Cell phone service on board - good idea or bad?

The Sunday NY Times reported yesterday that beginning next year Celebrity ships will be fitted with equipment to allow passengers to use their cell phones on board, even when at sea.

What do you think about this? Good idea, or bad?

Good idea. For people who know how to be respectful when using them it will be a great perk for people who don't want to use them they don't have to. Unfortunately there will be some who abuse this or are rude and there is nothing that can e done for them.

Not a fan of cell phones, nor do I own one.

As noted above, if used with respect for others, OK - but please keep it to a minimum.

Just plain bad on so many levels. :(

Beth

Generally a good idea.

I like the concept of having cell access when needed...and alot would depend on the charge Celebrity will have for the service, and the cost to your int'l calling plan for using it - some people may not have int'l capable phones or service and may find the charges quite high.

As for the bad side - certainly seeing dozens of people wandering all over the ship chatting obliviously on their phones, having phones ringing everywhere you go, and having people hold up lines chatting and using speakerphones would be a nightmare.

I would think it would be a good idea for Celebrity to either create 'dead zones' where the phones will not work, such as the dining room, alternate restaurant, and most lounges...or restrict cell phone use to certain designated areas on the ship.

I rarely use my cellphone...business 80% of the time, and late night weekend long-distance calls to distant friends the other 20%. I use approximately 100 minutes a month...pretty low usage! But the ability to check messages from my office while away in case some emergency or problem arises, and call back to leave instructions with an employee, could be very valuable and be more reliable than e-mail. For this reason I would support it, but I would restrict any of my callbacks to my own cabin, or a discreet outdoor location such as the outside promenade deck.

I'm beginning to feel more and more like cruising and I will part ways soon....:( .

None of these "enhancements" which have come about over the last few years do anything but cheapen the whole cruise experience.

Some people should be accessible!!! My manager would never go on vacation without leaving his cel #!

I have mixed feelings. We don't want our work to be able to reach us when we're on vacation....at least not expect that we'll be there to answer the phone "just in case they need us". On the other hand, we have aging parents and other family all over the US. It would be good if they could reach us in case of an emergency without the complications of knowing all the ship information, etc. Generally we bring our cell phones with us on a cruise but mostly in case we need them in transit to or from the port. Once on the ship they go in the safe or other secure place and stay there until the end of the cruise.

There's a phone in every cabin!!

Have we become such sheep that we actually believe the advertising that tells us we must be able to be accessed in a heartbeat...all the time??

As far as "considerate" cell phone users...how's that working out so far?? All those same people who use them where they shouldn't now...will also cruise. They will not be any more considerate on Century that they were at the restaurant you shared with them last week...

This is really lousy news....

I'm beginning to feel more and more like cruising and I will part ways soon....:( .

 

 

None of these "enhancements" which have come about over the last few years do anything but cheapen the whole cruise experience.

Couldn't agree more.

Funny how all the cell phone users who are, on land, horrendously rude, will suddenly find religion and be polite the minute they get onboard a cruise ship. Won't use the phone in the restaurant or theatre like they do on land, will not force you to listen to their inane conversations like they do on land. I really believe that. Right. Watch these people the minute a ship pulls into a port that has cell service...chatting on deck, at breakfast, in the hallways, generally in their loud cellular voice.

Folks, you CAN live without being in constant touch with your world. We cruise 3-5 times a year, run 3 businesses (decisions made exclusively by us), have aging parents and find NO problem keeping in touch via email, the onboard satellite phone system or phones in the ports. Yes, it may not be quite as convenient as whipping out a cell phone, but then sometimes convenience when it infringes on others should be restrained (or, in this case, not offered).

I wonder why some people feel the need to talk down to others when posting. There are just a few regulars on the Celebrity board that have people saying that this cruiseline board is unfriendly. I wish people would learn to share their opinions without displaying so much attitude.

In August 2003 I was on Constellation in the Baltic. There were many Europeans on board and their cell phones worked much of the time.

In my opinion, it was terrible. I was "forced" to listen to a number of conversations while trying to relax, read, or nap by the pool. Or when I was trying to eat in the buffet. I was treated to a loud conversation, in Spanish, in the elevator. For reasons known only the the users, people feel the need to scream into cell phones unlike other phones.

I agree with Danno - there are phones in every room on board. There are computers to converse by e-mail. If you need to keep in touch with people at home, there are already methods to do so. We do not need to add cell phones to the mix.

Just my opinion.

Joanie

How in heaven's name did all those who have cell phones attached to their ears at every turn, survive before the cell phone was invented? For that matter, how did parents survive bringing their kids on a ship without using those AWFUL walkie talkies (it's so sad that in the past there must have been literally thousands of children who missed dinner because their parents couldn't find them on a cruise ship before walkie talkies were invented)? OK, here's the rule Celebrity should adopt for cell phone usage. Cells can ONLY be used in the cabins, not in any public area, not even outside at the pool. I don't care what anyone says, there are two major problems with cell phones: One, so many are rude in using them in inappropriate places, and two, for some reason it seems that everyone a cell phone user calls must be hearing impaired because they always shout into those things. I can see the abuse of the cell phone on ships by teenagers who will be calling their friends at home to brag about their trip, and by everyone else just calling home to jabber away. Like Danno said, there have always been phones in the cabins, so you could keep in touch, and in the past few years, there's been the internet and email. And if bosses and managers can't afford to take a week away without having to constantly be in touch with work, then why are they spending all that money for a cruise when they're working a lot of the time?

Kitty 9 you took the words out of my mouth.

I go on holiday/vacation to get away from work and to relax. I don't want to be constantly disturbed by others conversations. Say what you like, in my opinion, most cell phone users appear to be want to be seen and HEARD when on their phones. (Discreet / quiet is missing from their dictionary).

How did we manage without them.

Bythe way I have a mobile (cell) phone but would like to think I was considerate of others around me when using it. (In fact I get quite embarassed when it rings in public).

If the phones are always on 'vibrator', fine, otherwise let us all cruise in peace, most of us came for a holiday. john taylor

There's a phone in every cabin!!

 

Have we become such sheep that we actually believe the advertising that tells us we must be able to be accessed in a heartbeat...all the time??

 

As far as "considerate" cell phone users...how's that working out so far?? All those same people who use them where they shouldn't now...will also cruise. They will not be any more considerate on Century that they were at the restaurant you shared with them last week...

 

This is really lousy news....

 

Waaah waaaah Waaah, i want my binky.

Surely, Celebrity is going to charge a fee for this proposed cellular service. My guess is that it will be on the order of the cost to use their Internet cafe.

Please, please, please, please don't happen! How did we make it until now without cell phones onboard?? Easily! Having cell phones onboard would be soooooo terrible! I love cruising because you don't have to listen to someone's freakin' cell phone 24/7 (or mine). I'm the person that doesn't even watch the news, read a paper, or call anyone on a cruise. I think anyone can make it one week or two without a cell phone. I don't care who you are! If it's that important for you - stay home! There are phones in every room and in ports. You CAN communicate if you want or need to do so. The thought of having cell phones onboard makes me cringe! No, no, no, no, no. Did I say NO?:eek: :mad:

LOL,, Mcnichol,, Danno should stuck to his original post..... :p people are going to bring their cell phones & walkie talkies onboard,,,, SO WHAT,,, i will not let that ruin my cruise......... :) :p

Hi,

Here is a link to a very short article on the subject in the N.Y. Times. It should be noted that the cost, while at sea, should be quite a bit cheaper than using your very expensive cabin phones (if one really needs to make any calls at all). One key point in the article is that when in port you will be paying the roaming charge rates of whatever country you are in.

as somebody has already pointed out, you CAN be reached now -- there's a phone in every cabin. Our last two cruises (West Coast) have had way too much cell access for my taste even just incidentally ... people hanging off the back deck in Vancouver while departing for Alaska, 'HEY! I'm calling you from the SHIP!' ... people off the coast of California prattling on about selling Tupperware or Mary Kay ... it's good for our SOULS to get away from it all. Really. Honestly. I remember a time in my 20s when I had just taken my first "boss" job and the promotion came as a surprise after my mother had already purchased tickets etc. for us to go to Club Med in Cancun for a week, and I was TERRIFIED the whole place would fall apart in my absence ... no phones, no way to reach me, MAYBE a telegram to the resort office or something ... guess what, no disaster. Come ON, people, can't we PLEASE survive a week on a ship without our cell phones? Please? Oh please? My job has me on call 24/7 -- I talk to the office many times via phone and e-mail in the hours before I arrive in the afternoon -- but when I leave for the airport, the phone and the beeper and the laptop stay behind in the house.

soapboxing,

TR

Millennium EC 12/12/04

****

Mercury CA-MX 4/04, Infinity AK 8/03, Century WC 3/03, Century EC 9/02

I think this is the worst idea I've ever heard.

I agree with you wholeheartedly!

I wonder why some people feel the need to talk down to others when posting. There are just a few regulars on the Celebrity board that have people saying that this cruiseline board is unfriendly. I wish people would learn to share their opinions without displaying so much attitude.

I wonder why some people feel the need to talk down to others when posting. There are just a few regulars on the Celebrity board that have people saying that this cruiseline board is unfriendly. I wish people would learn to share their opinions without displaying so much attitude.

Great post. I wish more people would take that advice.

Bottom line cruise ships are going to become more technically advanced and offer more enhancements even if you don't like it. The best advice anyone can give those who want to dwell on the negatives of things is try to look on the positive side. It is not healthy to get that upset over a cruise line offering something that you won't take advantage of. Just don't use it. I am sure this perk will come with a price so that will probably deter most of the people who just want to "chat".

The reason I voted "bad idea" is because there will the those that will abuse this and be on their phones all the time, especially teens. It only takes a few to ruin everything, which is too bad.