Walkie-talkies

[my3pies]

Can anyone recommend a walkie talkie brand? We will be on Freedom of that makes a difference. I really really don't want to spend $210 for wifi to keep in touch with my kids or leave notes in the cabin.

[GUT2407]

Never seen anyone use them yet without a lot of

 

what was that squark, sorry say again squeek, pardon squeel.

[gerif]

Never seen anyone use them yet without a lot of

 

what was that squark, sorry say again squeek, pardon squeel.

 

Possibly followed by $&&%# from the person you're annoying with the above. Seriously though, assuming your kids are old enough to run the ship, they can tell you where they will be and check in with you physically before they go to the next activity. Texting is relatively inexpensive as well.

[GUT2407]

Possibly followed by $&&%# from the person you're annoying with the above. Seriously though, assuming your kids are old enough to run the ship, they can tell you where they will be and check in with you physically before they go to the next activity. Texting is relatively inexpensive as well.

 

 

Yep

 

I thought they were a great idea until:

 

1. I saw how poorly they work, what with all the metal and electrical interference why was I surprised

 

2. How much they annoyed everyone

 

3. How those using them started to yell hoping the other person could hear them.

[Clarea]

Can anyone recommend a walkie talkie brand? We will be on Freedom of that makes a difference. I really really don't want to spend $210 for wifi to keep in touch with my kids or leave notes in the cabin.

Also keep in mind that you need a WiFi plan for each device. The $210 would cover only 2 devices.

[SpainAlien]

On Voyager and Radiance class ships RCI rent out DECT phones, it might be worth asking if they do on your ship.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&pnav=5&snav=2&faqId=2717&faqSubjectId=334&faqSubjectName=Life+Onboard&faqType=faq

[velmasue]

I just happened to see that Walmart's "Value of the Day" includes a Motorola Talkabout 2-way radio with a 23-mile range (which is probably absurd). But, there were some reviews that said they had used successfully on a cruise ship. I'll try to attach:

 

http://www.walmart.com/Value-of-the-Day

[MaiseyM]

I am curious as well. I have three kids and would prefer not to buy wifi for all just so we can text each other. I get that we can tell them to meet us at (name location) at a certain time, but that means I have less flexibility and have to be at that location then. Can't deviate from plans. I have walked that are meant for outdoor adventures with a large range of distance. I may bring them on Oasis to see if they work. If anyone has done this before, it would be great to hear your experience.

[Wilson]

We tried it and they do not work unless you are within eyesight of each other. If you can see your kid you don't need the radios. We threw them in the trash and agreed upon a meeting spot twice a day.

[Trekker954]

Can anyone recommend a walkie talkie brand? We will be on Freedom of that makes a difference. I really really don't want to spend $210 for wifi to keep in touch with my kids or leave notes in the cabin.

 

I'm really not sure why everyone says they do not work. We have motorola and they work just fine. They weren't cheap but clearly no where near $210 but don't go too cheap as maybe you will get squawking or squealing. And you certainly don't need wifi to use 2-way radios.

 

We have used them on the mega class ships as well. We do not overuse them, as we too find it annoying (mostly teenagers screaming into them), my group were four, and/or two adults. Our typical and hardly used purpose were so my princess daughter could find out where I was when she decided to wake up, and/or if we took separate excursions and wanted to track each other down upon returning to the ship.

 

I would say the down side is finding a channel that isn't already being used by others. That is often when you get, especially teenagers asking, who is this, and so on.

 

Be respectful and don't overuse and you'll have good luck.

[MaiseyM]

Thank you Linda.

[RocketMan275]

Before you buy, you might want to check on the countries you will be visiting. They may have different rules for these items. Just because you're on a US cruise ship does not mean you are in the US.

[laurac22]

We have had success with them as well. Just a moderate priced Motorola pair. We mainly used them when we were out in the evening (a show or casino)for a bit, and wanted to check on our Son that stayed in the cabin and make sure he was OK.

 

On our last Cruise we had a group of eight and had trouble keeping up with everyone. Stopped by the gift shop and they were selling them by the pair for $39.99. I asked the salesman if they worked well on the ship, and he said yes, that was the whole purpose of selling them on the ship. :rolleyes: We chose not to purchase, so not sure if they worked well or not.

[bigeagle12]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=35721301

[Paulette3028]

Can anyone recommend a walkie talkie brand? We will be on Freedom of that makes a difference. I really really don't want to spend $210 for wifi to keep in touch with my kids or leave notes in the cabin.

 

We have used walkie-talkies on ships for years and they work wonderfully for us. I have seen much more elaborate ones than we have, but ours suit our needs. When we use them, it is simply for a fast conversation with each other -- we don't scream into them and have long or disruptive conversations to annoy those around.

 

Whatever investment you make, will be a one time investment rather than spending money to connect WiFi for multiple phones to utilize texting onboard for the length of one cruise.

 

We have never had a difficult time finding a clear channel to use, and I can easily recognize my DH's voice and he can recognize mine, even if we find ourselves with others on the channel.

[greeneyesviv]

We have TriSquare eXRS TSX300 Two-Way Walkie Talkie Radio and they have texting capabilities. We have used them on Freedom. Enjoy your cruise.

[Finbar127]

I have had excellent results with these: Midland GXT1000VP4

 

Sent from my SM-T337T using Tapatalk

[Baatman]

We tried it and they do not work unless you are within eyesight of each other. If you can see your kid you don't need the radios. We threw them in the trash and agreed upon a meeting spot twice a day.

 

Our experience as well. We had fairly inexpensive ones, but apparently the more expensive ones don't work much better.

[Deatsch]

Can anyone recommend a walkie talkie brand? We will be on Freedom of that makes a difference. I really really don't want to spend $210 for wifi to keep in touch with my kids or leave notes in the cabin.

 

 

Such devices are no longer allowed on any RCCL or Celebrity ships. They will be confiscated and tossed overboard.

[MCC retired]

Such devices are no longer allowed on any RCCL or Celebrity ships. They will be confiscated and tossed overboard.

 

 

Yes , tossed overboard by angry guests .

[jcl410]

I always take radios; they work well enough for me, BUT with caveats!

 

Here's my experience with them on the Freedom of the Seas.

 

1) We use one watt GMRS radios - in the US they require a license to operate (one per family). They offer better range.

 

2) We use ear peices - This does 2 things; 1) makes hearing the radio easier and 2) non-disruptive to other passengers

 

3) We use them only on board, or in US ports due to the possibility of illegal use.

 

4) Range - On our FotS cruise, our cabin was a deck 6 promanade category. If was on by tnhe pool, I couldn't reach the cabin unless I was very close to the Centrum. Other wise, we had good luck when we were within a deck or two of each other. But don't expect them to work every where; there is way too much steel in the way for that.

 

Aloha,

 

John

[bigeagle12]

Such devices are no longer allowed on any RCCL or Celebrity ships. They will be confiscated and tossed overboard.

 

 

Not true

[Kricktor]

We've brought them on our cruises and have yet to use them.