2-way radios/walkie-talkies?

[jules67]

Does anyone have any suggestions on which brand name/type of two-way radios would be good to purchase to use on cruise ships in order to keep in touch with your kids/family? I just returned from a week long cruise to Mexico and noticed many families had radios with them to keep in contact and reach eachother while on the ship.

 

Looking to purchase for future cruise. Please advise. Thank you.

[kitty9]

There are already lots of threads on this board about walkies. Just do a search and you'll find loads of information. But, a short answer you'll get is, they're a pain in the behind to your fellow cruisers because all the beeping and loud talking gets annoying, most don't work because of all the interference on the ship and they are illegal to use off the ship. But if people still insist on using them, Radio Shack seems to have the most choices.

[Dr. Jack Daniels]

But, a short answer you'll get is, they're a pain in the behind to your fellow cruisers because all the beeping and loud talking gets annoying.

 

I've never found them annoying at all. Some people let the silliest things bother them.:rolleyes:

[aohkay]

 

Not every person who uses these is considerate of others around them. The walkie talkies are an annoyance if someone is talking loudly and with the added static, it can be bothersome, IMO.

[KevinR]

I've never found them annoying at all. Some people let the silliest things bother them.:rolleyes:

 

Ditto.

[Mgobluefan]

jules: Motorolas are fine and available almost anywhere. I find them great in shopping ports so you don't have to stay together all the time. They're only annoying if you let them be, which I'm sure being a responsible adult you won't.:)

[satxdiver]

Most brands will work. The radios are officially FRS/GMRS radios as authorized by the FCC. They are limited in power and most use the maximum power authorized. Cost difference can come from bells and whistles which IMO are sales gimmicks only. The FCC allows 22 channels which they all have. Anything they tell you about more channels or private channels is not true. All communications on the radios must be in the open meaning no coding is allowed such as with a cell phone. Anyone with a radio can hear every word and interfere with your communication simply by pressing the talk button.

 

Ships are made of steel which does an excellent job of shielding radio communications. They cannot be used between parties all over the ship particularly the bigger ships. Without getting into the technical reasons, shouting into the radios makes the transmission worse and not better. Don't do it.

 

The use of FRS/GMRS radios in most countries except the USA and Canada is illegal and can get you into trouble. Some countries use the same frequencies for emergency response so you could be interfering with life saving efforts. The penalties can be fines and/or prison depending on the country and its laws.

[secretadvisor]

On British registered ships including Bermuda, by law you officially should have the Masters approval prior to using any radio equipment onboard. Also in some countries, as has been stated, they are not licensed for us, thus are illegal.

However, they have such a low power output, I doub't they will cause any real interference to anyone. I personally don't see a problem with them, but I'd probably only use them onboard and not ashore.