic pouch for attaching to a lanyard. Pouch is needed due to the antenna inside the card could be broken/cut if a hole is punched in the wrong location.

I've always been able to get my seapass punched on vision, freedom and adventure.  Is it different on Oasis class cards?  Jane

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1 hour ago, mom2mybugs said:

I've always been able to get my seapass punched on vision, freedom and adventure.  Is it different on Oasis class cards?  Jane

Right now Harmony and Symphony are on the no punch list for Oasis class. As @twangster mentioned Oasis is up in the air depending on what all is AMPED.

Other ships on the no punch list would be the entire Quantum class line up.

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1 hour ago, monctonguy said:

Seapass cards for me please. I don't see any benefit to the bands...something around my wrist is not comfortable and annoying imho...I am sure eventually I will have no choice but to adapt......

Not interested in the WOW bands either - for the same reason I haven't worn a wristwatch since the early 1990s - just too uncomfortable (not to mention the risk of tan lines).

Also don't understand the difficulty people have with pulling their Seapass cards out of their pockets. How much CRAP do you carry in your pockets that it's an issue?

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30 minutes ago, jurrjurr said:

   I say do away with the cards altogether and implement access the rooms via app.  Hotels are already doing this.  Passengers who want the cards can still have one printed.  To save the dolphins right?

Baby steps within the app. Think on the Celebrity side of the family they have "app key" on Edge implemented.

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We have used the Magic Bands at Disney and I will say that I agree with the above, they are comfy.

Hubby and kids like the WOW bands but I find them really stiff compared to the Magic band.  Because of that, I found that the band kept getting caught on things.  I am part of the "usually don't wear it" crowd.  

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4 hours ago, HeWhoWaits said:

Also don't understand the difficulty people have with pulling their Seapass cards out of their pockets. How much CRAP do you carry in your pockets that it's an issue?

To be fair, a lot of women’s clothing has nonexistent or non functional pockets. It’s a crime. And then if you were to ask me how much CRAP I have in my purse??? Weeeell, how much time do you have?? ?

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6 hours ago, HeWhoWaits said:

Not interested in the WOW bands either - for the same reason I haven't worn a wristwatch since the early 1990s - just too uncomfortable (not to mention the risk of tan lines).

Also don't understand the difficulty people have with pulling their Seapass cards out of their pockets. How much CRAP do you carry in your pockets that it's an issue?

I always wear sundresses... Hate shorts... So no pockets!  But that's why I like lanyards.  Not being able to punch is a pain though!  Jane

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7 hours ago, CGTLH said:

Right now Harmony and Symphony are on the no punch list for Oasis class. As @twangster mentioned Oasis is up in the air depending on what all is AMPED.

Other ships on the no punch list would be the entire Quantum class line up.

Right now I'm on allure so ok I think.  Maybe I will take a wristlet just in case.  Gives me an excuse to spend money on a Vera Bradley one!  Jane

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16 hours ago, jurrjurr said:

   I say do away with the cards altogether and implement access the rooms via app.  Hotels are already doing this.  Passengers who want the cards can still have one printed.  To save the dolphins right?

oh god..what a disaster that would be..if its based on anything that Royal does when it comes to functioning websites...lol

 

Not to mention....what if you don't have a smart phone....

 

Seapass cards all the way...for as long as possible please...

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16 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

We have used the Magic Bands at Disney and I will say that I agree with the above, they are comfy.

Hubby and kids like the WOW bands but I find them really stiff compared to the Magic band.  Because of that, I found that the band kept getting caught on things.  I am part of the "usually don't wear it" crowd.  

I have the opposite feeling. Magic Bands never fit right. The Magic Bands have that rigid part at the top of the band that never sits well on my wrist, whereas the band of a WOWband fits like any normal watch band would. WOWbands feel much better to me.

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1 hour ago, monctonguy said:

oh god..what a disaster that would be..if its based on anything that Royal does when it comes to functioning websites...lol

 

Not to mention....what if you don't have a smart phone....

 

Seapass cards all the way...for as long as possible please...

I'm sure this feature will not be available any time soon.  Money better spent on driving up revenue (WOW Bands).  They could soft launch to The Key guests first so they can work out the kinks and whatnot since VOOM is already included and safe to assume they own a smartphone.

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1 hour ago, monctonguy said:

oh god..what a disaster that would be..if its based on anything that Royal does when it comes to functioning websites...lol

 

Not to mention....what if you don't have a smart phone....

 

Seapass cards all the way...for as long as possible please...

Agreed, plus as a business traveler I've tried to use this feature at hotels and hate it.  Standing in front of the door, app open, door not.  Wait, wait, wait.  Bingo, door unlocked.  Each and every time.  30 seconds doesn't sound like a long time but when standing at the door, trying to get in, it seems like eternity.  Next stop, front desk to get a key card.  

I have a bluetooth enabled lock on my house and 50% of the time it works.  

Then there is the matter of my iPhone that mysteriously died one day.  Poof!  Completely dead out of the blue.  If that was my only means of access I would have been locked out in the cold.   

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57 minutes ago, Matt said:

I have the opposite feeling. Magic Bands never fit right. The Magic Bands have that rigid part at the top of the band that never sits well on my wrist, whereas the band of a WOWband fits like any normal watch band would. WOWbands feel much better to me.

Matt - loves MDR, likes WOW bands, likes the cold

Me - hates MDR, not a fan of WOW bands, hates the cold

Can we still be friends? ?

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Just now, twangster said:

Agreed, plus as a business traveler I've tried to use this feature at hotels and hate it.  Standing in front of the door, app open, door not.  Wait, wait, wait.  Bingo, door unlocked.  Each and every time.  30 seconds doesn't sound like a long time but when standing at the door, trying to get in, it seems like eternity.  Next stop, front desk to get a key card.  

I have a bluetooth enabled lock on my house and 50% of the time it works.  

Then there is the matter of my iPhone that mysteriously died one day.  Poof!  Completely dead out of the blue.  If that was my only means of access I would have been locked out in the cold.   

Agree with @twangster on this, frequent business traveler myself, give me a card every time, hate trying to use my phone.

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14 hours ago, spiralqueen said:

To be fair, a lot of women’s clothing has nonexistent or non functional pockets. It’s a crime. And then if you were to ask me how much CRAP I have in my purse??? Weeeell, how much time do you have?? ?

It was guys mentioning difficulty getting it out of their pockets, which I just don't get.

Where there are no pockets - well that's a different story.

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