Walkie Talkie? What is the best kind to have?

[tripletsmommy]

Hi, I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions on which walkie talkie to purchase for a cruise? My family and I wish we had some last year and want to purchase some this year, but with so many out there and the prices so different, I was wondering which would be the best to buy? Is there a certain mile radius I should be looking for? Thanks in advance!

 

Jen

[armwinder]

The ones with headsets would be OK. At least then your conversations would not annoy other passengers. We just leave notes in the cabin and we always meet up around the ship during the day.

[Northern Bear]

These (attachment) look pretty good. :D

[BurtonRiderT6]

Two-way are probably best.

 

Honestly though, I prefer not to have any. Then it's like hide and seek. How long do I get to do what I want until found. Sucks she knows I'll head to the casino.

[rajones007]

We never found the need to use them. We each just designate certain areas of the ship where we can find each other if needed. I.E. we'll be in a specific section of the buffet if it's lunch time, a specific area of the sun deck, or wherever else at whatever time.

 

It's hard to explain in words. We all sort of had our favourite haunts, so to speak, and so if you needed to find somebody you really didn't have to look very hard.

 

Combined with the notes-in-the-cabin routine it works very very well for us.

 

I've seen people using walkie-talkies, both on my NCL cruise and my Princess cruise. Honestly? They look a little foolish, if you ask me.

 

The three most common phrases overheard:

 

1. "Can you hear me? how about now? now? CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW???"

2. "WHAT?...brzzztzzt...WHAT???! brzzztztztztz...WHAT?!?!?!"

3. "MOM!?!?! MOM!?!?!?! MOM!?!?!?!?"

 

You will hear each of those phrases more than any actual conversation.

[cb at sea]

It's true....it's not that hard to locate each other.....,most of the ship is cabin space, so except for YOUR hallway, you won't need to search those areas. And yes...you will gravitate to the same places over and over. Making tentative plans with your group will save headaches...everyone will know about where everyone else is....no need for constant contact and having to carry a walkie-talkie around!

[Turtles06]

On my most recent cruise, I was enjoying a wonderful brunch in the MDR until the silence was broken by a woman at a nearby table, shouting into a walkie talkie:

 

"I'm over here. Can you see me? Over here, over here!! Can you hear me? I'm over here. I'm over here."

[DMH15]

Save your money.

 

They don't work and are annoying and intrusive to others.

[rvsullivan]

This is a pretty hot button topic on CC. I suggest you do a search on the topic and read what is said. Ineffective, noisy, illegal in many areas of the world and if they are powerful enough to be marginally useful they then require a license.

Please don't!!!

[sdmike]

Using a a standard variety walkie talkie inside a giant metal hulk is a pretty frustrating experience. Tried it for 1 day on my first cruise and never since. We find it more fun/useful to make some rough plans and see what comes together. You'll find you generally know where to find people on a ship, and you will run across others you know more than you think. They're generally in the room or on one of the few public area decks. I could always find my boys in the teen club or eating somewhere. My wife was in the gym or somewhere reading, etc. We would organize meeting times for dinner sometimes, but we preferred to be pretty laid back most of the time.

[davidgilead]

Don't buy them. Use notes and housephones and be kind to the rest of the passengers.

[WaldosPepper]

If you wish to spend your time onboard shouting uselessly into a little box, then beating it on your leg to adjust the batteries, and then shouting into it uselessly again, all the while being scowled at by the majority of the passengers around you, then by all means go right ahead and purchase them.

 

If you enjoy having the relaxation of an afternoon cocktail poolside shattered by the same little box suddenly screeching, followed by an unintelligible message usually emitted at an extraordinarily uncomfortable volume, then of course you should bring them. The folks around you who are trying to enjoy their afternoon will most likely look upon you with great disdain, and may be prone to utter a ripe oath or two in your direction, so you might not want to look around too often.

 

If, on the other hand, you would prefer a relaxing cruise vacation, then you might just want to bring along a packet of sticky-notes and a pen to leave notes for one another in the cabin. By the end of the second day, you'll each have discovered your favorite "go to" spots on the ship, and it will be relatively easy to locate each other. ;)

[Sizzlechest]

If you have an Android phone, you should be able to make calls to each other for free using Serval Mesh. Go here for instructions:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1693285

[luddite]

I don't remember the brand, but the only ones that work cost about 2200 bucks each. They can get a very loud signal through the many layers of the ship. They are definitly better than the cheaper ones that don't have a strong enough signal which forces the users to actually holler loud enough to hear each other without the encumbrance of the device.

 

In reality, the best kind are the ones left at home.

[jdvmd]

The best kind is none. We just came off a cruise this past weekend with another family that went out and bought the best ones they could find to hand out to the teens in our party. Didn't even make it through embarkation. Didn't work very well at all. No one could hear each other. Heard other parties, couldn't get channels right. It was a hot mess.

[valleyvillage]

Save your money.

 

They don't work and are annoying and intrusive to others.

Succinct and pithy! Fire up the mini-blender NOW!

[bjlaac]

I really don't know what everyone here is talking about I've used standard Cobra walkie talkies on four different ships with perfect reception for 10 years since w started cruising with my son. Anyone pair with a mile radius of 5 miles or more will work just fine.

 

The "experts" claiming you need a license is only in the United States for GMRS radios, last time I checked there were no ports of call in the middle of the ocean that were US owned.

 

My advice is to definately take them along if you want to remain in contact with your party. You are no more disrespectful than the idiots walking around talking on cell phones (at high prices) or bumping into you as they stare down on their blackberrys instead of paying attention to where they are going.

[bjlaac]

Succinct and pithy! Fire up the mini-blender NOW!

 

my mistake

[Turtles06]

My advice is to definately take them along if you want to remain in contact with your party. You are no more disrespectful than the idiots walking around talking on cell phones (at high prices) or bumping into you as they stare down on their blackberrys instead of paying attention to where they are going.

 

I see, thanks; two wrongs make a right. Good to know. :rolleyes:

[bjlaac]

I see, thanks; two wrongs make a right. Good to know. :rolleyes:

 

Really not trying to judge who's write or wrong but until the lines ban either then all are allowed, right?

 

I'm not tryng to invoke a riot here just trying to answer the OP's original question as to what works.

 

Lots of things are right and wrong but your beliefs could be different than mine so who knows what's right or wrong.

[johnmpcny]

god I hate them they should be banned on ships it takes a helicopter parenting mentality to insist you need them.

 

We use the sticky notes and the FREE voice mail on the phone in each room. Our kids just call and leave a msg where and when they will be back. I tried on the jewel to find the kids, never took more than 10 mins when I had no clue and under 5 every other time.

[rvsullivan]

I really don't know what everyone here is talking about I've used standard Cobra walkie talkies on four different ships with perfect reception for 10 years since w started cruising with my son. Anyone pair with a mile radius of 5 miles or more will work just fine.

 

The "experts" claiming you need a license is only in the United States for GMRS radios, last time I checked there were no ports of call in the middle of the ocean that were US owned.

 

My advice is to definately take them along if you want to remain in contact with your party. You are no more disrespectful than the idiots walking around talking on cell phones (at high prices) or bumping into you as they stare down on their blackberrys instead of paying attention to where they are going.

 

 

You are wrong on so many levels. Telling someone to do something that is illegal in many countries, including part of the Caribbean, Mexico and Canada. You are absolutely correct that when you are in international waters you can make calls as long as they don't interfere with land stations, however, as soon as you enter a countries waters their laws apply. Your interference with one of their military or government stations could be interesting. If you choose to do it even though you know a low power handheld will not penetrate the ships steel, go ahead, but you are doing a disservice to others by telling them it is OK when it is obviously not!

A simple Google search of this topic will give you dozens of links to show you how many countries find these devices illegal.

[ColinIllinois]

 

The "experts" claiming you need a license is only in the United States for GMRS radios, last time I checked there were no ports of call in the middle of the ocean that were US owned.

 

 

 

I don't care about the walkie talkie issue but Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands ring a bell.

[Medtech2]

Hi, I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions on which walkie talkie to purchase for a cruise? My family and I wish we had some last year and want to purchase some this year, but with so many out there and the prices so different, I was wondering which would be the best to buy? Is there a certain mile radius I should be looking for? Thanks in advance!

 

Jen

We tried to use walkie talkies years ago. Bratty other people (kids AND adults) kept joining in our conversations and making snide and/or foul comments every time we talked. It did not matter changing channels. These people were obviously bored and scanning any traffic.

 

We finally stopped trying and went to old fashioned notes and predetermined check in times and places...

[bjlaac]

You are wrong on so many levels. Telling someone to do something that is illegal in many countries, including part of the Caribbean, Mexico and Canada. You are absolutely correct that when you are in international waters you can make calls as long as they don't interfere with land stations, however, as soon as you enter a countries waters their laws apply. Your interference with one of their military or government stations could be interesting. If you choose to do it even though you know a low power handheld will not penetrate the ships steel, go ahead, but you are doing a disservice to others by telling them it is OK when it is obviously not!

A simple Google search of this topic will give you dozens of links to show you how many countries find these devices illegal.

 

I agree that different countries have different rules but I was talking about life onboard the ship not running about the islands or port of call. Your caution about walkie talkie use there should be considered, but!

 

You are so wrong about their use on te ships themselves. RCL has a FAQ which explicitly states they are allowed to be used on their ships. NCL has approved pasenger QandA that also state walkie talkie use is allowed on their ships

 

So before you go giving advice on your personal opinion perhaps you should be the one doing a little web searching