Walkie Talkies?

[lpjpane]

I've read in past posts that walkies are a must if you're traveling with kids. Is there a particular brand or type I should look for? Is this something that I can rent through RCL? I hate to buy them for this one-time use.

Also - do they have "dead spots" like with a cell phone? My husband believes that the ship itself may interfere with the signal.

[Andrealovescruising]

Hi lpjpane. Whenever we cruise we bring along 2 sets of walkie-talkies for the four of us. It is piece of mind on a ship the size of a small city. You may get some interference on channels with other users. We just switch over to another channel. Yes, you can rent them. I know Carnival rents to passengers. Check with RCCL or, someone else on here may actually know the answer and post. I love being able to hear my 13 and 17 year old daughters tell me where they are on the ship. It's piece of mind for my husband and I. Have fun.

[Dave]

I wouldn't call them "a must". But they can be useful as long as those using them don't go "celluar" on them and use them constantly - to the great annoyance of the other passengers.

You can buy a set for much less than what the cruise line would rent them for - the rental fees are outrageous. You can get a decent pair of radios for $30 or less. FRS frequencies are what you need. Some radios have both FRS and GMRS channels. To use GMRS legally, you will need an FCC license. Also note that both FRS and GMRS may be illegal to use in some countries, although enforcement is probably lax.

[Dave]

Here is a good link which covers the topic.

[arckac]

[quote]Originally posted by Dave Beers:
I wouldn't call them "a must". But they can be useful as long as those using them don't go "celluar" on them and use them constantly - to the great annoyance of the other passengers.

Dave I respect most everything you state however I "must" disagree with you in this regard. They are a "must" for my wife and I when it comes to communicating with my 10 year old. He can sign himself out of the club only if he checks in with us. If he needs us when he may be in the room while we are out and about the ship in the evenings he can easily contact us. Also, if we go off the ship when the dock and the town are close by, we can talk to him if the ship is in sight.

In addition, can you or anyone explain to me the difference if two people are sitting next to you on a lounge chairs by the pool having a conversation and/or discussing their plans for the rest of the day which you can clearly hear or if one is communicating via a walking talkie to someone doing the same. I never will see a difference. You would hear the conversations in either case. Are we advocating silence on cruise ships?

[f-mattox]

If you don't see the difference then you are part of the problem.

[fneumeier]

Hi,

I do have some PMR446 walkie talkies and I know I´m not legally allowed to use them in the US/Mexico. As we´re travelling with a 7 y old who does understand little English (and isn´t speaking much) I´m considering to buy a set of FRS walkie talkies for our cruise.

Anyway the only store I might get in is a WalMart Supercenter in NOLA. Any idea if I can get walkie talkies there (not specifically in NOLA but generally in a WalMart Superstore)?

Carmen

[arckac]

Originally posted by f-mattox:
If you don't see the difference then you are part of the problem.

And if that's the best you can come up with I suggest you go on "monk only" cruises.

[SailorJack]

I think that one of the reasons that people are more sensitive to neighbors that talk on a phone or a walkie talkie is the tendency for them to talk louder than normal.

It may be because of bad connections, static in the lines, or perceived noise, but people do tend to talk louder to ensure that people on the other end can hear them.

They certainly serve a purpose, but everyone needs to be a little sensitive to the issue.

[Jim C.]

Get yourself a good set of Motorola radios. Be sure they have many channel settings so you can find a seldom used channel. You should be able to get a pair in Wal-mart for $40 or so.

As for the discussion on them being annoying, its only a matter of respect. Those that leave them (phones or radios) set ring or loud settings during dinner and theaters and such need to learn to respect others around them. There are very handy (maybe a must for those with families because I am guilty here) but they need to be used in a way that is not distrubing to other guests.

A conversation at the pool is not the problem.. its the conversation in the theater during a show or at dinner that is the problem. If you need to converse, get up and go outside so you don;t disturb others. (And MY Motorola radios have a "vibe setting" so they don't "ring" when they should not.