Choosing Phone Service

Hello all,

we are new cruisers (family of 4) and are trying to understand the need for phone/wifi/data service on Royal Caribbean to Bermuda in two weeks. We will have 1 computer on board and 4 iphones. Our service is AT&T in the US. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to handle the needs?

Guess it depends on how much you are willing to pay for your "needs." ATT does offer coverage in Bermuda and you have a few options. You can probably get their International Day Pass for $10 a day (while in Bermuda). At sea it is a different story and can be quite expensive. You can buy an internet package (onboad) if you really must be connected for those few sea days. But using your phone as a true cell phone (on board) can get very expensive. We do a lot of cruising and never use our phones onboard other then to connect to the internet. But how much time you can use depends on what you purchase. And keep in mind that internet on cruise ships is till pretty darn slow.

Hank

For AT&T Wireless Cruising packages/offers go to this site : https://www.att.com/offers/international-plans/cruise-packages.html

I agree totally with Hank. If these are really "needs", then it will get a bit expensive. But to be blunt, it sounds more like "nice to have" or "wants". We have been on 20 cruises, all over the world, and have never, not once, used our cell phone onboard a cruise ship. We have been out of the US several hundred days the last 15 or so years, and can count on one hand the number of times we have used our cell phones.

AT&T's International Day Pass is a definite possibility. Was just checking with ATT about some features of it. But we won't have multiple devices going (which would be $10 per device, per day it is connected), more likely just one.

I agree totally with Hank. If these are really "needs", then it will get a bit expensive. But to be blunt, it sounds more like "nice to have" or "wants". We have been on 20 cruises, all over the world, and have never, not once, used our cell phone onboard a cruise ship. We have been out of the US several hundred days the last 15 or so years, and can count on one hand the number of times we have used our cell phones.

 

AT&T's International Day Pass is a definite possibility. Was just checking with ATT about some features of it. But we won't have multiple devices going (which would be $10 per device, per day it is connected), more likely just one.

Bruce, I think you and I are old school. When I started cruising there were no such things as cell phones and calls onboard were via radiophone and cost $8-$12 a minute. When we go to ports, both crew and passengers would go running for the phone booths (always many at ports in those ole days). Now, we look forward to leaving port, turning off our smart phones...and locking them in the safe...where they stay until some ports. Our T-Mobile accounts work in nearly every port at no additional charge,,,,so when we get near a port I turn on my phone, let it connect, and use it as a WiFi hotspot so I can d/l my e-mails onto our iPad. Life is good! If anyone wants to reach me when we are at sea....its just too bad (although they could always contact the ship in a real emergency). Whatever they want can wait...and there is not much we can do if we are in the middle of the Atlantic or Pacific.

Hank

No doubt, Hank, we are old school :halo:. The reason we are researching the ATT International Day Pass is for GPS/mapping options on land trips, driving. Still no need for anything other than checking our email on a cruise.

If everyone has facebook, you could get an on board data plan and message each other. Put phones on airplane mode. There is also What's up app

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