Getting Started with Tap2Tour™

Welcome! 

This is your step-by-step guide to getting started with Tap2Tour.  

You'll be notified when a cruise line is preparing to use Tap2Tour in your port. When that happend, use these resources to train and prepare your team.

Tap2Tour is free to Tour Operators, including training & support!

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Here are some things to know before you get started:

• Tap2Tour requires NFC-capable phones. Each user must have an Android or iOS phone that can read the NFC cards and wearables most cruise lines use. If the phone can do tap-to-pay, it should work with Tap2Tour.

• Tap2Tour requires an internet connection. In addition to NFC, each user must have access the internet. This can be via cellular data or nearby wifi.  Tap2Tour can operate for short periods without internet, but internet must be generally accessible to send and receive updates. (Tap2Tour doesn't consume a lot of data - the equivalent of uploading & downloading a few photos per port day.)

• Tap2Tour works everywhere. There is no restriction on where Tap2Tour can work. This means Leaders on another part of the pier - or back at the office - can easily monitor check-in and dispatch.

• Tap2Tour works across cruise lines. Cruise lines that adopt Tap2Tour will automatically appear in the app. For tour operators, that means no need to install, learn or switch between different apps from each cruise line to check in guests!

• Cruise lines decide. Some cruise lines may prohibit the use of certain features - such as adding guests - without their prior approval. 

STEP 1: GET TO KNOW TAP2TOUR™

Tap2Tour is a mobile app that allows Tour Operators to check in cruise line guests using the same IDs and wearables they use onboard.  Tickets are a thing of the past! For a brief introduction, watch our overview video, below. Then download our Reference Guide. It's a great companion to this page, with its own Quickstart Guide and details for each screen in the app.

STEP 2: DOWNLOAD, ACTIVATE YOUR ACCOUNT & LOGIN

Download and install Tap2Tour Shorex on your phone.

Before anyone can login to Tap2Tour, they must be set up in Tap2Tour with an account profile. The folks at Tap2Tour will create your first Leader account, then that leader will create accounts for the rest of the team (explained in Step 4).

Once an account has been created, you can activate it and log in for the first time. Check out this short video that demonstrates the process:

STEP 3: MEET THE TAP2TOUR™ DASHBOARD

The dashboard is the center of activity in Tap2Tour. This is where tours are checked in and dispatched, and where status is monitored. Each tour is represented by a tour card. The card has information about the current status of the the tour, and tapping it will bring up a menu of available actions. Watch the Dashboard & Options video for a quick overview of the Dashboard, the "I Want To" menu, and more.

Next, be sure to check out the Scanning IDs video. This video explains how to use Tap2Tour to scan both NFC cards & wearables and barcodes. This is an important video that everyone should watch with tips on how to quickly become comfortable scanning guest IDs.

STEP 4: SETUP YOUR TEAM IN TAP2TOUR™ (Leaders Only)

Those with Leader access will be able to add, update and delete accounts for the rest of your team. This video goes through the simple steps manage you team's accounts.

There are three types of users to be aware of:

• Leaders can do everything necessary to manage a team using Tap2Tour. They can check-in and dispatch all tours, manage user accounts and assign Limited Users to their tours (see below). There should be more than one, but we don't recommend making everyone on the team a Leader.

• Users are the most common in Tap2Tour. They can check-in and dispatch all tours.

• Limited Users are a special type of User. They can do everything a user can do, but only for the tours they have been assign to by a Leader. This means every day a Limited User works, a Leader must assign them to their tour(s) in Tap2Tour. If they are not assigned tours by a Leader, the Limited User's Dashboard will be empty.  This should be used sparingly, but is a great choice for team members who work with you only occasionally.

This video will give an overview of how to manage your team in Tap2Tour:

Note: A valid email address is required to setup an account. If an employee works with more than one tour operator, they'll need to provide each operator with a different, valid email address for use with Tap2Tour.

STEP 5: PRACTICE USING TAP2TOUR™

One of the unique features of Tap2Tour is the ability for your team to practice using the app hands-on. Leaders can easily create and manage training data for their team to help them get familiar using the app. Once created, this training data is "live" and behaves like any other tour. Everyone on your team can see and interact with it, as if it were a actual tour. 

The video below explains how to use Training Data. Everyone can view it, but Using Training Data is primarily for Leaders, since only they have the ability to create and manage training data.

When you're ready to train, download and print the Tap2Tour Training Cards. They're your "Guest IDs" for training!

 IMPORTANT: DO THIS BEFORE YOUR FIRST DAY

Please make sure every team member is ready to go and has done the following before their first day:

• Each has successfully activated their account, validated their email, and logged into Tap2Tour.

• Each has confirmed their phone supports NFC and knows where to tap cards & wearables on their phone. 

• Each knows how to connect to the internet while at the port. This might be via cellular data or wifi (if good wifi is available). 

Need help getting started?  The Tap2Tour team is here to help!  Contact us at help@tap2tour.com or schedule a 30 minute meeting.

NEXT STEPS

Congratulations! 🎉 You now know the basics of getting setup, trained and ready to check-in cruise line guests with Tap2Tour. When you're ready, there are a few more videos over on our Training Page that cover some advanced topics:

• Using Groups covers how to separate a tour into multiple groups. This is handy for groups that go on multiple buses or are lead by multiple tour guides, for example. 

• Focused Check-In explains how to use Tap2Tour to speed up check-in with larger groups all going on the same tour.

• Introducing Freewheel Mode covers how Tap2Tour makes it possible to check in guests when scanning isn't available. Note: This isn't an alternative to having NFC-capable devices for your team, but rather a fallback option that the cruise line can activate when an issue arises.

Still have questions?  Contact us at help@tap2tour.com or schedule a 30 minute meeting.