Need a little help from the group

[Winston Wolfe]

Our family is planning a cruise later this month and we have heard that its a great idea to bring some mobile two way radio devices for your "on board" communications within the family, which brings up a few questions for the always helpful group here at OC....
-Does anyone have any recommendations on which two way radios are the best, or most efficient / cost effective?
-Has anyone tried this themselves on a cruise and can they recommend if it works well, or not (I have to imagine many families do the 2-way radio thang, and it might cause interference / poor reception, etc.)
-As always, any advice is welcomed.... Thanks in advance :thumbup:

[Ankf00]

if I have to go on vacation w/ the family, I'd want a place where it's encouraged to gtfo of their general vicinity, not be trapped in the same place as them :gomer: :D

[KLang]

Two way radios may not be needed anymore. I don't think you can escape cell phones even on a cruise ship. :(

[WickerBill]

Midland.

Try these: Midland two way radio set (http://www.amazon.com/Midland-GXT760VP4-42-Channel-Rechargeable-Batteries/dp/B0039YON6Q/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1280835181&sr=8-5)

[Elmo T]

Midland.


I have a Midland set - I don't have the model # here at the moment. We use our for Disney, camping, race trips, etc. Our has the National Weather Service channels built-in :gomer:.

We've had pretty good luck with the Midlands. These replaced a Motorola set. The clips on the Motorolas were broken, the batteries would no longer hold a charge, and the audio was poor on one unit. The Motorola units only lasted about 3 years of moderate use.

Not sure how well they will work on a ship.

[Don Quixote]

I'm with Ank on this one. Leave technology behind. :)

[Methanolandbrats]

Your'e on a ship, how "lost" can you get? There is nothing to do but eat, sleep, watch horrible shows and wait for the inevitable bout of flu/food poisoning...you'll all end up in the same place after a few days. :gomer:

[emjaya]

I'm with Ank on this one. Leave technology behind. :)

Take the radios, leave the kids behind. :)



-As always, any advice is welcomed.... Thanks in advance :thumbup:

Don't go. I not heard anything good about going on a cruiseship on this side of the world.

[Andrew Longman]

I've had a set of three Motorolas for more than ten years to keep track of the boys at the track. They use AA batteries and get good life and range up to 2 miles though it is usually more like one. Sound quality is good. Programable for I think 50-90 channels. I also like them for the track because they can plug in their racing radio headsets into them and hear you calling them over the race noise if they are walking around. Not important on the ship but helpful at the track. They are pretty tough. One lost the volume control when Trev wiped out on his bikes. He took a worse beating.

Of course none of it is of use if they don't turn them on. :mad:

[TravelGal]

Your'e on a ship, how "lost" can you get? There is nothing to do but eat, sleep, watch horrible shows and wait for the inevitable bout of flu/food poisoning...you'll all end up in the same place after a few days. :gomer:

You KNOW that would get my attention. :D

Depends on where you sail and what you eat. As for the communication, my friends say that Motorola has worked for them. I've had reports of Uniden signal drift. I've also had more adults use it to keep track of each other than the kids.

For M&B, if you're sailing from LA you could get lost of Mariner of the Seas. I know TravelGuy and I found it rather, um, large. Total length of 1,020 feet, a weight of 138,000 tons and a capacity to hold 3,114 passengers. The ship's description also mentions: Ice-skating rink (surprising good shows), Rock-climbing wall, In-line skating, Royal Promenade (open 24 hours and lots of fun), Johnny Rockets® '50s-style restaurant (rip off but they say the passengers wanted it), Portofino Italian Restaurant (very good), Café Promenade, Ben & Jerry's® ice cream (see Johnny R), Vintages wine bar, Boleros Latin-theme lounge, Themed bars and lounges (ooh, lots of these, better keep those walkie talkie batteries charged), Casino RoyaleSM, Golf simulators, 9-hole miniature golf course, Adventure Ocean® youth facilities, including teen-only areas, Fuel and Living Room, Day Spa and Fitness Center (book when you get on for best rates), Full-size basketball court.

WHAT? No karting?

[oddlycalm]

WHAT? No karting?
No skeet shooting either I'll bet. :laugh: Seriously, back when Phil Hill was busy winning the WDC and cruze ships came equipped with loaded shotguns we were able to trap shoot off the fantail of the SS Lurline while sailing to Hawaii at a rather tepid pace. To say things have change a lot is like calling a dwarf short.

oc

[Dvdb]

can't you just text the relatives with plans, updates, etc.?

we did that in Colorado last summer and worked out fine.

[Methanolandbrats]

You KNOW that would get my attention. :D

Depends on where you sail and what you eat. As for the communication, my friends say that Motorola has worked for them. I've had reports of Uniden signal drift. I've also had more adults use it to keep track of each other than the kids.

For M&B, if you're sailing from LA you could get lost of Mariner of the Seas. I know TravelGuy and I found it rather, um, large. Total length of 1,020 feet, a weight of 138,000 tons and a capacity to hold 3,114 passengers. The ship's description also mentions: Ice-skating rink (surprising good shows), Rock-climbing wall, In-line skating, Royal Promenade (open 24 hours and lots of fun), Johnny Rockets® '50s-style restaurant (rip off but they say the passengers wanted it), Portofino Italian Restaurant (very good), Café Promenade, Ben & Jerry's® ice cream (see Johnny R), Vintages wine bar, Boleros Latin-theme lounge, Themed bars and lounges (ooh, lots of these, better keep those walkie talkie batteries charged), Casino RoyaleSM, Golf simulators, 9-hole miniature golf course, Adventure Ocean® youth facilities, including teen-only areas, Fuel and Living Room, Day Spa and Fitness Center (book when you get on for best rates), Full-size basketball court.

WHAT? No karting?

That sounds like Disney World with one difference, I can't get in my car and escape :D I'd feel like that guy in the original Prisoner Series if I went on a cruise.

[Steve99]

can't you just text the relatives with plans, updates, etc.?

we did that in Colorado last summer and worked out fine.

It may not be the same for all cruise lines, but you have to pay them extra if you want your cell phone to work on the ship. Not many cell towers in the ocean.

Are their any concerns that the frequencies used by the family radios may have different rules if you visit other countries?

[Insomniac]

Are the cell towers on cruise ships international? Using a cell phone could result in some shocking bills.

[KLang]

We avoid the big ships but the last time I was on one I thought there was shipboard cell service. I don't think you could call off the ship but you could call another passenger. Don't remember any charge for it.

We've been using Windstar for our cruising the last few years. Much smaller ships. :thumbup:

[Winston Wolfe]

Thanks to all for you responses (except Ank ! :D )
Travel Gal has the best response, we are trying the Mariner of the Seas and due to the size and timing of many of the events, and fact that my twins are 10 years old and will be in the youth club for various parts of the day, we found it best to have some kind of communication with them, while my wife and I are enjoying the other areas of the ship.
Cell phones rates for calls and texting on the ship are OUTRAGEOUS, and while it clearly disclosed how much its costs per minute, you see people chatting on their mobile phones on the ship as it leaves port and the next day. Then when they get home, its Holy Crap time and see the bill for roaming. Check any cruiseline forum to see the results :shakehead
TG is right about all of the activities, and the stops are Cabo, Mazatlan and P.V. - 7 days, and pretty much anything you want to do (except karting)
No skeet shooting either, although I have done that on a couple of Holland America cruises in the past, as well as earlier RCCL cruises in the early-mid 90's but dont see that anymore (along with golf driving ranges off the back of the ship...)
This ship gives everyone in the family something to do, together or seperately and that is the best part about it. You unpack once, see three different port cities, eat pretty much whatever you want, whenever you want and take in shows, activities, exercise, reading, movies, whatever you want. With the kids at this age (10 y.o.) there is no need to want to get away from them anyway.... that happens when they are teenagers, right ?
Finally, we just got back from a 1,300 mile, 7 days drive all over the state of California, up the coast through SB, SLO, Morro Bay, Big Sur (Hwy 1 was slow and under lots of construction :thumdown: ) then SF for two nights, over to Sacto, and down into Columbia, a "working" Gold Rush town, then home down Hwy 99 back to the O.C..... great time, but dont need to do that anytime soon.
Thanks to all for your feedback on the two-way radios, sounds like Motorola is the way to go ????

[WickerBill]

The Midlands get the best reviews, but I'm sure Motorola (although not bulletproof like they were 10 years ago) would work fine.

[TravelGal]

It may not be the same for all cruise lines, but you have to pay them extra if you want your cell phone to work on the ship. Not many cell towers in the ocean.

Are their any concerns that the frequencies used by the family radios may have different rules if you visit other countries?

Not that I know of but it's a good question. You generally are only using them in international waters or onboard. On land it's back to the cell phones. Normal international rates there. Get your local sim card. Astronomical charges onboard.

I seem to remember that the skeet shooting stopped after a rash of passenger injuries. Now, of course, they can be all "green" and "eco" about it and pretend they don't want to put trash in the oceans but I'm pretty sure it was bodily harm rather than eco damage they were worried about when they discontinued it.

[G.]

Get a set with features that you will want post-cruise (weather alerts would be nice).

Be wary of belt clips (holsters would be nice), but designs may have improved.

Be careful what you say on them. Assume that anyone, anywhere can hear you. Mostly because it's true. The codes for privacy are there for politeness, not security.

If you use them at port, use them sparingly. If Federales run up the street towards you, hide them and point around the corner in a they-went-thataway manner.