Walkie Talkie on Navigator

[OrchidOne]

I've seen that people have posted stating Walkie Talkie radios won't work on the ship because the ship is too large... but - - does anyone know if it can work between just 2 decks - - or even down the long hallway of the same deck? We have 3 parities in our group. 2 are on one deck - nearly opposite each other - and the other room is on the deck above. While I understand they won't work throughout the entire ship - do we have a shot of them working to connect our rooms? Or - well, are there phones in the rooms...? Sorry - it's been 7 years since I've cruised, so I don't recall. Many thanks!

[iheartbda]

Prepare thyself for the anti-walkie talkies.:D

 

 

The room phones will work much better than walkie talkies.:)

[hollykimalan]

Prepare thyself for the anti-walkie talkies.:D

 

 

 

 

 

The room phones will work much better than walkie talkies.:)

 

 

Do they have 'mobile' room phones on the Explorer of the Seas? We found the ones on The Disney Magic very handy!

[Clarea]

Do they have 'mobile' room phones on the Explorer of the Seas? We found the ones on The Disney Magic very handy!

They may still have a small number of DECT phones available for rental. See Guest Services as soon as you board. Last time I checked, they were $25 per cruise.

Edited November 12, 2015 by clarea

[chengkp75]

I've seen that people have posted stating Walkie Talkie radios won't work on the ship because the ship is too large... but - - does anyone know if it can work between just 2 decks - - or even down the long hallway of the same deck? We have 3 parities in our group. 2 are on one deck - nearly opposite each other - and the other room is on the deck above. While I understand they won't work throughout the entire ship - do we have a shot of them working to connect our rooms? Or - well, are there phones in the rooms...? Sorry - it's been 7 years since I've cruised, so I don't recall. Many thanks!

 

If you're interested, search my posts for many about radios. The short answer to your specific question is: maybe. Radio transmission within a metal structure like a ship will depend on things like atmospherics, how many closed doors are between radios, the particular steel structure that exists between any two spots on the ship, and a myriad of other things. You may get them to work between your two areas one day, and not the next.

 

And yes, there are phones in each cabin.

[rjrpar]

You don't need walkie talkies. Ship is not that big

[jimdalva]

We will be using, FIRECHAT, for the very first time. Thought we would pass the info along in case anyone is interested:

 

Texting does not work on the cruise so we are recommending that you download an app on your phone called FIRECHAT available for both iPhone and Android. Since there will be no wi-fi on the boat (well there is but it's expensive) we recommend downloading the app BEFORE we set sail or you will not be able to once we're at sea. What this app does when you have it ON is create a "web network" essentially it uses everyone's bluetooth connections to send messages to and from other members on the web network. To put it in plain terms, it will allow anyone who has the app to send text messages back & forth to other members who also are using the app. The more people who use it, the better it will work. Since it uses your phones short-range signal no one but those people on the boat who have the app will be included. It's also encrypted so there is no worry about your phone being "hacked."

 

Another good app is SHIP MATE, again you download it when you have Wi-Fi, and then you can use their complete deck plans, off line, to find your way around the ship.

[akcruz]

If you are talking about communicating between cabins, you can use the phones and call directly. No need for walkie talkies in that case.

[FLACRUISER99]

USA walkie talkie frequencies are illegal to use in most foreign countries.

[whitsmom]

We will be using, FIRECHAT, for the very first time. Thought we would pass the info along in case anyone is interested:

 

Texting does not work on the cruise so we are recommending that you download an app on your phone called FIRECHAT available for both iPhone and Android. Since there will be no wi-fi on the boat (well there is but it's expensive) we recommend downloading the app BEFORE we set sail or you will not be able to once we're at sea. What this app does when you have it ON is create a "web network" essentially it uses everyone's bluetooth connections to send messages to and from other members on the web network. To put it in plain terms, it will allow anyone who has the app to send text messages back & forth to other members who also are using the app. The more people who use it, the better it will work. Since it uses your phones short-range signal no one but those people on the boat who have the app will be included. It's also encrypted so there is no worry about your phone being "hacked."

 

Another good app is SHIP MATE, again you download it when you have Wi-Fi, and then you can use their complete deck plans, off line, to find your way around the ship.

 

I looked up FIRECHAT just now, as I haven't heard about it. It looks like you have to be within 100' of each other for it to work. I was a little confused when reading about it - from what I read, it looks like that anybody that is using the app (even if it is other people you don't know) can see your messages too. Is that correct?

[StrikeEagle]

They may still have a small number of DECT phones available for rental. See Guest Services as soon as you board. Last time I checked, they were $25 per cruise.

 

I'm wondering if a home phone Panasonic DECT 6.0 would work on a cruise ship taking into account of the large ship going through layers of decks and metal structure. At home we use it as intercom communicating between each phone.

 

Is the DECT phone they have for rent the same type as the home consumers type ?

 

Thanks

Edited November 12, 2015 by StrikeEagle

[chengkp75]

I'm wondering if a home phone Panasonic DECT 6.0 would work on a cruise ship taking into account of the large ship going through layers of decks and metal structure. At home we use it as intercom communicating between each phone.

 

Is the DECT phone they have for rent the same type as the home consumers type ?

 

Thanks

 

While the DECT frequencies are up where they should provide good penetration of steel structures, the power limitation of the phones limits their application on ships. There is no problem using them in a home, as most homes are not 100 meters long, though closed doors and walls can affect signal, even if not steel. The phones that some lines use onboard are boosted by the use of repeater antenna throughout the ship, so these would be specific to the frequency of the phone being provided.

[StrikeEagle]

While the DECT frequencies are up where they should provide good penetration of steel structures, the power limitation of the phones limits their application on ships. There is no problem using them in a home, as most homes are not 100 meters long, though closed doors and walls can affect signal, even if not steel. The phones that some lines use onboard are boosted by the use of repeater antenna throughout the ship, so these would be specific to the frequency of the phone being provided.

 

Thank you for the technical explanation.

[jenschu]

We just got off the Navigator two weeks ago. We used walki talkies with our kids and they worked great! I can think of only one time they said they were trying to reach us and couldn't...we were out by the pool and they were inside somewhere. They just had to come find us in person! No biggie! They worked all the other times we needed to communicate with one another. Have fun!

By the way, we loved the Navigator!! Had the best week!!

[T.O.cruisers]

We just got off the Navigator two weeks ago. We used walki talkies with our kids and they worked great! I can think of only one time they said they were trying to reach us and couldn't...we were out by the pool and they were inside somewhere. They just had to come find us in person! No biggie! They worked all the other times we needed to communicate with one another. Have fun!

By the way, we loved the Navigator!! Had the best week!!

 

I've used walkie talkies before and they worked great for us as well even though some techie folks on here seemed to say that they can't possibly work. I'll be with my three grandkids on Grandeur over the holidays and I'm still trying to decide if we should use them again or check out these phone apps that others are using.

[laurac22]

We just got off the Navigator two weeks ago. We used walki talkies with our kids and they worked great! I can think of only one time they said they were trying to reach us and couldn't...we were out by the pool and they were inside somewhere. They just had to come find us in person! No biggie! They worked all the other times we needed to communicate with one another. Have fun!

 

By the way, we loved the Navigator!! Had the best week!!

 

 

Can you tell me what brand/ model your walk i.e. Talkies were?

 

Thanks!

[Clarea]

I'm wondering if a home phone Panasonic DECT 6.0 would work on a cruise ship taking into account of the large ship going through layers of decks and metal structure. At home we use it as intercom communicating between each phone.

 

Is the DECT phone they have for rent the same type as the home consumers type ?

 

Thanks

DECT phones have to be "paired" with the base station, so while the consumer phones might use the same tecnology, they would have to make a connection with the base station to be usable. This would require the ship's people to allow pairing with unknown equipment, which I suspect they would be very reluctant to do.

[sailaway2010]

I've seen that people have posted stating Walkie Talkie radios won't work on the ship because the ship is too large... but - - does anyone know if it can work between just 2 decks - - or even down the long hallway of the same deck? We have 3 parities in our group. 2 are on one deck - nearly opposite each other - and the other room is on the deck above. While I understand they won't work throughout the entire ship - do we have a shot of them working to connect our rooms? Or - well, are there phones in the rooms...? Sorry - it's been 7 years since I've cruised, so I don't recall. Many thanks!

 

No idea if the walkie talkies will work for you but I know they will be very annoying to your fellow passengers. The phones in the cabins work well and there are available phones all over the ship. It might be better to make certain check-in times or locations.

[Paulette3028]

No idea if the walkie talkies will work for you but I know they will be very annoying to your fellow passengers. The phones in the cabins work well and there are available phones all over the ship. It might be better to make certain check-in times or locations.

 

DH and I have used our walkie talkies on ships quite a bit. We don't engage in long conversations (which could be annoying to bystanders), we use it to quickly find out where the other person is and find them. It serves a much better function (for us) than agreeing to a meeting place at a specific time....we do what we want as the day goes and connect with each other as needed.

[T.O.cruisers]

:);)

DH and I have used our walkie talkies on ships quite a bit. We don't engage in long conversations (which could be annoying to bystanders), we use it to quickly find out where the other person is and find them. It serves a much better function (for us) than agreeing to a meeting place at a specific time....we do what we want as the day goes and connect with each other as needed.

 

Wow. I finally found someone else that uses walkie talkies and can acknowledge that they do work and are easy enough to use to keep in touch without disturbing others. Now there are two of us Paulette.

[cheers55]

Or....you may not want to have all of this communication...just plan your days and meeting times or places. To be honest, I enjoy not using technology lol. It's vacation...bring me a lounge chair and a vodka and cranberry, see you at dinner.

[laurac22]

DH and I have used our walkie talkies on ships quite a bit. We don't engage in long conversations (which could be annoying to bystanders), we use it to quickly find out where the other person is and find them. It serves a much better function (for us) than agreeing to a meeting place at a specific time....we do what we want as the day goes and connect with each other as needed.

 

 

Could you please tell me what brand/ model you use please?

 

Thanks

[Paulette3028]

:);)

 

Wow. I finally found someone else that uses walkie talkies and can acknowledge that they do work and are easy enough to use to keep in touch without disturbing others. Now there are two of us Paulette.

 

My DH is the ultimate of techy on land.....but on the ship, we need just enough techy to find each other when we want or need to. The walkie-talkie works just fine for us.

 

I do get tired of all the walkie talkie bashers.....especially when I know that they can work perfectly fine and not be the distraction to others that some people imagine.

[rudeney]

We saw a few people on Navigator using FRS walkie-talkies, so I assume they worked somewhat. They were not at al distracting. There is far more noise in the common areas of the ship than a walkie-talkie could possibly make. Of course using them in the MDR to shows would be rude.

 

We bought the 2-device WiFi service and used our cell phones to text each other. The iMessage app that Apple phones use will work over WiFi. We use Message+ on our Androids, which is Verizon's version of iMessage for Android. It also works over WiFi. We just put our phones in airplane mode, then switch on only wifi, and all worked fairly well, though there were some small delays due to the ship's slow WiFi service.

[ppmanusa]

I do get tired of all the walkie talkie bashers.....especially when I know that they can work perfectly fine and not be the distraction to others that some people imagine.

 

There's a reason they get bashed not saying you would abuse it but it does piss off other passengers. To me they're as annoying as the jag-off in the office with their door open always on speaker phone shouting.

 

We've always used the check-in-time method or use the phone to call down to the cabin - Our last cruise on the Princess Regal had text for phones on the network but you had to actually open the app check.