walkie-talkie vs. cell phone

[plan2go]

Does anyone have experience with two-way radios on board the Pride of America?

What about cell usage on board ship - I understand that if you get a signal, it will be a land-based signal...so if we have nation-wide coverage plans there should be no roaming or ship board charges?

 

We have 13 traveling and will mostly rent 2 minivans to tour - we have a variety of providers (sprint, att/cingular, alltel, verizon all with nation-wide coverage plans).

 

I am not as worried about car travel, but am curious if we get separated from our teenagers on board - what is the better way to communicate -radios or cell phones?

 

Any advice is appreciated.

[melika091900]

on all our cruises sometimes the 2 way radios work, but usually there are people on there on the same signal so you hear all kinds of conversations..

and its a hit or miss when they work,

and as far as the cell phone, you will be charged roaming rates, and its high usually,

call your cell carrier and find out,

when we were on land, all the calls were free with our carrier, but on the ship you use their satellite .. so its a lil different ..

[TNtravelers]

I asked a question about cell phones in a thread about a week ago and someone responded that NCLA doesn't have cell service, so if you get a signal, it is land based. I don't know that for a fact, but a couple people responded on the thread. See:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=771672

 

I'll know a lot more on this in a few weeks when I'm sitting on this ship!!:)

 

If there truly is no cell service on the ship and you are far enough from land to no longer get a signal, walkie-talkies might come in handy.

[melika091900]

oh yeah i would take the walkie talkies , i didnt read the part where you were concerned if you got separated on the ship , im sorry i thought you meant to use the cell phone to call someone at home or something.. :p

[beachchick]

on all our cruises sometimes the 2 way radios work, but usually there are people on there on the same signal so you hear all kinds of conversations..

and its a hit or miss when they work,

 

 

and as far as the cell phone, you will be charged roaming rates, and its high usually,

call your cell carrier and find out,

when we were on land, all the calls were free with our carrier, but on the ship you use their satellite .. so its a lil different ..

 

There is no cell tower on the PoAm. There is no cell service through the ship at all. Any signal is from a land tower (so you have to be within range of one of the islands) with no charges from the cruise line. (You're right that typically cell calls made onboard ships while at sea do incur per minute charges from the cruise line for use of their cell equipment, plus any roaming rates from your own provider.)

 

The only way to know if you will be charged roaming rates on PoAm is to find out from your provider whether Hawaii is part of your plan. Most plans these days tend to be nationwide no-roaming, so you wouldn't be charged roaming rates in Hawaii. But you really do need to find out if your specific plan includes the state.

 

beachchick

[sceptic]

Beachchick is right, as usual. Check with your own cell company; it wouldn't surprise me if you have a plan that doesn't involve "roaming charges" in Hawaii. I've been to HI with three different plans and never was charged any extra minute charges (Verizon, Cingular, T-Mobile). For me it was just like using the cell phone at home.

 

And coverage can be remarkably good. I was once out at Napau Crater, about 9.5 miles or so from the road, and my cell phone rang. Quite weird, actually, to get a call from Seattle while staring at Pu'u O'o from close up.

 

I would suspect that you'd have zero problems with cells while in port. Between the islands the coverage will likely vanish, however.