2 way radios/ walkie talkies

[Jem4life]

Has anyone used those little 2 way radios on a cruise? Just wondered how they work all over the ship. Bringing teens with us and I'd like to know that I can check up on their whereabouts.

[karen2cruz]

We've used them for our 3 kids for a couple of cruises. Get the kind with the longest range, and it'll work anywhere on the ship. If it has vibration even better, so the noise will not annoy the other passengers.

 

We plan each day the night before, and sometimes we leave post it notes on the bathroom mirror to let each other know if there is a change. They are all mid-teen to young adult age now.

 

Since it is a "family" vacation, I guess we are lucky, because most of the time they like hanging out with us anyway.

[Hikini]

I would like to make a request or a suggestion for all who are taking walkie talkies or 2 way radios on the ship. Please be aware of the other passengers. They are not interested in hearing loud talking and what you plan to do for the next 4 hours. I'm not suggesting that YOU karen2cruz and Jem4life are like the people I am referring to.

 

We were on the Star last June - beautiful ship by the way - and there were lots of people using the radios, as in cruises we've experienced before. However, this time there seemed to be more and more people who absolutely did not care how rude they were being with the radios.

 

Yes, hopefully there is a vibrate feature. I don't know why it is with cell phones and 2 way radios that people think they need to *yell* into them to be heard.

 

Sorry if I'm sounding grumpy about this - I just get so irritated with people who think no one matters except themselves.

 

Have fun!

 

Hikini:D

[Dani2]

Has anyone had success with the 2-mile range Motorola 'Talk-About' radios? Our radios work fine on land, but they are 3-4 years old. I'm curious if all the steel in the ship would make communication difficult and I should get new ones.

 

thank you1

 

Dani

[cruisingfreak]

I've used 2 mile walkie talkies, some years back & they worked pretty well. Now we've upgraded to 5 mile WT's. They work just the same. Always keep them with me, when on the ship.

 

 

Minette

[jcruise67]

Our group has used them for all of our cruises. They are priceless when you need to get in touch with everyone for numerous reasons. Just be careful of what brand of two-way radio you buy. many people on cruises use them and you can ultimately end up on the same channel.

 

John

[Jem4life]

We have the Midland brand ones and I'm not sure on the distance but I know they work well as my DH bought them for when he is hunting and needs them to work on hilly terraine. As far as annoying other passengers with the talking etc... I agree and I promise we don't have long conversations! Just a quick "Where are you?" and "Meet us here now so we can talk in person."

 

Thanks for your input... we'll be packing them! :D

Jean

[Folgy]

Typical usage example:

 

Hello ...MOM! are you there?............crackle ! pzzzzzzzzz!! buzzzz!! Hello ? Hello ? MMMMMOm do you bzzz ! crackle ! hear me?

 

 

Throw the rude and obnoctious things overboard :mad:

[bibb]

Get the ones with privacy codes. The channels are very busy if you don't.

 

Also, don't use "Mom" and "Dad" for your calling unless you want 20 answers.

 

As mentioned above, be courteous with them and turn them off in the dining room, the shows and anywhere else where they disturb others.

[Bequia]

Most work fine, bring em on :p

[LARGIN]

I would like to make a request or a suggestion for all who are taking walkie talkies or 2 way radios on the ship. Please be aware of the other passengers. They are not interested in hearing loud talking and what you plan to do for the next 4 hours. I'm not suggesting that YOU karen2cruz and Jem4life are like the people I am referring to.

 

We were on the Star last June - beautiful ship by the way - and there were lots of people using the radios, as in cruises we've experienced before. However, this time there seemed to be more and more people who absolutely did not care how rude they were being with the radios.

 

Yes, hopefully there is a vibrate feature. I don't know why it is with cell phones and 2 way radios that people think they need to *yell* into them to be heard.

 

Sorry if I'm sounding grumpy about this - I just get so irritated with people who think no one matters except themselves.

 

Have fun!

 

Hikini:D

 

Agree completely.. Got caught in an elevator on the Coral last year with some jerk that was yelling on his 2 way telling someone what he just consumed for breakfast.. Wish I had an airhorn..

[Folgy]

Agree completely.. Got caught in an elevator on the Coral last year with some jerk that was yelling on his 2 way telling someone what he just consumed for breakfast.. Wish I had an airhorn..

 

 

I agree

 

I had some kids screaming into them on the stairway to the Windjammer. I said 'you won't get a good signal in this area' ............so they just screamed louder.

 

LEAVE THOSE ROTTEN THINGS AT HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

[sross6019]

Have to agree Leave them behind. Too many times, we saw people (not just kids and teenagers) look at them and state oh it's so and so I'll answer later, then people nar by had to put up with the static and crackling and interfences. Instead, plan on meeting your family at certain places at certain times. It doesn't take that much time out of everyones schedules. Besides not bringing them along means 1 less thing you have to pack or carry around.

[Melissa at Mohair Meadows]

We found these very useful for locating each other. We choose 5 minute hourly intervals for turning them on. If Dh wants to find me or visa versa, we can do it then. It was really useful for locating the kids when they are along. If you are considerate and don't leave them on all the time, they shouldn't be obnoxious.

[LARGIN]

It was really useful for locating the kids when they are along. If you are considerate and don't leave them on all the time, they shouldn't be obnoxious.

 

Most people that use them are not considerate.. :eek:

[Jem4life]

Now I'm having 2nd thoughts about bringing them at all. I sure don't want to add to anyone's annoyance. My kids are old enough and should be responsible enough to know that when I tell them to meet us somewhere at a certain time, they'll be there. I have a feeling that since we are going over Spring break, there will be a lot of these radios being used and whoever said that they will be jam packed, you are probably right!

 

Okay... I changed my mind. They are staying home. :D

 

One less thing to pack... or should I say 2 less things...

 

Thanks for your input everyone!

Jean

[Hikini]

The radios are an excellent thing to have, but just like a lot of cell phone users - people don't know how to be considerate of others. I was in the library on the Star and this middle aged man and his wife were in there. He kept getting (as I call it "diddled") by his radio. (I say "diddled" because the alert sound goes deedle-deedle-deedle). He did NOT care that he was interrupting about 8-12 people in a QUIET library, every time this thing went off. Did he go out of the closed doors and step into the hallway to have his converations? Heck no! He sat right there in this quiet library and carried on about totally stupid things. It wasn't even important enough to be where to meet his kids or what they were doing. It was just chit-chat. Although in this case, I couldn't really say chit-chat because that sounds quiet. This was more like yell-and-yell-louder!

 

The library wasn't the only place we encountered this man and his group. During muster drill - they of course had to try them out to make sure they worked from one side of the ship to the other. In the Stardust Theater, "Come on down to the 3rd row - we saved a bunch of seats!" And so on.

 

Some people are very polite about it. Most are not. I'm afraid more and more people will be using these things and it will get worse and worse. That's just my 2 cents worth.

 

Hikini:D

[CamelliaCity]

Has anyone used those little 2 way radios on a cruise? Just wondered how they work all over the ship. Bringing teens with us and I'd like to know that I can check up on their whereabouts.

 

Ours work great:) Hubby uses his to find 'me' and I use 'mine' to find 'him':D

They will continue to travel with us:eek:

[Folgy]

Jem4life

 

You are one smart cookie . Have a wonderful cruise

[wtevrfltsurbt]

Do the walkie talkies not have an ear bud port? My whole family uses nextel which has the W/T feature, and we all use the ear bud headsets, first and foremost for safety while driving but also for courteous use of the W/T feature. When the ear bud is plugged in all external noise from the phones is directed to the ear and no one is ever disturbed by the conversations/alerts back and forth between the users, unless of course someone is speaking loudly! Our nextels will not work on board from what I understand so we were thinking of purchasing W/Ts for the cruise (to keep a foot on the 13 yr old!) any advice as to which brand might have the ear bud port?

Thanks!

[sdirector77]

Mine are staying at home, sometimes I may not want to be found, lol..........:D

[nparmelee]

Only useful if your kids will answer! LOL! On the Coral Princess last year we had a huge laugh from quite a few of the kids ignoring their parents. One of them had a very disgusted look on his face as he looked at the walkie talkie. It helped us get over the irritation of listening to his mother keep yelling for him.

[wtevrfltsurbt]

Thanks so much sdirector77 for going out of your way to answer my question. If this type of silly response to an honest question is the result, then I simply retract the OP.

 

Have a nice day

 

Mine are staying at home, sometimes I may not want to be found, lol..........:D

[wtevrfltsurbt]

I am sorry if your vacation was impacted or troubled by adults and kids who seem to not pay attention to each other and subsequently annoyed or entertained you with their patter. My 13 yr old daughter has been using advanced technologies since she was 7 years old and is well aware of phone/walkietalkie etiquette as I stated in my earilier post she wears an ear bud when on the phone. We live in an age where pretty little girls are being abducted and worse at the drop of a hat and we keep in contact all day long on land and will do so on the ship as well.

[catmand]

Wow, I must have missed something here.............I get the feeling that someone may be a little miffed? Correct me if I am wrong but I don't think that just because someone posts directly after you they are directing their comment toward you.

 

This is another of the questions that always garner heated responses. Those of you that consider the communication "todays technology" and a tool which not only has it's place on land but on a cruise vacation as well.

 

Those of you that consider the above but limit it's use to land.

 

Those of you who consider this form of communication intrusive to others and think it has no place on a cruise ship.

 

Without the use of 2 way radio/walkie-talkies/cell phones/ whatever you want to call them I would never have been fortunate enough to hear this within the first hour of boarding one of my recent cruises:

 

" Hey, where are you AT?"

"Hey, up here in the buffet" "What are you doing?"

"Drinking, you better come down here and get your daughter, I am getting her drunk"

"Where are you At?"

"What?"..................................................etc, etc, etc.