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Walkie Talkies

KingsCt

By KingsCt,
in Princess Cruises

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Astro Flyer

Astro Flyer

Posted
Posted

Even with a long range ones, our experience has been that they are not very reliable onboard. We've found that even between some open areas (from our balcony to the lido deck), we rarely are able to communicate & it could be worse inside. They're probably worth a try (we always bring ours) however be aware of their limitations. We haven't used them in port (and they could be illegal in some countries) but they could be an option if you get seperated & have to locate each other.

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RSF Cruiser

RSF Cruiser

Posted
Posted
Even with a long range ones, our experience has been that they are not very reliable onboard. We've found that even between some open areas (from our balcony to the lido deck), we rarely are able to communicate & it could be worse inside. They're probably worth a try (we always bring ours) however be aware of their limitations. We haven't used them in port (and they could be illegal in some countries) but they could be an option if you get seperated & have to locate each other.

We've used them in port - I often leave the ship before my husband, and then he "calls" me on the two way radio (ours is rated as good for 35 miles). They do work better from ship to shore than within the ship.

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karatemom2 Great Review Rare

karatemom2

Posted
Posted

We tried them on a couple of cruises and honestly they never worked very well. Very poor reception and lots of interference from other passengers using the same channels. I don't know if they rent them on Princess although I have seem them for sale in one of the shops.

 

We have found it easier to plan meeting times and keep in touch with notes and regular check-ins. I bought a magnetic dry erase board that we kept on the back of the door that was great for leaving messages.

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Pam in CA

Pam in CA

Posted
Posted
The reason they don't work well is that all the steel in the ship's structure blocks the signal. Also, they are illegal in many countries, as every country sets up its own radio regulations. I leave mine at home.
Right. Even very good ones don't work well due to the steel. Years ago, I saw a lot of people using them and it was a cacophony of "Can you hear me now?" with people yelling louder and louder. I think I've seen them used just once in the last five years.

 

You are asked to not use cell phones in any dining venue, including the buffet, and that probably applies to walkie-talkies as well.

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1 HappyCruiser

1 HappyCruiser

Posted
Posted
We've used them in port - I often leave the ship before my husband, and then he "calls" me on the two way radio (ours is rated as good for 35 miles). They do work better from ship to shore than within the ship.

 

Wow, they're up to 35 miles these days. I'm waiting for the 50 mile mark before I buy my set. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

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PescadoAmarillo "Live from...." Rare

PescadoAmarillo

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You are asked to not use cell phones in any dining venue, including the buffet, and that probably applies to walkie-talkies as well.

Pam, where/when are we asked this? I don't recall seeing it in the Patter.

 

We started using two way radios on our November cruises. They saved us and kept us on speaking terms. ;) DH always is out of the cabin by 6:30-7:00am. I'm about an hour behind that. The radios were the best. He could be anywhere on the ship or in port (he is frequently the first one off the ship in port just to 'check things out' (read: he can't sit still)). We bought the $40 set at Home Depot.

 

They worked really well on the ship, much better than I expected. They are waaayyy less intrusive (properly used) than people imply. In fact, they're not as loud as a normal conversation between two people. We had our ringer adjusted according to the environment (i.e. turned way down in the International Cafe, up higher in port). DH could even kind of wake up me while I was in our inside cabin by ringing the radio left in the cabin. We could not have had a clear conversation, but I could hear the ringer. With an OV or balcony cabin, I think it would work great.

 

It was also good in ports. We cruised a lot this winter, and are no longer 'joined at the hip', especially in the shopping areas around the ship. Only twice did we have crosstalk, on two islands. We just changed to a different channel to overcome that.

 

They will be with us on EVERY future cruise.

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georgiavol

georgiavol

Posted
Posted

Personally, I can't stand the irrating and seemingly incessant warbling call signal the portable radios generate. As noted by several others, the radio range on the ship is extremely limited and spotty due to all the steel.

 

I have a nice set we tried to use when off the ship on a couple of cruises, but the kids (teenagers) just ignored us when we tried to contact them so it was a waste of time.

 

I read above about using a erasable white board which is a good idea, but we use post it notes which work fine.

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turtle tavern

turtle tavern

Posted
Posted

We use them on every cruise and have found that the cheaper the model the less reception. We bought ours for about $100.00 and they work great. We can communicate all over the ship and to someone who is at port while we are on the ship. At one port we had chatter on our line so we just changed channels.

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1 HappyCruiser

1 HappyCruiser

Posted
Posted

You are asked to not use cell phones in any dining venue, including the buffet, and that probably applies to walkie-talkies as well.

 

I never saw them post that comment. What ship was it on? It seems a little over the top to include the buffet. The next thing you know they'll be saying not to use one at the pools.

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alolewis

alolewis

Posted
Posted

A reminder that only the very low powered radios are legal without an FCC License, the ones with range of 1.4 mile or so. From the FCC website. Also as someone already mentioned in many other countries they are illegal period and one can be arrested for using them, South Korea is one country that comes to mind where they are illegal.

 

 

Family Radio Service (FRS)

  • FRS allows two-way voice communications over very short distances, generally less than one-half mile. It is generally used by families or small groups to communicate while on group outings when group members are fairly close together, but can also be used in business-related settings.
  • An FRS unit looks and works much like a walkie-talkie. Prices for FRS units vary depending on features and quality.
  • If you have a dual-use, FRS-General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) unit, you may legally use only the FRS channels unless you have a GMRS license. The label on the unit or the operations manual should indicate the service the unit is certified for. FRS-only units transmit at lower power levels and have antennas that are integrated with the unit; GMRS units transmit at higher power levels and may have detachable antennas.
  • You can operate your FRS unit anywhere in the U.S. and its possessions. Before using FRS in other countries such as Canada and Mexico, check to see if that country allows operation of FRS units. There is no minimum age requirement for operating an FRS unit.

General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS)

  • GMRS is a land-mobile radio service available for short-distance, two-way communications to facilitate the activities of an adult (18 years or older) and his or her immediate family members, including a spouse, children, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces and in-laws.
  • A GMRS system may legally be operated only with a license granted by the FCC. The individual licensee is responsible for the proper operation of the GMRS system.
  • A GMRS system is made up of station operators and a mobile station consisting of one or more mobile units. It may also include one or more land stations. Some land stations operate as repeaters, thereby extending the range of GMRS mobile units.
  • New GMRS licenses are granted only to individuals, but GMRS licenses granted to non-individuals (such as businesses) before July 31, 1987, can be renewed if certain conditions are met. You can apply for a GMRS license on-line at wireless.fcc.gov/uls/, or by filing FCC Form 605, available at
    wireless.fcc.gov/index.htm?job=all_wireless_forms. The FCC sets license filing fees annually, and current filing fees, now $85, can be found at wireless.fcc.gov/feesforms/feeguide/WTB_Fee_Filing_Guide.pdf. Licenses are granted for five years.

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  • 1 month later...
ONT-CA

ONT-CA

Posted
Posted

One of the pleasures of being way out to sea is no cell phones. Especially the ones that are attached to the ear. Is there anything more annoying than a person standing or sitting nearby talking to him/herself? Escape completely has a nice ring about it...

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Putterdude

Putterdude

Posted
Posted
One of the pleasures of being way out to sea is no cell phones. Especially the ones that are attached to the ear. Is there anything more annoying than a person standing or sitting nearby talking to him/herself? Escape completely has a nice ring about it...

 

 

I couldn't agree more. I don't think there is anything quite as rude or annoying as having someone's conversation about what they did last night or what they are going to have to eat at lunch over a squawk walkie talkie imposed upon you whole laying on a lounge chair by the pool or trying to read in a lounge.

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1 HappyCruiser

1 HappyCruiser

Posted
Posted
They're fine for other cruise lines but I'm pretty sure they're illegal on Princess. :D We were on the CB a few weeks ago and can't remember seeing anyone using them. Not as popular as they used to be?

 

They're not illegal but not very effective on board the ship due to all the steel. We've used them in the past but there not worth the trouble.

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