How do you keep track of family members while on the ship?

[Dall]

Does Celebrity have a phone plan for keeping in touch with other passengers? I thought I read that there is a cruiseline that offers this.

 

 

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[remaxlu]

We used to bring two way radios (walkie talkies) when traveling with our young teens.

 

 

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[Luvcrusn]

I tie them loosely to the martini bar.;p

[Straughn]

Travel solo. No worries.

[rsquirrel]

Magnetic Mini Whiteboard. On our last Disney cruise we had one. It came in handy to let the other person know where we were. We kept it on the inside of the stateroom door.

 

I guess I will have to make sure my mom packs it, I believe she took it home with her after the last cruise.

[varoo]

We just leave voicemail messages for people on their stateroom phones, from wherever on the ship we happen to be at the time.

 

Every now and then you can actually catch someone in the cabin who picks up the phone.

 

[GeorgiaPeach51]

We use yellow sticky notes on the door...."gone to the gym at 8:15". Works well and saves wandering around searching for people.

[TMLAalum]

Princess is the cruise line that has a messaging system- a point that my loyal Princess friend touts all the time along with the self-serve laundries aboard their vessels. To quote her:

"You mean they don't have (fill-in-the-blank) on Celebrity?":rolleyes:

[garyl62]

We usually have all 4 perks and only 2 people per stateroom so everyone gets unlimited internet. We just stay logged in all the time and use facebook messenger.

[TeeRick]

Yes if you have unlimited WiFi, you can use WiFi Calling or text-messaging on the ship.

[gerelmx]

We are on vacation and disconnected from the world. Only when we are at port, try to find a free WiFi, post and receive something. My son's will contact me via cellphone at port or via emergency phone number at the ship, only emergency!!

 

No news are good news

[Spunky946]

We always find a central place to meet during the day, usually somewhere on the pool deck. Then a we will be here at this time kind of thing.

 

 

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[Texed]

Princess friend touts all the time along with the self-serve laundries aboard their vessels. To quote her:

"You mean they don't have (fill-in-the-blank) on Celebrity?":rolleyes:

 

Just tell her that Celebrity is so service oriented that they do not want their guest to have to go to a "washateria" on their vacation. :D

[Tapi]

Our communication methods have changed over the years.

 

On our most recent cruise on Disney, we took advantage of their free app which allows you to message each other using your personal phone. No need to purchase WiFi.

 

On a previous Carnival cruise, we took walkie talkies (which don’t work that great because the signal is hindered). Even though they had an 8 mile range, we couldn’t hear each other if we were on opposite ends of the ship, even on the same floor. But we could hear each other if we were on different floors right above or below each other.

 

On a Holland America cruise traveling with 14 family members, we agreed that we would leave voice messages on each other’s cabin’s and then we would check them periodically throughout the day. That seemed to work quite well.

 

Besides that, we’ve just agreed about a time and a place where to check in throughout the day.

 

 

 

 

 

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[vtcruising]

If you don't use technology to stay in touch, here are a few tips I have learned over the years (husband not into communication technology):

 

We have the cabin attendant give us two copies of the dailies every night and we go through potential events we each want to attend before we go to sleep and take notes on what each other might do the next day.

 

On sea days, we like to be flexible and often each do our own thing, so know that plans may change. What we do though is make a lunch date - time and place. That way, we can touch base, spend some time together discussing our adventures of the morning and discuss afternoon and evening plans. As long as he keeps track of the time (without a watch, cell or kindle), that works well.

 

Another thing you could do as a group to help prevent frustration is to decide a general area of the sun decks on which you can likely can be found, what section of the theatre you might be in, etc. to help locate each other when meeting in one of those large areas.

 

When we go with others, we leave phone messages in the room and after a few days we know everyone's favorite haunts - al Bacio, casino, Sunset Bar, etc. and head there first.

 

Sometimes you will just wander around looking for each other and that is okay too - lots of good people watching out there and maybe then you will walk by the gelato and feel you deserve a scoop since you just did all that walking.

 

And sometimes we don't want to be found - if I spend 3 hours in the casino, no one needs to know. :D

[jc3443]

On our cruises so far we have really just not worried too much about it. I could usually find my wife and two kids in one of about 4 places. Pool, pool table, buffet, stateroom. I hate the idea of Walkie Talkies but we have been considering devices called GoTenna.

 

These are little WiFi devices that relay text messages through an app on your phone. Basically each person has their phone and a GoTenna and you text them directly. The amazing part about the technology is that the GoTenna's will relay through other GoTennas using encryption. So lets say my family and yours are all on the boat and have Gotenna's, you could text someone in your family and to reach them the message would could bounce off the GoTenna's that I have even thought we don't know each other. They create a network that is independent of ship wifi and cell service. Pretty cool technology.

 

Here is a post on the GoTenna Mesh network about people using it on a cruise ship.

https://meshcommunity.gotenna.com/t/aboard-a-cruise-ship/1705

 

Edit to add: Two of them are about $180 on Amazon so they aren't cheap. Also, the link below lets you see how many Gotenna Mesh's are out there, including fixed relay stations. I am going to pick up a couple soon and test them out. If I like them we will be bringing them on our 2019 cruise.

https://www.imeshyou.com/

Edited February 7, 2018 by jc3443

[Tommy3putts]

Much ado about nothing. With the exception of Walkie Talkies, all good options above but really unnecessary.

 

Walkie Talkies don’t work and usually are noisy and annoying to your fellow passengers.

[Bo1953]

Just tell her that Celebrity is so service oriented that they do not want their guest to have to go to a "washateria" on their vacation. :D

 

Amen, if one needs to wash clothes themselves, then wait until you get to a port and do it there... OR there is the sink in the cabin, if that is not your cup of tea..

 

 

Since I Am the one who does the laundry at home, I welcome the opportunity to let someone else take care of it to my specs when on vacation.

 

... and I can wait 24 hours to get it back, too!

 

Oh, as for keeping track of family and friends while aboard, how many pools, bars and restaurants are there to check outside of evening activities? Not so many that I cannot take a stroll from top to bottom of the ship to find them... if I do not, guess what, I continue on with my activities and know that we will see each other by late afternoon/early evening...

 

bon voyage

Edited February 7, 2018 by Bo1953

[Algebralovr]

We tend to have a pattern on board. I find a place I like during sea days. The group generally wanders until they find me, then they look for me there or the Cafe Al Bacio. If traveling with a large group, we rent an alcove for the week as a home base.

[davekathy]

I prefer not to be found on sea days during the day.

Edited February 7, 2018 by davekathy

[FLJudi]

Unless you have little children who are in the kids club, let everyone do what they want and meet for drinks before dinner. You don’t need to be tied at the hip.

[watchdiva]

Please don’t use walkie talkies (or talk on your cell phone) in public spaces. I have no desire to hear your conversations...

 

 

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[Banjo]

Back in the 90s when we started cruising with children, everyone had a walkie-talkie.

[Marelaine]

I prefer not to be found on sea days during the day.

 

Same with me. I also prefer not to keep track of anyone else.

[GottaKnowWhen]

Does Celebrity have a phone plan for keeping in touch with other passengers? I thought I read that there is a cruiseline that offers this.

 

 

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Your question seems to be based on an assumption that there is some reason why somebody would need to keep track of other passengers. (Family members?) Most of the replies have directly or indirectly questioned that assumption. It really would help, OP, if you could explain who the Other Passengers are and why you feel like keeping in touch. Then realistic strategies could be suggested.

Just guessing that your Other Passengers are family, I will say from my own experience that I know my family and can pretty well know where they will be and what they will be doing without a whole lot of anxiety. Worst case if we don’t connect beforehand, they will probably show up at the table in the MDR at the appointed time.