$$$CELL PHONES are a GO on ALL PRINCESS SHIPS Sarting TODAY, WOW!$$$

[CL-JW]

Personally, not thrilled at the idea. We did our first cruise just 2 1/2 years ago and one thing we noticed was the lack of cell phones. It was so pleasant and relaxing.

 

Just don't see the need to be constantly connected. Seems to take away from the relaxation of the vacation.

[stephenandrew]

I am assuming that the cruiselines benefit from this arrangement financially. If this is the case, my guess is that over time, cell phone access will be available in more parts of the ship, as more calls might equate to more revenue for the cruise lines. I don't see this as being a good thing.

[nschurr]

Bill,

 

The Ugly, just who is going to enforce these new rules, some people who board ships will not follow rules.

 

The same people who enforce the "no chair saving" rules by the pool and in the theater.

[StLouisCruisers]

Talk about annoying people in the dining room! On our latest cruise a family was seated nearby on formal night, and one young woman was using her walkie talkie!!!:eek: Finally she went out of the dining room to talk on it, but my gosh, I hope cell phone usage doesn't make it as far as the dining rooms.

[japester]

If I cruised a lot, and this became a problem, I'd simply buy a jammer. They may be illegal in the US, but the ship won't be in US territory for long.... :D

 

If the cruise line was on the ball, however, they would set up their own jammers in the more popular public spaces (theatre, dining rooms, etc). I hear this is becoming more common overseas (movie theaters and hospitals, for example).

 

Jape

[JotWorld]

Bill,

 

Let me get this straight, you can use your cell phones only in your room and the upper decks.

 

The Good, is for emergency purposes and to be used in your room.

 

The Bad, upper decks, when someone is trying to take an afternoon siesta (sp?) by the pool and generally people who talk on the phone, talk louder than normal, they can be very disturbing. Or when someone is trying to sleep in the next room and hears the phone ringing or again the person talking on the phone.

 

The Ugly, just who is going to enforce these new rules, some people who board ships will not follow rules.

 

My two cents worth,

Dollar Bill

 

Thanks for your comments Dollar Bill!:) Bill

[JotWorld]

This was available on Grand Princess last week. My brother in law used his phone, at sea, from his cabin and said the signal was great. He could not use his phone on the upper decks (he tried). Apparently, the places you can use your phone are very limited. We received a separate questionnaire regarding cell phone avialability and usage with our post-cruise survey.

 

I have no problems with cell phone availability so long as those areas where phones are usable are strictly limited. If there is a way to limit their usage to passenger cabins only, I have no complaints.

 

As far as enforcement goes, there is no need to worry about that so long as the signal is provided in limited areas. As my BIL found out, it appears to be available only in passenger cabins. There was a very subtle note about being able to use cell phones in the stack of stuff that greets you when you board, it might even have been buried in the embarkation issue of the Princess Patter.

 

Thanks for the update Rob, re: the Grand!:) Today was the First Day Available on the Golden, No first hand reports yet!;) My Best! Bill

[JotWorld]

:eek: :eek: and another :eek: !

 

In my humble opinion (as if I ever had one of those) this will be abused just like chair hogs, jeans in the dining room, diapers in the pool and the list goes on. I can just hear them ringing in the dining room and show lounges now. Since people abuse the use of them on dry land I see no reason to expect they will not do so aboard a cruise ship. Here's hoping I am wrong - won't be the 1st time.

 

I think $2 - $3 a Min:eek: might slow them down a lot!:D (IMHO) Bill

[JotWorld]

Princess actually lags behind other cruise lines in adding this cellular service. As of 12/6, only one Princess ship was listed.

 

Here is the link to the ships equipped with Cellular at Sea and rates for Cingular customers. Other cellular customers may charge more. Only GSM equipped phones will work.

 

http://www.cingular.com/travelguide/coverage/cruise_ships_rates.jsp?PIDL=DIR%7CWC%7CWCM&dsessionid=FQQQm0GWJ346fgdrZlXhkXRNw2qvFdB2mlqm4cmjlxf1BHNGHHGJ!-1282084815!1157660688544

 

FYI

 

LL

 

Thanks for that URL, I really appreciate that! Bill

[bdjam]

So the last chance to "Escape Completely" has come to an end. 'Tis a sad day.:(

Ain't that the truth, Ethel...

I am assuming that the cruiselines benefit from this arrangement financially. If this is the case, my guess is that over time, cell phone access will be available in more parts of the ship, as more calls might equate to more revenue for the cruise lines. I don't see this as being a good thing.

The financial benefit comes in attracting cruisers who for some reason can’t unplug themselves when on vacation – at least that’s what other cruise lines have identified as their reasons behind installing the equipment needed for cell phone service.

As long as the cell phone use is restricted to a cabin, that’s fine – what someone on vacation does behind their closed door is their business. Once it spreads to the upper decks, then I think it becomes intrusive and is reason to lodge a complaint. I spend good money to vacation – I don’t need to hear someone shouting into a cell phone talking to their business, or their kids, or their dog.

[JotWorld]

I have no problem with cell phone availability if the "zone" is only in cabins and only available at certain hours during the day. (The last thing you want is someone yelling into their cell phone on their balcony at 3AM.)

 

FYI, you can turn on international roaming on Cingular for $5.99/month. I used my phone, using Cingular, on my Russian riverboat cruise in September. It was amazing... here I was in the middle of absolutely nowhere yet I had a signal. And yes, I used it only in my cabin.

 

Most of the Caribbean is $1.99/minute. Here is a link to the Cingular page with the phone rates (click on "Compare with standard rates."): http://www.cingular.com/learn/international/roaming/affordable-world-packages.jsp

 

Thanks Pam.:) I looked up the Cruise Line Rates for Princess, with Cingular. $2.49/Min Plus Taxes, plus extra minute to connect, plus Rounded seconds to another minute! A 2.05 Min Call, (Talking less that 1.5 minutes) will cost you over $10.00(Plus this is not Factoring in the $5.99/Mo Fixed Add-on + Taxes ) :eek: :eek: ( or Really $6.66+/Min) Wow, Not Cheap, Not Cheap at All!;) Bill (an Acct;) )

[Protirees]

Thanks for the update on this. I note from the weblink that this includes GPRS data coverage, as well. Does this mean that I will be able to receive e-mail on my Blackberry while at sea? I can receive e-mail now when we are docked on islands where coverage is available, but if I read this correctly, I will now have access to a signal at sea?

 

Any further information, or experience that people have with this over the next month or so, will be of interest to me.

 

Thanks, Barbara

[mii]

So the last chance to "Escape Completely" has come to an end. 'Tis a sad day.:(

 

Isn't that the truth. By the way on my last 3 cruises, Princess and Celebrity, when the ship docked you would not believe the stampede of people going out to the open decks to use their cell phones. You just had to be there to see this.

 

Mark my words someone, somewhere will find a way to get cheaper rates, they will be on the outer decks, then slowly ease themselves into the Horizon Ct, then the hallways, casino, and the shopping areas. Before long they will be in the theatres and dining room. I know this sounds very pessimistic(sp) but I bet it will happen.

 

Marilyn

[ECCruise]

Thanks Pam.:) I looked up the Cruise Line Rates for Princess, with Cingular. $2.49/Min Plus Taxes, plus extra minute to connect, plus Rounded seconds to another minute! A 2.05 Min Call, (Talking less that 1.5 minutes) will cost you over $10.00(Plus this is not Factoring in the $5.99/Mo Fixed Add-on + Taxes ) :eek: :eek: ( or Really $6.66+/Min) Wow, Not Cheap, Not Cheap at All!;) Bill (an Acct;) )

 

Some clarification:

 

1) It does not take one minute to connect PLUS your call time. We've had plenty of international calls (checking VM e.g.) of only one minute.

2) It does not cost $5.99 to register for international service. That is no charge on Cingular. (You do, however, have to register and apply to use the service and acceptance is not automatic). If you want the Cingular World Traveler Discount Plan you pay $5.99 per month and save on calls from a number of countries. BUT Cruise ships are not included in the discount plan.

3) As I said earlier, I've spent 20 days on ships with the cellular plan in place. Prior to that, I made posts that sound like some of yours: "OH NO, my vacation will be ruined!!" In practice, though, it just was NOT an issue.

[Crowsie]

We tend to take longer cruises and the only way my husband can get the time off of work is to agree to stay in contact.

 

We had to rent a satellite phone when we cruised from Sydney to Bangkok.

 

I think this is a great addition...if it gives him peace of mind he's able to have a more relaxing vacation.

 

And no..he didn't use his satellite phone in the dining room or theatre.

[Lightsluvr]

Thanks for that URL, I really appreciate that! Bill

 

This debate has already circulated on the RCI forum, as their ships (and Carnival) were some of the first to be cell equipped.

 

Remember that the onboard cell system is turned OFF about one hour outside of port, so it doesn't conflict with land based cell systems. GSM phones only, so some T-mobile and Verizon phones will not work.

 

We really haven't noticed much difference on cell equipped RCI ships. The cell phones are more prevalent among crew members than passengers... and they are nowhere near as annoying as those darn walkie-talkies in the hands of 10 year olds...

 

LL

[dspyder]

I think the whole thing is terrible.... but....

 

Does anyone know how GPRS usage is billed when roaming? I have unlimited GPRS on T-Mobile/Cingular... tethered via bluetooth it would make an excellent alternative to the drastically overpriced internet access.

 

I do worry about people not understanding the real costs of internation roaming and international text messaging (sending and receiving) too.

 

My blackberry will be staying at home! I really hope people aren't yammering on their cellphones all over the ship!

 

EDIT: Nevermind, I answered my own question... Data Usage: All GPRS pay per use rates are $.0195/KB. You would not want to bring your blackberry :)

[cruzinchris]

...I don’t need to hear someone shouting into a cell phone talking to...their dog.

 

:D :D :D

Rhett

[bdjam]

:D :D :D

Rhett

Rhett is of course the exception...!! Besides I know Rhett's parents would be well mannered enough NOT to be intrusive when using a cell phone... :D

I think this is a great addition...if it gives him peace of mind he's able to have a more relaxing vacation.

 

And no..he didn't use his satellite phone in the dining room or theatre.

Does he use it while he's on deck? I really don't want to hear him talking while I'm trying to relax or read. Does he use it on his balcony? I really don't want to hear him when I'm trying to use my balcony.

 

Perhaps if employees indicated to their employers that for their own health and safety (and therefore the betterment of the business), they were not going to remain plugged in while on vacation, the employers wouldn't expect it. The excuse that people have to stay in touch is too easy - what did they do ten years ago when cell phones weren't as prevalent? Seems that things ran pretty smoothly then.

[jopapamn]

At $4.99 for T-Mobile I will be staying off the phone until I am in port. $4.99 is cheaper vs. the ship $7.95 and if it is an emergency it is nice to know that it is slightly cheaper. If the rates are high people will not call, if the rates go down watch out for the.. guess where I am calling you from... or eating.

 

http://www.t-mobile.com/International/RoamingOverview.aspx?tp=Inl_Tab_RoamWorldwide

[Porkys2]

I sure hope they ban them in the dining rooms. There's nothing worse than trying to have a nice meal and someone is yelling into their cell phone at the next table.

 

Lola in Hamilton

 

Ugh... exactly what I was thinking.

[LARGIN]

Oh goodie... Cell phones, walkie talkies, computers.... There goes the great escape.. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[Shogun]

Hi there,

 

I know the US cell system is different to that used in most other parts of the world, thats why I have a quad band phone, but I always take it with me when I cruise, now there must have been sea days when there was no signal , but for most days I have a signal and use my phone, when on the ship I switch the ringer of and get it to flash and buzz.

Ok it does not work when in an inside cabin but when I went into the hall it would work.

 

When I crused the med this year I think there was only one day when I had no signal,

 

so my question is what is new about this service, is this for use in the middle of the sea hundreds of miles from anywhere.

 

 

yours Shogun

[cruzinchris]

...and they are nowhere near as annoying as those darn walkie-talkies in the hands of 10 year olds... LL

 

Do the cruiselines rent these or are savvy travelers bringing their own? DH and I noticed "responsible" usage by families on our last two Princess cruises - seemed like family members were simply trying to keep in touch with one another around the ship. This was not as much of a distraction as I think cell phone usage could/would be :rolleyes: ...jmo

Chris

 

PS bdjam: Rhett's mom doesn't have a cell phone, and his dad leaves his at home - although that free internet access comes in handy for keeping in touch with the office ;) .

[keukamom2]

. The excuse that people have to stay in touch is too easy - what did they do ten years ago when cell phones weren't as prevalent? Seems that things ran pretty smoothly then. [/font]

 

Well now - let me tell you what they did 10 years ago before cell phones were prevalent.....my husband went on a land based vacation and his company sent the local sheriff out to tell him to call his company....the cabin we were staying in had no phone.....so you see if they want to get to you they will!!!!!