Locating Family Members onboard

[technogogo]

We have our first cruise coming up in the summer on Independence OTS. We are married couple with 2 children aged 15 and 12. Both are looking forward to the children's clubs and presumably will spend quite a lot of their time there. Not that we are trying to get rid of them.... ok we are!

 

So we were wondering if anyone has advice on how to meet up while onboard? What have people done on earlier cruises? Pre-arrange to meet the older children somewhere onboard near the children's club? Or do you have to pick them up in person? What if they want to leave early? Is there a parental pager system? I don't suppose personal mobile radios work too well on board?

[worthyfamily]

We just got off the Mariner with our 2 14 year old daughters and 16 year old son. We rented the dect phones for $25 a piece, one for them and one for us. It was well worth the money to be able to get in touch with them since the ship was so big and teenagers tend to wander around. If you are interested you will need to go to guest services as soon as you get on the ship to rent them as there are not many. Let me know if you have any other questions.

[KeywestK]

I never cruised with kids, so I don't know if the kids' activities counselors use paging systems, but my husband and I always take our Motorola walkie talkies with us on cruises. It's a good way to be able to keep in touch while onboard, or even if we go separate ways in port (I love to shop, he doesn't!)

 

Karen

[Sea Island Lady]

When our children were that age, we would set-up arranged meeting times. At other times, we left sticky notes for each other in the stateroom and we also took advantage of the ship's public phones to call the stateroom and check on the children, if they decided to stay in and watch a movie, etc..

 

If you take the option of using the walkie talkies, be sure that your children know they are not a toy. It can get very annoying hearing that static noise all over the ship. We have run into children playing "spy" and other games while onboard. Nothing worse than sitting next to someone at the pool and have them carrying on a static conversation with someone that is just a deck below! :rolleyes: The walkie talkies are a great tool, if used sensibly!

[cruiseguy1016]

When we've cruised with our kids we have always had a meeting time or place to keep track of each other. Usually we would tell them where we were going to be and then say "come check in with us in an hour" or whatever. We always made sure they were back in the room in time to get ready for dinner. So people will say it's wrong but we always tried to give the kids some freedom so they could enjoy their vacation too.

[Dave Wojo]

With our 14 year old son, we arranged set times to get together. Also, we bring a small dry erase board for leaving each other notes. We would also just happen to run into each other throughout the day. It all worked out pretty well. :)

 

This is all for sea days. Port days, he stayed with us if we went ashore. :)

[ksjserv]

With all the cruises we've been on we have never taken anything to keep in touch except out cell phones. This next cruise, next month, we've decided to take thee walkie talkies that one of our sons gave us to keep in touch. Seems like we're always in a different area on the ship and it's gonna be a lot cheaper than using out cells to call each other. The phone charges while at sea are outrageous.

[FanofFlorida]

We just got off the Mariner with our 2 14 year old daughters and 16 year old son. We rented the dect phones for $25 a piece, one for them and one for us. It was well worth the money to be able to get in touch with them since the ship was so big and teenagers tend to wander around. If you are interested you will need to go to guest services as soon as you get on the ship to rent them as there are not many. Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

Are these the size of a regular cell phone?

How successful were you in reaching one another?

Did you get other user interference?

What about bringing our own walkie-talkies?

[cb at sea]

Even though the ships are big--they aren't soooo big to not be able to find each other! We just leave notes in the cabin--"gone to the pool" "will be in the casino until 5pm", things like that! It has never been a huge issue finding the other or letting them know where you'll be!

[*CENSORED*]

When you sign them up for Adventure Club, you can sign for them to be able to sign themselves in and out. We use the walkie talkies. They work most of the time but sometimes were unable to talk. Post it notes in the cabin are another great idea.

[technogogo]

sticky notes and dry erase board - great ideas!

[technogogo]

Another thread mentions that voicemail is available on phones in cabin. Is that on all RCL ships?

[newbiecruiser09]

There was another thread here that talked about traveling with 13 yr olds and it has some great suggestions about "rules" and keeping in touch. (Sorry, not savvy enough to post a link) We are not traveling with kids on our cruise but I copied many of the posts to keep for our next travels with our kids.