First time cruising with friends - how to you keep in touch onboard?

[tbmrt]

We've cruised many times, but will be going w/friends for the first time.

 

How do you all keep in touch? I read about stickies on doors, but that doesn't seem too efficient since plans may change.

 

Walkie talkies seem too cumbersome.

 

Thanks

[neverbeenhere]

1) pre arranged times, 2) notes, 3)room phones 4) don't worry about them method.

[Gracie115]

We've cruised many times, but will be going w/friends for the first time.

 

How do you all keep in touch? I read about stickies on doors, but that doesn't seem too efficient since plans may change.

 

Walkie talkies seem too cumbersome.

 

Thanks

 

We've cruised with friends many times and never worried about staying in touch.....we ate together most nights and made plans for the next day then...if they changed we just called each other's room and left a message...easy enough....

[Gracie115]

4) don't worry about them method.

 

LOL that's the best method at all.....if they need you they'll find you....

[ScubesDad]

Use the onboard telephone system. You can leave messages. I don't know, but there may be a way to recover messages from any house phone.

[blindrid]

What we've found is that we are creatures of habit. Eat at buffet about the same time, lay by pool same time, drink at same bars. Everyone is easy to find. No stickies, rarely phone calls.

[emcee207]

Please Please Please no walkie talkies!:D

 

LOL, I know you're not going to use them, just teasing you!

[Sloop-JohnB]

1) pre arranged times, 2) notes, 3)room phones 4) don't worry about them method.

 

Agreed.

 

We have used all of the above.

 

Mostly we and our friends went our seperate ways on Port Days, then met up back on the ship for the late afternoon (Drinks & Sailaway) at a prescribed spot... then a hour or so later for Cocktails & Dinner followed by an evening of fun.

 

Ship Phones / Room Phones & the Answering System came in handy.

 

Lol, as did our Favourite Bartender who would let us know if he'd seen the other party back on the ship yet (3 Cheers for the centrally located Passport Bar)

 

Before we sailed Mr Sloop & I thought for sure we'd be lost on such a big ship searching out one another as well as our friends. We even considered the dreaded walkie-talkies (soooo glad we decided against that purchase)

 

In the end it really was a non issue... Things went swimmingly

 

Cheers!

Edited November 3, 2014 by Sloop-JohnB

[Shir Hayam]

We've cruised with friends many times and it has never been a problem. Plans for tours together have usually been made in advance or we will agree on something at dinner the night before. If everyone wants to go their separate ways during the day, then we just agree to meet up for drinks or dinner. If anything urgent comes up, we leave a telephone message (never had to use sticky notes). The hardest part, I think, is getting use to the fact that our cell phones won't work :D!

 

Sheila

[Gracie115]

The hardest part, I think, is getting use to the fact that our cell phones won't work :D!

 

Sheila

 

oh no....THAT'S the BEST part!!!!:)

[rkacruiser]

Never have found this to be an issue. We arrange on the previous day when, or if, we want to get together. Often, it will be for a dining time during the day. The voice mail system on the ship's phone works well when one needs to make another contact.

[ghstudio]

set up where you will be for breakfast, if they would ike to meet you; where/when you will have drinks in the evening, if they want to meet you; set up a time when you'll be in the gym each day...or anything else you do daily; set up an area of the theater where you'll sit if you're there (e.g deck 4 rear port side) and so on. Don't plan to be glued at the hip....just have some points during the day where you're likely to be easily found.

 

Don't know about you, but I don't even want to spend all day, every day with my own kids...and they want time to themselves as well. Same goes for friends. We've rented houses with other couples and one of the basics that make it work is that both couples have their own car.

 

One easy way to augment the above...at breakfast, we usually point out the events we're going to try to catch.

 

Seems to work fine....the last thing I'd bring would be a walkie talkie which I know would go off when I'm in a full elevator or the bathroom.

Edited November 3, 2014 by ghstudio

[phoenix_dream]

We've cruised with relatives in different cabins for years and never had much of a problem. Plan big events ahead of time - for the small stuff we just play it as it goes. Leave messages on the phone in their cabins and if there is a real need to get in touch they can check there and vice versa. Tried walkie-talkies when our son was young and it was a pain in the neck (we did our best to keep the annoying things away from others). We gave up after trying it once. We also make sure to adopt a 'do your own thing' attitude. If you want to spend some time alone - fine. We are going to do "x" or "y", if you want to join us here is the time and place. Set the expectations ahead of time so no one gets offended.

[cruisecriticmember]

we will have 14 or 15 people in our group. we plan to use velcro and bungy cords!:D:eek:

[miched]

When we sailed with friends the problem wasn't trying to keep in touch. It was more of "hiding" from them. ;)

 

The ship is smaller than you realize and keeping in touch is not a problem, except when you are really trying to contact them. :confused:

 

 

Happy cruisng 🇺🇸🚢🇺🇸🌅

[Rob the Cruiser]

We've cruised many times, but will be going w/friends for the first time.

 

How do you all keep in touch? I read about stickies on doors, but that doesn't seem too efficient since plans may change.

 

Walkie talkies seem too cumbersome.

 

Thanks

 

Rumor has it that those persons using walkie talkies are doomed to walk the plank.

 

:D:D:D

[CathyCruises]

We cruised with DH's family a few years ago. On the first day, we designated a "connoitering" spot where we could gather if we wanted to be found. In that instance, it was a chilly Alaska cruise so we picked a spot in the back of the buffet area.

 

When we were bored or needed to hook up, that's where we would hang out-and eventually everyone would show up. It was everyone's first cruise so they needed a fair amount of handholding. It actually worked out well. They would be reading or munching or chatting and we never had any issues.

 

On cruises with cruise friends, we have always had an evening gathering spot--either the Martini Bar or Sunset Bar--and about that time, you'd always find friends straggling in for our nightly get-togethers. Those were the best time of the trip!

[Adammara]

We always dine together in the evening, and decide on the next days plans.

We also always book cabins on the same deck, but opposite sides of the ship, so we always have a balcony for drinks at sail away!

 

We have been friends for over 50 years, and always confuse the staff in the restaurant, as we vary how we sit every evening!

[Sandy1975]

Well, at the risk of someone forcing me to walk the plank, I would admit to using walkie talkies. I really don't know what people have against them but we use it and find it efficient. It is not like you are constantly talking on it and it sometimes save us walking back/forth if we forget something in the room or to communicate location.

Edited November 4, 2014 by Sandy1975

[Rob the Cruiser]

Well, at the risk of someone forcing me to walk the plank, I would admit to using walkie talkies. I really don't know what people have against them but we use it and find it efficient. It is not like you are constantly talking on it and it sometimes save us walking back/forth if we forget something in the room or to communicate location.

 

I hope you know I was joking. :)

[Sandy1975]

I hope you know I was joking. :)

 

Yes, I assumed you were :)

[happy 2 b cruising]

Well, at the risk of someone forcing me to walk the plank, I would admit to using walkie talkies. I really don't know what people have against them but we use it and find it efficient. It is not like you are constantly talking on it and it sometimes save us walking back/forth if we forget something in the room or to communicate location.

 

When large families with children travel during the Holiday Season it is the best way to communicate :)

[bellalisa]

How did we ever manage to do anything in life without cell phones? It is amazing to think we used to tell people to meet us somewhere, and if they didn't show up after 1/2 hour- 1 hour or so just decide something happened and leave! Those were the days!

[Melissa at Mohair Meadows]

DH and I have different preferences. He likes Hot Tubs, I like the Solarium. He likes to schmooze, I like to read. We usually try to make contact at specified times. That way it isn't buzzing at inconvenient moments. I would hate to have my day regimented by having to be at specific places at specific times. This gives us more flexibility.

 

Melissa:)

Edited November 6, 2014 by Melissa at Mohair Meadows