Electronics On-Board - Do We Want them?

My recent trips on NCL EPIC and the Disney Dream both featured the latest in on-board technology. Both were very user-friendly and either useful or just plain fun.

The EPIC by utilizing an iConcierge app lets passengers access their accounts, events, schedules, as well as make dinner/show reservations and peruse excursions...in fact you can even contact other passengers anywhere on the ship.
Although I think this is really cool and could be helpful on a ship this size I opted not to contact others in our party using this app. It requires always having your cellphone or iPad with you, something I try to avoid so much to the sometimes grumbles of others I was not reachable every minute of the vacation.There's just something about carrying around my electronics on vacation that did not appeal to me. Am I in the minority? Maybe so, but truthfully I don't care....I'm on vacation!!!!! I did however like the account balance feature, checking balances was very easy and alleviates the need for piles of receipts I usually accumulate on cruises, (not that I ever reconciled them anyway, they just pile up and I would discard them at the end of the week, too tired to be bothered with looking and sure I'd be missing some anyway).

A much more useful electronic wonder on the ship are the interactive touch screen maps by the elevators. These I used (a lot...big ship), you simply touch where you wanted to go (specific restaurant, bar, lounge, etc) and the screen would reveal a map with directions on how to get to your desired location both written directions and visual mapping....really cool, really helpful.

Disney on the other hand uses their electronics for pure fun. They have worked the electronics into activities, advertised for kids but also engaging for adults. The interactive artwork in the stairwells and common areas take shipboard scavenger hunts to a new level, something that really has to be experienced to be appreciated (we'll book you on it, contact us at www.ShipAhoyCP.com). Interactive artwork, video characters that recognize and talk to you at dinner...really cool and very entertaining, now these are electronics I can roll with!

There are other inroads of electronics being made on other cruise lines too, most including iPads. Some for enrichment programs, some for shipboard activities so I do not mean to single out theses two lines, in fact they are my favorite lines at the moment.

The question arises however, is this what passengers really want?
Personally I like to cruise because it lets me get away from electronics! Not being attached to my cellphone, iPad, laptop & voicemail is actually quite liberating. It actually promotes family time, something that has been dwindling lately due to the electronic bombarded environment we live in.

I'm not totally against them, my idea of vacation may be a bit old-fashioned but to me when I'm on vacation I am escaping the daily grind...electronics are part of my daily grind, I can do without them once in awhile. Vacations are not cheap so why not stop and smell the roses so to speak, looking into a device all the time takes away from the interactions that make vacations great.

What do you think? Electronics yay or nay? I'd like to hear how everyone feels about this.

NCL EPIC - The Most Entertaining Ship at Sea

Our much anticipated trip on Norwegian Cruise Line's EPIC finally arrived. The much ballyhooed ship was finally ours to experience. I have to admit she lived up to her reputation and even measured up to all the hype surrounding her launch last year. I am skeptical when a new ship comes out, the necessary fanfare and promotion of the new ship , while necessary for the cruise line sometimes just builds passengers up for a let down because expectations are set to high. THIS IS NOT THE CASE WITH THE EPIC.

I'm not very impressed by the look of the ship, the profile of the ship reminds me of a big moving building, clearly not as elegant looking as a Disney or Royal Caribbean ship but in reality how important is that to your cruise experience. Norwegian concentrated more on the passenger's experience and rightfully so, the activities, amenities, entertainment, food and the like are what makes a memorable experience not how the ship looks from the dock.

This is a great ship to sail on. The restaurants offered a good variety of dining options (some for a small fee), we did not have a bad meal all week, something I cannot truthfully say about some other cruises we have been on. The pool deck was spacious with plenty of longing area options included some much needed shade areas, there is only so much sun you can take sometimes so a nice spot in the shade for a quick power nap is always a welcomed option.

The entertainment on this ship is clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the cruise industry. Norwegian's focus on entertainment is right on the mark. This ship is all about entertainment, quality top-notch entertainment. We traveled with a group of 15 of various age levels, all in the group had the same opinion even though each preferred different venues, amazing entertainment. The surprising thing about this is it is not just limited to the name branded shows, The Blue Man Group, Cirque & Legends which were excellent and left you wanting more, you just never want them to end. The other ship entertainment makes this ship special. The Blues & Jazz club with Slam Watson, a spectacular performer and entertainer, one could sit and listen to set after set of his sow and love it more each time, this usually does not happen on cruise ships. Even the often annoying daily grind of the pool deck band heard on other cruise ships (Carnival for instance, I like reggae music but not for 4 hours a day for 7 days in a row), was re-worked on this ship. The duo entertaining us on the pool deck while mostly playing hispanic themed songs (well, understandably, we sailed from Barcelona) mixed it up enough that you never got tired of hearing them, they performed classics as well as current tens (Shakira, my favorite), they always left you wanting more, you actually could not wait to hear them the next day, this is something I have never experienced on a ship.

Okay, I'm gushing here a bit about the entertainment but really it is that good. I have to hand it to them, as someone that has enough cruises under his belt to compare they are doing things right. The DJ was one of the best I heard on a ship and he had the famed WHITE HOT PARTY , well white hot for hours Again Norwegian lives up to the WHITE HOT PARTY hype they promote, it is a party without competition from the other mass market cruise lines.

Water slides, bowling alleys, gigantic video screen, Howl at the Moon lounge, the list goes on and on of the things to do on this ship but without the top-notch entertainers and staff this would be just another cruise ship.....clearly it is not just another one, it is a special ship. How will Norwegian top it? Already in the works is the Breakaway, a sister ship with just announced entertainment to rival the EPIC, more top shows, (even taking Slam from the EPIC), added slides and experiences on the pool deck, celebrity chef....WOW!

Have you been on the EPIC, I'd love to hear about your experience. If you have not and want to sail on her, contact us our travel website is www.ShipAhoyCP.com we are a full service travel agency and will help you find the vacation that is right for you. If you see an ad on this blog page feel free to contact us about the cruise or vacation you are interested, it costs you nothing and we are more than happy to answer any of your questions.