Coming Soon? Cells at Sea...What do you think?

[HeatherInFlorida]

Getting caught up on reading my newspapers this week and front page in Business News in The Palm Beach Post on Monday is an article "Ship to Shore - Cruise lines are working to bring tech amenities to passengers". I read the article with horror.

It says that soon the "cacophony of ringing cellphones may shatter the tranquility many passengers cherish with a new service the industry is beginning to embrace". One of my greatest joys at sea is not seeing the inevitable extension on everyone's ear accompanied by the loud babbling that goes along with it. Everyone on land seems to feel that their conversations are of interest to the masses and IMHO bringing that annoyance to sea is a huge disappointing step.

So I thought I'd throw it into this forum and get your views! What do you think? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

[dakrewser]

Yuck! I go to sea, in part, to get away from cell phone conversations.

 

Now, internet connectivity (at a reasonable price), that I might go for! :)

[Orcrone]

I think I would apply the same criteria I would at land. I don't think it would bother me by the pool. But I don't want to hear the things going off during the shows, in the dining room or the movie theater. Personally, I put my phone in vibrate mode fairly often. If someone calls I just look at the caller ID and decide whether to call the person back later. I'll never have a conversation in an inappropriate place.

[sail7seas]

I hate the idea of it.

 

 

Bad enough we have to listen to people screaming into their cells all over the place at home, I already have a headache just thinking about the selfish boars who will continue screaming into the cell phones at the pool, in the lounges, in the shows, in the dining room. I hope the cruiselines make (and enforce) firm rules about the distruption to other pax. The same folks who love screeching into their two-way walkie talkies will have the choice of screaming into phones as well. :(

 

 

I doubt the cruiselines will be totally thrilled. No one will be using the satelite phones in the cabins if they can use the cellphones for alot less money.

[peaches from georgia]

I absolutely agree! This is a worse than horrible idea. Forget making rules about no phones in dining rooms, shows, or lounges. Look at the 'rules' situation already- does anybody follow any rules now on land or on a ship? Phones will be ringing wherever you are and people will be screaming in your ear on their 'dam phone, just as you close your eyes and relax at the pool.

 

This is one issue I will definetely make my opinion known to HAL and would make it a BIG consideration in what line I book. If they can confiscate booze at the gangway, they 'dam well can confiscate cell phones! :mad:

[HeatherInFlorida]

Orcrone, unfortunately I fear your good manners with cellphones is not the norm.

 

Sail7, you're a girl after my heart and how did I know that would be your response;) ? Peaches, Dakrewser, thanks for joining in our fight against this!!!:)

 

I'm going to quote part of this article for you because it appears that it's only a matter of time. Here are parts of the article:

 

"Carnival Corp. & Plc, the world's largest cruise company, is testing cellphone service on its Costa Cruises line in Europe and plans to install the equipment on more ships....."

 

"Carnival's main rival, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., just began offering the service on the Island Escape, a ship it operates in the Mediterranean...."

 

"Charges for cruise cell calls appear on the user's wireless bill at home. The service is available only for phones on the GSM network standard. Prices for the U.S.-based cruises haven't been set yet, but they could be similar to rates on European cruises where the price per minute can be about $1.69, roughly the same as a roaming call....in comparison, satellite phone calls can cost $6 to $8 a minute."

 

"The cellphone signals piggyback on systems that transmit Internet data to cruise ships via satellite...."

 

Colin Veitch, head of NCL,is exploring the technology and says "I think you should offer as many amenities as you can, and if you find that the bulk of your passengers don't want it, you'll hear about it pretty quickly." He goes on to say..."Are you going to be annoyed by sitting next to the pool and having somebody talking on their cellphone? Probably not any more annoyed than just having a noisy person next to you ... people will just get used to it." (personal note ... NOT THIS PERSON:eek: )

 

All those quotes are from "The Palm Beach Post". IMHO I'd prefer the cruiselines get my message BEFORE not AFTER they add all the technology necessary to offer it.

 

Offering Internet service is one thing because you go into a room and do your thing. I enjoy it myself. But this is different. This includes all of us even if we don't want to take part in it. It's kind of like being forced into a room full of smokers even if you don't want to smoke.

[doone]

I agree also, I hate the idea of cell phones at sea. I take one with me to call home when I reach Florida, I'll check in at home, sometimes, with the land phones at different ports, but there's nothing worse than listening to ringing phones all the time, ugh.

[Bubba_59]

If I might play "Devil's Advocate", I don't think it would bother me much. However, STRICT controls would have to be applied to regulate their use. Not allowing them in shows or at dinner would be a good start. I would have enjoyed being able to contact my teen daughters from time to time (without the ship to shore costs) rather than disappearing for a week with no contact at all.

[cactuslady]

Gee, so far it's just been those pampered few who can afford satellite cell phone who have been able to disrupt the general tranquility so far. That makes it a snob thing, I suppose, and there should be some rule that those folks should be charged as if they were using the ship's phone. That would satisfy the "No perks just because you spent more money" crowd.

 

But in the future, when cell phones at sea become generally available to the masses, we will, sadly, have to address the dress code aspects. Should HAL adopt and/or enforce a rule regarding no headsets at the table on lobster night? :confused:

 

As for me, I'll be quite happy packing along my 200 foot mast antenna, guy wires for securing the mast to the rail, transmission key and Morse Code booklet. The mast and guy wires will also be useful to support the circus tent needed to contain all the acts appearing on the Blender thread. :D

 

Now, if it were just possible to go to sea to get away from Bingo announcements . . .

[HeatherInFlorida]

If I might play "Devil's Advocate", I don't think it would bother me much. However, STRICT controls would have to be applied to regulate their use. Not allowing them in shows or at dinner would be a good start. I would have enjoyed being able to contact my teen daughters from time to time (without the ship to shore costs) rather than disappearing for a week with no contact at all.

Bubba, you sure can play Devil's Advocate and I certainly don't expect everyone to agree with me. but forgive me for:D :D :Ding out loud , but you want to see "STRICT controls"??? Are you being funny? My idea of strict control would be to allow them in cabins only!!!!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

 

I absolutely don't want cell phones to be allowed to be used on cruise ships. I don't want to hear them while I am eating, sitting by the pool, out on my verandah while someone is yelling into their phone. And I don't want to be awaken at night by the rining of a cell phone next door. It would be my luck that they would keep it on the nightstand right at my head.

:)

[Bill S]

Though there will undoudtedly some who will cheer at this technological development, I for one find it disappointing in most respects, mainly for all the reasons previously cited and the rampant lack of cell phone courtesy that abounds these days. I go on cruises, in part, to "unplug" so to speak from intrusive devices such as pagers and cell phones. The internet is different because, you sort of have to go to it to use it. I am sure that HAL, and all other cruise lines, will do nothing to enforce common sense and civilltiy in use of cell phones at sea. I took a satellite phone on a cruise last year because 3 principals in my firm were all on board, but I used it only to call out and when I did, I was at the aft end of the Statendam all by myself, so as not to bother anyone. OK, that's my opinion, and I will step off the soap box now for the next person looking to get incinerated. :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

[the2ofus]

I have taken my cell phone with me on cruises and used it out on the Lower Prom deck for short phone calls home when we reach a port where it can make the connection. I use it basically to "check in" with my elderly aunt and my kids so if there is anything I need to know before I get home, they can tell me. I doubt if any of the phone calls has lasted more than 2 or 3 minutes, and I find a spot away from other people before I call.

 

By contrast, I have known people to make extended cell phone calls while waiting in airports. You learn such interesting things! If I arrived first and the call begins to annoy me I just get REALLY interested and sometimes they get up and go away. :D

[jhannah]

Strict controls? It'll never happen! The relaxing cruise will end up just like all other facets of our lives where people are walking around talking to the air. And it will happen during dinner, movies, shows, etc.

 

Sorry. Count my vote as a resounding no!!!

[iluvcruzin]

I take my cell phone with me now. I use it when I get on the ship to call home to my kids. I used it in Hawaii to call the car rental companies to ask them to meet me at the pier. I use it the last night of the cruise when we are within range to check the homefront too. And it's great if you are trying to meet others for a sail-away or pre-cruise get together as a means of contact.

 

There are international satelite phones you can get now that pick up over large distances. I guess this will be similar.

 

My thinking is it wouldn't be much different than the 2-ways onboard. The ringing is annoying. We use 2-ways but turn them on Vibrate. If I had a cellphone it would be vibrate too. Sometimes the music on board is too loud to hear the ring anyhow.

[jhannah]

Heather ... is there someone at the newspaper you could call to get the link to that story? I did a search online for cellphones, cell phones, and Carnival Corp. and nothing came up. I'd like to read the full text. Thanks.

[Vic The Parrot]

Whatever happened to the idea of 'getting away from it all'???

 

 

The last thing I want to hear on a ship is a cell phone going off, not to mention the incessant BABBLING of what that individual did the previous day, or WILL be doing later!

 

Do we really have to allow those intrusions when we're on VACATION?

Give me a f%#@!n break already!

[HeatherInFlorida]

Jim, let me look into that. In the meantime, I can tell you it was in the Monday 7/26/04 issue with a byline of John Pain (The Associated press). So I'm sure it was in other papers. Let me see what I can do. It's in a section called "Inside Local Business".

[Theresa04]

I agree with everyone that cell phones can be disruptive and rude, particularly on vacation. But it would be nice to be able to check in with spouses, family and significant others from the privacy of one's own cabin without incurring huge costs. It's probably true that there would be no way to enforce that rule, though. I guess it's the "you give an inch, they take a mile" philosophy!

[BorderLady]

I agree with those who say there are plenty of means to keep in touch, emails, phone booths on port stops, high dollar ship-to-shore phone calls (in case a call really IS important).

 

The airlines seem to have a pretty good plan – cell phone use is permissable sitting at the terminal and while on the taxiway. But when the engines power up, there is an announcement to “discontinue use of your cell phones and other electronic devices.” People comply, no doubt because they don’t wish to be put off the plane.

[jhannah]

Heather ... thanks, but never mind. I found it elsewhere. Here's the link if you want to read the Associated Press story:

 

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20040718-0957-cruisetechnology.html

[HeatherInFlorida]

Heather ... is there someone at the newspaper you could call to get the link to that story? I did a search online for cellphones, cell phones, and Carnival Corp. and nothing came up. I'd like to read the full text. Thanks.

Whoops! We overlapped so I've deleted my response! Glad you found it! I was going to type it out, but now no need.:)

[GrammyPL]

We don't own a cell phone. So---you know that I vote NO for having them on a ship. I don't care what rules they make--some people just think they are special and will break the rules anyway.

[dexter]

Okay did anyone else think "brig" when you read "cells" at sea? My first response was..."yes, there are some people that I would love to see spend their cruise behind bars in a cell". Glad I read the entire post.

[RevNeal]

I don't care what rules they make--some people just think they are special and will break the rules anyway.

 

Rules?

They can't make any rules governing when and how long and how loud I will talk on MY cell phone on MY cruise. I PAID for this cruise, and I PAID for my cell phone, and I'm REALLY PAYING for the at-sea roaming charges! How DARE anyone impose their opinions about what's right and wrong on me, or judge me for wanting to talk on MY cell phone on MY cruise in the dining room or the show lounge or Piano Bar!!!

 

Don't you old geezers realize that young, hip people expect to be able to be reached at a moment's notice, no matter where they are on the planet?? This idea of "getting away from it all" is archaic, it's a fantasy, it's an old person's way of of looking at cruises! I talk on the cell-phone all the time ... why should I be expected to put it away or turn it off while I'm on my cruise? This lack of a cell phone is a con-job on the part of the Cruise line to make us use their internet access and ship-to-shore overpriced phone system! They don't allow us to have cell phones onboard to force us to use their communications systems and, thus, spend a lot of money! So ... even if HAL doesn't set up a cell system on its ships, I'm gonna smuggle my own satellite phone onboard and use it however or where ever I want, no matter what the line or my passengers think or say.

 

The idea of the line having a policy regarding cell phone usage is just ridiculous; everyone should do what they think best, and just ignore the "Cell Phone Police!"

 

So THERE! [/sarcasem]

 

;)