Should Cell Phones be Allowed on HAL Ships

[cactuslady]

So where exactly are we expecting cell phones to be a problem? During dinner? During the shows? I go to the theatre occasionally and have never even heard a cell phone ring, same at dinner (at least at nicer restaurants).

 

I have heard a cell phone ring, and be answered, at a funeral. :eek:

 

I have heard cell phones ring in court. :(

 

I have heard cell phones ring in church many, many times. :rolleyes:

 

I have had a special Valentine's Day dinner at a fine steakhouse (at which I received a cake with "Will you marry me?" icing) made less pleasant by the constant loud cell phone conversations of the man at the next table (I don't think his "Valentine" liked it either!) :mad:

 

I have heard numerous people engage in vigorous cell phone conversations while in the "Ladies" Room (even while flushing). :p

[cactuslady]

How many can say they've received a phone call from Antarctica?

Well, I can't, but I have received two postcards from the South Pole. :cool:

[HeatherInFlorida]

Cactuslady, yes!!! I honestly believe that Joedog lives in an enchanted land;). But I sincerely respect that he is speaking from his own experience. But, Joedog ... honestly ... what you describe really isn't the norm. And what has been said here is true, also, that if this technology goes forward, and it will, there's nothing we can do about it.

 

But when did that ever stop any of us from having our say about it!?:D This is, after all and thank God, America ... the land of the free. And so it shall always be. That's just how I'm feeling today.

[Joedog]

Heather,

 

Im not sure if I live in an enchanted land or not, maybe I am just lost in my own world but, although I have been annoyed by cell phones in the past it has not been to the point that I want to ban them, which is what this thread is about.

 

You are right about technology marching on with cell phones at sea becoming a reality sooner or later (I bet sooner) but the problem is not with the technology. The problem is with rude, inconsiderate people and our failure to take them to task. We blame the phone and want to ban the technology when we should be directing our energy at the offending person.

 

Instead of making rules and passing laws to restrict our freedoms even further we should very vocally let the offending person know that his/her actions are out of line and will not be tolerated.

 

If enough people take the loud talkers to task they will stop. Very few people like to be lambasted in public.

 

Remember, cell phones dont make loud phone calls, people do.

[jhannah]

Joedog, I agree that it should be as simple as asking the offender to stop. However, as many folks have found out the hard way offenders don't appreciate being told by their peers (or authorities, either, for that matter) to cease and desist. Ever told a parent to rein their child in? Ever commented to someone who cut line in the buffet, shoving their way in front of you? Ever told someone they couldn't save seven seats in the show lounge? Those confrontations can get fairly ugly.

[Joedog]

You are 100% right Jim but the answer is not to cancel the show or close the buffet line.

 

Nobody is going to be happy being told to keep it down or move and some people may even get a little nasty but, fortunately, we are talking about people on a cruise ship, not a street corner in the Bronx. Sometimes you just have to do the hard thing.

 

We do not live in a perfect world and one of the reasons that we have rude people is they have been getting away with it more and more. Should you "have" to say something to someone, no, but if you are really bothered by their rudeness, if you dont say something nothing will change.

[ryansmemom]

I enjoy being "cut off" from the real world on my cruise. Therefore, personally I am not in favor of cell phones on cruise ships. I spend my life on call and it is nice to be "out of touch" for a while. If a true emergency arises, my family can reach me, or I can reach them.

 

However, should cell phones become part of our cruise ship lives we can take comfort in the fact that those using the phone will not be driving while talking on the phone.

 

Linda :) :) :)

[HeatherInFlorida]

Actually, Joedog, banning cellphones on cruiseships is not really what this thread is about though I admit it did take on a life of its own:) . I started a thread last week which was actually asking for everyone's opinion on an article that had appeared in The Palm Beach Post about new technology that is in the testing stages of bringing cellphone technology to sea.

 

Peaches tried to start a new thread with a poll, but was unable to and that is how this thread got started ... actually just a continuation of mine. If you've seen the first thread, I quoted the article at length and another poster was kind enough to provide a link to the whole article.

 

So there's no proposal on the table to ban them, just people's feelings about the fact that they're on their way whether we like it or not. I suppose it has branched somewhat into people saying they should be "banned", but I think that just wishful thinking for some of us.

 

I agree with everything else you said, but from what we have seen very little is done about rudeness because after all they're paying passengers, too, and the cruiseline doesn't really want to alienate anyone.

[joeinwpb]

OH NO, The Ride of the Valkyries again !!!

 

Hi Gizmo - I think I'm missing something here. Assistance requested

 

The Valkyries

 

The Valkyries were the maidens who chose which warrior would be slain in a battlefield. They served Loki, the goddess of the Underworld and their names were: Brynhild, Geironul, Geirskogul, Goll, Gondul, Gunn, Guth, Herfjotur, Hervor [Warder of the Host], Hild [battle], Hlathguth [Necklace-Adorned Warrior-Maiden ], Hlokk, Hrist, Mist, Olrun [One Knowing Ale Rune], Randgrith, Rathgrith, Reginleif, Sigrdrifa, Sigrun, Skeggjold, Skogul, Skuld [Necessity], Svava, and Thruth

 

Which one had the cell phone? :confused:

[jhannah]

Think Richard Wagner, composer. One of his compositions was The Ride of the Valkyries. Think ring tone. Make sense now? :)

[joeinwpb]

Think Richard Wagner, composer. One of his compositions was The Ride of the Valkyries. Think ring tone. Make sense now? :)

 

Ride of the Valkyries Ringtone

I see. The set of the four operas was also referred to as the ring.

 

Thanks Jhannah! I wouldn’t have got that connection for many moons. :)

 

Gotta give that gizmo credit - Great sense of humor. :cool:

[Seadoc]

If one "googles" after entering "satellite telephone" one will encounter a panoply of outfits renting these gizmos. Cost is (quote just provided me) $40 per week rental and $1.80 per minute for actual airtime (incoming or outgoing). For those who wish the "security" of having "faultless" phone service (hopefully for emergency use only and NOT to do the American incessant and meaningless babble that cell phone converations -almost universally overheard within a 50 foot radius of the babbler - have morphed into in this society), this is infinitely cheaper than the "service" offered by cruiselines. In fact, the quoter to me (his firm is in SE Florida) concluded with "...the cruiselines hate us". Perhaps that's reason enough to consider a sat phone rental on every cruise. We're doing the Zuiderdam 8/14...their docs clearly state a "shore-to-ship" rate of $16 per minute (!!) but conveniently say nothing about the ship-to-shore rate. If family or friend(s) MUST call one aboard ship, a three minute call through HAL is more expensive than the one week rental. Seems easy, doesn't it? Scary factor: if the babblers can afford $1.80/minute a ship may soon resemble an airport.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Seadoc, interesting stuff! I'm not sure if you saw the original thread I started that got this whole discussion going. It was about an article I had read about cellphones on cruiselines. In case you didn't see the article, here's the link again:

 

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Nation -- Cruise industry embracing technology that may soon bring cell phones to ships

[joeinwpb]

Quoting Colin Veitch Head of Norwegian Cruise Line

 

"Are you going to be annoyed by sitting next to the pool and having somebody talking on their cell phone? Probably not any more annoyed than just having a noisy person next to you," Veitch said. "People will just get used to it."

 

I was very impressed with this man's "sensitivity".

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20040718-0957-cruisetechnology.html

[HeatherInFlorida]

Quoting Colin Veitch Head of Norwegian Cruise Line

 

"Are you going to be annoyed by sitting next to the pool and having somebody talking on their cell phone? Probably not any more annoyed than just having a noisy person next to you," Veitch said. "People will just get used to it."

 

I was very impressed with this man's "sensitivity".

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20040718-0957-cruisetechnology.html

Hahaha:D ! Yeah, Joe, me too!!!:rolleyes: It speaks volumes, doesn't it???

[gizmo]

Hi Gizmo - I think I'm missing something here. Assistance requested

 

The Valkyries

 

The Valkyries were the maidens who chose which warrior would be slain in a battlefield. They served Loki, the goddess of the Underworld and their names were: Brynhild, Geironul, Geirskogul, Goll, Gondul, Gunn, Guth, Herfjotur, Hervor [Warder of the Host], Hild [battle], Hlathguth [Necklace-Adorned Warrior-Maiden ], Hlokk, Hrist, Mist, Olrun [One Knowing Ale Rune], Randgrith, Rathgrith, Reginleif, Sigrdrifa, Sigrun, Skeggjold, Skogul, Skuld [Necessity], Svava, and Thruth

 

Which one had the cell phone? :confused:

LOL at "which one had the phone".:D

 

Joeinwpb answered your question but for any other's that are not familiar with Wagner maybe they can relate to the music from "Apocalypse Now". :)