Communication onboard

[Lulubelle45]

I had the same question last year as I was sailing with a Zumba group as well as my teen. We did the highlighted activities on the daily guide. I also picked up a magnetic white board (walls and doors are metal!) So we could communicate by leaving notes. We always had dinner together so met at cabin at a set time. No need to worry as we found each other just fine.

[lhc2266]

I clicked on this thread, because my 13 year old will be going with us on our next cruise. I was thinking of a way for him to be able to communicate with us, and figure out where we were if he was at Camp Carnival, for example, and wanted to find us. We were thinking of taking walkie talkies, but if they don't work unless you are on the same deck, they would be useless. If he isn't in Camp Carnival, he will be with one of us. I just wanted for him to have a way to reach us, if he decided he did not want to stay there.

[Lulubelle45]

I've heard some ships have a pager. I'm not familiar with Carnival. I would possibly give him your schedule as to where you will be and when. Your best bet is to check whst the ship policy is. At 13 I think they can leave the camp carnival on their own so a note in the cabin as to where to find you should work. Depends on your child. He may end up finding friends and not wanting to leave.

[angelwinks_ca]

My daughter has special needs and requires us to help with specific things so she needs to always have a way to get a hold of us. Not life threatening but we can't just have her NOT be able to get in touch with us.

 

We bought walkie talkies that had a vibrate option. We didn't like the idea of the ringing being annoying to others. When she pressed the button, it vibrated. My husband just wore it on his hip. We would then reply to ask where she was and where to meet her. We were respectful to not answer if we were somewhere that's disruptive and went to an area where she could both hear us and us hear her.

 

We would go over her schedule every morning and plan to meet up at places so we barely used the walkie talkies. We just made sure she always had a her watch! There are limited clocks around the ship.

ALSO...we got two schedules. One she had and one we had. We knew where she was on any given time and would go and just check in.

[lhc2266]

Thank you for your response. That is helpful. I think we will take the walkie talkies just for peace of mind. I like the option of putting those on vibrate. Even if we don't use those, it will be an option for keeping up with where everyone is on the ship.

[lhc2266]

We finished our cruise on the Elation, and we did not take the walkie talkies as planned. I checked with my cell phone carrier, and we found out we could text each other for 50 cents per text sent. We ended up staying together for much of the trip so it really wasn't an issue. Received texts were at no charge. Also the Elation offered a great data package that was available if we needed it.

Edited August 9, 2015 by lhc2266

[paul929207]

Glad everything worked out

[briankeith513]

Welcome to HAL. Make sure you join your CC roll call.

 

Just for clarification, your cell phones will definitely work while on board but the calls will be routed through the ship's cell tower. That translates to charges that have been reported to be in excess of $8/minute with a minimum of one minute connection billable for each cell phone. In addition, as soon as you turn on your phone to make the call, each phone's satellite locator will incur a one-minute minimum charge. My math indicates charges of $32 for less than a two-minute call.

 

Your cell phones will work just fine and free when you are docked in any Alaskan port if you have a US carrier with free roaming. Both parties can be on board or one off the ship to use the cell phones for free. That leaves the one or two days that you will not be in an Alaskan port that you will have to use other means to contact those in your party.

 

Walkie talkies will work fine on board as long as there are not metal structures in the line of sight. Even on the Vista Class HAL ships, there are not that many places to go that you cannot be found. OK, maybe not the dark movie theater or show room.

 

There phones all over the ship that you can use to leave a message on your stateroom phone so that others can find you.

 

So does each stateroom/cabin have a phone that can place calls to other staterooms? I ask because we will have multiple rooms, and it would be great to be able to communicate, at least via our rooms.

[Cruisin' Chick]

So does each stateroom/cabin have a phone that can place calls to other staterooms? I ask because we will have multiple rooms, and it would be great to be able to communicate, at least via our rooms.

 

I know that Princess does. I'm guessing that many, if not all, cruise lines have this capability on their ships.

[briankeith513]

I know that Princess does. I'm guessing that many' date=' if not all, cruise lines have this capability on their ships.[/quote']

 

Cool, so is it free calls, as long as it is stateroom to stateroom?

[Shadowdancer604]

It should also be noted with regards to hand held "walkie-talkies" that Long Range versions may be restricted in their use on the high power channels both in the US and definitely in international areas. Before using your walkie-talkies in Europe or in Caribbean countries, check with any restrictions prior to use.

[Willow45]

I am always on the lookout for flashing.

 

You people totally cracked me up. I loved it. I was reading this because my husband was thinking about walkie talkie's for our first cruise holiday for the family. My daughters are 20 and 18. I was hoping that their cabin would be the other end of the boat and a totally different deck but for some reason they are next to us. Oh well.

 

I did work on doing the marking off the activity sheet for maybe meet at similar activities, notes left on their or our door to where we might be (just asking the notes left on mirrors, was that around the ship near where you might meet?) and on the good days we will just see them at dinner (they are night people and my husband is a morning person, breakfast together will be rare unless it has to happen like excursion days).. Much as its a family holiday I do still like my time..

[luddite]

So does each stateroom/cabin have a phone that can place calls to other staterooms? I ask because we will have multiple rooms, and it would be great to be able to communicate, at least via our rooms.

 

Yes.

[luddite]

Cool, so is it free calls, as long as it is stateroom to stateroom?

 

Also yes.

It will also call various ship offices/venues.

At no charge.

[briankeith513]

Also yes.

It will also call various ship offices/venues.

At no charge.

 

Thanks