Why do cruise lines ban ham radio equipment?

[Omega-TI]

Do not "brag" about having radio gear, or have the speaker blaring for those that do not consider radio use to be part of their vacation (this applies everywhere). Calling attention to yourself is often the root cause of other problems...

That reminds me of one character I knew back in the early 2000's. Everywhere he went he had not one, but two HT's hanging off his belt with speaker mics blaring for all to hear and always wore ARES/RACES or SAR hats and shirts trying to look cool or something. He was actually the butt of jokes to people behind his back, but was not bright enough to realize it. At one point he even got fired from his job after they found out he lied to them about how he was, "desperately needed and had no choice to leave work that day to participate in an active search".

There is a time and place for everything, but yes, if you need/want to carry a scanner or HT, hide it under your coat and wear an unobtrusive earphone.

 

[Radiobern]

I've been on 11 cruises with Carnival, Celebrity, Norwegian, Princess, and Royal Caribbean and have only been hassled once about my police scanner. This was at the port of LA while boarding the Sapphire Princess. I got to cut in line, meet with shipboard security who looked at my PSR-500 and let me board. I usually do carry a police scanner, a ham HT such as Kenwood TH-F6A or Connect Systems CS580, portable shortwave radio and pair of Motorola DLR and DTR radios. All these radios are in my carry on and just like at the aiport, I take them all out and display them on the tray so security can clearly see them.

 

[KK4JUG]

Perhaps I'm not the fanatic that others might be but, after spending thousands of dollars on a cruise and knowing the myriad of activities available, anyone is compelled to avoid all those activities in favor of a radio.

 

[FFPM571]

Perhaps I'm not the fanatic that others might be but, after spending thousands of dollars on a cruise and knowing the myriad of activities available, anyone is compelled to avoid all those activities in favor of a radio.

Exactly.. My wife complains when I bring my XTS5000 to listen to the local trunking systems where my kids go to school when we visit. If I thought about taking them on an expensive cruise she would throw me overboard...

 

[Omega-TI]

My vacation last year would have been a total bust if I had not taken a couple of hobby toys with me. All three restaurants I wanted to try were closed due to COVID, and even the hotels dining room was closed due to COVID. The fog never lifted for all four days I was there. So I ended up eating microwaved junk from the local Dollar General and spent my evenings listening to radio and playing with my portable TI-99/4A.

The only thing I have to remind me of that vacation is a lousy video I made at the beach (inserted below) and a couple of pictures taken in my hotel suite.

 

[fleef]

I was on a cruise with a stop in Mexico and a large group had US FRS radios to keep in touch. While on a shore excursion, they put that group on two separate busses (not part of that group but was on one of the busses with them) and the bus stopped at a checkpoint. They were talking back and forth, and the checkpoint folks got VERY nervous. They heard talk that the first bus was being stopped at a checkpoint and everything ground to a halt while they sorted that out. They found the two groups and pulled them off the busses and over by the trucks. The bus driver(s) radioed the cruise line about the issue (after telling the guards what they were going to do) and after a bit two white SUVs from the cruise line pulled up and talked to the guards. After a long while, the guards let the two busses leave without the groups that had the radios and we got to finish our excursion, a bit rushed but it was still fun. We got back to the ship and had dinner at the canteen by the dock and boarded the ship. There was an announcement on the ship that they wouldn't leave the port on time but would be at our next port-of-call by dawn so no time would be lost. About midnight those folks were delivered to the ship and the military escorted them onto the ship and waited until the ship left port. Not only wasn't it a good idea to transmit that your bus was being stopped at a checkpoint, but their FRS radios were illegal in Mexico. A group of folks learned why you rent the line's radios and don't bring your own that day.

yes because the really bad crooks use walkie talkies and some have encrypted too. I'd be nervous if I were a Mexican law enforcement or military if I saw citizens on radios. If I were them, even if first time in Mex., I'd hide any thing like that- it's common sense, even.

 

[fleef]

My vacation last year would have been a total bust if I had not taken a couple of hobby toys with me. All three restaurants I wanted to try were closed due to COVID, and even the hotels dining room was closed due to COVID. The fog never lifted for all four days I was there. So I ended up eating microwaved junk from the local Dollar General and spent my evenings listening to radio and playing with my portable TI-99/4A.

The only thing I have to remind me of that vacation is a lousy video I made at the beach (inserted below) and a couple of pictures taken in my hotel suite.

this is old post but Oh my gosh- Ocean Shores!!!! I lived there once. I'm so sorry. I could have told you to avoid Ocean Shores. Maybe it's gotten bigger since I was there. For one, there was no Dollar General when I lived there. Poor guy (pats poor ole n5ims on head) hey they do have a great beach, in fact Ive seen orcas breaching, walked right by baby seals on the beach, and there's every kind of sea food imaginable just for the picking up right off the rocks. Deer were in our yard morning and night. We had a raccoon and her feral cat partner that even slept together in the woods in a little nest. Great nature! I would not vacation there for "fun" but would go for tne nature excursion. By the way I hear it's a fave local for retired military pilots (w04, muni. airport) and I think, witness protection program recipients (really). Weird kind of neat place

 

[n2nov]

I was on a Disney cruise in 2017 and the simplest solution was to pack SDR gear with my laptop. I had a balcony room so a short wire and min-magmount antennas were used. DMR, DECT, VHF Marine, shortwave, etc were all received.

 

[ecps92]

my wife enjoys the fun of listening to the run of shame counts, as well as when a Helo must hoist a patient off the bow in the middle of the night

Exactly.. My wife complains when I bring my XTS5000 to listen to the local trunking systems where my kids go to school when we visit. If I thought about taking them on an expensive cruise she would throw me overboard...