Which 2 way radio is best on a cruise?

Question

We are going on a cruise in April (Carnival out of Galveston) and I am looking at buying radios so I can keep in contact with my boys. Has anyone rented them on the boat? If so what was the price for the rental?

Answer 1

The FRS, or better is the GMRS/FRS radios. These are slod almost everywhere. The GMRS/FMS have 22 channels and also have a high power option. They also have codes you can use so you aren't bothered by all the calls, remember a lot of people will be using them. You want to get ones with a greater range. It might say two miles on the package, but that is in an open level field with nothing in the way. Cruise ships are made of metal and will block a big part of the signal so get the greatest distance you can afford, and even then there will be some locations it won't work. They are also good for when you are on land shopping.pp

Answer 2

OLYMPIA P324 Two Way Radio

I ordered these radios specifically for use on a cruise ship. Over the last 3 years, I had previously used 2 other radios that I returned because they didn't work well on the ship. The first pair were 25 mile walkie-talkies (Motorola). Basically useless on the ship except on the outer decks. The second pair was a set that was 36 mile but included some VHF frequencies(Midland GMRS ~$90). They were better and worked well on the outer decks but didn't work from outer deck 9 to a balcony cabin on Deck 5 if we were more than 1/2 the ship away. Third time was the charm. This set of radios worked very well. I set them on 1 watt and had one issue which was corrected by setting to 4 watts. These UHF radios were perfect for the cruise ship. I got the stubby antennas as well and used them so I assume that using the larger antennas that come with the radio would have just made them better. The stubby antennas let the radio fit in a pocket or on the belt comfortably. I will keep these for future use on cruises.

The radios are easy to use after you read the manual. There at a couple of buttons that are dual function based on how long they are pressed. Once you figure that out and how you want them set they are easy to use. I didn't have a need to change any of the base frequencies yet as the 10 that were programmed in worked fine. I'll enter an update if I do try to change them but can't image I'll do that anytime soon.

There was a question about being able to hear these when they are charging. My experience was if I had them powered on and put them in the charger I was able to hear a call come in while charging. I think one time I put them in the charger then turned them on but I don't remember getting any calls so that may or may not work. They did receive a transmission if turned on before setting them in the charger. You need to be careful when putting them in the charger. There is a little tab of plastic that sticks out and must align to the groove on the side of the radio.

All in all very satisfied for the single purpose of keeping track of the family on a cruise ship. We didn't hear anyone else on the radio and no one from the ship came and asked us not to use them.

Answer 3

I went on a cruise about a year ago and I go hiking all the time, and I use my walkie talky in both activities. So I just bought my one from any electronics store for about 50 bucks. The ones in this price range should cover the length of the cruise and more. I dont know if the cruise will have rentals but I am pretty sure you could buy it from various places (the price might be higher because they will realize how important it is and raise the price.)

Answer 4

You can buy the radios on board but I don't think they have rentals. We went on the Conquest in March 2007 and are taking her again in June 2008.

On-board, you can purchase a Cobra or Motorola set. However, save some money and get them before you leave. You can buy them from Wal-Mart or Radio Shack.

We use the Cobra w/our girls. It is a vacation saver since there are no more missed check-ins.

However, be sure to take along a power strip. There is only one power outet in the cabin and there is never enough power for curling irons, blow dryers, razors and the 2-way radios.

Answer 5

I've never went on a cruise, but I do know that Motorola makes really good, and fairly inexpensive, two-ways.

Answer 6

i havent ever rented one, but i own a couple of motorolla radio, they are 10 mile range and they work great, you can get them from radio shack or wal-mart, most of the time they come with a charging station.