Cruising Norwegian Jewel...can I use my Aussie Mobilephone as normal whilst on ship?

Hi knowledgeable cruisers. I am cruising on the Norwegian Jewel for 5 nights (Sydney to Hobart and return) early November. Any advice on how to use my Aussie mobile phone. Should I use whilst in port only, Hobart and Burnie. I don't want to incur heavy costs for 'international' roaming whilst off the coast of Australia.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

It depends. You're welcome.

Actually, it depends on your handset, carrier, whether you have international roaming activated, and how far from a shore tower. Earlier this year we had good local access for a lot of the cruise from Melbourne northwards, but we were fairly close to shore.

If you have international roaming activated it will pick up the ship's system this will show up on your phone where the carrier information appears. You will incur international rates.

If it is your usual carrier showing, this will work as normal. Some carriers require you to apply for international roaming to be activated.

Depending on your phone, you can disable a lot of the roaming functions to protect your wallet. Be careful of all the apps and systems that continue to use data if they are not tamed.

You may get reception sometimes, but only sometimes.

Once you get past about Eden (south) you'll get little or no reception till you are in Port.