10/11/08, 00:40:00 UTC

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For better or worse, cell phones go to sea

The Chicago Tribune

Imagine cuddling with your cutie on the bow of a cruise ship, canoodling under a star-studded Caribbean night.
The only sounds are the swish of the water as it sweeps under the ship and the sweet nothings whispered in your sweetheart's ear.

And then a cell phone rings.

Sure romance killers, cell phones are becoming ubiquitous on cruise ships as lines sign up to bring service to their floating resorts. Some are taking a calculated approach to the service, taking care not to offend while providing what the lines say customers are demanding.

Cell-phone service, which seems to be available in even the most remote parts of the planet, isn't available at sea because most cell-phone reception towers are land-based. But thanks to satellites circling high above the seven seas, the service can now be piped directly to cruise ships no matter where they are.

There are two schools of thought about cell phones on cruises, said Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor of CruiseCritic.com, a Web site of cruise reviews and news: "the camp that thinks it's the greatest thing since sliced bread," she said, "and then there's the camp that thinks that the concept of a cruise is that of ultimate getaway [where you] cannot be reached, and that camp is not too happy about it."

Trying to please both constituencies may prove problematic.

"Even though we do not currently offer cell-phone service, it does not mean we are not considering this option for the future," said Cunard Lines spokeswoman Jackie Matthews. "We are being very thoughtful about this entire process as we wish to balance the customer-service benefits with any potential passenger concerns about disturbance from cell phones."

Crystal Cruises, a line that caters to high-end passengers, launched cell-phone service aboard Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity last month using "quiet-zone" technology. That means select areas of the ship, such as dining rooms and theaters, are cell phone-free.

"Today's luxury travelers want to stay in touch, and they want it convenient, but they don't want to be disturbed," said Thomas Mazloum, Crystal's senior vice president of hotel operations.

Other lines are testing the waters as they go. Carnival Cruise Lines announced in June it would add the service to its fleet of 21 ships; 14 are already cell-phone enabled, and it expects to have all outfitted by early 2007.

"Cell phones are very much an important part of people's lives," Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen said. The line allows unregulated use of cell phones anywhere on its ships, although it recognizes that some passengers consider cell phones a nuisance.

"Of course, should any issues arise regarding cell-phone usage by our guests, we would take appropriate action in terms of limiting guest usage in certain shipboard areas as necessary," he said.

Some lines have instituted rules making certain areas out of bounds for cell phones and asking passengers to set their phones on vibrate. Crystal is issuing "courtesy guidelines" for cell phone use that ask, among other requests, that all guests set the ring tone on their mobile phone to silent mode while on board and "when using your mobile phone, please be aware of the volume of your voice." If only we could issue such courtesy guidelines for landlubbers...

At least one industry observer questions the viability of that strategy.

"Cruise lines levy a lot of rules, but people don't follow them," said Brown of CruiseCritic.com.

So far, more than a dozen lines are offering or are in the process of installing cell-phone access for their passengers on all or part of their fleets. Besides those already mentioned, they include Celebrity, Holland America, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, which was the first to offer it in 2004.

"Staying connected is so important for my corporate clients, even when they are planning a vacation," said Mary Pace, director of corporate accounts for Globalstar Travel Management Corp. in Rochelle Park, N.J. "I can't tell you how many times my clients ask me if they will have cellular coverage and Internet access at a resort, on a cruise or on an island during vacation."

A 2003 survey by Philadelphia-based Management Recruiters International found that 47 percent of executives surveyed wouldn't use all their vacation time, and more than half of them said it was because of job pressure. Being able to remain connected to the office while at sea should in theory allow them to get away more.

Passengers can use any GSM or CDMA cell phone in any location around the globe while onboard. (GSM is the standard technology for much of the world and is offered by Cingular. CDMA is the predominant cell-phone technology in North America. )

The cost of using the service while onboard is comparable to international roaming charges and can add up. Depending on the ship and where you are sailing and how much your cellular service provider charges on top of the roaming fees, your call may cost you as much $5 per minute.

It's still less expensive than a traditional ship-to-shore call from a cabin, said Brown, who recently spent $200 on a nine-minute phone call while on a ship in the Baltic Sea. She now carries a cell phone when cruising.

Because the service uses satellite technology, passengers can use their cell phones practically anywhere in the world -- but only when at sea. After the ship comes within 12 miles of port, land-based roaming systems take over, said Nancy Brumfield, spokeswoman for SeaMobile, one of the companies that provides the service. (Cingular is the other and both use the same satellite provider.)

In other words, in the middle of the North Atlantic, fine, but within spitting distance of land, a land-based cellular roaming provider takes over. And for unprepared passengers, that could mean the temporary end of cell-phone service, depending on where you have come into port.

CDMA phones, which work fine while onboard ship, will not work in much of the world when using land-based services. For example, if your ship pulls into Barcelona, Spain, or any other European port, CDMA phones will stop working until the ship is 12 nautical miles from the coast. In U.S. and Mexican ports, CDMA and GSM phones will work fine on land if they are enabled, though in any foreign port expect to be hit with international roaming charges.

Regardless of whether you own a CDMA or a GSM phone, you must call your cell-phone service provider and ask to have international roaming enabled before you leave. All charges will be billed through your regular cell-phone service.

To determine whether the ship you are on has cell-phone service, check with your travel agent or call the cruise line.

And if you see someone canoodling onboard, please put your phone on vibrate. Especially if you're the one doing the canoodling.

 Printable Version  | published Nov 13, 2006