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 ears.
And then a cellphone rings.
Sure romance killers, cellphones 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.
Cellphone service, which seems to be available in even the most remote parts of the planet, isn't available at sea because most cellphone 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 cellphones on cruises, said Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor of CruiseCritic .com, a website 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 cellphone 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 cellphones."
Crystal Cruises, a line that caters to high-end passengers, launched cellphone 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 cellphone-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 cellphone enabled, and it expects to have all outfitted by early 2007.
