Group Communications while on board

I coordinate a group cruise that's getting bigger each year. It's to the point where I need an efficient method of communicating with the group while on board.

Texting seems like would work but don't you have to have your phone service on for that to work? Wouldn't the roaming charges be a killer?

What do group coordinators use to communicate with their groups on board? Any suggestions and ideas would be appreciated.

FYI we are not a technology oriented group (most of us anyway) but everyone has smartphones and probably tablets as well. I just don't understand how it all works.

Thanks

Bob

It can get expensive to text...the ship's wifi costs a lot, as will data usage from your phone carrier! The best way is to have plans for the day, so everyone will have a general idea of where everyone might be. A message left on the cabin phone works well. Most folks do NOT carry their phones around the ship with them...I sure would hate to!

If your group plans on doing everything "en masse", then a printed schedule would work. If you only plan on dinner together, and everyone going their own way during the day, discussing plans for the next day at dinner will do the trick!

In truth, even tho the ship appears so large, there are only so many public places...and you'll find that folks gravitate to the same areas over and over and over...so physically locating someone isn't THAT hard!

We talk to each other. Sometimes we use the room phones and call each other and....talk to each other.

Printing a schedule would be helpful.

All ship cabin phones have voicemail.

Make a 'chain'......... You leave a voice mail for Jane. Jane know she is supposed to pass the info to Joan, Mary and Sally. That way you don't have to contact each person.

There was a French group aboard our recent Alaska cruise, and they put up an easel with a 24x36 pad where the group leader would put daily (perhaps?) updates to share with his group. It was off to the side near the PSD, so somewhere that everyone would be likely to walk near.

A lot of people traveling in groups will put notices on doors. Take some coloured paper, pens, stickers & just make up notices.

Texting would be prohibitively expensive. I left my phone on last cruise for a few hours - sent some texts, checked email, posted a picture to Facebook - and I received a message from Verizon that my usage charge had hit $50. That was in ONE afternoon of one day!

How about paper and pencil. Low tech but it works.

DON

I know you mentioned that your group might be technology challenged, but if anyone has an IPhone, you might look at an app called Ripple. It's.99 cents, but those that have used it seem to like it.

Maybe you could google it and see the pros and cons.

If this doesn't sound like it would be useful, I agree with the others. Simple post it notes, or a dry erase on a specified persons door.

Debbie

I have used walkie talkies purchased from online stores and had good success along with using the cabin phones. I would recommend scheduling group meetings at predetermined areas to keep everyone on the same page.

I agree with above

Forget wLkie talkies

Use regular meetings and calls to and through cabin phones plus hall phones to call out

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I have used walkie talkies purchased from online stores and had good success .....

That is not the consensus of the vast majority of people on these boards. Most who have tried them found them to be pretty useless. Considering that a ship is mostly made of metal, and lots of it, walkie talkie radio signals can't penetrate the walls, floors and ceilings, making them nearly worthless.

A person would be better off to save their money and spend it on something they actually enjoy on the ship.

Can you check your room's voice mail from a 'public' phone? Or do you have to go back to the room?