Walkie Talkies (2-way radios)

[ckyle170]

Hi, I've been on 3 cruises before:

 

Norwegian Crown

Crown Princess

Disney Magic

 

The Freedom of the Seas is the largest cruise ship I'm going to be on. Is it necessary to have walkie talkies on a ship this big? Are families able to communicate well? (We have a party of 6)

 

Thanks,

Clarence

[katiel53]

We have been on Freedom a couple of times and are going again in Oct. I know I will be in the minority, but walkie-talkies at times can be more than annoying. RCI does rent dect phones and those are like using a cell phone onboard.

 

We had a family cruise a couple of years ago and rented 3 of them so that parents, kids could stay in touch. It was a greaaaaaaaaaaaaaat investment. JMO.

[PH8]

I know I will be in the minority, but walkie-talkies at times can be more than annoying. .

No,you're not!:p

[johneeo]

Hi, I've been on 3 cruises before:

 

Norwegian Crown

Crown Princess

Disney Magic

 

The Freedom of the Seas is the largest cruise ship I'm going to be on. Is it necessary to have walkie talkies on a ship this big? Are families able to communicate well? (We have a party of 6)

 

Thanks,

Clarence

 

I had them once and found them annoying, did not work, and a complete waste of time and energy.

[magicfirefighter]

We just got off the ALLURE. And surprisingly people had CHEAP walkie talkies that they said WORKED. i read a few blogs - and they mostly said they didnt work, Well THEY DID, and the CHEAP ONES... however your on vacation.........DO YOU REALLLLLLY WANT TO BE FOUND SOOOOOOO ESAILY???!!!???

[matj2000]

Make sure you get the water-proof kind so you can call for help after another passenger tosses you overboard.

Hello...What??? Can you here me?? What? Hello... Where are you?? Hello... Where are hello... Hello.. What? Can you here me??? Hello..

[johneeo]

Make sure you get the water-proof kind so you can call for help after another passenger tosses you overboard.

 

Hello...What??? Can you here me?? What? Hello... Where are you?? Hello... Where are hello... Hello.. What? Can you here me??? Hello..

 

In 2009 and June 2011 we did the Explorer 9 day cruise.

 

In 2009, walkie talkies were everywhere, annoying, hardly worked for anyone.

 

On our June 2011 cruise, I did not see or hear one walkie talkie the entire cruise.

[PH8]

Make sure you get the water-proof kind so you can call for help after another passenger tosses you overboard.

 

Hello...What??? Can you here me?? What? Hello... Where are you?? Hello... Where are hello... Hello.. What? Can you here me??? Hello..

Just like people with cell phones........some can be very inconsiderate!

[Z 748]

Hi, I've been on 3 cruises before:

 

Norwegian Crown

Crown Princess

Disney Magic

 

The Freedom of the Seas is the largest cruise ship I'm going to be on. Is it necessary to have walkie talkies on a ship this big? Are families able to communicate well? (We have a party of 6)

 

Thanks,

Clarence

 

If you are going to get walkie talkies, make sure you get ones that have "GMRS" like these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001UE6MJ8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

[clean1owner]

In 2005 we took them with on our Disney cruise, and they were more of a pain than anything else. Poor reception, no distance, hard to understand each other, etc, etc. For what we paid for the walki-talkis, we could have just used our cell phones and paid the international rates.

 

On our most recent trip, we just had a pre arranged meeting spot. I put long range shock collars on the kids, and simply pushed the button on the transmitter when it was time to meet. Worked like a charm!

[Eng23]

They might work on the outside decks but in the ship it will be a crapshoot of wether they will work. Trying to use radios inside of a steel box is very difficult unless you have a radio like the ones the ships crew uses. Those radios cost about $1500 and work on a repeater system with licensed frequencies.

[Pitcruiser]

We have Motorola multi-channel radios that we have had for years and have taken on every cruise we have gone on. Origninally purchased to stay in touch on ski slopes before cell phones became much more convenient. Inexpensive and have never had any reception problems. As far as being annoying, we keep conversations to a minimum (where are you, meet you in ten minutes at X, etc.)

[Merion_Mom]

In 2005 we took them with on our Disney cruise, and they were more of a pain than anything else. Poor reception, no distance, hard to understand each other, etc, etc. For what we paid for the walki-talkis, we could have just used our cell phones and paid the international rates.

 

On our most recent trip, we just had a pre arranged meeting spot. I put long range shock collars on the kids, and simply pushed the button on the transmitter when it was time to meet. Worked like a charm!

 

I love the way you think! ;) :D

[bonsai3s]

We have Motorola multi-channel radios that we have had for years and have taken on every cruise we have gone on. Origninally purchased to stay in touch on ski slopes before cell phones became much more convenient. Inexpensive and have never had any reception problems. As far as being annoying, we keep conversations to a minimum (where are you, meet you in ten minutes at X, etc.)

 

We have the same Motorolas and like Pitcruiser, we have taken them on all our cruises. As courtesy to other passengers, you may want to: Keep the volume down and use it to a minimum.

 

We use the Motorolas more off the ship, on shore excursions, than on the ship. It is specially great with children and seniors (who are walking-impaired) Note: Many years ago, on a shore excursion, two passengers failed to return at our designated return meeting spot. With the use of our 4 Motorolas, the bus driver, the guide, another passenger and I, were able to stay in communication while searching for the missing passengers. We found them...tired and scared...thanks to the radios. :)

 

To answer your original question...Yes,it will work on the Freedom.

[FTLCruiseGal]

Make sure you get the water-proof kind so you can call for help after another passenger tosses you overboard.

 

Hello...What??? Can you here me?? What? Hello... Where are you?? Hello... Where are hello... Hello.. What? Can you here me??? Hello..

 

 

Now that's funny! And I agree 100%.

[dzcruisers]

Make sure you get the water-proof kind so you can call for help after another passenger tosses you overboard.;29854851]

 

Hello...What??? Can you here me?? What? Hello... Where are you?? Hello... Where are hello... Hello.. What? Can you here me??? Hello..

[tallcva3344]

No,you're not!:p

 

DITTO! Most people will mis-use them. I used them one time with granddaughters and respected others by leaving the room and answering them when I did not bother anyone. It had a vibrating setting.

[shecup]

We have been on Freedom a couple of times and are going again in Oct. I know I will be in the minority, but walkie-talkies at times can be more than annoying. RCI does rent dect phones and those are like using a cell phone onboard.

 

We had a family cruise a couple of years ago and rented 3 of them so that parents, kids could stay in touch. It was a greaaaaaaaaaaaaaat investment. JMO.

 

I'm so excited about the dect phones Katie! They'll be available on the Serenade of the Seas. Woo hoooooooo My mom will surely be much more at ease babysitting her 2 1/2 year old grand daughter now. :D

[Lysingers]

I had them once and found them annoying, did not work, and a complete waste of time and energy.

 

I totally agree with that statement. We tried to use a fairly expensive set of walkie talkies back in 2000 to communicate with our children on an Akaska inside passage cruise on Celebrity Mercury, and ended up just putting them back in our suitcase because we got very poor reception.

[cruzincurt]

The Freedom of the Seas is the largest cruise ship I'm going to be on. Is it necessary to have walkie talkies on a ship this big? Are families able to communicate well? (We have a party of 6)

 

Thanks,

Clarence

We've been on the biggest ships Oasis and Allure and I still can't seem to lose my DW even without WT's.;)

[tracyanns]

We have been on Freedom a couple of times and are going again in Oct. I know I will be in the minority, but walkie-talkies at times can be more than annoying. RCI does rent dect phones and those are like using a cell phone onboard.

 

We had a family cruise a couple of years ago and rented 3 of them so that parents, kids could stay in touch. It was a greaaaaaaaaaaaaaat investment. JMO.

 

That is if they are available. We went on the Oasis and our friend tried to get one so she could call her room when the babysitters were there and they told her they had a limited number of them and unless her son was enrolled in the kids programs they couldn't have one...she got one a few days later only because they had one available and we kept pushing the issue but we were told they are based on availalbity and whether they are all working...

[tracyanns]

Make sure you get the water-proof kind so you can call for help after another passenger tosses you overboard.

 

Hello...What??? Can you here me?? What? Hello... Where are you?? Hello... Where are hello... Hello.. What? Can you here me??? Hello..

 

Funny, but at the same time not always true. I use ours to call our daughter to say, hey we are here where are you, and I said SAY, not YELL...I don't find the walkie talkies any more annoying than the super drunk fat guys in the hot tub yelling over to their buddy to grab another bucket of F*ing beers across the entire lido deck...

[johneeo]

than the super drunk fat guys in the hot tub yelling over to their buddy to grab another bucket of F*ing beers across the entire lido deck...

 

Hey, I liked that guy!:eek:

[Schlepporello]

If you are going to get walkie talkies, make sure you get ones that have "GMRS" like these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001UE6MJ8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

Please pardon my ignorance, but what is the difference when using a GMRS equipped radio? Is it something to do with the repeater system (which I'm also not familiar with)?

[satxdiver]

GMRS is General Mobile Radio Service regulated by the FCC (federal communications commission). It shares some channels with the FRS (Family Radio Service) and has some channels of its own. Most "walkie talkies" sold in the US are FRS/GMRS combined. GMRS could be used with a repeater system if one is available but not on ships. FCC requires a license to use a GMRS radio but for all practical purposes it is ignored.

 

FRS/GMRS radios are legal only in the US and Canada. Most other countries do not permit their use. The ship in international waters do allow them but the captain could ban them. You could be arrested for using them in foreign countries but unlikely. Europe though is another issue since they use those frequencies for the emergency services.

 

There are 22 separate distinct channels available for FRS/GMRS radios. Each channel can be used by one person at a time or else interference will occur. Chances of interference is great on a ship.

 

The other issue is that if you shout into the radio, it will distort your voice at the receiving end. This is because you will overdrive the audio circuit on your radio so don't shout. It will make reception worse.