walkie-talkies?

[Bohrski]

I am taking my first cruise to Alaska in June and am going with a friend who often has different interests than I. We were wondering if walkie-talkies would work on board - we use them in school to communicate with other teachers across campus while monitoring students at dismissal time. I figure I'll be at the pool and she'll be reading somewhere on deck and we were wondering how we could get in touch when we need to - any ideas? How do you handle the communication issue? I know cell phones won't work at sea.

[LHC]

There were several families with walkie talkie's aboard the Zaandam at Christmas 2005, so I would think if you like to be connected they would work fine. (I like to get lost on the ship myself, I am too easily found the rest of the year)!
LHC

[Stevesan]

Walkie Talkies work fine. We used them on Veendam to keep track of our grandson. I don't recall any dead spots.

I'm sure no-one on this board will be rude enough to lecture you on the use of Walkie Talkies.:p

[Bohrski]

I promise to be discreet and only use them in times of need - never in the dining room, theater or other public place! Just enough to say - I'm here - where are you and I will always use a quiet voice....

thank you for the information

[dakrewser]

Except for your cabin, every place on the ship os a public place...

[SaltwaterTwo]

[quote=Bohrski]I am taking my first cruise to Alaska in June and am going with a friend who often has different interests than I. We were wondering if walkie-talkies would work on board

Yes they do. I have used them on each and every cruise (six so far) for short messages of course. They work fine as long as you have a good brand. On the last cruise (Sea Princess) a friend of mine rented a pair from the ship. It is a lot better than searching the whole ship for your mate.

[Stevesan]

I promise to be discreet and only use them in times of need - never in the dining room, theater or other public place! Just enough to say - I'm here - where are you and I will always use a quiet voice....

thank you for the information

Excellent preventive declaration.:)

Enjoy your cruise - Veendam is a marvelous ship and Alaska is truly God's Country. The two together are Veentastic!

[Randyk47]

Sounds like a measured and reasonable use of walkie-talkies.....only wish everybody was as polite and understanding. As for cell phones....more and more ships are installing repeaters on the ships. I don't know what the schedule is for full implementation, or if the experiment on Volendam worked well enough to justify the investment, but at least Cingular worked back in February in almost every Caribbean port plus on the ship while at sea. Might add I checked only for personnel interest and research but didn't place or recieve any calls so I can't speak to the charges.

[wowzo]

We have used them several times. You could always hear others on our frequency but couldn't talk to them . But we managed to hear ourselves.

MaryAnn

[Sundiego]

We travelled with another couple. We communicated the old fashioned way... we agreed to meet up at a certain time. Also, we left voice mails on our stateroom phones. That worked fine as well.