Walkie talkies or cell phones on board?

[amtmommy]

This is proballay a very silly question. But to keep in touch with family members on board the ship should we buy walkie talkies or do our cell phones work on board?

Thanks so much.

 

[MarkRG]

Cell phones will only work while you are in Port Canaveral and Key west port. Possibly in St Thomas port too if you're going there and that's about it.

The two way FRS radios do work, but I would recomend the ones good at a longer range, 2 miles I think.

You have to transmit thru a lot of metal, so expect some interference.

 

[Michelemouse]

Our cell phones worked in all ports on the Western itinerary but we got absolutely no signal when we were at sea. I'd go with the walkie talkies.

 

[DaddyDisney]

How abut in Nassau and in Castawy Cay? Do cells phone where there?

 

[thebets57]

Never tried to use the walkie-talkies at port, but they should work beautifully throughout the ship! Best way to stay in touch with other members of your party!!!!

 

[MarkRG]

For service in any foreign ports, you have to ask your cell provider is they do international service. Most don't, some do, and some are adding it on.

Unless it is a satellite phone, once you are a few miles away from land, don't expect service. There is no cell service onboard. You do have phones, that have expensive ship to shore rates and an emergency number to give the family to call you. 1-888-dc-at-sea (322-8732)

Keep in mind Key West is not a foreign port. At least right now.(inside joke, ask a KW native, you'll get a good story!)

Some people have reported cell ability at CC, some not. Again falls under the international calling rules of your cell provider.

 

[mickeyworld]

Walkie Talkies work great, even got some for the kids so they could go out on their own! Get one with lots of channels, other people read these threads too and you need to switch channels every now and then. The walkie talkies were on my top ten list of things to pack!

 

[minniemouse1]

We used walkie talkies and they worked great. My DH was on the ship getting somethings we forgot while on CC and I could radio him and tell him more things I thought of during his walk back. I would suggest getting the radios with the largest range atleast 2 miles and lots of channels. We used 12/24 (my DD's b'day) and there were not alot of people on it.

 

[MaryPSU]

Does anyone have a recommendation for GOOD wristwatch walkie-talkies? I think these would be better for my son on our upcoming cruise - he'll finally be old enough to have some time on his own, but would be less likely to lose a walkie-talkie that is strapped to him!!

 

[Jeanny]

We took our walkie talkies with us and they worked like crap... I could hear everyone else except my daughter... she was walking towards me, talking and I couldn't get her until she was like 6' from me... But I could hear all the little kiddies screaming over the radio's, so I know they do work!!!

We used our cell phone in Key West and had no problem (I didn't have a chance to call Andy--didn't get the voice mail message until the next day!! sorry Andy if you're reading this... (until I received the bill--had an old plan and didn't want to switch it as we were changing service after we got back)..... anyway, didn't even think about the instructions being in Spanish when we were in Cozumel... we were going to call home, but we couldn't understand what the operator was saying and I couldn't remember the country code...

So be prepared using your cell phones in foreign lands!!!

 

[Madaboutthemouse2004]

Our cell phone worked at CC. We didn't have any reason to try it in the other Western ports, so I can't say what the situation is there.

 

[Minnie&Mickey]

What about Nextels? I know that they are like walkie-talkies, but do you have to be within a certain distance of a tower for them to work? I know my daughter was able to talk to her boyfriend (ex-boyfriend now) on their Nextels when he was in Hawaii and she was here in GA. Is that because there were towers in both areas, or just because they are like walkie-talkies...does that make any sense???

We all have Nextels and I would much rather bring them than our old walkie-talkies, I just don't know how all of this works.

 

[MarkRG]

For Nextel, you have to have cell service to be able to use any feature of them, call or the walkie-talkie.

Here's a link: http://www.nextel.com/services/coverage/index.shtml

Looks like the 2-way is good only in the US, you might have cell service in some of the ports, but probably not.

But the bottom line is they'll be useless as a walkie talkie once you leave Port Canaveral.

 

[ClarabelleCow]

If you use the walkie-talkies, please be considerate to those around you! It drives me nuts while at the parks, all you hear is the beeping, static, and people screaming into them! It's a great idea, but make sure you know how to use them!!

The Nextels will not work outside of the country unless you have international, and even then, only in certain countries. We did a Bahama cruise thinking the Nextels would work - NOPE! I bring mine to ST. Maarten evey year hoping they will work, NOPE!

 

[CACruiser]

I have walkie talkies. They work great. Great for the parks too.
LisaCA

 

[disneyophile]

We took walkie-talkies on another cruise lines. They had a range of 5 miles and multiple channels and yet all we got was static.