Most economical way to keep in touch while onboard

If you both have wi-fi, you can text or call for free using an app called WhatsApp.

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I have AT&T and I get a text message when I connect to the ship's cell tower explaining the charges.

 

I would be surprised if your T-Mobile international data works while at sea.

Apologies for the misunderstanding, I wouldn't expect it to work either. I was instead meaning roaming charges won't matter for me, because I won't be able to connect. In ports though I can which makes it easy to avoid paying the high onboard wifi prices :D

With T-Mobile I haven't had to worry about roaming charges before, and I was just hoping people get warned as 50 cents per text could add up ridiculously fast, especially for teenagers. Sounds like you do get warned, which is good!

If you both have wi-fi, you can text or call for free using an app called WhatsApp.

 

 

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Whatsapp is spectacular

Thank you so much! We don't plan on texting all the time. Only if we get separated and can't find each other after agreeing to meet somewhere.

Losing each other isn't a big concern onboard. If you're really concerned, agree with one another that you'll meet ___ if you're separated. Make your agreed upon spot a not-so-busy place; the library or the next-cruise sign-up office instead of the casino or Cafe Promenade.

We also use the ship's phones (located in lobbies, near elevators, etc) to call the room and leave a voice mail if change of plans or locations. It can be helpful if someone is looking for you.

We just returned from Oasis and used IM on our IPhones using either the ships WiFi or the land cellular. Since we have ATT which is free in Mexico when we were in Mexican ports we just used either with no extra charge. Even at sea my phone most of time still showed I was connected to ATT cellular.

During our last cruise, I text our daughter from the ship and she wasn't on the cruise, In past cruises, we got together the night before and set up a meeting time & location plus where we would be at certain hours.

Losing each other isn't a big concern onboard. If you're really concerned, agree with one another that you'll meet ___ if you're separated. Make your agreed upon spot a not-so-busy place; the library or the next-cruise sign-up office instead of the casino or Cafe Promenade.

I’ll be sure to remember that. On one of our cruises, my hubby & I agreed to meet at the pool. He went to the Solarium Pool and I went to the family pool. Next time I’ll be more specific. 🤓

We also use the ship's phones (located in lobbies, near elevators, etc) to call the room and leave a voice mail if change of plans or locations. It can be helpful if someone is looking for you.

Good idea.

When your backpack gets stolen at the Atlantis with your passports and sea pass cards it's nice to be able to stay connected if somebody stays on the ship.

If you have either AT&T or Verizon, you can go to either carrier’s website and sign up for their cruise package for the time that you are on board the ship. They give you a cost of using it versus paying roaming charges.

If you have either AT&T or Verizon, you can go to either carrier’s website and sign up for their cruise package for the time that you are on board the ship. They give you a cost of using it versus paying roaming charges.

Verizon does not have cruise packages. Charges are pay as you go while on board a cruise ship.

If you have either AT&T or Verizon, you can go to either carrier’s website and sign up for their cruise package for the time that you are on board the ship. They give you a cost of using it versus paying roaming charges.

The data charges on AT&T's plan are really high. I'd either pay as you go with the phone's cellular data turned off, or use the ship's WiFi with the phone in Airplane mode.

Not cruisingsure is the cheapest

Verizon does not have cruise packages. Charges are pay as you go while on board a cruise ship.

You need to look under International Travel. If you have one of the listed phones (smart phone 2G through 4G) you can and they have a trip planner for rates.

It really depends on what someone want to use if they don’t want to purchase the ship’s internet package for 2 devices. They would have to decide which is best/cheaper to use.

You need to look under International Travel. If you have one of the listed phones (smart phone 2G through 4G) you can and they have a trip planner for rates.

 

It really depends on what someone want to use if they don’t want to purchase the ship’s internet package for 2 devices. They would have to decide which is best/cheaper to use.

Go back and look, those rates are pay as you go while on a cruise ship. The rate is $2.99 per minute for voice and 50 cents/5 cents for texts. They also no longer offer data services while on cruise ships.

They also have packages and travel passes for international travel put none of those cover calls and texts while using the ships cellular tower.

I have Verizon Wireless and I was on Harmony during Irma and had to call jetBlue using my cell to change flight since we were kept at sea and the flight was canceled anyways. It was a 30+ minute call due to wait times and there was no charge for the call, it just showed as if I was on land. I was certainly at sea because it was a sea day. I believe I have the 8 GB XL plan. I am still trying to figure out how there was no charges via Verizon and it clearly shows the call and how many minutes it was but no charge. Additionally there were no charges for the many text messages I sent. I had ship wifi plan and was usually connected and always had data roaming turned off.

This is not an endorsement to try and use your cell at sea. If I get around to digging around my Verizon bill more I will post more.

I have Verizon Wireless and I was on Harmony during Irma and had to call jetBlue using my cell to change flight since we were kept at sea and the flight was canceled anyways. It was a 30+ minute call due to wait times and there was no charge for the call, it just showed as if I was on land. I was certainly at sea because it was a sea day. I believe I have the 8 GB XL plan. I am still trying to figure out how there was no charges via Verizon and it clearly shows the call and how many minutes it was but no charge. Additionally there were no charges for the many text messages I sent. I had ship wifi plan and was usually connected and always had data roaming turned off.

 

This is not an endorsement to try and use your cell at sea. If I get around to digging around my Verizon bill more I will post more.

You must have had wifi calling turned enabled on your phone, so you made the call over wifi, not over cellular.

I have Verizon Wireless and I was on Harmony during Irma and had to call jetBlue using my cell to change flight since we were kept at sea and the flight was canceled anyways. It was a 30+ minute call due to wait times and there was no charge for the call, it just showed as if I was on land. I was certainly at sea because it was a sea day. I believe I have the 8 GB XL plan. I am still trying to figure out how there was no charges via Verizon and it clearly shows the call and how many minutes it was but no charge. Additionally there were no charges for the many text messages I sent. I had ship wifi plan and was usually connected and always had data roaming turned off.

 

This is not an endorsement to try and use your cell at sea. If I get around to digging around my Verizon bill more I will post more.

Sounds like you may have had WiFi calling enabled.

You would each by charged by Verizon, 50 cents to send and 5 cents to receive. Verizon does not have packages that include cruise ships anymore. They also do not have any data access on cruise ships anymore. It costs $2.99/min to make a call with Verizon while on a cruise ship.

Actually, Verizon do have packages for cruise ships. I secured it for my cruise on the Allure on the 21st, which is Saturday. The package is $40 per person (hubby and I) which includes: 100 sent texts (incoming is unlimited), 100 talk minutes, Data 100 MB. This is per person.

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Actually, Verizon do have packages for cruise ships. I secured it for my cruise on the Allure on the 21st, which is Saturday. The package is $40 per person (hubby and I) which includes: 100 sent texts (incoming is unlimited), 100 talk minutes, Data 100 MB. This is per person.

 

 

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You might want to talk to Verizon again or use the trip planner on their website to see what that actually covers. It does not cover calls on the ship and Verizon does not support data service on cruise ships anymore. Those packages will cover you in you ports but we have found it to be cheaper to use travel passes in port.

Use the trip planner and choose Allure and your phone, you will see it gives you pay as you go as the only available option. You can then do it again using Allure and your ports and it will show you your options. If you read the details, the option for on the ship is always pay as you go.