Constellation communication question

[skoeper]

We are a group of late deafened adults, half of us cruising for the first time. When we booked the Connie, we planned on removing the partitions on the balconies and going back and forth that way without having to knock (pound) on the doors hoping we would be heard.

 

We learned that this ship has partitions that are permanent, so now we are not sure how to communicate with each other in other cabins. Sticky notes might work if we leave the cabin and want others to know where we are, but what if we need to connect while everyone is in the cabins?

 

Since many of you are seasoned cruisers, I thought maybe someone had another idea. One I haven't thought of :) We normally text to each other, but that won't work on the ship. Will it?????

 

Any suggestions will be studied thoroughly and really, really appreciated :)

[Karynanne]

Use the phones in your cabin. Just dial the cabin number of your friends.

[skoeper]

Use the phones in your cabin. Just dial the cabin number of your friends.

 

That would work great if we could hear :(

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Celebrity has a Special Needs Department that might be able to offer some suggestions or provide a device that can be connected to the phone that would light up if the phone is ringing. Or maybe a buzzer on the door that would connect wirelessly to a lite in the cabin.

 

Here's the link to Special Needs and they do offer devices to assist you.

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/onboard-celebrity/cruise-activities-special-needs?cS=Footer&ICID=Cel_10Q4_web_hp_ftr_accessibility#onboard_visual_hearing_disabilities_tab/onboard-celebrity/cruise-activities-visual-disabilities-hearing-disabilities%3Fsubtab=true

Edited October 16, 2015 by CHEZMARYLOU
addl info

[skoeper]

Celebrity has a Special Needs Department that might be able to offer some suggestions or provide a device that can be connected to the phone that would light up if the phone is ringing. Or maybe a buzzer on the door that would connect wirelessly to a lite in the cabin.

 

Here's the link to Special Needs and they do offer devices to assist you.

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/onboard-celebrity/cruise-activities-special-needs?cS=Footer&ICID=Cel_10Q4_web_hp_ftr_accessibility#onboard_visual_hearing_disabilities_tab/onboard-celebrity/cruise-activities-visual-disabilities-hearing-disabilities%3Fsubtab=true

 

Yes!! Each one of our cabins will receive a flashing light for when the phone rings. That would be great if the phone was (really really) amplified so we could pick it up and know who it was and what was being said. Just knowing someone is calling doesn't help when we have 4 cabins between us :(

 

I think they will also provide a flashing door knocker, and those do work great in some cases, but it appears that there is a hallway between the door and the beds. In hotel rooms we've used it in, it really cut down on the visibility with the hallway, especially if there were already lights on in the room.

 

It gets really complicated, doesn't it? lol.

 

Walkie Talkies wouldn't work, obviously.

 

Think Celebrity would come knock out the partitions on the balcony just for us? Hahahaha.

 

We are open to any other suggestions you might come up with! Appreciate all the response so far :)

[cle-guy]

I'm with AT&T for my cell phone service.

 

I get incoming texts at no charge, but have to pay 50 cents each outgoing if I reply, unless I get the cruise ship package.

 

So you could text each other, I assume you all have cell phones with vibration capabilities, but it would cost someone 50 cents each sent text.

• $30 gets 50 minutes talk time
  
• $60 adds 100 free texts
  
• $120 adds 100mb of data
  

http://www.celebritycruises.com/media/en_US/pdf/att-cruise-ship-packages-flyer-with-ic-number.pdf

 

Or get really fancy and complicated.....if all cabins are near each other, take your own wireless router, set up its hot spot, and all connect to it, then you can iMessage each other or use some other similar app. This assumes you have iPhones. Since you are on your own wifi network, not the ships, no cost of the internet either.

[skoeper]

I'm with AT&T for my cell phone service.

 

I get incoming texts at no charge, but have to pay 50 cents each outgoing if I reply, unless I get the cruise ship package.

 

So you could text each other, I assume you all have cell phones with vibration capabilities, but it would cost someone 50 cents each sent text.

• $30 gets 50 minutes talk time
  
• $60 adds 100 free texts
  
• $120 adds 100mb of data
  

http://www.celebritycruises.com/media/en_US/pdf/att-cruise-ship-packages-flyer-with-ic-number.pdf

 

Or get really fancy and complicated.....if all cabins are near each other, take your own wireless router, set up its hot spot, and all connect to it, then you can iMessage each other or use some other similar app. This assumes you have iPhones. Since you are on your own wifi network, not the ships, no cost of the internet either.

 

Woweeee! You are full of great ideas!! I love the wireless router idea, but not all of us have iphones. I have a samsung, but some have iphones. All of our cabins are side-by-side.

 

Now, the package is interesting. I have Verizon, and I know at least 3 others have Verizon as well. That may be a great option! Does it work well? Since we got OBC, we could use it for the package and still be able to communicate. Can you just buy the text option? No one would be using the phone minutes. And yes, we all use vibrating phones and/or flashing notification. Hmmmm, this looks hopeful! I will have to check it out further.

 

Thanks for the great suggestions!

[cle-guy]

Woweeee! You are full of great ideas!! I love the wireless router idea, but not all of us have iphones. I have a samsung, but some have iphones. All of our cabins are side-by-side.

 

Now, the package is interesting. I have Verizon, and I know at least 3 others have Verizon as well. That may be a great option! Does it work well? Since we got OBC, we could use it for the package and still be able to communicate. Can you just buy the text option? No one would be using the phone minutes. And yes, we all use vibrating phones and/or flashing notification. Hmmmm, this looks hopeful! I will have to check it out further.

 

Thanks for the great suggestions!

 

There is a current thread running about Verizon - take a look. People claim their unlimited package is only $40, but I just feel that is "too good to be true". AT&T has an unlimited international plan too, for $40, but it does not work on CellularAtSea, the cruise ship's cell provider, instead have to get the special cruise package. You CAN use the phone without package, but the rates are high.

 

Contact verizon, the key is what will you be billed for using the Cellular carrier "CellularAtSea" and make clear you are using cruise ship satellite cell service, not land-based cellular service.

 

But worst case now, is you all just pay 50 cents each time you send something, figure you probably get by with just 5 or so texts a day each from what I am gathering from your needs. So $2.50 a day may be better than getting a package even.

[skoeper]

There is a current thread running about Verizon - take a look. People claim their unlimited package is only $40, but I just feel that is "too good to be true". AT&T has an unlimited international plan too, for $40, but it does not work on CellularAtSea, the cruise ship's cell provider, instead have to get the special cruise package. You CAN use the phone without package, but the rates are high.

 

Contact verizon, the key is what will you be billed for using the Cellular carrier "CellularAtSea" and make clear you are using cruise ship satellite cell service, not land-based cellular service.

 

But worst case now, is you all just pay 50 cents each time you send something, figure you probably get by with just 5 or so texts a day each from what I am gathering from your needs. So $2.50 a day may be better than getting a package even.

 

I'm looking at the website right now, and for the Constellation through Verizon, it does say unlimited incoming texts, but it's $40.00 for 100 minutes and 100 texts.

 

Now I need to determine what the charge is for using Cellular At Sea. I might need to call or email them....

 

Thanks again!!!

[cle-guy]

I'm looking at the website right now, and for the Constellation through Verizon, it does say unlimited incoming texts, but it's $40.00 for 100 minutes and 100 texts.

 

Now I need to determine what the charge is for using Cellular At Sea. I might need to call or email them....

 

Thanks again!!!

 

I believe it's 50 cents each on CellAt Sea and $1.79 per minute talk time without package.

[Barwick Cruiser]

Just a thought but if you were prepared to just step into each other's cabins from the balconies if the panels were opened, how about each room getting a key card for the other rooms so you could enter whichever room you needed? I realize it impinges on privacy but you were planning to do that from the balcony anyway? Maybe have a board on your doors that shows whether you're available for company or not?

[ShadowzBtlr]

Skoeper, please be advised that you will need to subscribe to one of Verizon’s International Travel Plans, since the cell connection on a cruise ship is considered an international site. Here is the link to the available plans - http://www.verizonwireless.com/landingpages/international-travel/

[CHEZMARYLOU]

There is a display on the phone showing the cabin # & I think the name of the caller.

Cle's ideas on cellular service seem to be doable.

[cle-guy]

Just a thought but if you were prepared to just step into each other's cabins from the balconies if the panels were opened, how about each room getting a key card for the other rooms so you could enter whichever room you needed? I realize it impinges on privacy but you were planning to do that from the balcony anyway? Maybe have a board on your doors that shows whether you're available for company or not?

 

Great idea, Guest Services can make "Pass Keys" for inter-cabin access if you all agree to do so, they won't allow charging privileges, just open the door. I have done this for friends when I am in suite, when they are in other cabins as "sleeping rooms".

[vulcan1971]

Just a thought but if you were prepared to just step into each other's cabins from the balconies if the panels were opened, how about each room getting a key card for the other rooms so you could enter whichever room you needed? I realize it impinges on privacy but you were planning to do that from the balcony anyway? Maybe have a board on your doors that shows whether you're available for company or not?

 

Great idea, Guest Services can make "Pass Keys" for inter-cabin access if you all agree to do so, they won't allow charging privileges, just open the door. I have done this for friends when I am in suite, when they are in other cabins as "sleeping rooms".

 

 

I was reading through the thread to see if this was suggested before I put a comment in, but it looks like you beat me to the punch. I've seen this done for other cruises for other people especially with families with children.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6 Plus on the T-Mobile 4G LTE Network using Tapatalk Pro

[need2bespoiled]

There are a few things to correct here. While iMessage will work for free on iphones, it won't work on a local netowrk, it still needs internet.

 

There are messaging services that will work on any phone, like Skype, and if you're sending messages from US phone to US phone it is free, but still needs internet.

 

You could either use Verizon's internet plan, stay connected and use skype through that (we've done it since the launch of the new plans) or you could buy an internet package onboard. If each room had one unlimited package you could simply stay connected all the time.

 

There are other messaging alternatives that could work, even Facebook has messaging, but of course they need internet.

 

Finally, there ARE local messaging programs that will work on a router, but I don't think you need it.

 

I think your best bet is to look at JOTT. It will create a mesh network, phone to phone without Wifi or Cellular. It may not work all over the ship, but it should work between cabins.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[skoeper]

I believe it's 50 cents each on CellAt Sea and $1.79 per minute talk time without package.

 

Ok, I'm trying to get this straight in my mind. It's necessary for me to both 1). get a plan through Verizon and 2). get a package through Cellularatsea? Or do you mean get one or the other?

 

I'm not that worried about internet (to get emails and check Facebook). I'm mostly concerned about communicating between the other people in my party.

 

Thanks, cle-guy. You're always so helpful!

[skoeper]

Skoeper, please be advised that you will need to subscribe to one of Verizon’s International Travel Plans, since the cell connection on a cruise ship is considered an international site. Here is the link to the available plans - http://www.verizonwireless.com/landingpages/international-travel/

 

Ah, ok. So I WILL need both plans - one through Verizon and a plan from the ship.

 

Thank you!

[skoeper]

Just a thought but if you were prepared to just step into each other's cabins from the balconies if the panels were opened, how about each room getting a key card for the other rooms so you could enter whichever room you needed? I realize it impinges on privacy but you were planning to do that from the balcony anyway? Maybe have a board on your doors that shows whether you're available for company or not?

 

Barwick Cruiser, that's a great idea, if everyone can keep track of 4 key cards, lol. I'm sure the cabin # isn't on them either. Cle-guy mentioned a while back about getting extra keys because he (or someone he knew) cruised with an empty cabin that was meant just for everyone to gather in. Each person got a key to that cabin. With 8 of us though, that's a lot of key cards to keep track of :(

 

Now....we've already decided that the cabin that will have the ONE hearing person in our group will get an extra key to all the cabins so she can get in and wake everyone up if there's an emergency. We may have to bring some tape to write the # on each card.

 

But your idea may be the way we go afterall :) Thank you!!

[skoeper]

There is a display on the phone showing the cabin # & I think the name of the caller.

Cle's ideas on cellular service seem to be doable.

 

Oh! That's great! Then we can at least go down and bang on the door of the cabin that called :) Glad to hear this :)

 

Thank you!

[skoeper]

Great idea, Guest Services can make "Pass Keys" for inter-cabin access if you all agree to do so, they won't allow charging privileges, just open the door. I have done this for friends when I am in suite, when they are in other cabins as "sleeping rooms".

 

Just pass keys and no charging? I do like that, lol. It would be way too easy to confuse all the cards, especially after a couple martinis.

 

We'd definitely need some kind of "signal" though, because half the group is guys, and half is women. Only one couple, so yea......could be awkward. lol

[need2bespoiled]

You can't buy a cellular at sea plan. You but a plan from your mobile provider that uses the cellular at sea service. That is option 1

 

Option 2 buy internet on the ship you can use to msg.

 

Option 3 is keycard (the wing be charge cards and shouldn't have Cabim numbers in them for security. I personally do t think this is a great idea with this many people / cabins.

 

A free app like Jott.

 

The price of the first two options will vary depending on your provider.

 

When I suggested Facebook it was merely as a way to msg. Once you're on the Internet from cellular or the ship, you can msg just like texting.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Just pass keys and no charging? I do like that, lol. It would be way too easy to confuse all the cards, especially after a couple martinis.

 

We'd definitely need some kind of "signal" though, because half the group is guys, and half is women. Only one couple, so yea......could be awkward. lol

 

You could hang your "do not disturb" card on the door when needed. Agree about confusing the cards after a drink or two or three or whatever.

[Barwick Cruiser]

Just pass keys and no charging? I do like that, lol. It would be way too easy to confuse all the cards, especially after a couple martinis.

 

We'd definitely need some kind of "signal" though, because half the group is guys, and half is women. Only one couple, so yea......could be awkward. lol

 

Or, bring a perm marker and, using a simple code known only to your group (maybe the house numbers from home, or the last four digits of your phone numbers) write that on the back of each card..thus distinguishing each from the other.

Edited October 17, 2015 by Barwick Cruiser

[varoo]

Just a thought -- Since they will provide a TTY in your stateroom upon request that will interface with the TTY at guest relations,

maybe the TTYs in the staterooms can also interface with one another.

 

If not, would guest relations have the ability (and willingness) to transfer TTY messages from one stateroom to another?

 

 

Also, written messages can be left in the mail holders outside the door of each stateroom (or you can slide them under the door), together with using the flashing telephone signal as an indicator to check for mail.