Shanker1 Posted July 22, 2017 #1 Share Posted July 22, 2017 We will be in Italy 3 days prior and 1 day post cruise. Verizon is my provider. Any tips or advice about usage and plans, other than wi fi cafe's, for Italy would be greatly appreciated. Our US plan is for unlimited voice and text and only 4 GB data. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealNorwegianCruiser Posted July 22, 2017 #2 Share Posted July 22, 2017 I guess you get better answers regarding this at the ports of call section: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=595 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare markeb Posted July 22, 2017 #3 Share Posted July 22, 2017 Verizon offers a Travel Pass that you can add to your account. It's $10/day and allows you to use your US based call and data plan. It's pricey, but is the easiest way to travel on a Verizon phone. If you use Verizon's travel planner, it will show you where the Travel Pass works; it doesn't work on the ship, but may work at other ports of call if you want to use it (turn off roaming if not). You'll need to enable voice and data roaming. You'll get a free text when you first connect to the network in Italy. The system will then bill your account $10/day/phone roaming on an international network until you leave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanker1 Posted July 22, 2017 Author #4 Share Posted July 22, 2017 Verizon offers a Travel Pass that you can add to your account. It's $10/day and allows you to use your US based call and data plan. It's pricey, but is the easiest way to travel on a Verizon phone. If you use Verizon's travel planner, it will show you where the Travel Pass works; it doesn't work on the ship, but may work at other ports of call if you want to use it (turn off roaming if not). You'll need to enable voice and data roaming. You'll get a free text when you first connect to the network in Italy. The system will then bill your account $10/day/phone roaming on an international network until you leave. Thanks for the great info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanger727 Posted July 22, 2017 #5 Share Posted July 22, 2017 Agree with previous post. If you want to use your cell phone the way you use it in the US and text, call, use data, the travel pass is probably your best route. If you just want to have your phone available for emergencies and an occasional short call/text, you can simply turn data roaming off and voice roaming on. Then you'll just be charged a per minute rate and per text rate when you use it. The final alternative is to final a local cell phone company to use and purchase a pre-paid plan and SIM card, but for 4 days that is probably more work than its worth. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare markeb Posted July 22, 2017 #6 Share Posted July 22, 2017 Thanks for the great info. You'll have to add travel pass to your account. I know you can do it online; not sure if you can do it through the app. Easiest if you do it before leaving! You only get charged for the overseas days. I have it enabled on my account all the time (travel overseas a fair amount and really need to look at switching to T-Mobile!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Click Posted July 22, 2017 #7 Share Posted July 22, 2017 Verizon also offers a monthly plan with limited minutes and data. It runs about $40 per month per line. Since I don't use my phone that much when I am traveling I prefer that plan to the TravelPass plan. The draw back to either plan is you cannot use them when you are on the ship and Celebrity's cellular system takes over. If you go with the limited monthly plan be sure to make sure your data roaming is turned off so you don't use up the limited data you have pushing through junk mail etc.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ano Posted July 22, 2017 #8 Share Posted July 22, 2017 Be VERY careful in paying for Verizon plans unless they can assure you they have coverage where you want to go. I Verizon phone is predominately CDMA, where Italy is GSM. If you have T-Mobile or AT&T, not a problem, but Verizon, good luck. Yes it is POSSIBLE to use it sometimes, in the right places, but it will be limited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare markeb Posted July 22, 2017 #9 Share Posted July 22, 2017 Be VERY careful in paying for Verizon plans unless they can assure you they have coverage where you want to go. I Verizon phone is predominately CDMA, where Italy is GSM. If you have T-Mobile or AT&T, not a problem, but Verizon, good luck. Yes it is POSSIBLE to use it sometimes, in the right places, but it will be limited. No. OP has an iPhone 6. It has a built in GSM SIM. Domestic CDMA is irrelevant. The Verizon travel planner will tell you where you can use your phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAscrapper Posted July 24, 2017 #10 Share Posted July 24, 2017 We used my Iphone 6 all over Italy with just wifi last September. Texted and used wifi calling without paying for extra plans. Lots of wifi hotspots in Rome, Florence and Amalfi coast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarf Posted July 24, 2017 #11 Share Posted July 24, 2017 I travel to Italy a lot and I have a Verizon Iphone 6. I have a vodafone SIM chip. When I'm traveling to Italy, I take the verizon SIM chip out of the phone and put the vodafone SIM chip in. Then I will stop at a vodafone store and see what kind of data and/or voice plans they have at the time that best fits my needs. I always carry a cash balance on the vodafone SIM chip so I can use it without a plan if I want, but sometimes signing up for a plan, and then canceling it when I leave, is cheaper. But as a previous poster said, it may not be worth the trouble to use a local company for only 4 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECCruise Posted July 24, 2017 #12 Share Posted July 24, 2017 Honestly, with only 4 days there, the Travel Pass is the way to go. Maximum exposure is $40 if you use it all 4 days, less if you don't need it every day. But, be aware, even if you only use if for a few seconds (like receiving a text) you will be charged for the whole day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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