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Get a clue, over: Cruising with walkie-talkies

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Of course, we can’t talk about walkie-talkies on cruise ships without also talking about cell phones.

In the “old days,” going on a cruise meant being all but unreachable at sea. Emergency messages could get through, but the per-minute cost of phone calls to or from cabins was, and still is, prohibitive. Then cruise ships started adding 24-hour Internet cafes. And in 2004, Norwegian Cruise Line announced that it would be the first to offer cell phone service to passengers on North American cruises.

Now, pretty much every cruise line has cell-phone service. That, of course, pleases the travelers who like to know that their friends, family or co-workers can still reach them. But it truly irks those folks who go on cruises in part to escape all that yakking. And although every representative I spoke with insisted they were not getting many complaints about interruptions from on-board users, cruise lines are being forced to develop policies about on-board phone use.

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A spokesperson from Holland America told me that cell phone service is offered on all their ships, but that reception is blocked in all the restaurants and show lounges. “And even though the lounge is not wired, we still ask folks to silence their cell phones. Just in case.”

On Carnival Cruise Line ships, company spokesperson Jennifer de la Cruz says cell phone service is still quite new and it seems “ ... people are limiting their cell phone use because they understand they’ll incur international roaming charges.” So far, she says, the cruise line has not created any onboard “quiet zones.”

But on Royal Caribbean, which offers cell phone service on all its ships, there are “quiet zones” in the show lounges and restaurants.

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On Celebrity Cruises, says spokesperson Tavia Robb, “There are no official quiet zones, but we ask cell phones users to set ringers to vibrate and to avoid loud conversations in public areas.”

  The Well-Mannered Traveler
Establishing cell phone “quiet zones” on cruise ships is a great idea. Just as on land, no one wants to hear phones ringing and people taking calls while they’re dining or watching a show. So maybe the folks at the Disney Cruise Line have the right idea. Their ships offer cell phone service but, a company representative told me, “A cruise vacation is a nice way to escape. So those who want to use cell phones will find that they can only use them in their staterooms. That way no one is tempted to interrupt others.”

Sounds fair to me, Mickey.

Oh, and the husband of the “woman in blue beaded gown?” He seemed bewildered at the standing ovation he got when he finally arrived in the dining room and rushed over to join his wife.

Over.

Harriet Baskas, The Well-Mannered Traveler, also writes about airports and air travel for USATODAY.com and is the author of “Stuck at the Airport.”

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