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Set sail - app or paper?


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Everyone has an app now days, My smart phone is cluttered with them. They use storage space, eat data and battery power. Some are useful and get used almost daily while others only get used on a rare occasion. I only cruse once or twice a year and it seems wasteful to use limited phone resources for an app I would only use a couple of times a year.

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5 hours ago, Stu Etheridge said:

Hi everyone 

I’m sure this may have been answered before but with the advent of the app and digital set sail passes do I still need to print them for a Symphony sailing or is the app sufficient?

thanks in advance!

Stu 

I usually check everyone into the app, then take a screenshot of the set sail pass and have each person have theirs on their phone. That way if the app fails (which as we know it often logs itself out) we have a failsafe. 

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As others have said I really recommend having a paper backup as well, though that’s optional. I remember when I was checking into Fort Lauderdale once and the person checking me in using my phone said that they had to print paper copies for me because their scanners to get onto the ship weren’t cooperating with phones that day. When I told them I had paper backups, he lit up and said I was all good to go then. I probably only saved myself a minute or 2 at most but you never know. 

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9 minutes ago, spiralqueen said:

As others have said I really recommend having a paper backup as well, though that’s optional. I remember when I was checking into Fort Lauderdale once and the person checking me in using my phone said that they had to print paper copies for me because their scanners to get onto the ship weren’t cooperating with phones that day. When I told them I had paper backups, he lit up and said I was all good to go then. I probably only saved myself a minute or 2 at most but you never know. 

We too take both paper copy and app. Same thing happened to us in Miami. 

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Apps offer a lot of convenience WHEN THEY WORK.  For some reason, I often have trouble accessing the app when boarding cruises, planes, and other modes of transportation.  I experience the same when trying to use store coupons and groupons.

If you plan on going digital, take screenshots of the passes, coupons, and tickets.  It’s easier to access the Photo Album on the device than the app itself, especially those that need internet connection to operate.

 

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I simply have a nylon travel "billfold" that is about 4 inches by 9 inches. It opens up and there are pockets for:

  • Sliding a folded sheet(s) of paper in such as printed reservations, schedules etc.
  • Holding 3 or 4 credit or other cards.
  • Holding passports
  • Holding SCUBA credentials
  • Holding a pen/pencil
  • A bit of folding money if needed

It usually has a place in either my carry on or my cargo pants pocket where I can get to it quickly.

 

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I'll note that if you have the app installed, it does allow you add your Set Sail passes into your phone's digital wallet (e.g., the Wallet app on iPhones). Once added there, you do not need to open up the app at all to show the passes, and even if the app is misbehaving that day you still have the passes available from that virtual wallet. Process is pretty easy, I'll give the steps for iPhone but should be nearly identical on Android:

  1. From the Royal app, tap on the profile icon at the top of the screen; it's the right-most icon in the row with a ship, calendar, and person
  2. Tap "View SetSail Pass"
  3. Tap "Add to Apple Wallet" on the first pass in the set; you'll be asked if you want to add all the passes, or review and select which to add
    • Choose Add All to add the whole set
    • Choose Review to go through and pick just one (if, say, you just want your personal pass on the wallet, while everyone else puts their passes on their own phones)
  4. You'll be taken to the Wallet app, where you'll see the newly added passes; they will not look like they do in the Royal app (mine show up with a dark blue background instead of the gold I see in the app), but will still have all the relevant info for name / deck / room / drink package marker / etc
  5. Tap "Done" to return to the Royal app

To verify the cards are there in your Wallet, do the following:

  1. Start off with your phone locked / dark
  2. Access the wallet from the lock screen by double-pressing the home button (iPhone 8 and earlier) or the sleep/wake button (iPhone X and newer)
  3. The Wallet view will come up with your default card in full view and the other cards it saved in a compact stack at the bottom
  4. Tap on the stack to scroll through the full set of credit cards, store cards, etc until you see your saved Set Sail pass(es)
    • Remember they're not the same color as before
    • If you saved all the passes, you'll only see one item in the "stack", not one for each of the saved passes
  5. Tap on the pass to bring it fully into view from the "stack"
    • If you saved multiple passes, you can now view them all by swiping left/right

When you're ready to check in, just repeat the above steps and you're good to go!

NOTE: I added my passes way back when they first became available in the app, but when I was going through this write-up I found they were no longer there; Wallet deletes passes it considers "stale", and app updates might trigger this. So if you want to add them ahead of your embarkation, make sure not to do it too far ahead and to re-check they're still there before you leave for the port.

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3 hours ago, Ditchdoc said:

Everyone has an app now days, My smart phone is cluttered with them. They use storage space, eat data and battery power. Some are useful and get used almost daily while others only get used on a rare occasion. I only cruse once or twice a year and it seems wasteful to use limited phone resources for an app I would only use a couple of times a year.

I remove mine when I am not cruising.  I like to have it to check the schedules of what is going on.

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22 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

I'll note that if you have the app installed, it does allow you add your Set Sail passes into your phone's digital wallet (e.g., the Wallet app on iPhones). Once added there, you do not need to open up the app at all to show the passes, and even if the app is misbehaving that day you still have the passes available from that virtual wallet. Process is pretty easy, I'll give the steps for iPhone but should be nearly identical on Android:

  1. From the Royal app, tap on the profile icon at the top of the screen; it's the right-most icon in the row with a ship, calendar, and person
  2. Tap "View SetSail Pass"
  3. Tap "Add to Apple Wallet" on the first pass in the set; you'll be asked if you want to add all the passes, or review and select which to add
    • Choose Add All to add the whole set
    • Choose Review to go through and pick just one (if, say, you just want your personal pass on the wallet, while everyone else puts their passes on their own phones)
  4. You'll be taken to the Wallet app, where you'll see the newly added passes; they will not look like they do in the Royal app (mine show up with a dark blue background instead of the gold I see in the app), but will still have all the relevant info for name / deck / room / drink package marker / etc
  5. Tap "Done" to return to the Royal app

To verify the cards are there in your Wallet, do the following:

  1. Start off with your phone locked / dark
  2. Access the wallet from the lock screen by double-pressing the home button (iPhone 8 and earlier) or the sleep/wake button (iPhone X and newer)
  3. The Wallet view will come up with your default card in full view and the other cards it saved in a compact stack at the bottom
  4. Tap on the stack to scroll through the full set of credit cards, store cards, etc until you see your saved Set Sail pass(es)
    • Remember they're not the same color as before
    • If you saved all the passes, you'll only see one item in the "stack", not one for each of the saved passes
  5. Tap on the pass to bring it fully into view from the "stack"
    • If you saved multiple passes, you can now view them all by swiping left/right

When you're ready to check in, just repeat the above steps and you're good to go!

NOTE: I added my passes way back when they first became available in the app, but when I was going through this write-up I found they were no longer there; Wallet deletes passes it considers "stale", and app updates might trigger this. So if you want to add them ahead of your embarkation, make sure not to do it too far ahead and to re-check they're still there before you leave for the port.

Thanks for the tip!

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I have noticed some people have concerns about digital passes and systems failures, etc. when choosing that option. But please remember problems that can arise when making the choice to use paper:

1. Paper can get wet. When wet, information on the form can "bleed" causing it to be difficult to read. Keep the paper away from sweating bottles of water, and of course rain, snow and heavy fog. Also wet paper becomes weakened and easily torn. See #2, next.
2. Paper can tear. Treat your printed boarding pass with respect and keep it dry. Also, excess opening and closing of a folded form can cause a weakened fold seam which could cause an unwanted rip. Don't constantly do this every day for weeks or months prior to your cruise just to look at it. Examine the paper for weakness prior to putting it into use. 
3. Dogs will eat your SetSail Pass. Canines are notorious for consuming valuable documents. Many times I was unable to provide my teacher with mandatory homework because my dog ("Sarge", God Rest His Soul) made it a late night snack, I swear.
4. Paper is vulnerable to the wind. We have all seen paper blowing around the streets of our neighborhoods at one time or another. This is usually the result of someone not grasping a piece of paper in a controlling manner. Always keep a firm grip on any printed paper when windy conditions are prevalent. Of course it can at times be amusing watching someone chasing a piece of paper in the wind. Don't be that person.

Not all drawbacks to paper have been listed here but by remembering these tips when choosing the paper option it can result in an enjoyable and pleasurable cruise experience.

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7 minutes ago, Fuzzywuzzy said:

3. Dogs will eat your SetSail Pass. Canines are notorious for consuming valuable documents. Many times I was unable to provide my teacher with mandatory homework because my dog ("Sarge", God Rest His Soul) made it a late night snack, I swear.

As much as I laugh at this and how it's become a cliché, I can also certify that this really does happen. My high schooler had to tell her teacher last year how our newly adopted puppy chewed up her notebook to shreds.

Sorry for the minor hijack!

?

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Nope, can all be done with the app

Though I do still like to have the paper ones in my carry on just in case my phone lets me down.

I use the 10c school folder method. I print every itinerary AND conformation...along with photocopies for passport & DLs, put everything on the right side and as the trip goes along all used docs got to the left side of folder. OCD at it's best.

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15 minutes ago, Fuzzywuzzy said:

Not all drawbacks to paper have been listed here but by remembering these tips when choosing the paper option it can result in an enjoyable and pleasurable cruise experience

Slate, chisel and hammer.  Chiseling the bar code is the hardest part but the end products will last for thousands of years.  Just ask Moses.  

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2 hours ago, JLMoran said:

I'll note that if you have the app installed, it does allow you add your Set Sail passes into your phone's digital wallet (e.g., the Wallet app on iPhones). Once added there, you do not need to open up the app at all to show the passes, and even if the app is misbehaving that day you still have the passes available from that virtual wallet. Process is pretty easy, I'll give the steps for iPhone but should be nearly identical on Android:

  1. From the Royal app, tap on the profile icon at the top of the screen; it's the right-most icon in the row with a ship, calendar, and person
  2. Tap "View SetSail Pass"
  3. Tap "Add to Apple Wallet" on the first pass in the set; you'll be asked if you want to add all the passes, or review and select which to add
    • Choose Add All to add the whole set
    • Choose Review to go through and pick just one (if, say, you just want your personal pass on the wallet, while everyone else puts their passes on their own phones)
  4. You'll be taken to the Wallet app, where you'll see the newly added passes; they will not look like they do in the Royal app (mine show up with a dark blue background instead of the gold I see in the app), but will still have all the relevant info for name / deck / room / drink package marker / etc
  5. Tap "Done" to return to the Royal app

To verify the cards are there in your Wallet, do the following:

  1. Start off with your phone locked / dark
  2. Access the wallet from the lock screen by double-pressing the home button (iPhone 8 and earlier) or the sleep/wake button (iPhone X and newer)
  3. The Wallet view will come up with your default card in full view and the other cards it saved in a compact stack at the bottom
  4. Tap on the stack to scroll through the full set of credit cards, store cards, etc until you see your saved Set Sail pass(es)
    • Remember they're not the same color as before
    • If you saved all the passes, you'll only see one item in the "stack", not one for each of the saved passes
  5. Tap on the pass to bring it fully into view from the "stack"
    • If you saved multiple passes, you can now view them all by swiping left/right

When you're ready to check in, just repeat the above steps and you're good to go!

NOTE: I added my passes way back when they first became available in the app, but when I was going through this write-up I found they were no longer there; Wallet deletes passes it considers "stale", and app updates might trigger this. So if you want to add them ahead of your embarkation, make sure not to do it too far ahead and to re-check they're still there before you leave for the port.

Does anyone know if you can do something like this with an android phone?

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2 hours ago, twangster said:

Paper in my left pocket with my passport, tip money for porters in my right pocket.  That's how I roll.  

Put it to a beat and make it a country or rap song.  Repeat the verse for every cruise.  

Add the chorus of the "Wash Your Hands" song.  @twangster, is that where you got your signature?

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1 hour ago, twangster said:

Slate, chisel and hammer.  Chiseling the bar code is the hardest part but the end products will last for thousands of years.  Just ask Moses.  

Quite true.....But they are really heavy. What is the proper gratuity if a porter carries it for you? Can you arrange for a Royal Genie to take care of it? Will it fit through the security screening equipment? Too many unanswered questions.?

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7 minutes ago, guppyfresh said:

If I have photos of my passport on my phone, would you still recommend a paper photo copy as an additional back up as well? 

When I go to Atlantis and Coco Cay, what do I need in terms of passport/copies? 

I wouldn’t worry about paper copies of your passport.  Your photo is good enough, I would think.  Of course, you still have to bring your actual passport; copies of any kind are not enough to get you on the ship.

You will not need your passport at any of the Caribbean itinerary ports of call.  The most you will need is photo ID -drivers license, for example.

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46 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I wouldn’t worry about paper copies of your passport.  Your photo is good enough, I would think.  Of course, you still have to bring your actual passport; copies of any kind are not enough to get you on the ship.

You will not need your passport at any of the Caribbean itinerary ports of call.  The most you will need is photo ID -drivers license, for example.

thank you that is what I needed to know.  Leaving real passports in the safe on the ship, and will have photo ID + picture of passport on phone for ports. 

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One other thing to keep in mind about a paper backup is that it’s great if you are on a ship where you get your sea pass card in your room when they are open. No need to hand your phone over to a bar tender who is around many, many liquids. Much less stressful to hand over a piece of paper vs a phone worth hundreds and hundreds of dollars. 

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