Cell phones on board ???

[noj]

Saw this this morning and there is already an interesting discussion on the Celebrity board:

New Tech May Bring Cell Phones to Ships -

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/040718/cruise_technology_3.html

Any reactions???

[edYYZ]

Hmm well I'm happy enough with being able to make calls in ports.. lots of cell phones all around could get pretty annoying...

[WCAB]

I would not want to see cell phones on a cruise ship. I go to escape and having to listen to someone else on a cell phone, would be distracting. I am always surprised how people do not seem to care that they are discussing personal matters in front of a crowd of people. If I need to contact someone, I wait until I am in port and use my cell phone or find a phone to use. If there is an emergeny, parties are able to get a message to you at sea.

 

Carol

[johnql]

I have to agree with the previous poster. We already see and hear enough cell phone usage in our non-vacation lives. Do we really need such an intrusion onboard a cruise ship? I say no.

[spongerob]

Let's declare cruise ships "Quiet Zones" where cell phones are not permitted. I think the Eurpopeans have the right idea in this regard.

 

The last thing I want to hear are custom ring tones through the cabins walls at all hours of the day and night. :(

[98Charlie]

Will cel phones become one of the "hot" topics?

 

We have dress code, booze smuggling, & tipping. Already the comments are being made: "I must be in contact with my (business) (house/pet sitter) (family) on a daily basis".

 

As pointed out in the Celebrity thread on this topic, it will be a cash cow for the cruise lines. They will get a cut of every minute of air time.

[98Charlie]

For those interested, here is the link to the thread on the Celebrity board.

 

Cel Phone Thread - Celebrity Boards

[MNYTRPS2GO2]

When we were on the Sapphire last month we were sitting out on the balcony enjoying the great weather on the last afternoon. We were approaching Victoria, Canada when all of a sudden it got very noisey. Apparently we were back in the range of most cell towers. All we heard for the rest of the afternoon was one sided conversations and cell phones ringing from everywhere around us. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry!

[coiran]

What did people do before cell phones - stop at every street corner pay phone?? Maybe they didn't take vacations of more than 2 hours at a time.

 

In the future everyone will be plugged in with an implant so they can communicate with anyone, anywhere, anytime - They will become walking - talking people machines.

[imsulin]

What did people do before cell phones - stop at every street corner pay phone?? Maybe they didn't take vacations of more than 2 hours at a time.

 

In the future everyone will be plugged in with an implant so they can communicate with anyone, anywhere, anytime - They will become walking - talking people machines.

I proudly proclaim that I am one of the FEW Americans who does not own, nor subscribe to, a cell phone. Didn't need one then, and don't need one now. I have to carry one around at work all day, and it's a pain in the A**!. I take vacations to "get away from it all", and really don't want to be annoyed with obnoxious, customized. cell phone "rings" or the equally obnoxious Walkie-Talkies at my dinner table, or anywhere else on my cruise/vacation. I can't tell you how many times I've nearly been rear-ended by someone driving behind me and talking on a cell phone....and who was not paying much attention to their driving. I actually was rear-ended last year by a collegiate sweet-young-thing talking to her boyfriend on her cell phone. Her parents weren't very happy about paying a higher premium for her car insurance, since her insurance paid for my car repairs, as she was at fault. Enough, already, of the cell phones, walkie-talkies, lap-tops, and other technological wonders on cruise ships and land-based vacations! Just my thoughts.

[sue d. miller]

Amen!!!! :D

[rob_n_tam]

While I have worked for one of the top 3 celluar companies in the country for almost 13 years, I am not looking forward to this. On any other vacation I take, it seems that I can be reached. DH and I love cruising for many reasons, but one of the main ones is to disconnected.

 

I would imagine that the costs to use your phone while at sea, will be quite expensive- like using your cell phone internationally. Hopefully, this will curb some of the use. ****fingers crossed*****

[imsulin]

Thanks, sue d. miller!

[traveller99]

Right you are, Sue, and all the rest. I vote for a quiet zone, too!

[JimandLouise]

Part of the appeal of cruising to me (not having been on my first cruise yet) is the total escape element, this would include my own and other people's cell phones.

 

I hope it doesn't happen.....

[edYYZ]

Yes I do agree that part of what makes a cruise so enjoyable is being disconnected. Although, I'd also have to admit to using my cell on the Diamond when we were in Victoria. But that was only because I was on the cruise when we hit the dock and I found the situation hilarious.. so I had to tell people :D

[DesrtDrmr]

Perhaps it could be arranged that cell phones could ONLY be used in one's cabin, and NOT on the balconies or anywhere else on the ship!!! That way, everyone would be happy...................... :cool:

[KenAndJulie]

I don't think that it would be possible to limit anyones use of a phone even if the cruise ship put in guidelines many would not listen (in a similar vein to dress code, bringing alchohol on board, reserving loungers etc. ... 'those rules are only for everyone else, I am more important therefore they do not apply to me').

 

My attitude is very simple ... I do not want to know what is going on back home, if there is an emergency let my house-sitter/family sort it out or I can deal with it when I get back home. The only exception would be a death in the family at which point application of simple intelligence will put you in contact with me. I work far to hard and pay far too much for my holidays and I don't want them ruined by something trivial. In the past, when I have been looking after other peoples houses, I have had to sort out a burst pipe, a break-in (where I nearly ended up in court for assaulting the burglar), a broken window (don't you just love kids - all they were interested in was getting their ball back) and a lost cat - I didn't have to spoil the peoples holidays with these trivialities and they were mostly sorted by the time they got back.

 

Further I don't want my holiday ruined by some ignorant sod shouting into one when I am trying to relax in the sun. You know the sort of conversation that is going to take place, really meaningful and important 'Guess where I am'. At that point mobile phones will have a habit of finding themselves at the bottom of the swimming pool.

 

Ken

[spongerob]

Rumor has it that cell phone jammers are available. It's like having your own portable Quiet Zone. I'll get my techno-geek nephew to look into this and report back. :D

[Jaxsonbrownie]

We brought our cell phone with us but left it plugged in our cabin.We have a daughter at home(21) that had a kidney transplant 2 yrs. ago(doing fine) but is on alot of medications and I fill her pill box for her every week.We would only check it for a missed call whan in the cabin so in case she needed to ask anything, she wouldn't have to go through contacting the ship just to get an answer for something she needed.It didn't disrupt anyone else but was there in case of an emergency.Call me silly,but I felt better knowing it was there .

[JanetMarie]

Jaxson - my prayers for your daughter.

For DH and I, no cell phones. We both work full time, and when we vacation, we prefer to have no contact with anyone or anything back home. For that matter, if there was a ship that went out to sea, did not stop at any ports, that would be fine with us. It's our decompression time.;)

[Jaxsonbrownie]

Thank You JanetMarie, I do like your way of thinking! And I do agree with everyone that I wouldn't want to be sitting by the pool just chillin, listening to a nice steel drum band playing "Yellow Bird" and hearing a cell phone ringing.It would really kill the atmosphere!

[c&d]

I go on a cruise because no one can get a hold of us. My DH wanted me to email him when my sister and I went in March that was a pain to do. Nothing worse than being on vacation and hearing a cell phone ring. They are great for emergencies on vacation. I use mine when my sister and I travel so I can keep DH posted on what and where we are. Thank goodness for caller ID on a cell phone I do not have to answer if someone other than DH or my son. I have had people call me and I did not appreciate it at least on a cruise they can not get ahold of me and if I want to check in with home I will call at my conveneince. I agree with eveyone else. I do not like to hear ringing phones. I will think it is mine and start looking for it. I am on a cruse to get away from every day life and relax. We are under so much pressure in our daily lives that we do not need it on vacation. Beside that what can we do to solve someone elses crisis when we are thousands of miles from home. I am not going to jump on a plane and fly home it can wait or they can deal with it. bThat is my two cents on this topic. Bye Debe

[PescadoAmarillo]

I must add my two cents worth...

 

If I can, and want to use my cell phone on a cruise ship, and am not carrying on hours of conversations in public places (which I can't imagine are quiet enough to allow me to do so anyway), it should be my business, not that of my fellow passengers. And I should not have to explain why I feel the need to do so to anyone.

 

When you cruise with 2000+ other people, you must exhibit tolerance in a myriad of ways. I don't feel compelled to "correct" anyone else for their over-drinking, eating or smoking, or lack of manners in themselves or their children. As in anything else, there is a polite way and impolite way to use a cell phone, and if you see me using mine on a future cruise, I hope you won't feel compelled to comment to me on it either.

[hstrybuf]

Surprisingly enough Imsulin, I don't own a cell phone either! I get miffed when I see people driving down the street, more like weaving, and yakking on their phones. :rolleyes: Some states have tossed around the idea of making it illegal to "yak" and drive. That would be fine with me! I do understand that there are some situations where carrying a cell phone on board a ship would be prudent, but not for me. The few times I've used someone's cell, I found myself talking too loud. I don't want to hear other people's conversations nor would I want them to hear mine. In a way, I can almost find it funny that people are so addicted to cell phone usage that they can't leave the darn things at home.