Calling home during a cruise

[beynac]

Hi Everyone,

 

We're going on a 5-day Century cruise next month, leaving our two little ones home with the grandparents (ages 4 and 1). I'd like to call and check in once or twice during the cruise, and timing it with our ports of call may work well (Ocho Rios and Grand Caymen). We do not have cell phones that can turn into international cell phones. I was thinking of buying a phone card and calling from a pay phone at the pier. Do convenient pay phones exist? I don't want to burn too much of our port time looking for a phone. I imagine that calling from the ship would be outrageously expensive, but I haven't looked into this option too closely. Checking in via email may work, but it'd be nice to be able to talk with my 4 year old.

 

Any advice?

[smeyer418]

Hi Everyone,

 

We're going on a 5-day Century cruise next month, leaving our two little ones home with the grandparents (ages 4 and 1). I'd like to call and check in once or twice during the cruise, and timing it with our ports of call may work well (Ocho Rios and Grand Caymen). We do not have cell phones that can turn into international cell phones. I was thinking of buying a phone card and calling from a pay phone at the pier. Do convenient pay phones exist? I don't want to burn too much of our port time looking for a phone. I imagine that calling from the ship would be outrageously expensive, but I haven't looked into this option too closely. Checking in via email may work, but it'd be nice to be able to talk with my 4 year old.

 

Any advice?

 

 

 

First most US cell phones work in the Caribbean-even if they are not international cell phones. the systems used in the islands are capable with most US cell phones. Second most pay telephones at the pier charge a lot sometimes more than the ships phone! so be careful. Many islands have a call center where you can pay and call---its much cheaper. Phone cards bought in the US may or may not work on the islands pay phones. Finally contact your cell phone provider they can tell you if you cell phone will work and what the cost is.

 

http://www.fodors.com/community/cruises/cell-phone-use-on-cruise.cfm

this a little old.

 

If the ship has its own cell tower(and I think it does but don't know for sure)...you are looking at $2-3 per minute to use your own cell phone while out to sea.

 

Finally normally the least expensive way to stay in touch is by either sending emails or by texting on your own phone but this means that someone has to answer at the other end....

[eandj]

You can very easily use phone cards on the islands. Ask your room steward or waitor or at the front desk where the staff calls and how. They will steer you to the phones and where to buy a card.

 

We use email on the ship if we need to check on anything. However it is often very slow and the email communication can run more expensive than a phone card. The ship charges are ridiculous.

 

You can get a phone on telesital.com for traveling. Highly recommended especially if you travel often and need that connection home.

[beynac]

Thanks for your advice.

 

I checked my service, and if the phone works it's $2 a minute from Jamaica and Grand Cayman.

 

We'll probably go the phone card route. I wish we traveled enough to warrant a dedicated international cell phone!

 

If anyone else has more advice, I'd love to hear it!

[lifevicarious]

Do your parents have access to a computer? Nearly all port towns have a number of internet cafes and most of those have Skype. It's cheap and easy but it does require some bit of pre planning.

[bardstowntraveller]

It is almost always cheaper to text than call. So if you just want to tell your family you are doing fine, go that route