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COMMUNICATION: Who Wants Cell Service At Sea???

sail7seas

By sail7seas,
in Holland America Line

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AZjohn

AZjohn

Posted
Posted

First of all, I will also say that I so enjoy Rita’s post’s and sad to say we for once we do not agree, but I think it’s OK to not agree all the time;) .

With all the post stating that they should or will have designated area for cell phone, who told you that?

Do you think this communication company who is fronting the capital cost to install this service is doing it for a local or a small area? Do you really know how they limit the size of reception on a cruise ship?

Just my opinion, but the area of coverage will be very wide (not like your wireless computer transmitter). Though I could be completely naive about this whole issue…

Bottom line, it is going to happen and no matter what my opinion is, it’s not going to change the cell phone usage on HAL.:o

John

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airlink diva

airlink diva

Posted
Posted
I think if we start to hear cell phones ringing all over the ship, that's when we will quit cruising.

Call me old fashion, but I consider cell phones a blessing and a curse!! I have a pre-paid phone due to the very limited time that I use my phone. I have people that know me that tell others, you can forget about contacting her on a cell phone, she rarely answers or takes days or weeks to call back!

I'm in my mid 30's :D and I can recall a time when you only had just home phones and pay phones. What amazes me with most people is what's so important that you can't wait to talk to someone at home about?

As for cell phones on cruises, I cringed just to hear what some people would talk about. It's a sea day and I'm trying to relax with a good book, a foo-foo drink and a warm sea breeze and then hear come someone walking by or sitting down next to me talking loudly about "Yeah, I'm on the ship in the middle of the ocean. No, I'm just walking around doing nothing, you mean Sarah wore what to the office party, you know she was always tacky". Anyway you get my point, useless chatting about nothing.

On my last cruise, at every port when you got off the boat, there was someone that was attempting to make a cell phone call. Now I know if it was someone with kids left at home, or some very important work business, I can understand. But most of these calls (the few that were able to get a signal) were useless chatter.

We are on vacation, not at home! Do like I do, call when I get on the boat (in my room). I'm here and I talk to you in a week", plug the phone up for charging and forget about it!!

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newmexicoNita

newmexicoNita

Posted
Posted
I'm against it, not that it'll matter. The people who say they "need" to stay in touch, well, it just makes me wonder HOW in heaven people EVER used to take cruises or other vacations where telephones were not real handy?? I'm sure there are (and were "back in the days) people who truly did "need" to stay in touch (brain surgeons perhaps??). People think that constant access to communication is a "need" today simply because the technology is here and they're used to the plethora of cell phones. Yes, I take mine aboard so that I can call my ride when the cruise is over. Otherwise, it stays locked in the safe. I vacation to get away and NOT be in constant touch. I want to relax and truly "be there" where I am.

I'm sounding older and more curmudgeonier (is that a word) every day. Oh dear!

and ya know, even those who say: well what if there is an emergancy at home: someone is sick or dieing, if I'm not mistaken we are given a number to leave behind in case someone does need to get in touch with us. Of course we all knew this would come to be someday, but oh how I wish it hadn't. I just see too many people using them everywhere now days with no regards to others. I am not going to claim I don't use mine, I do. I have been known to call DH and ask him what kind of beer he wants to buy or he will call me say he is on his way home, etc. What I don't need is to hear someone holding a conversation while doing their shopping or worse yet while playing the slots or eating dinner at a restaurant. I think I will say no more!!!! NMNita

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HeatherInFlorida

HeatherInFlorida

Posted
Posted

I have a prepaid cellphone that costs me $15/month and it told me the other day that I have 25 hours on it. That's how infrequently I use it.

 

I applaud having cellphones for certain situations. I could list them, but we all know all the good uses for cell phones.

 

But I'm also old enough to remember when we couldn't be reached every minute of the day (I still can't). And somehow we managed and life went on and people went on vacation. We rented cottages on Cape Cod with no phone in them.

 

We went on cruises with no TV's, no internet service and no phones. And we were thrilled we couldn't be reached except for an emergency. And please please please don't anyone start with the "Change is here and you must accept it" because I don't have to. Change may be here, but I absolutely don't have to accept it and I've been known to dissolve people with a simple stare.:)

 

I can only hope it is $4.00/minute so that it discourages friendly chats with the folks back home. They don't want to hear what a great time you're having anyway!!!

 

And for some reason no one knows how to speak in a normal tone on a cell phone. I'm convinced that people still believe that their conversation is interesting to the rest of us.:confused: :confused:

 

It's not for me. When we want to get away, we want to get away.

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kryos

kryos

Posted
Posted
It often is. But the permanent loss is the domain of men.:)

Sadly, it plagues both sexes. I'm absolutely terrible with directions. I can't tell you how many times, when I was heavily involved in skydiving, that I "lost" the airport under canopy. "How on earth do you lose an airport?" my father would often ask. Well, I did it ... several times. I can't tell you the places I've landed my parachute when I couldn't locate the airport.

 

I know at the one place I jumped, I made people exceptionally nervous with my poor directional skills. We had a nuclear power plant, the twin towers of Limerick, just a few miles up the road from our landing zone. Some folks actually had a running bet as to when I would land there. :( Thank God I never did.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

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RuthC

RuthC

Posted
Posted

I never cease to be amazed by the inane blather I hear from people yapping away on cell phones. Do they never shut up? Do they ever say anything intelligent? Sure can't tell from the phone conversations they allow me to be a part of---whether or not I want to! :eek:

Do I have any reason to believe that it will be different at sea? No, sorry to say, I don't. Perhaps at first there won't be too much interference with my cruise, but as time goes on things will change.

Remember when cell phones first came out? They were carried for "emergencies". Definition of "emergency" certainly has changed, now hasn't it. People can't even drive down the street without calling someone to ask "whacha doin'?" :rolleyes:

There are ways to reach you on the ship in a true emergency. They are expensive ways. to be sure. but that kind of keeps their use to a real "emergency", now doesn't it.

If we must change telephone access on ships I would prefer to go back to the days when the cabin phone only reached somewhere else on the ship and to call shore you had to go to the radio room.

If we must extend cell phone availability to ships at sea at least restrict coverage to the cabin. Inside the cabin. In the bathroom. With the door closed. :D

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HeatherInFlorida

HeatherInFlorida

Posted
Posted

Ruth, as usual my last post got stuck on the bottom of a page so you may not even have seen it but I agree with you 100%.

 

Do you know I read not that long ago that there is a large percentage of people (I can't remember the percent but it was staggaring) that appear to be talking on a cellphone but there is no one on the other end????!!!!

 

They think it makes them look important!!!! How stupid is that!!!???:rolleyes: Maybe it's because it gives the impression that they are so valuable and necessary that they can't be away from the office or home for a single second.

 

I don't know how they figured this out, but I don't know how they figure much of anything out.

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kryos

kryos

Posted
Posted
Do you know I read not that long ago that there is a large percentage of people (I can't remember the percent but it was staggaring) that appear to be talking on a cellphone but there is no one on the other end????!!!!

I don't doubt it. I use public transportation here in Philly, and one bus I take is about a 20 minute ride. There are people on that bus ... and we're talking like 11:00 p.m. to midnight here ... who are yapping on their phones from the time I get on the bus until we all disembark at the end of the line. First of all, if I just called someone to yak at that time of night, they would take my head off. Secondly, there is no one I know who would want to just yak on the phone for that long a time. For me and my circle of friends, the phone is something to use to set up a meeting time, or to say "I really need to see you. When can you come over?" It's not for long, drawn out conversations.

 

Of course, that's just me. Many of these people I see on the phone are much younger than I.

 

Also, you ever notice those folks on the phone with the earpiece and wire with the attached microphone. The phone itself stays in their pocket? If you don't look closely and see the wire, you'd think that they were carrying on a conversation with themselves. But, then ... again, maybe they are. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

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HoneyGV

HoneyGV

Posted
Posted

I have Cingular cell service and I can use my phone at sea already if I need to get in touch with someone.

I generally leave it turned off, but did have it on when my dad wasn't doing very well and I had it turned on in case I had to fly home from a port if anything happened.

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HeatherInFlorida

HeatherInFlorida

Posted
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...............Also, you ever notice those folks on the phone with the earpiece and wire with the attached microphone. The phone itself stays in their pocket? If you don't look closely and see the wire, you'd think that they were carrying on a conversation with themselves. But, then ... again, maybe they are. :)

--rita

 

LOL!! I know! I always think they're talking to me ... how conceited is that??? Especially if I'm online in the grocery store and someone is just starting their conversation with "Hi there!" ... I turn and say "Hi!" and end up feeling a bit silly.

 

I just hate the things. I don't know why people have to talk all the time ... at gas stations, shopping, driving .... and now cruising.:rolleyes:

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kryos

kryos

Posted
Posted
I just hate the things. I don't know why people have to talk all the time ... at gas stations, shopping, driving .... and now cruising.:rolleyes:

Believe me, Heather, I hate them too. I originally got one because I needed to be reachable for work. The company gave us beepers, but I didn't care to have to run around looking for a phone booth to return a call. So, I just got a cell phone and dumped the company-supplied beeper. These days I don't need the phone any longer for work. Rarely do they need to call me. But now I keep it because of my dad. He's going on 93, and I like him to be able to reach me when I am out ... in case he needs anything.

 

I always say that when the sad day comes that dad is no longer around, the cell phone contract gets cancelled and the phone handed in. I hardly use the thing anymore anyway, and people can always leave messages on my home phone if I am out.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

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HeatherInFlorida

HeatherInFlorida

Posted
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LOL!!!:D You're all funny and you're all right, including (mostly Kahlil).

 

Rita, don't get me wrong ... I do think cellphones have their place and I always have mine withe me, though seldom turned on. There are times that their value cannot be measured.

 

I just think they're way overused and I fail to understand why people are so bored with themselves these days that they have to be talking to someone else literally all the time.

 

Guess I'm just at peace with myself.:) Thank you for posting that, Jim.

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Bramcruiser

Bramcruiser

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Posted

I just think they're way overused and I fail to understand why people are so bored with themselves these days that they have to be talking to someone else literally all the time.

 

Guess I'm just at peace with myself.:) Thank you for posting that, Jim.

 

 

Well said Heather. Those who feel they have to play with the "toys" all the time and entertain themselves are usually those who complain that there is not a lot to do when they are on a ship - or at least a HAL ship compared to a party or adventure boat. Okay, I wouldn't want to constantly walk around the promenade deck for 30 days trying to find something to do but I was more than happy just to do that, take an afternnon nap and find little things to do on the Oosterdam for three days at sea. I agree with you that those comfortable enough with themselves do not need to continue to look elsewhere for stimulation.

 

Besides, I love peace and quiet. Never get enough of it in the everyday life so I appreciate it out in the middle of the ocean.

 

David

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