What do y'all use to keep in contact with your family on the ships?

[Jacobnolivia]

We are sailing on the Allure in just a little over a month with my family and my parents. My teenager may want to venture out on his own or we may separate from my parents at times. How do you go about keeping others notified of where you are on the ship? I was thinking about a dry erase board for our door and my husband was thinking of walkie talkies. What do you suggest?

[Clarea]

Leave messages on the stateroom phone.

[matj2000]

Basic common sense.......

[MrsDeee]

We also left messages on the stateroom phone. Very easy.

 

 

Harmony 06/02/18

[Rellyrooly]

We used to use walkie talkies but those were iffy at best.

[accio_7]

On our last two cruises with Disney, we communicated with their Wave phones all throughout the ship or through their app (complimentary use). (We brought a dry-erase board but never ended up putting it up as magnet wasn’t strong enough lol.) I haven’t sailed with Royal in 10 years, but I’m planning to purchase a Voom package for my solo cruise on Adventure in December and use either iMessage, Facebook or some online messaging service to communicate with new friends onboard.

 

 

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[Spunky946]

We just pick a place and a time to meet back up. We pick a place the first day to meet for breakfast and lunch and use that for our base for the trip.

[setsail]

Post-it's on the cabin door

[SRF]

Walkie talkies do not work well on ships, due to all the metal walls.

 

Walkie talkies may not be legal in other countries.

[Chiliburn]

We find we do our own thing and usually meet up in the cabin.

[griffy116]

From before VOOM, we would all have dinner together and discuss our individual plans for the next day. We also easily found "favorite" places where we tended to stay when out by the pool. We would leave messages on the cabin phones if plans changed. There are house phones all around the ship you can use. One of our group on a cruise tried walkie-talkies and it drove us and them crazy because it just wasn't always reliable. We've purchased VOOM this time.

[gatour]

This pretty much describe me and my wife. Except we also discuss our plans for the day at breakfast once we peruse the Compass. I also usually find one or two favorite places inside and outside to read while my wife goes about her activities.

 

From before VOOM, we would all have dinner together and discuss our individual plans for the next day. We also easily found "favorite" places where we tended to stay when out by the pool. We would leave messages on the cabin phones if plans changed. There are house phones all around the ship you can use. One of our group on a cruise tried walkie-talkies and it drove us and them crazy because it just wasn't always reliable. We've purchased VOOM this time.

[bruzin_for_a_cruizin]

We have a magnetic white board we just stick to the cabin wall. Family members know to check in periodically during the day and leave a note with their location until the next check in period.

 

It's worked well for us.

[mbarnes27]

We use a magnetic dry erase sheet that stays on the door nicely since it's so lightweight and magnetic across the entire back. Then we leave a dry erase marker or two in each cabin. We'll periodically leave a note of where we're heading to with our initials and the time we're writing the note like "Gone to Flowrider. -MB (2pm)". If nothing else we always end up meeting up at dinner.

[OCSC Mike]

We also used magnetic white boards on a family cruise on Oasis last summer. DW got them mostly b/c she thought our 7 year old niece would like them (and she did) and they were only a couple bucks at Walmart. Post-It's would have worked just as well of course.

 

Once on board we came up with another practical use for them. When we met our (extremely friendly) cabin steward, we asked if it would be OK to leave him messages that way and he was cool with it. We don't generally have a ton of requests but it was still handy. My SIL used it for that purpose the most due to her young kids and a few issues that popped up for them.

[Havingfun2010]

I embedded chips in my kids to track them. If they step foot in an area not allowed, it gave them an electric shock.

 

My kids had watches (and were taught how to use them) and they were told when to be back at the room for dinner, where they were also required to dress in dinner attire. One of the big problems today, is that the cell phone, has eliminated voice communications and comprehension. Just 10 years ago, all you had to do is tell your kids what was expected, and the time to be someplace, and they managed to do it. I'm sure it could still work today, with practice.

[QueenofKrakatoa]

Carrier pigeon

[StrikeEagle]

Leave messages on the stateroom phone.

 

Is the only way to check voice message by going back your room and check it from there ? Is there anyway I can check message left for my room remotely using another phone around the ship ?

 

Thanks

[Clarea]

Is the only way to check voice message by going back your room and check it from there ? Is there anyway I can check message left for my room remotely using another phone around the ship ?

 

Thanks

Not that I am aware of.

[Desert Cruizers]

On our family cruise, we set up our meeting time & location for each day, the night before.

[maddie mom]

I purchased the VOOM and my GF and I were always in touch. Texted from CA to VA and sent video worth the $

 

 

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[cb at sea]

Texting tells you nothing except what the "texter" wants to tell you. Talk to your family...find out their plans...tell them your plans. Have meet up times. Once in a while, physically "check in"...either you find your teen, or have them find you. Looking them in the eye will tell you a lot.

 

If you trust your child, you won't need them to text you...they'll tell you where they'll be, and that's that....trust, but verify!

[TimeToGetNauti]

As previously stated, walkie talkies are not reliable. I have used sticky notes on my cabin door for my cruise mates to know where to find me with no problems. I have also left notes inside for my husband if he is off wandering without me, or vice versa. This system seems to work well. Of course phone calls to others rooms and messages left are better if your parents cabins are not near yours. For your child I would suggest meet up times throughout the day to check in if they want to wander around.

[Rala]

Texting tells you nothing except what the "texter" wants to tell you. Talk to your family...find out their plans...tell them your plans. Have meet up times. Once in a while, physically "check in"...either you find your teen, or have them find you. Looking them in the eye will tell you a lot.

 

If you trust your child, you won't need them to text you...they'll tell you where they'll be, and that's that....trust, but verify!

 

Nice little platitude there, but if you have to verify then you are not really "trusting".