Cell phones... why?

[sea-cruise]

I keep mine turned off (but I bring it with me incase I really need it).

[isujim]

At one time I would have agreed with you. We had a couple next to us where the wife talked non stop every day on their balcony for hours on her cell phone. As loud as could be to her mother. It was very annoying to us for 11 days.

I never took mine on a cruise.

Then I had an emergency in my family just days before leaving on my last cruise. I wanted to call my family every day, once or twice, while I was away for 14 days. I do not know what I would have done without my cell phone to let me keep in touch.

I will never leave home without it again.

 

I just happened to read another posters advice to cell phone users.

 

To use my cell phone cost me $2.49 per minute.

To call from my cabin would have cost me $7.95 per minute on the ships phone.

To tell anyone to go to their cabin and pay those prices is ridiculous.

I have excellent cell phone manners and never make calls in public, nor take calls in public.

I for one am not going to my cabin to make calls. ;) There are plenty of places on a ship where there is privacy and no one is bothered by my making a call with a stronger signal.

 

 

Alexis I agree with you 100%.......for those that see no reason to use or take a cell phone, must not have an elderly parent. When you are in your 90's things happen......even if they are in good health........

 

Just because you take a cell phone doesn't mean it is on 24/7.......but to turn it on and check messages 3 or 4 times a day.......and to make a call once every other day or so to check on elderly is just plain smart and being very courteous about how you use your cell phone.

[BadBoysDriveAudi]

While I don't mind folks yakking on the phone, I do mind when they are extremely loud (or loud enough to know they're drawing attention to themselves).

 

People -- get real; today's cell phones are extremely sensitive and the person on the other end can hear you even when you whisper. I have no problem talking at a low volume to where the person in the next aisle can't hear me as people load up on the plane. I also ask people if I can call them back if I receive a call in the store checkout line.

 

One thing I do wonder about -- why do people get on the phone immediately after the plane touches down? If you were trying to get in touch to make a connection, then that's fine, but it seems like people just call someone to tell them they just landed and chitchat. Can't you just wait the extra five minutes until we taxi to the gate and unload? What on Earth did you do a few years back when you weren't allowed to make calls at that time?

[maddea20]

One thing I do wonder about -- why do people get on the phone immediately after the plane touches down? If you were trying to get in touch to make a connection, then that's fine, but it seems like people just call someone to tell them they just landed and chitchat. Can't you just wait the extra five minutes until we taxi to the gate and unload? What on Earth did you do a few years back when you weren't allowed to make calls at that time?

 

I'm not sure why this is a big deal to you? You can't stop something like people talking on their phone once a plane touches down so y complain about something you'll never be able to change? I guess people just like to vent on this forum.

[mad-dog74]

Quite frankly' date=' there is no earthly reason to use your cell phone at sea.

 

If you have promised to "call the kids" or the in-laws, do it ashore or from your cabin. Otherwise, keep it turned off out of respect for your fellow cruisers.

 

All the years I traveled for work - 200+ days a year - I never felt the need to be constantly in touch with friends and family back home. I'd call from the hotel room if I wanted to contact them.

 

Everyone had my schedule and the phone number needed to reach me in case of emergency. My cell phone was ALWAYS off.

 

Nothing is more annoying than to listen to some empty headed person yakking away about nothing to somebody who really doesn't care anyway. They talk at the top of their lungs without regard to those in hearing distance. Personally, cell phone usage is totally out of control.

 

There is nobody alive who is so important that they cannot be out of touch for a few days.....except maybe the President of the United State.[/quote']

 

I disagree with you G'Ma. There are *some* people who do have to stay in touch... business owners, people with family/medical/children issues. And you should not tell people when and where they can and cannot use their cell phone. Using a cell phone *properly* is of no bother to anyone. I have seen some people having face to face conversations who are obnoxious also.

[waite02]

You will get the... has to check in at work, has to check in at home... I always just try to hope that there is justice and the chronic and rude chatters will be in a roaming setting and get the $900 cell phone bell they deserve. Although... probably not! :D But I can dream!

[RetireeWannabee]

Mine is an 'on-call device' (Pocket PC) and I'm the only one that does what I do at work and I'm basically on call all the time. On my last cruise, I made one call, from Juneau, as I watched floatplanes land and take off from my balcony. That was to my Husband, who believes Alaska is too cold, while I was wearing shorts and tshirt (it was over 80!!!)

 

I'm not one that needs to be constantly in touch, and I could probably get away with leaving it at home, but if something craps at work, I'd rather get the call and tell them how to fix it than risk week-old mangled data when I return. I can never take a vacation without either having the gadget or leaving a phone number. Such is the job... Luckily, my 'backup' is quite good at his job and would only call me in an EXTREME EMERGENCY and even then, will have done everything in his power to rectify the situation before calling.

 

The problem is the inconsideration. I don't care that people take them and use them. I care when they invade my 'sound space' with loud yakking. But, I can walk away :)

 

The other reason I'd like to have it with me is if my flight is delayed. I'd like to be able to make calls in that situation, especially if flying separate from my travel companions (as was the case last time).

[Happy ks]

You do have to wonder what people did to connect with their businesses and families 10-15 years ago before we all had cell phones.

 

I think we're fortunate that our jobs can really be left behind, we get a full vacation with no business worries. Our kids are many times with us and our friends and family will just have to wait until we're home to find out about our vacation.

 

However, we have found a cell phone can be invaluable on vacation. The few times we've had to make calls and the search for a pay phone eats up so much of your time and can be a lot more costly than a cell. There are always phones in port, they always have long lines with crew members making calls. No way do I want to infringe on the time for their phone calls, they are gone for months...us only a week or so.

 

So we take one cell phone, fully charged and turned off, we only turn it on when needed.

 

We all have our opinions about cell phones and their usage, the convenience to connect is an addiction to so many people. I always feel bad for little kids with mommies that don't pay attention to them because they are too busy talking to realize their child needs them.

[amybear912]

I do not personally have a cell phone... there, I said, I am probably one of the last beings on earth to not have one... don't want one either and as of yet, can find no reason to have one...

 

DH does... job apparently dictates that he have one but again, I have yet to see a reason for it...

 

We take his on our cruise... and I confess, it came in handy when we landed in Orlando and needed to inform our shuttle that we had arrived... could have used a pay phone I suspect...

 

Once we board, the stupid thing stays in our cabin, locked in our safe... we don't even need the alarm clock feature 'cause our biological sea clocks have us up at the crack of dawn anyway... when we are on vacation, we are on vacation... we give our family the emergency contact number to be used for emergencies... 20 years ago, if something had happened to our families that would have been the only way to reach us so if it worked then, I trust that it would work now if needed...

 

Anyway... I don't mind cell phone usage, as long as I'm not aware the usage is going on... I don't think it is EVER appropriate to use a cell phone in a restaurant or movie theater... there is absolutely no reason for it... get a call, take it outside... excuse yourself from the table, leave the theater...

 

A few years back I wrote an article for a local paper here about cell phones, a humor piece... but the situations are realistic... here's the link if you're looking for a lighthearted look at cell phone manners: http://nuvo.net/articles/article_5219/

[mompolo]

We own our own business and don't really have any office help besides ourselves. My husband uses his blackberry to receive bids for work and we can't afford to not bid on things for a week - we need the income too much. We'll see how his phone usage is during our cruise on the Mariner in Sept.(where we are traveling with another couple where the gentleman owns his own business too).

 

I promise to be sure my husband is quiet or takes his calls to a private place on the ship. He does tend to talk too loudly on the phone - don't know why - but I try to remind him to keep his voice down.

 

We all have to do what we have to do. I hope someday, we won't have to have our cell phone on a vacation (I don't like it any more than anyone else does), but for right now, it's a necessity for us.

[maddea20]

Cell phones are here to stay. The past is the past. Technology changes every second. In a few years you'll be complaining about people being able to bring their virtual pets on the cruise. Anyways, I never notice to much negativity on my cruise vacations because I'm busy having fun and enjoying myself not worrying about if Joe Smoe is going to answer that call...

[Suzanne74]

We take his on our cruise... and I confess, it came in handy when we landed in Orlando and needed to inform our shuttle that we had arrived... could have used a pay phone I suspect...

 

IF you could find a pay phone. Up here in DC they are being yanked out of many restaurants, stores etc... There is just no need for them anymore. I didn't realize this until I left my cell phone at home one time and couldn't find a pay phone at all.

 

I have one and I use it as needed. I don't use it to gab away but I suspect most teens and 20's do. I remember being on my parents phone all the time as a teen. I am sure it is 10x worse with a cell phone. None of them know what it is like NOT to have one. My most annoying cell phone habit is when people curse while talking on it. My kids don't need to hear some 20 something yelling/cursing at their boyfriend while shopping at Target. :rolleyes:

 

That said, my husband owns his own small rapidly growing business and his blackberry is stuck to him like glue. Does he want it to be? No way but that is the way of the business world these days. Gone are mom and pop trusted shops, 9 to 5 hour workdays and even 100% business-free vacations. What cell phones were originally for: in case of emergency or to be able to get away from work for an hour or two and still be reachable has turned into the need for everyone to be at anyone's beckon call. My husband gets business calls 4am on Wednesdays, 9pm on Fridays, 3pm on Sundays. It is nuts. Most of the time he ignores them but some of them he knows will move onto someone else. Someone that they can reach immediately. So although I have to take a deep breath sometimes when he must take a call off work hours, I know that he also has the flexibilty to not be stuck in an office if he needs to be somewhere else like coaching t-ball after school, spending lunch at my daughter's school, or even a long vacation. As a small business owner, most of that would be impossible without a cell phone. It is a love-hate relationship.

 

But either way, there is no reason to gab gab gab away in front of others on a cruise ship. I think I would be annoyed if I was quietly laying out and Joe Smoe started talking, laughing and telling personal stories thru a cell phone while at the pool.

[Jtd724]

It's your vacation, It's my vacation. We can do what we want to do. Cellphone or not. pointless debate.

[johnlcruise]

The world was SO much nicer before cell phones!

Life was easer. Less stress. Ahhh for the good old days...

[G'ma]

At one time I would have agreed with you. We had a couple next to us where the wife talked non stop every day on their balcony for hours on her cell phone. As loud as could be to her mother. It was very annoying to us for 11 days.

I never took mine on a cruise.

Then I had an emergency in my family just days before leaving on my last cruise. I wanted to call my family every day, once or twice, while I was away for 14 days. I do not know what I would have done without my cell phone to let me keep in touch.

I will never leave home without it again.

 

I just happened to read another posters advice to cell phone users.

 

To use my cell phone cost me $2.49 per minute.

To call from my cabin would have cost me $7.95 per minute on the ships phone.

To tell anyone to go to their cabin and pay those prices is ridiculous.

I have excellent cell phone manners and never make calls in public, nor take calls in public.

I for one am not going to my cabin to make calls. ;) There are plenty of places on a ship where there is privacy and no one is bothered by my making a call with a stronger signal.

 

You obviously have manners and respect for those around you. If everyone did the same as you, cell phones wouldn't be a problem. It's not the cell phones themselves or the use of them that is annoying...it's the constant barrage of yakking people around you without any regard at all for anyone else.

[G'ma]

It's your vacation, It's my vacation. We can do what we want to do. Cellphone or not. pointless debate.

 

Well, no, you can't do what you want....unless you are a complete boor.

 

There are, of course, the rules - which should be watched and followed. Then, there is common courtesy which is society's way of living with each other. - To say nothing about simple manners.

 

Those who think they are entitled to do what they want, when they want, usually end up behind bars....don't they?

 

As for the "me" generation.....once you have reached adulthood, you can no longer blame your parents for your life or your behavior.

[G'ma]

I disagree with you G'Ma. There are *some* people who do have to stay in touch... business owners, people with family/medical/children issues. And you should not tell people when and where they can and cannot use their cell phone. Using a cell phone *properly* is of no bother to anyone. I have seen some people having face to face conversations who are obnoxious also.

 

I agree. Proper and courteous use of cell phones isn't the problem. It's the mindlessness of the chattering nabob who insists on airing their phone calls to the detriment of those around them.

 

Again, if a person has left a phone number with those at home or at business, they can be reached in case of emergency. For social calls and mindless talking, reserve that for your cabin, ashore, or go find a private place, prop your feet up and talk your head off.

 

But, for crying out loud, knock it off in a crowd...some people might be trying to read or to nap or to hold a conversation with their mate or buddy.

[TahoeBob]

And partially cause I am just a phone whore. I love calling friends/family and saying "HELLO GUESS WHERE I AM AND YOU ARE NOT!!!"

I like to phone my oldest son (30) just before we sail, it works out to be about 1 hour before he goes to work. All I tell him is Im sorry you need to go to work soon, guess where I am?

 

 

 

But' date=' for crying out loud, knock it off in a crowd...some people might be trying to read or to nap or to hold a conversation with their mate or buddy.[/quote'] But there is no difference between a conversation on a cell phone with a friend, than talking to a friend in person. Aconversation is a conversation!

[Jtd724]

Well' date=' no, you can't do what you want....unless you are a complete boor.

 

There are, of course, the rules - which should be watched and followed. Then, there is common courtesy which is society's way of living with each other. - To say nothing about simple manners.

 

Those who think they are entitled to do what they want, when they want, usually end up behind bars....don't they?

 

As for the "me" generation.....once you have reached adulthood, you can no longer blame your parents for your life or your behavior.[/quote']

 

 

What planet are you on? America, Land of the free. Guess were all criminals and living in a big jail. I can talk on my cellphone if I choose to. I don't know what world you live in but freedom of choice is an american staple. freedom of choice does not mean criminal activity unless in your world, thats what freedom means, criminal activity. Do I use my cellphone at the bar? no. Do I use it in the elevator? no. May I use it while sitting out in the sun, yes.

[Jtd724]

Here's something worse then a cellphone, people who constantly nitpick over everything and constantly complain and whine about someone else.

[amybear912]

What planet are you on? America, Land of the free. Guess were all criminals and living in a big jail. I can talk on my cellphone if I choose to. I don't know what world you live in but freedom of choice is an american staple. freedom of choice does not mean criminal activity unless in your world, thats what freedom means, criminal activity. Do I use my cellphone at the bar? no. Do I use it in the elevator? no. May I use it while sitting out in the sun, yes.

 

Yes, you may talk on your cell phone if you wish... And yes, this is a free country, though I guess it could be argued that the ships are not registered in the US but foreign ports and that once you are in international waters and territories you aren't subject to or entitled to the same rights as when you are on land in the good ol' USofA...

 

Still, this is about courtesy... not rights...

 

Use your phone but be respectful and courteous to others when doing so please... Just as you have the right to talk, I have the right to ask you to keep it down or move elsewhere as it may be bothering me... particularly if you are overly loud or using inappropriate language... I would do this even if you were having a face to face conversation that was loud or inappropriate too...

[Amy from Delaware]

DH and I just returned from a cruise that included Puerto Rico, which is considered "local" on our national calling plan with AT&T. We had planned to call home to check our messages from Puerto Rico, and both of us turnd our phones on...LUCKILY!

 

The sidewalks in Old San Juan are very very narrow, and DH uses a large power wheelchair. There were some areas he just couldn't get to, so we decided to split up for a while and meet later. DH actually couldn't get to the spot we had pre-arranged, so he called me to tell me where he was so I could find him.

 

Then later, on the way back to the ship, again his route was different from mine because the sidewalks were too narrow in some places, and I wanted to get back ASAP since I was having my own physical issues at the time. Well, we wound up both missing a turn we were supposed to make, and both were lost in different spots! Thankfully, we were able to contact each other on the cell phones, and we both made it back onto the ship in time.

 

Other than in Puerto Rico, our phones were off during the cruise. We had pre-arranged that our kids would check our mail and phone messages, and email us every day to let us know what was going on. DH checked his email 3 or 4 times during our 8 day cruise.

 

We don't have jobs that require us to be in touch constantly, and don't have anyone with health issues at home to check on, so this worked out well for us. Our kids and parents had the ship's "emergency" number just in case.

[cruiserbryce]

we take ours with us...hardly ever turn it on. Really only once a day because I want to be sure no emergencies have come up. Other than that it stays in the safe the whole time

[Woch2331]

 

This will probably get a few responses from both sides, but I'm really curious about the increase in usage that we've been seeing. Now, my wife and I both had cell phones with us and she had her Blackberry from work. Did we use them on the ship? No. Did we use them on the shuttle to and from the airport? No. Did we use them on the airplane as soon as we landed? No.

 

Now, I understand having to check on the kids back home, family medical issues, or maybe even an important work issue. But seriously, most seemed to be 'chatting' with people back home about things that really could have waited until you returned home from vacation! ('Loud talkers' really give out too much information.)

 

We use 'vacation time' to get away from home and work, not bring it with us. I'm not trying to ban them from cruising, but a little 'common sense' goes a long way. (Wait, if sense was common, then everyone would have some!)

 

As the OP of this thread, I just want to keep one thing in mind:

 

Aren't you on vacation to get 'away'?

 

I never said to 'ban' cell phones or their usage. We brought ours along and even used them! I'm sure people use them at Disney World as much as they do while cruising. (If they had a waterproof one, I'm sure kids would use them at Wet n' Wild!!)

 

Kids? Can't get away without staying in touch? Stay home and play some games with them.

 

Sick relative? Can't get away without staying in touch? Stay home and take care of them.

 

Business? Can't get away without staying in touch? Stay home and keep the business running.

 

It just 'appears' to me that the public usage of cell phones is growing more and more and everyone just says, "Oh, I have to... I just can't live without it."

 

I knew this would get some interesting thoughts, but just rememeber, once the vacation is over, you're back home and you won't have to use your cell phone so much since all your worries will be there. Play with the kids, visit your sick aunt and by all means work as hard as possible to pay for another cruise!!!

[Suzanne74]

Kids? Can't get away without staying in touch? Stay home and play some games with them.

 

Sick relative? Can't get away without staying in touch? Stay home and take care of them.

 

Business? Can't get away without staying in touch? Stay home and keep the business running.

 

 

Wow - harsh maybe? :rolleyes: