RCI to offer guests Cell Phone Use via AT&T/Cingular

[Tyron]

I found this on RCI website...this really pisses me off...the LAST thing I want to hear in the middle of the ocean while I'm on vacation is hundreds of FREAKIN cells phones ringing all over the ship....in the dining, at the pool, in the theaters.....RCI really needs to get a damn grip!!!!

 

 

 

 

Royal Caribbean International And Celebrity Cruises Offer Guests New Way To Stay In Touch At Sea

Company Teams with Cingular Wireless and Maritime Telecommunications Network to Provide Cell Phone Service On Ships

 

Service Launched on Majesty of the Seas

Miami - December 3, 2004 - Guests on Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises ships can soon use their personal cell phones to stay in touch while at sea.

 

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has teamed with Wireless Maritime Services, a joint venture of Cingular Wireless and Maritime Telecommunications Network (MTN), to provide a convenient and affordable new communications option that allows guests to make and receive calls on their own cell phones - at their personal numbers - while in international waters. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which pioneered the use of this service on Island Cruises' Island Escape, a joint venture with First Choice Holidays PLC, has now begun to offer this service to guests sailing on its Royal Caribbean and Celebrity brands.

 

"Our guests know they can count on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity to bring them the latest innovations, whether in onboard programming, ship amenities or technology," said Jack Williams, president and COO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "We know many of our guests will welcome this opportunity to stay within easy reach of their families, check voicemails or make calls."

 

The new capability is now available on Majesty of the Seas and is slated to launch in the coming weeks on Navigator of the Seas and the Celebrity ship Summit. The company plans to extend this service to its 29-ship Royal Caribbean and Celebrity fleet within the next year.

 

Most cruise guests with GSM phones will be able to take advantage of the new service, making and receiving both voice calls and text messages as they usually do while roaming on land. Guests with data-capable GSM/GPRS devices may also be able to access data services, such as email and picture messaging. In addition, the companies intend to expand the offering so that customers of CDMA carriers also can take advantage of the service.

 

Guests will be billed by their own wireless phone carrier at the roaming rates set by that carrier. The new shipboard service will activate when the ship leaves the range of the closest land-based cell tower. While in port, cell service will revert to the local, land-based towers.

 

Earlier this year, AT&T Wireless and MTN announced the formation of Wireless Maritime Services, a joint venture combining MTN's expertise in providing satellite services to the cruise industry with AT&T Wireless' expertise in delivering wireless services to consumer and business travelers. The joint venture was formed to develop and launch this innovative communications offering for cruise ships, relying on a combination of satellite and wireless services. AT&T Wireless was subsequently acquired by Cingular Wireless, creating the nation's largest digital voice and data network.

[Jimbo]

I doubt it will work..........last cruise we were on the internet didn't even work on 13 of the 14 days !! No connection!!!

 

Jimbo:)

[Jimbo]

 

 

"Our guests know they can count on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity to bring them the latest innovations, whether in onboard programming, ship amenities or technology," said Jack Williams, president and COO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "We know many of our guests will welcome this opportunity to stay within easy reach of their families, check voicemails or make calls."

 

OMG that is so funny, we couldn't get intouch for 13 days !!!

 

Jimbo:mad:

[Tyron]

LOL @ Jimbo...a freakin mess! they need to work on a few other things before jumping the gun with this crap!:rolleyes:

[Twaincruisers]

"the LAST thing I want to hear in the middle of the ocean while I'm on vacation is hundreds of FREAKIN cells phones ringing all over the ship....in the dining, at the pool, in the theaters"

 

Amen, Tyron!

[Brad1185]

Whats the extra cost? I had read some where RCI would charge several dollars a minute for the service.

[KamloopsCruisers]

Grrr! I may be in the minority, but I firmly believe that cell phone usage is not going to enhance my cruising experience. I have read many posts about rude children, rude drunks, rude seniors, etc. - sometimes it appears that the ships are full of rude, obnoxious passengers. Thankfully, I have been fortunate that these rude passengers seldom cruise while I'm aboard.

 

Picture this: Your tablemates arrive (late of course) to the dining room, clad in jeans because "it is their cruise too" and spend the dinner hour "chatting" on their cell. Tell me how listening to their loud, one-side conversation, has enhanced my evening? - An extreme example, but it helps get my point across. I am not looking forward to hearing rings, brrrrrings, or whatever you call those annoying "rings".

 

My dream is the chair hogs will use the cell phones to save their lounge chairs and for once the pool attendants will enforce the chair hog rule and confiscate those annoying phones. :)

 

On a serious note, I am hopeful some rules will apply - AND BE ENFORCED - when cell phones become available on board.

 

 

There is a long thread on the Celebrity board about this new cell phone policy. Clearly, passengers there, for the most part, are welcoming this upcoming change:( . Here is a link to the discussion.

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=106828&highlight=cell+phone

[Blizzard54]

I can remember the days before we could watch CNN.

 

Back then cruising was a way of getting away from the outside world.

Not all progress is for the best.

[MadCnty]

John not all changes are good... Or is it just me??? And now just think Ty... They can reach u @ sea... Chris pour another...lol.

[PTarbay]

I am not looking forward to hearing rings, brrrrrings, or whatever you call those annoying "rings".

Not just the rings.Now you have music playing on a lot of phones instead of ringing.We can listen to 20 different songs playing at once.I really hope they don't allow them in certain places(diningroom etc.).

[MadCnty]

...

[isujim]

Has anyone heard the cost per minute on this?? Or at least what they are thinking??

 

Of course many of you probably wonder what they were thinking to begin with!:rolleyes:

[stbmom]

This is not my idea of a relaxing vacation - cell phones. I recently had to get an usher at the movie theater because some guy decided not only to answer his phone, but have a conversation. He was talking at least 5 minutes before I decided to get up - about nothing (you know, like thanks for telling me my heart is ready for a transplant, we're on our way).

I'm all for internet connections in the room, even wireless - but cell phones. If there is an emergency - there is already ways for you to reach land and for people on land to reach you. You can go to the internet library to send updates home. There is no need for cell phone use on boats.

Already now, as soon as you pull into port (or get close to port) people start to pull out their cell phones. Can you imagine this the entire cruise.

I really think dh and I need to start saving our money to upgrade to a more traditional cruise line in the future. The majors are getting too downscale for us.

[Tyron]

Guests will be billed by their own wireless phone carrier at the roaming rates set by that carrier. The new shipboard service will activate when the ship leaves the range of the closest land-based cell tower. While in port, cell service will revert to the local, land-based towers.

 

 

LOL @ Keith

 

 

Well, this is sour @$$ news to me....:( :mad:

[caxxandra]

I'm bringing my phone!

 

But to use as an alarmclock since the cabin does not come with one.

And perhaps to send a message back to our folks that we got married but nothing else.

That would be really irritating if everyone set their phones to the highest ringsignals/music and then went to formel dinner.

I'd guess that within the hour the staff would ask them to put away the phones or at least turn the signals of.

 

So, please. If your bringing the phone, set it to quiet, no sound mode or turn it of and turn it on in your cabin twice a day to check any e-mails, sms, ems or vociemail.

 

Am I wrong?

 

/Sandra

(first time cruiser who's not going to upset everyone else!)

[1corona4u]

This is not good. Brace yourself for another episode of "It's my cruise, I'll do what I want". I will be cruising with a friend who's phone goes off every 2.3 seconds, with the most annoying, almost maddening ring tone you have ever heard! Not to mention that I am often the recipient of many 30-second calls from here because she has to click over to get the OTHER call, when she called me to begin with! I hate that!

 

I sware to GOD, her phone will be CONFINED to our room, and if she brings it out of the room, I will snatch it out of her hand and throw it out to sea!! I don't care if I have to replace it when we get back, but I will NOT endure the same level of attention from her, as I do daily now...which I think is rude.

 

Our calls go something like this;

 

Hi,

whatcha doin

nothin

you?

I am driving to the office

beeeeeepppppppp, beeeeeppppppppp,

oh it's so-and-so, let me get this

OK....

 

I'll call you later....

 

Yeah, whatever....

 

I will NOT deal with trying to have a conversation with her and have this happen on our cruise...that was part of my point in taking her...to get her away!

[caxxandra]

Get her away from the phone!

And teach her that no-one is more importan than her.

And she needs to relax and let everybody wait until you guys come back!

Worst case: let her go down to the computers and let her e-mail a while...

 

GOOD LUCK!!

 

/Sandra

[Apex Cruiser]

While I could have used it last year on our Mariner cruise when they changed debarcation ports or in real emergencies I do not plan to use it period.

 

Hope that the charge is $5.00 not $.50 per min that would limit calls and force people to really think about using the phone. I can't wait for threads complaining about $300 cell phone use charges and how outrageous that is.

 

What makes cruising a great vacation for us is to get away from it all. To "Get Out There" where no one can get to us. Forget about work, kids and any other worries for a few days. I will not use the service the unfortunate thing is that there will be plenty of people who will use it for no valid reason other than to just talk.

 

Maybe we need to ask RCCL to establish cell phone free areas on the ship. Ideal for us at would be in the same place they have the adult only pools. At least then there would be one area where we could get away from things and just relax. Even better would be a cell phone cafe like the internet area to isolate those who want to talk all the time. Unfortunately this has too much profit potential so I'm sure it will be ship wide.

 

Let's just hope they don't try to copy Princess with MUTS. Music videos, cell phones, rock walls, might as well stay home to relax! ;)

[caxxandra]

I agree, it's good for emergencys and a special room/café for the phone addicts/vip's is not a bad idea!

 

And the charge will be written about over and over again in the near future.

I have no doubt about it!

 

And people with children, I can understand them for calling home checking everything is okey.

 

/Sandra

[kruz]

I think it is a terrible idea.....I also think they should be banned on golf course and in super markets too...so rude....and who wants to listen to someone elses conversation? Who cares?

 

I just want to relax and listen to the pool band or the sea.

 

Mine will stay at home where it belongs..along with the cats and kids :)

[TheWog]

This is not good. Brace yourself for another episode of "It's my cruise, I'll do what I want". I will be cruising with a friend who's phone goes off every 2.3 seconds, with the most annoying, almost maddening ring tone you have ever heard! Not to mention that I am often the recipient of many 30-second calls from here because she has to click over to get the OTHER call, when she called me to begin with! I hate that!

 

I swear to GOD, her phone will be CONFINED to our room, and if she brings it out of the room, I will snatch it out of her hand and throw it out to sea!! I don't care if I have to replace it when we get back, but I will NOT endure the same level of attention from her, as I do daily now...which I think is rude.

 

 

throw it overboard! :D Do it! Do it!

[nosnobunny]

No Kamloops, you're certainly not alone. This is such a bad move on the part of RCI IMO. How would you like to be relaxing somewhere (maybe even on your own balcony) when a cell phone rings in the distance and the owner carries on some inane conversation in a voice several decibels above what is required. It brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "Just reach out and touch someone." :D

 

Beth

[Ocean Boy]

The last time that I took a late train home from Boston the car was quiet as can be until this one person pulls out his phone and has a half hour conversation for all to hear in a foreign language. That was the end of any sleep on that ride. The annoyance was beyond description.

 

As far as phone free areas of the ship goes that would probably be inforced as well as the no chair saving rules. I don't see anything good coming out of this. They should find a way to confine the signal to one room on the ship and everyone who wants to chat with the outside world can go and have a blast.

[MGoBlue2]

They should have just reduced the price of using the ship's phones to something reasonable.

[Tyron]

I completely agree 100%...RCI needs to designate a couple areas where this service would be offered and allowed...I'll be soooooooo pissed if I'm subjected to listening to God knows how many people @ any given time talking on cell phones all over the ship.

 

The whole point of cruising for me is to "escape" the real world...not have it slowly integrated in my cruise vacation.