Do walkie talkies work on board?

[toeknee]

We are taking our grandchildren on the Oosterdam and feel that walkie talkies would be a good idea to keep in touch with them from time to time. My question is...Do they work say from inside the ship, or only on the open decks? I would really appreciate any feedback. Thank you.... Tony :)

[Toad]

I certainly hope that they do not work. I think it would be extremely disruptive to all those around you.

[ClevelandOhio]

duplicate

[ClevelandOhio]

I've seen families using them in the open areas of the ships. So I'm assuming they work.

[toeknee]

I certainly hope that they do not work. I think it would be extremely disruptive to all those around you.

I would imagine that's the reason why they have included ear buds with them.

[toeknee]

I certainly hope that they do not work. I think it would be extremely disruptive to all those around you.


That would be the reason they supply ear buds with them:p

[Nonie]

Yes they do work pretty well but be sure to get the kind that have a vibrating signal to use instead of the noisy ringing tones. I think that if you are outside at the top of the ship and tried to contact someone down on a really lower deck you could have transmission problems due to all the steel. We have used them as we are all legally blind and they have helped us find each other. Children, should be instructed not to run up and down corridors trying to find each other and disturbing people in the cabins. We have seen this as well. A very good tool in the right hands. The ship's radio officer helped us find a good channel so that we never have had any others on the same one. Hope this helps.

[sshipo]

My husband and I used them with our daughter on our last cruise because she is in the age group that they allow to leave Club Hal without a parent signing them out. It gave us great peace of mind to be able to reach her at any time and to make her check in with us at certain times.

[GeriatricNurse]

I certainly hope that they do not work. I think it would be extremely disruptive to all those around you.
I agree 100%! Walkie Talkies are an annoying & nuisance irritant, like cell 'phones; BOTH of which SHOULD be left, (and forgotten), at home, before leaving on a cruise!

[toeknee]

I certainly hope that they do not work. I think it would be extremely disruptive to all those around you.



:) I would imagine this is the reason that they come with ear buds... It appears there will be a host of youngsters on this cruise, our grandies will have a great time. Why not come along and let your hair down? :D

[GeriatricNurse]

I've seen families using them in the open areas of the ships. So I'm assuming they work.
Too bad! What a shame!

[kakalina]

I agree 100%! Walkie Talkies are an annoying & nuisance irritant, like cell 'phones; BOTH of which SHOULD be left, (and forgotten), at home, before leaving on a cruise!

Here! Here!

[GeriatricNurse]

I would imagine that's the reason why they have included ear buds with them.
And how many times have you actually known anyone to use earbuds when using them?

[toeknee]

Yes they do work pretty well but be sure to get the kind that have a vibrating signal to use instead of the noisy ringing tones. could


Good point and yes they do have the vibrating ability...Thanks for your input

[GeriatricNurse]

My husband and I used them with our daughter on our last cruise because she is in the age group that they allow to leave Club Hal without a parent signing them out. It gave us great peace of mind to be able to reach her at any time and to make her check in with us at certain times.
And I am sure that it gave great peace of mind to those forced to listening to the squack boxes!

[Toad]

:) I would imagine this is the reason that they come with ear buds... It appears there will be a host of youngsters on this cruise, our grandies will have a great time. Why not come along and let your hair down? :D


Actually, I am very much relaxed and enjoy the peace and quite of a cruise... my"hair is down"! How about a Disney Cruise for the little kiddies?

[BirdExotic]

I trust you and your grandkids have a really great time........as to the "flack" some are posting I'd ignore it! It sad to see this type of response but they have no idea the joys of having grandkis and our desire to be protective and caring. I have 5 grandkids and I've been on one cruise with them and had a great time with them and yes, there were some who thought we should have taken another cruie line but I became fun to watch there discomfort! They actually reminded me of those bigots who told people of color that they might be happier in another neighborhood. I hope you have a really great time with the kids and by all means use the walkie talkies!

[schoolinmy3]

I trust you and your grandkids have a really great time........as to the "flack" some are posting I'd ignore it! It sad to see this type of response but they have no idea the joys of having grandkis and our desire to be protective and caring. I have 5 grandkids and I've been on one cruise with them and had a great time with them and yes, there were some who thought we should have taken another cruie line but I became fun to watch there discomfort! They actually reminded me of those bigots who told people of color that they might be happier in another neighborhood. I hope you have a really great time with the kids and by all means use the walkie talkies!

Yes, please ignore rude comments from people that don't have/don't want kids or grandkids. It's great that you can take this opportunity to spend time with your grandchildren. My daughter just spent a week with my parents and they enjoyed her so much, they went on and on about what a great kid she is. She's 8 going on 20.:p I think walkie talkies are a great idea. We probably have 4 or 6 lying around here that are getting dusty. Now that everyone has family plan cell phones we don't use them anymore. They were such fun to use in Disney some years back. Even the drive down we'd travel with a group of cars and radio back and forth. :D
My husband says since he can't track me down with a cell phone on the ship I'll just have to stay on his arm. :o
diane

[usha]

I hate walkie talkies on cruises. They're intrusive, at BEST.
That said, let's hope you find a better way to communicate onboard.:o

[mmcipdn]

I hate walkie talkies on cruises. They're intrusive, at BEST.
That said, let's hope you find a better way to communicate onboard.:o
any suggestions on how that might be accomplished?

[usha]

any suggestions on how that might be accomplished?
Text messaging?:cool:

[Sir PMP]

We are taking our grandchildren on the Oosterdam and feel that walkie talkies would be a good idea to keep in touch with them from time to time. My question is...Do they work say from inside the ship, or only on the open decks? I would really appreciate any feedback. Thank you.... Tony :)

You won't need your walkie-talkies if you leave your grand kids at home, whch would benefit all of us..

[Rebecca33]

As you can see these you have brought out all the people who LOVE children and walkie talkies....

I think it is the sound of the "call" that people are annoyed with. We used them on a vacation and it was great. No one even knew we had them. Use the vibrate setting for a call and if the walkie talkies you have don't have that setting, buy some that do.

Then you can have peace of mind and not risk the evil stares of others.:rolleyes:

Enjoy your time with your grandkids and have a wonderful cruise!

Wendy:)

[mmcipdn]

You won't need your walkie-talkies if you leave your grand kids at home, whch would benefit all of us..

Please don't include me ,and I am sure several others ,with your nasty, rude comment "which would benefit all of us.." If you can't say something positive, keep your mouth shut..:p

[mamaofami]

My DH and I have used walkie talkies on two of our cruises when he was working on the ship and I was alone during the sea days. He needed them to know where to meet up with me. Sadly, they don't really work all that well and there is a lot of interference so you might as well leave them home anyway and find some other way to communicate. I was going to suggest smoke signals, but we really don't want that.

[pipedreams62]

http://www.eikongraphia.com/wordpress/wp-content/5%20School%20vissen.jpgCan can be used as Fish food

[cf_chuck]

any suggestions on how that might be accomplished?

Seen any good spy movies lately? How about the "Body Guard"?

I've only experienced one instance where someone was using walkie talkies on ship. IMO, they were extremely inconsiderate of others and happened to be ever present in the same space that I was in during the day. From what I observed, the voice reception was difficult, but the call identification seemed to get through. Rather than dealing with the poor voice reception, the users tended to shout to be heard, and failed repeatedly.

Like everything, there tend to be those that are considerate of others, and those that tend to be selfish, thinking of only of themselves. I'm sure that there are some that will be able to take things in stride and consider the peace of others. Unfortunately, their consideration will be tarnished by the inconsiderate acts of others.

If someone wants to use walkie talkies, I ask that they do so with consideration of others around them. It is usually not difficult to find a place and a way away from others where this can be accomplished.

[jtl513]

I think it is the sound of the "call" that people are annoyed with. It is the kids just "playing" with them, shouting inanities to each other for no good reason, that annoys me. :mad:

[sail-a-bration]

My biggest problem is others come in on the same channel. You need a code name instead of mom or dad. When we were at Disneyworld I was trying to meet up with my Son-n-Law and grandson, the voice I heard was telling me to come to a location and when I got there, the young man and I figured out that apparently there were other grandma's out there trying to find their families.

[cf_chuck]

It is the kids just "playing" with them, shouting inanities to each other for no good reason, that annoys me. :mad:

Good observation, and no way of appealing to an "adult" sense of consideration (such as it might be) of others around them. :(

[kakalina]

It is not children or grandchildren. The OP did not ask about children on a cruise the OP asked about walkie talkies. They [ walkie talkies] are irritating and bothersome not the children. :)

[OceanLiner]

:) I would imagine this is the reason that they come with ear buds... It appears there will be a host of youngsters on this cruise, our grandies will have a great time. Why not come along and let your hair down? :D

Mouth buds, not just ear buds. It never fails to bemuse how people shout into cell phones and walkie-talkies. Somehow they think that by yelling into these little devices that the range will be increased or the static overcome. Sort of like speaking English loudly so that non-English speakers can understand you.

[photomikey]

any suggestions on how that might be accomplished?
How did you find your parents when you were a kid?

We weren't fortunate enough to cruise when I was a kid, but we did go to the mall, the fair, and the amusement park. I had a device to tell time on my arm (a "watch"), and learned to use it. My parents would say things like "meet us at the water fountain at three", and when my watch read five minutes to three, I'd go sprinting for wherever we were supposed to meet. (Smarter children probably planned ahead.)

I do know that if I got there at five past, I'd get dirty looks from mom, and if I didn't get there 'till twenty past we'd get yelled at and end up going home early. I'd say that in confined quarters (the mall, the fair, the amusement park... dare to say the cruise ship) we'd run into each other before the designated time about 50% of the time, and with the reassurance that everyone was still alive we could re-set the time for a bit later. (Say, 5pm.)

If something bad happened (someone fell and got hurt, for example) before our meeting time, we didn't have cell phones or walkie-talkies, we (gasp) learned to deal with problems on our own -- which is what made us what we are today.

I do notice ear buds are included with walkie-talkies now. I did some research, and I found that in the history of the world, no one has ever used these appropriately. Folks prefer to turn them up REAL LOUD so they don't miss anything, then proceed to scream into the microphones. Coupled with the fact that the person on the other end has no technological know-how, I find them useless for actual communications, and only useful for annoying fellow passengers.

I understand they still sell these wrist-worn timetelling devices at major department stores.

[navybankerteacher]

Of course it makes sense to use walkie-talkies to maintain contact with family. All that is needed is the regular practice of common sense and a bit of common courtesy -- use code names, so a few hundred people called "Mom" are not asked to meet at the pool. And use a controlled voice level, so everyone around you does not have to participate in the conversation.

Sadly, too many parents seem unable to apply on their own parts, or require on their childrens' parts, either of those "common" approaches when they unleash their children on the public.

[shining gem]

Gee Snaggers!
What a lot of lovely people you have dragged out of the woodwork. :rolleyes: I am sad to see a lot of the rude comments regarding children seem to be from young people, unbelievable! I assume they won't be reproducing. Imagine inflicting their offspring on others, one may only assume the little blighters would be as selfish and nasty as their parents.
You asked a perfectly reasonable question re walkie talkies and unleashed some real treasures:mad:. I hope they are proud of themselves and aren't aboard when you are. We have a singer over here who always says: Why do people have to be so unkind? Certainly applies in this case. Not really a good advert for cruise critic, maybe they are taking that title a bit too literally.
Grant and I found that walkie talkies didn't work so well when we tried them on our first cruise with Vickie and Kev. I am sure you guys will work out a safe and sensible method of communication and I know you will have a great time.:p

[Toad]

It is not children or grandchildren. The OP did not ask about children on a cruise the OP asked about walkie talkies. They [ walkie talkies] are irritating and bothersome not the children. :)
ABSOLUTELY CORRECT! It is not the children it is anyone shouting into a walkie talkie cell phone etc!

[partingwaters]

My wife and I often take (though not often use) a walkie talkies on vacation. When we are separated on the ship, in a port, or in a market or shopping area, it is quite helpful. Also some port areas are dangerous and safety dictates the prudence of carrying some sort of communication device--- and if there is no cell phone service, the walkie talkies are great. We even use them when flyfishing in a stream and get separated. In one instance, when I fell it was necessary to use it to get help. Rudeness takes many forms, you can be rude by talking during a performance, or strolling along in a corridor talking oblivious of the fact that you are impeding others, or playing your radio too loud. To some extent we must accept small irritants when traveling. Grandma have a great trip!

[mamma0233]

It's really not that difficult! I have accompanied 150 band members to many locations, including Victoria and Vancouver, Canada and Disneyland..twice! You just tell them that they are to meet you at location "A" between 2 and 2:30, and if they are late there WILL be penalties, gives them a little "wiggle" room and you get to sit in the sun...pick a nice central place. You count heads, discuss what they have done and set the next time to meet. Walkie-Talkie's, Cell phones etc should only be used on your balcony on a cruise. I LOVE kids, obviously, but keeping track of them is MY job and no one around me needs to know our plans! The flip side is that you don't know who is listening and knowing when the kids are on their own! Beside that you are taking a cruise to spend time together! Do it!

[usha]

mama0233, congratulations on your superhuman abilities with 150 kids, not to mention your wit & wisdom! I'm in awe. :D
The world needs a LOT more people like you!

[Loodie]

A cruise ship is a shared vacation destination. People cruise to relax and have a good time. Walkie-talkies are disruptive to the peace and calm of the shipboard experience. It is just plain bad manners to use them where you will be heard by others. On the other hand, if the users could operate them so their devices could not be heard by others, no one could object to them being onboard. All of us has experienced a time when we wanted to locate others on the ship and as ships get larger and larger the process will only get more difficult and frustrating. Nevertheless, this is a problem for the individual searching and the ones being sought out. It is not reasonable nor respectful for the rest of the community aboard to be disturbed.

[jtl513]

On the other hand, if the users could operate them so their devices could not be heard by others, no one could object to them being onboard.You can always hear the half of the conversation spoken by the person next to you. Walkie talkie users are more annoying to me than cell phone users.

[Two if by Sea]

We brought a set of walkie-talkies on the Maasdam mostly to use in case our 8-year-old was nervous staying in the cabin when we went out and wanted a way of reaching us.

We didn't use them. Not even once. Not only was she not nervous staying in the cabin, but generally we were turning in for the night just about the time she was returning from Club HAL anyhow.

And she knew her way around the ship better than we did by day 2 or 3 :).