Carnival Cruise Lines Completes Fleetwide Implementation of Cellular Phone Service

[ShrtSwtDeb]

On July 30, 2001, my baby brother left me the last message I was ever going to get from him, and I have it saved for as long as I can. I wish I had an old answering machine with a tape in it, because I know this digital one will go eventually and so will his voice...

 

I'm so sorry about your brother, my prayers go out to you and your family...when my son comes home for R&R - I'm going to have to have him tape a message - I would have never thought of that - really good idea...He NEVER leaves messages on the answering machines or voice mail boxes - he just hangs up the phone and saves the minutes on his phone card.

 

Mine will be in Afghanistan soon. Good advise. I will get a lot of video this Christmas, and send prayers with him.

 

My prayers are with you and your son as well. It takes a special breed of person to give up their lives here at home, to serve our country today.

 

Now, back to the cell phone issue: I'm hoping my phone doesn't ring while we're on our cruise (however - it will be with me 24/7 - just like at home)... my children (both grown) knows that the reason we're cruising is to get away from the "Real world" for a week - trying to relax and refresh our minds and bodies.... BUT it's still real good to know, that IF they needed me, I'm still only a phone call away.(Being a mom doesn't go away, just because you're in the middle of the ocean or because your children may be grown) So on that note, I say KUDOS to Carnival for providing that peace of mind to myself and others.

[rellersi]

Originally Posted by elon mom

Great if you are in your stateroom- sad if you sit next to one of those people that have to yell every word and we hear their whole life story....:(

Cruzin Susie

Next time you hear someone holding a very personal but loud cellphone conversation, join in on the conversation. That works wonders.__________________

 

That is a great idea...I work in a dental office and it is very hard to work on someone when they insist on answering their cell phone....sometimes 2-3 times in one appointment- and then they have the gall to complain when we run behind schedule. Leave the phones at home- no one on the ship wants to hear....;)

 

You could always post a sign in your office that there is a $25 surcharge for cellphone use. Problem is some people would probably be willing to pay it. My biggest problem with cell phones are the people on the cell in the car while they are driving, reading the paper, doing their makeup, combing their hair, or in a mans case shaving. (Don't laugh, I have seen many drivers muti-tasking)

 

As for Mom with her son in Iraq, I am glad that he will now be able to reach you while on your cruise. I have not yet been on a ship where cell service was available, so I can not comment on how annoying that might be, but in the case of everyone being able to reach loved ones when needed or in your case, when he can reach you (my daughter's boyfriend was in IRAQ for a year and she got calls at some odd times) I think this is great. For anyone with a son or daughter in the service, please let them know that their nation is proud of them and we all hope and pray that they return home safely

[DqALEX]

I called T-Mobil and they told me it would be $4.99 a min to call from a carnival ship. One port I am stopping at is $1.99 a min. If you have kids on a ship with cell phones it is going to add up quick.

[San_Antonio_Ex]

....You get loud drunks sitting at the bar or around the pool that's had 1 too many drinks... if I had my choice of listening to someone on the phone or a loud obnoxious drunk - I'd rather listen to someone on the phone (they're easier to tune out)...but that's just my opinion....

 

ShrtSwtDeb - take your phone with you every minute of the time you are on the ship and if it rings, for goodness sake, answer it and don't worry about what others think. If you are getting stares from people, just look at them with a big silly grin on your face and say to the room at large "it's my boy - calling all the way from Iraq." I'll bet more people will applaud you than otherwise.

 

As for listening to others on the phone or an obnoxious drunk - I'm with you, I'll take one half of the phone conversation any day!

[tjohn159d]

But I encourage you to save a message or two from everyone you love. On July 30, 2001, my baby brother left me the last message I was ever going to get from him, and I have it saved for as long as I can. I wish I had an old answering machine with a tape in it, because I know this digital one will go eventually and so will his voice...

quote]

 

My sympathies on your loss.

 

MY 18YO daughter was killed in a car wreck in July 2005. The only voice recording I have is her cell phone message where she said she would call back later. I have kept her cell phone active since her passing just so I can call it and listen to the recording. I have recently been able to get the message copied onto a CD so I may finally disconitue the cell service. You might want to get a tape recorder and play the message while recording just so you have another copy of it.

[tjohn159d]

The question is.....if you make call while on the ship...before sailaway, that would normally be a free call, will you be on the ship's high priced signal?

 

Who asked for this crap anyway? Just another way Carnival figured out to get a piece of the action?

 

Brenda, Unless they have changed it since Sept 06, if you are on the ship ( and maybe even close to the ship) you will use their system. I made a call from the ldio deck while still tied to the dock in Port Canveral and it cost me 29 dollars. It was just a 1 minute call to leave a tease message on the voicemail of a coworker that cruise alot, also. Their was another couple that got calls from their kids, while at sea, wanting to know where the blender was and stuff like that. :eek: I heard from them that their bill for the month went up over $300 and they only had a couple of call while on the ship.

[WeLuvVacation]

:( Oh, joy.:(

[Grits53]

The way I'm reading this, even the act of checking your cell phone messages is going to cost a bundle. I think I will stick with communication by email, as I have been doing while onboard. As many of the posters have said, being away from the phone is one of the perks of cruising. God forbid, if there happens to be a serious emergency at home, I will find out about it by email and will then use the ship's phone to call if necessary. Or they can call the ship if it's that big of an emergency. I'm not going to take my cell phone and check my messages twice a day "just in case". And there is NO WAY I'd let a teenager of mine take a cell phone on the ship!! You're liable to end up with a phone bill that's higher than the cost of the entire cruise!

[winewanderer]

I am one of the bummed regarding this issue. I too like not having to listen to people on cell phones. On vacation, I leave mine at home.

[Cruising89143]

Brenda, Unless they have changed it since Sept 06, if you are on the ship ( and maybe even close to the ship) you will use their system. I made a call from the ldio deck while still tied to the dock in Port Canveral and it cost me 29 dollars. It was just a 1 minute call to leave a tease message on the voicemail of a coworker that cruise alot, also. Their was another couple that got calls from their kids, while at sea, wanting to know where the blender was and stuff like that. :eek: I heard from them that their bill for the month went up over $300 and they only had a couple of call while on the ship.

 

 

You need to look at your cell phone and see what the screen says. When I was in FLL, San Juan and St. Thomas, my cell phone showed Cingular. When I was in the other ports and at sea the phone showed Cellular at Sea which is the ships system. A lot depends on your carrier and what type of plan you have. I used my phone last week while I was docked in all three of the places mentioned above and it was on Cingular and not the ships system. I have used this for the last three years without any problems.

[memphislonghorn]

:) These threads are great FYI. After reading all this, my mind is made up. While I am on my cruise, parents can call Carnival if there is an emergency. Friends will hear all about my vacation when I return. Work will not call me, so what if they did? The cell phone stays in my car in NOLA.:cool:

For those of you talking loudly, drunk or not, I won't be able to hear you above my MP3 at many decibels!!:)

[KRUISE KING]

Well As For Myself I Go On Cruises To Get Away But.. My Cellphone Is An Extension Of Me I Have A Mother In Poor Health And A Million Dollar Business To Run (im The Owner) Vacation Or No Vacation I Need To Know Whats Going On. I Keep My Phone In My Cabin But It Will Be On The Whole Trip.

[daddybuff]

My phone has a bell ringer so I keep it on all the time because we know "Teacher says every time a bell rings, an angel gets their wings"

[AllenF]

Gee I am wondering how did the human race survive without cells phones and emails for so long. Personally I dont want to hear your conversation on a cruise ship or any where else and I realize some are important but the other 90% of them are plain fluff. How did we survive :eek:

[KK567]

Well, unlike the majority i am glad. I will be leaving my 2 1/2 yr. old home for 8 days. I am already having anxiety about it but knowing that now i can call him once a day makes me happy:D . However, i will only be calling him from my state room because i want to make sure we can hear eachother. But, besides that it doesnt really bother me if people have there cell phones in operation as long as its not in the dining room...i usually dont pay too much attention to what others are doing anyway.

[ShrtSwtDeb]

Ya know... I was out shopping today, and was thinking about this thread (ok, so I lead such an exciting life where I think of Cruise Critics even when I'm not posting).... but this is what I was thinking....(and by the way - YES, had my cell phone with me..:D - and NO, it didn't ring the whole time I was out:mad: )

 

What is the difference between listening to people next to you carrying on a conversation, listening to someone that's had 1 too many drinks and is being obnoxious....and someone talking on a phone? Guaranteed, the one on the phone will be quieter much quicker than the other 2 (due to the astronomical prices)... When I was on the Miracle in March - there was so much noise everywhere I went - 1 more ring wouldn't have made a world of difference - especially by the pool - where the kids are squealing with excitement, parents yelling at their kids to be careful...the band playing... In the dining room, I constantly heard glasses tingling - could have been a cell phone ringing for all I know (but I much prefer to believe it was glasses tingling -toasting new friendships...and playing kissey, kissey during the anniversary song.:D )

 

While trying to enjoy yourselves on your vacation, and someone is carrying on an animated conversation next to you - and you don't want to hear it...what do you do? Ignore it. What happens if you're at the pool and someone has had 1 drink too many and is acting stupid and being obnoxiously loud? What do you do? Besides laugh at the poor fool... you ignore it. So why can't you ignore someone talking on the cell phone?

 

Makes no sense to me. I'm just not seeing what the drastic issue is on this topic. Obviously Carnival and the other cruise lines had enough people wanting this service, that they deemed it good business.

[Cruising89143]

Don't you think you people are overeacting? First of all $2.50 a minute + roaming from your carrier at another .70 a minute, would add up pretty quickly. A 10 minute call would be $32. Who ever mentioned phones in the Casino, they are not allowed in any Casino (at the tables)I have ever played in. I think this will not really be an issue. The wind on the Lido deck would make cell phones inaudible. I hope most people would go to their cabins and call grand ma and the kids and make it brief. Surely it is better then the $10 a minute calls from your cabin they previously offered.

 

I do think that some are overreacting. RCI has had this service on all of the ships that I have sailed over the last three years and so far I have not seen or heard a problem. Again for someone to use it at sea it is expensive. I think this is more for emergencies than anything.

[Jenna1983]

This will make my mother/father more relaxed knowing that our Saturday at sea, they can call my brother to make sure he is safe driving ten hours back to college alone.

[Corsair41]

Just not quite sure how I feel about this. . .

 

I really like being "out of touch" with the rest of the world while on the ship. I do check my email about once a day if the kids are home, but other than that, I am indisposed!

 

I agree. I was pretty sure the idea of a vacation meant, at least a bit, that I wouldn't have to deal with work, and therefore cell phones. Guess I'll just have to not take one.......:rolleyes:

[ESMBDS]

I love my cell phone as next as the next person, but when I'm on a cruise, it gets put away. I can only hope that people will be considerate about using it. I seriously doubt it though since most people here seem to have it attached to their heads. Some stores have gone so far to have signs asking people to please conclude their calls before entering or approaching the register. I think it's sad that people need to be reminded to be polite.

 

Stacey

[crs2265]

You just nailed it dead on.. Some people get offended i think just because they love to have something to complain about. :eek:

 

There is no difference between sitting next to two people having a discussion between themselves and /or one of those people are on a cel phone. :p

 

Cel phones only become a problem 1) when allowed to ring in an intimate setting (Nice Dining), this is what "vibrate" is for. 2) holding up a line for service while you talk on you phone (get out of the line if you need to) I've seen signs now in sub shops asking people to get off their phones while ordering (i agree whole heartedly with this one). and 3) My favorite is in a movie theatre (again a quiet intimate setting) and people's phones go off and worse is when they answer it.

 

What people need to realize on both sides is there is something called etiquette for cel phones. Vibrate setting should be used when appropriate as all phones have this feature, as we are all human and can forget to set this sometimes, "most" phones when they start to ring loudly can be silenced immediately by pressing (usually) one of the side buttons which will stop the ringing but still give you time to answer your phone.

 

I think if people were a bit more considerate with the ringers, less people would have a problem with the whole cel phone issue. Bottom line is "talking is talking" whether you are on a cel or talking to the person next to you. :rolleyes:

 

 

While trying to enjoy yourselves on your vacation, and someone is carrying on an animated conversation next to you - and you don't want to hear it...what do you do? Ignore it. What happens if you're at the pool and someone has had 1 drink too many and is acting stupid and being obnoxiously loud? What do you do? Besides laugh at the poor fool... you ignore it. So why can't you ignore someone talking on the cell phone?

 

Makes no sense to me. I'm just not seeing what the drastic issue is on this topic. Obviously Carnival and the other cruise lines had enough people wanting this service, that they deemed it good business.

[bcs819]

the difference is when someone is having a conversation nearby - I get to hear both parts, if any. People seem to talk quieter in public because they know people can hear them. If they're loud or drunk, I still get to hear both parts, and it's usually pretty amusing ;)

When people are on their cell phone, they tend to get louder because "they're on their cell phone" - what I call the "can and string" mentality. We have the technology, but most of us still feel like we have to speak loud so the sound waves make it to whoever we are talking to... And it is MUCH more annoying to hear a bunch of "uh-huh"s, "yeah"s, "I totally agree"s without hearing the other half. It is much easier to ignore a conversation than a person on their cell phone, IMHO...

[tjohn159d]

the difference is when someone is having a conversation nearby - I get to hear both parts, if any. People seem to talk quieter in public because they know people can hear them. If they're loud or drunk, I still get to hear both parts, and it's usually pretty amusing ;)

When people are on their cell phone, they tend to get louder because "they're on their cell phone" - what I call the "can and string" mentality. We have the technology, but most of us still feel like we have to speak loud so the sound waves make it to whoever we are talking to... And it is MUCH more annoying to hear a bunch of "uh-huh"s, "yeah"s, "I totally agree"s without hearing the other half. It is much easier to ignore a conversation than a person on their cell phone, IMHO...

 

I suppose you could always ask them to put the call on speaker so you could here the other side of the conversation. :eek: :D ;)

[WeLuvVacation]

You are on VACATION.

 

What do you need a cel phone for???????

 

To "keep in touch"?

 

How did you survive before the annoyance boxes were invented.

 

And as long as you take a step away from a casino table you can yak on the cel phone. Unless you are in the poker room or horse race book where they are not allowed at all.

[DG2004]

the real question is whether my Blackberry will work