On Saturday, November 26, 2022, I embarked on my very first cruise. It was aboard the Carnival Vista which sailed out of Galveston, and for the next seven days, we traveled through the Caribbean, making ports of call in Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.
Since I am not a stranger to travel, I thought I had packed everything I needed for the voyage. However, the one thing I forgot to bring was a pair of walkie-talkies, so my traveling companion and I could communicate with each other while enjoying separate activities.
There are several websites that purport to provide knowledgeable information regarding wireless communication on cruise ships. Regrettably, the information they provide is often inaccurate. This can result in investing in radio equipment which performs poorly on the cruise ship, and has the potential of legal entanglements if used in foreign ports. Neither of these are welcome additions to your vacation.
A cruise ship contains many steel compartments, which tend to block longer-wavelength signals, yet reflect shorter-wavelength transmissions. This means that a license-free MURS handheld, which utilizes the VHF spectrum, works well in rural areas, however won’t perform well (or at all) on a cruise ship.
During my second cruise, departing again from Galveston on September 9, 2023, I decided to bring a pair of Retevis RT-10 handheld radios and a pair of Nextel I355 handheld radios. Out in the Gulf of Mexico, we conducted a range test, comparing the two transceivers.
Even those they both operated in the same 902-928 MHz unlicensed band using digital emissions, and used similar power levels, the Nextel radios successfully communicated throughout nearly the entire ship, and the Retevis radios experienced significant deterioration resulting is digitsl artifacts and loss of signal after passing through only a few decks.
The reason for this performance discrepancy, I believe, is because the Nextel radios, in the Direct Talk mode, uses frequency-hopping, spread spectrum technology rather than discrete frequencies. This means the signal moves throughout the band, according to a set algorithm, and different frequencies have different penetration and reflection characteristics.
Therefore, my recommendation is to use a Nextel radio, operating in the Direct Talk mode, for communication on your next cruise.
Aside from superior performance, the most important advantage in using 900 MHz is from a legal standpoint. Unlicensed 902-928 radios are legal to use anywhere within Region 2, which includes the Americas, the Caribbean, and certain Pacific islands. This is in accordance with an ITU treaty, which the nations within this region are signatories. This means you can legally use these radios anywhere in the United States, in international waters, or in foreign ports throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America frequented by cruise ships.