Long before the other cruise lines had adopted the Quiet Vox system for walking tours (and some still haven’t), Viking had introduced it on their cruises. It is the best.
Instead of huddling around a tour guide who is holding up a colourful furled umbrella, and straining to hear her speak over the noise of the crowds in the town square, or worse, being in a museum or gallery and being forced to listen to a tour guide talking to his group at the top of his lungs when you’re just trying to admire the nearest Rothko or kouros, these little earphones make walking tours truly civilized.
The guide has a small microphone and transmitter, and the members of the tour group each wear a receiver on a lanyard, with an earphone attached. (Yes, I am well aware that many people reading this will already be aware of these audio aides & probably don’t need a detailed Lain-splanation, but I just think they are so fantastic – everyone needs to know.) It means the tour guide speaks in a normal tone of voice, and everyone dialled into her frequency can hear her perfectly clearly. Granted, the lanyard & receiver make you look like some kind of geeky sore-thumb of a tourist, but whatevs.
Okay, I gotta admit the convenience/courtesy isn’t the only reason I like Quiet Vox. I was impressed with the system from day one, but once LL & I discovered we could drift off up to 100 metres away from the guide and still be connected to the group, this became a game changer. Now we can join a walking tour, learn about a location, not get lost, and shop. All at the same time. How genius is that?
LL & I can tell you all about the remarkable Sea Organ in Zadar: a series of hollow concrete steps that play music as the waves crash in and out from the sea. We also know all about the Monument to the Sun Compass, and the Cathedral of St Anastasia, as we carefully listened to our tour guide lead us in, through, and past all of these magnificent sites. At the same time, we were able to drift away (slightly), pop into some boutiques, try on clothes, and purchase a blouse & some jewellery – all while being lectured to about the history of Zadar (and not getting lost – the minute the reception starts to crackle, you know the group is moving away, and you need to catch up). Philistines? Maybe. Efficient? You betcha.
9 October 2023