Walkie-talkies can be a really handy way to keep in touch on a cruise without paying for WiFi, especially if your family tends to split up around the ship.
But there’s a catch. They don’t always work as well as you might expect, and some types can even cause problems depending on the cruise line or where your ship is sailing.
So, before you pack a set, here’s what you need to know – plus the walkie-talkies that are best suited to cruise ships.
Walkie-Talkies Are Allowed On Some Cruise Lines, But Not All
Whether you can take walkie-talkies on a cruise depends on the cruise line, and the rules aren’t as simple as they once were.
Norwegian Cruise Line explicitly bans walkie-talkies and lists them among its prohibited items. So if you’re sailing with NCL, you’ll need to leave them at home.
Royal Caribbean does allow two-way radios, but they must meet specific requirements. They can have a maximum range of 10 miles and power output of 5 watts, must be for internal voice communication and can’t have an external antenna.
Celebrity Cruises has similar rules, while Carnival Cruise Line doesn’t currently list ordinary walkie-talkies among its prohibited items.
Princess Cruises and Holland America Line prohibit several types of communication equipment, including ham radios and communication scanners, but their published prohibited-items lists don’t specifically name ordinary walkie-talkies.
As the rules can change, it’s always worth checking your cruise line’s latest policy before you pack them. You can also read my guide to what you can’t bring on a cruise ship for more information.
In fact, Royal Caribbean even sells walkie-talkies in the onboard shops on some of its ships. Here’s a photo I took on Anthem of the Seas…
FRS Walkie-Talkies Are The Simpler Choice
If you’re buying walkie-talkies for a cruise, FRS radios are generally the simpler option for cruises departing from the US. They don’t require an FCC licence, while GMRS radios do.
FRS stands for Family Radio Service, while GMRS stands for General Mobile Radio Service. Both use frequencies in the UHF 462 and 467 MHz bands, and the two services share a number of channels.
GMRS radios can operate at higher power levels than FRS radios, but that doesn’t necessarily make them the best choice for a cruise. You’ll need the appropriate FCC licence to use GMRS in the US, and radio regulations can be different once your ship reaches another country.
FRS radios are lower-powered, but modern models can transmit at up to 2 watts on many channels. That’s enough to make them useful for keeping in touch around parts of a cruise ship without the additional licensing requirements of GMRS.
Whichever type you use, don’t expect the advertised range on the box when you’re at sea. Cruise ships contain huge amounts of steel, along with walls, decks and other obstacles that can weaken radio signals.
You’ll generally have better results in open public areas and on outside decks than trying to communicate between cabins several decks apart.
And remember that the rules governing radio frequencies vary between countries. A radio that’s legal to use in the US isn’t automatically legal everywhere your cruise visits, so check the regulations for your itinerary as well as your cruise line’s rules before using one ashore.
Are Walkie-Talkies Worth Bringing On A Cruise?
Walkie-talkies can be worth bringing if your group often splits up around the ship and you don’t want to rely on an internet package or cruise line messaging app.
Using WiFi with WhatsApp, Messenger or another messaging service will usually be more reliable, particularly when you’re trying to communicate from inside cabins.
Read more: What To Know About Using WhatsApp On A Cruise Ship
The downside is that internet packages can be expensive, especially if several people in your group need access.
Many cruise lines also have their own apps, and some offer onboard messaging without requiring a full internet package. Whether messaging is free and how well it works varies between cruise lines, so it’s worth checking what’s available on your ship.
The simplest free alternative is good old-fashioned Post-it notes in the cabin. But they’re not much help if plans change while you’re on opposite sides of the ship.
So, if your cruise line allows walkie-talkies and you don’t want to rely on WiFi or app messaging, they can still be a handy way to keep in touch.
Just use them considerately. Keep the volume down in public areas and consider using an earpiece so everyone around you doesn’t have to listen to your conversations.
The 5 Best Walkie-Talkies for Cruise Ships
Here are a few options for you if you want to buy walkie-talkies for your cruise:
1. Retevis RT22 Walkie-Talkies – Best Overall
This six-pack of Retevis RT22 walkie-talkies is a great choice for larger families or groups who want several handsets without carrying around bulky radios. They’re FRS radios, so they’re licence-free to use in the US.
They’re slim and lightweight, making them easy to clip onto a belt or slip into a pocket while you’re walking around the ship. You also get a six-way charging station, so you can charge all six handsets together rather than fighting over chargers in your cabin.
Battery life should comfortably cover several hours around the ship, although you’ll still want to charge them regularly. And, as with any walkie-talkie, the steel structure of a cruise ship will reduce the range, particularly if you’re trying to communicate between cabins or across several decks.
The main downside is that earpieces aren’t included, although the radios have connections for compatible ones. The belt clips can also be a little fiddly, but overall these are a practical choice if you need enough radios for the whole family.
Pros
- Slim, lightweight design
- Six handsets included
- Licence-free FRS radios
- Six-way charging station
- Great for larger families and groups
Cons
- No earpieces included
- Belt clips can be fiddly
- Range will be reduced inside the ship
- More expensive than some of the other options
If you need enough walkie-talkies for a larger family, the combination of six compact handsets and one charging station makes the Retevis RT22 my top pick. They are one of the more expensive options on this list, but you’re getting six handsets and a convenient charging station for the extra money.
2. MaxTalker MT10 Walkie-Talkies – Best Budget Option
If you want a simple pair of walkie-talkies without spending too much, the MaxTalker MT10 is a good budget option. These are FRS radios with 22 channels, so they’re licence-free to use in the US.
Despite the lower price, you still get some useful features. They have rechargeable 1200mAh batteries, USB-C charging and VOX for hands-free use, as well as an LED flashlight and NOAA weather alerts.
The manufacturer claims a range of up to five miles, but don’t expect anything close to that inside a cruise ship. Steel decks, walls and cabins will weaken the signal, so they’ll work best in public areas and on open decks.
You only get two handsets, and they don’t feel as premium as some of the more expensive options. But if your group usually splits into two and you just want an affordable way to keep in touch, they offer plenty for the price.
Pros
- Affordable price
- Licence-free FRS radios
- USB-C rechargeable
- VOX hands-free mode
- NOAA weather alerts
Cons
- Only two handsets included
- More basic than premium models
- Range will be reduced inside the ship
- No earpieces included
If price is your main concern, these are a good choice. You get two rechargeable FRS radios with plenty of useful features without paying for extras you probably don’t need.
3. Wishouse M9 Walkie-Talkies – Best For Families
If you want four handsets rather than six, this Wishouse set is a good option for families. The radios come in four different colours too, so everyone can easily keep track of which one is theirs.
They’re rechargeable FRS radios with 22 channels, and you get charging cables included. They also have VOX for hands-free use, NOAA weather alerts, an SOS function and a built-in flashlight, so there’s quite a lot packed into these relatively simple radios.
As always, take any advertised range with a pinch of salt on a cruise ship. All that steel will weaken the signal, particularly between cabins and across multiple decks, but they should be more useful in open public areas and outside on deck.
They’re a little bulkier than the slim Retevis RT22 radios, but if you only need four handsets, there’s no point paying extra for a six-pack. The different colours are handy for families too, especially if the kids are going to have their own.
Pros
- Four handsets included
- Licence-free FRS radios
- Rechargeable batteries
- Four different colours
- VOX hands-free mode
- NOAA weather alerts and SOS function
Cons
- Bulkier than the Retevis RT22
- Range will be reduced inside the ship
- More features than some families will actually need
For a family of four, these are a practical choice. Everyone gets their own rechargeable radio, and the different colours make it much harder to accidentally walk off with somebody else’s.
4. Midland T71VP3 X-TALKER Walkie-Talkies – Best Premium Two-Pack
If you’d rather buy from a well-known radio brand, the Midland T71VP3 X-TALKER is a more premium two-pack. These are FRS radios, so they’re licence-free to use in the US, without the extra licensing requirements that come with GMRS.
You get rechargeable battery packs and a desktop charging station, but the radios can also run on standard AAA batteries. That’s a handy backup on a cruise if you forget to charge them or don’t want to take the charging dock ashore.
They also have eVOX for hands-free use, NOAA weather alerts and plenty of channels and privacy codes. Midland advertises a much longer maximum range, but don’t expect anything close to that inside a cruise ship, where all the steel decks and walls will interfere with the signal.
You only get two handsets, and you’ll pay more than you would for some budget radios. But if you want a more established brand and don’t need a radio for every member of a large family, these are a solid choice.
Pros
- Reputable, established brand
- Licence-free FRS radios
- Rechargeable batteries and charging station
- Can also use AAA batteries
- eVOX hands-free mode
- NOAA weather alerts
Cons
- More expensive than budget two-packs
- Only two handsets included
- Range will be reduced inside the ship
- No earpieces included
If you’re happy to pay a little more for a well-known brand, the Midland T71VP3 is a good premium choice, particularly for couples or families who only need two radios.
5. MOICO T5 Walkie-Talkies – Best For Replaceable Batteries
The MOICO T5 set is a good choice if you want four handsets but would rather use replaceable batteries than rely on rechargeable radios. Each handset takes four AAA batteries, so you can simply carry spares and swap them over when needed.
You get 22 FRS channels, along with VOX for hands-free use, an LCD display and a built-in flashlight. The four-pack also makes sense for families, although the Wishouse set above is a better option if you’d prefer rechargeable radios.
As with all the walkie-talkies on this list, don’t expect the advertised range when you’re on a cruise ship. They’ll work best when you’re relatively close together or in more open areas, rather than trying to communicate through several decks of steel.
Pros
- Four handsets included
- Licence-free FRS radios
- Uses replaceable AAA batteries
- VOX hands-free mode
- Built-in flashlight
- Easy to carry spare batteries
Cons
- Requires four AAA batteries per handset
- Batteries aren’t rechargeable in the radios
- No earpieces included
- Range will be reduced inside the ship
If you don’t want to worry about finding somewhere to recharge your radios, the MOICO T5 is a useful alternative. Pack enough spare AAA batteries and you can quickly swap them out whenever a handset runs low.
Final Word
Walkie-talkies aren’t a perfect solution on a cruise ship. All that steel can interfere with the signal, so they’re likely to work better in open public areas and on outside decks than between cabins several decks apart.
But if your cruise line allows them, they can be a handy way to keep in touch without relying on WiFi or onboard messaging. They’re particularly useful for families who regularly split up around the ship, and you can use them again on future cruises and other holidays too.
For cruises departing from the US, I’d stick with FRS radios rather than GMRS. They’re simpler to use without the additional licensing requirements, although you should always check the rules for your cruise line and the countries you’ll be visiting.
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