Communication on ship--cell, ship phone or walkie talkie

[manyquestionscruiser]

What is the most cost effective and effective way to communicate with family members on the ship? Many years ago we used walkie talkies which were not great. I understand from our cell phone carrier that if we leave our phones on and anyone from home calls, we are charged $2.50 a min roaming fees. What do others do? My young adult son likes to wander the ship and we need some way of finding him now and again. Thanks for any ideas

[CruiserBruce]

If you read the boards, you will see this topic discussed regularly. You are right, the walkie talkies don't work well, and can be very annoying to your fellow cruisers.

 

The solution is simply to have a general plan for the day, leave post it notes in the cabin for communications, and you will be fine. You will find, as everyone else has found, you really don't need to be in 24/7 contact while on vacation. The ship really isn't that big.

[Shmoo here]

What is the most cost effective and effective way to communicate with family members on the ship? Many years ago we used walkie talkies which were not great. I understand from our cell phone carrier that if we leave our phones on and anyone from home calls, we are charged $2.50 a min roaming fees. What do others do? My young adult son likes to wander the ship and we need some way of finding him now and again. Thanks for any ideas

 

Set up pre-designated times/locations to touch base. Leave notes in your room. Ships are not all that large, you're bound to run across him here and there.

 

I would make a request that you leave the walkie-talkies at home. They can be not all that effective and quite irritating to others around you.

 

:)

[luddite]

Communication before you separate is effective.

Post-It notes work great and the cabins have voice-mail on the phones.

[SMerritt]

Communication before you separate is effective.

Post-It notes work great and the cabins have voice-mail on the phones.

 

 

 

If you have a portable phone in your cabin, it will work anywhere on the ship, one carries the phone - you can call the person carrying the phone from the ships courtesy phones or other friends cabin phones.

 

Actually after a day, you become "in sync" with each other.......

[sail7seas]

All our cruises, we've never had a cordless phone in our cabin. All the phones have been corded.......

 

I can't imagine ships would provide cordless as seems they would be constantly lost and others finding them could use them to make all sorts of pricey calls. :eek: (They probably could trace who made the call but who needs the aggravation.)

 

Please skip the walkie talkies. What with all the steel, they don't work and people trying to use them keep screaming and it is frustrating for all...... including the user.

 

[Shmoo here]

All our cruises, we've never had a cordless phone in our cabin. All the phones have been corded.......

 

I can't imagine ships would provide cordless as seems they would be constantly lost and others finding them could use them to make all sorts of pricey calls. :eek: (They probably could trace who made the call but who needs the aggravation.)

 

Please skip the walkie talkies. What with all the steel, they don't work and people trying to use them keep screaming and it is frustrating for all...... including the user.

 

 

DCL has a corded phone in each room, as well as 2 Wave Phones. The Wave Phones are cell phones that work onboard and Castaway Cay. You can only call other rooms (either the corded phone or the wave phones) with them.

 

:)

[luddite]

If you have a portable phone in your cabin, it will work anywhere on the ship, one carries the phone - you can call the person carrying the phone from the ships courtesy phones or other friends cabin phones.

 

Actually after a day, you become "in sync" with each other.......

 

I've never seen a cordless phone in the cabin.

 

I agree about finding people. The ship isn't really all that big and it doesn't take long to figure out where people will be at a given time. The helicopter moms who are addicted to cel phones don't cope well with being disconnected. Sad for the kids.

[SadieN]

Post it notes and we always meet for dinner.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I agree with the others. Just leave notes every once in a while and also have a meeting time and place every once in a while to touch base. For our last cruise, I actually was often running into my teen, even when not actively looking for her as she had a few favorite places.

 

We didn't try this last time, but maybe will consider having everyone in our family call the cabin every once from one of the courtesy phones in a while and leave a message. That way, we can go in and check the messages.

 

Has anyone have success using a dry erase board on their cabin door (not having it or the marker stolen or the message erased by some wise guy)?

[poolreader]

We always look the night before at the info for the next day and try to preset times we can meet somewhere in a public area between the activites. You can also use the phones all over the ship to call back to the rooms. As another suggested leaving post it notes in the room does help. But if all else fails set a comfortable place on the ship as your meet up spot, then if someone gets lost you know where to find them.

[Shmoo here]

All our cruises, we've never had a cordless phone in our cabin.

 

I've never seen a cordless phone in the cabin.

 

Here's a picture of the Wave Phones that DCL provides.

 

:)

[sail7seas]

I wonder how many handsets get left all over the place? :D

They are handy though especially considering how many kids on DCL. :eek:

Thanks for the photo.

 

 

[Keith1010]

The most effective way is to have places that you all meet up with specific times and to also leave message on phones and/or also written messages.

 

Keith

[Krazy Kruizers]

Here's a picture of the Wave Phones that DCL provides.

 

:)

 

That is great that Disney provides that type of phone in the cabins.

Seems like a great idea.

[Krazy Kruizers]

OP

The first couple of days will be the hardest till everyone gets use to the ship.

Definitely take post-it notes with you and leave notes in the cabin so that you all can keep in touch with everyone. There are courtesy phones all over the ship -- have check-in times pre-set when everyone is to call to the cabin.

[EmmieCruising7/15]

If you have a portable phone in your cabin, it will work anywhere on the ship, one carries the phone - you can call the person carrying the phone from the ships courtesy phones or other friends cabin phones.

 

Actually after a day, you become "in sync" with each other.......

 

 

REALLY? The portable phone will work all over the ship? You've done this? ...Travelling with a nervous preteen who requires some kind of constant link to her Mommy!!! :eek: How much do I get billed when she loses the phone on the first day? Hahahaaaaaa.....

[Shmoo here]

REALLY? The portable phone will work all over the ship? You've done this? ...Travelling with a nervous preteen who requires some kind of constant link to her Mommy!!! :eek: How much do I get billed when she loses the phone on the first day? Hahahaaaaaa.....

 

Yes, the wave phones on DCL work on the ship. Lost or damaged Wave Phones cost $250.

 

:)

[johneeo]

What is the most cost effective and effective way to communicate with family members on the ship?

 

Simple, do what I do. Don't communicate.

 

My young adult son likes to wander the ship and we need some way of finding him now and again.

 

Why? Just leave him alone.

[EmmieCruising7/15]

Thanks Shmoo :)

[sailinglisa]

Use the voice mail on the ship's phones, the post-it notes and pre plan places to meet up.

[Keith1010]

As we all have mentioned, there are lots of good options.

 

Be sure there is always a fall-back plan such as we all meet at x location at y time if all else fails.

 

Keith

[dsrdsrdsr]

If all else fails, wake him up when you get up in the morning and tell him where you'll be. And where he'll be, if you're taking him ashore.

 

You'll probably be able to track him down at mealtimes as well.

[ladytiger96]

GOOD walkie talkies, like Motorola, work great. We used them extensively. However, with other couples you may meet, swap room # and use the room phone. I wish I had a pen and pad because people were giving me their room # all the time to call them, and I forgot them half the time.

[jdvmd]

All our cruises, we've never had a cordless phone in our cabin. All the phones have been corded.......

 

I can't imagine ships would provide cordless as seems they would be constantly lost and others finding them could use them to make all sorts of pricey calls. :eek: (They probably could trace who made the call but who needs the aggravation.)

 

Please skip the walkie talkies. What with all the steel, they don't work and people trying to use them keep screaming and it is frustrating for all...... including the user.

 

 

NCL Suites have cordless phones. Oasis and Allure of the Seas have programs where you can rent cell phones onboard that are only good on the ship.

OP, you didn't say what ship you are on but you are correct walkie talkies do not work well and others are annoyed by them. Suggest you make your son check in with you on a regular basis.