Beware using your net card in the Bahamas, $3700 bill

[RMLERL]

FYI-

 

Just received my Verizon bill and we use our phones for business when cruising so I know to expect a large bill but was I shocked when my bill came in at over $4000. We used our net card for the1st time on our Thanksgiving cruise and we used in for about 2-3 hours total, it was only a 3 day cruise and they charged us $3700. Sure makes the internet on the ship seem cheap. The charges are broke up into 2 categories, cruise ship time and Bahamas time.I believe they charged by the KB and we used somewhere around 150,000KB. I pay $60 a month for the net card unlimited. My average bill is only $300 so I can't even imagine Verizon letting the bill rack up like that. We're working to get it resolved/reduced settled but no luck yet. Just wanted to pass on the warning. Did anyone else ever have this problem? :mad:

[madforcruising]

FYI-

 

Just received my Verizon bill and we use our phones for business when cruising so I know to expect a large bill but was I shocked when my bill came in at over $4000. We used our net card for the1st time on our Thanksgiving cruise and we used in for about 2-3 hours total, it was only a 3 day cruise and they charged us $3700. Sure makes the internet on the ship seem cheap. The charges are broke up into 2 categories, cruise ship time and Bahamas time.I believe they charged by the KB and we used somewhere around 150,000KB. I pay $60 a month for the net card unlimited. My average bill is only $300 so I can't even imagine Verizon letting the bill rack up like that. We're working to get it resolved/reduced settled but no luck yet. Just wanted to pass on the warning. Did anyone else ever have this problem? :mad:

 

 

Ouch,

good luck in getting that one sorted.

Did you ever look at the roaming coast before using it?

[grandsix]

Unknowingly had a $900.00 bill last year for limited use. Will never use the phone until we arrive on U.S. soil.

[RMLERL]

Ouch,

good luck in getting that one sorted.

Did you ever look at the roaming coast before using it?

 

No, I just assumed (unfortunately) that it would mirror my normal roaming phone charges. I was very very wrong. We talked on the phones for about an hour and I think it cost an extra $100 bucks or so. Pales compared to the internet charges.

[whyrlygig]

Wow! :eek: Wow!

[reallyitsmema]

No, I just assumed (unfortunately) that it would mirror my normal roaming phone charges. I was very very wrong. We talked on the phones for about an hour and I think it cost an extra $100 bucks or so. Pales compared to the internet charges.

http://www.cellularatsea.com/guest_services.htm

 

This is the link for cellular at sea so if anyone else reads this they can do some research before they sail.

 

Hope Verizon will work with you on your charges. Very expensive lesson to learn.

[luvscruising2007]

OP, I am a little confused. Are you saying that you didn't use the service that Verizon billed you? Or are you saying that you used the services, but just didn't expect the final bill to be so high??

If it is the latter, then Verizon is due there money and you should pay it.

If it is the former, then I am sure they will work with you.

As some one else said, this is a hard lesson to learn.

[ccletzgo]

just got of the Radiance and DD's emails kept coming into her blackberry. I hope she doesn't have a horrible surprise:eek: I told her to call verizon and find out how to use it as just a phone with no internet while on board....and I know she didn't take mom's advise..

 

I have a Mi-Fi card through Verizon and didn't even consider trying to use it... thank heaven... the ships INTERNET is expensive enough..

 

Keep us posted on how they work with you....

[seaofwonder]

There have been stories about this kind of thing all over the place....internet is VERY expensive.

 

Also with things like iPhones and Blackberries, when the phone is on it is often constantly using data.....so you'll likely end up with a horrendous bill. I turned my iphone to airplane when I was onboard.

[Jsme]

just got of the Radiance and DD's emails kept coming into her blackberry. I hope she doesn't have a horrible surprise:eek: I told her to call verizon and find out how to use it as just a phone with no internet while on board....and I know she didn't take mom's advise..

 

I have a Mi-Fi card through Verizon and didn't even consider trying to use it... thank heaven... the ships INTERNET is expensive enough..

 

Keep us posted on how they work with you....

 

 

I started a thread about how to turn off your web services a few months back. I always go to blackberry's website and turn off my email and also go to options, mobile network, data services will give you options to turn it off completely or while roaming. You need to do both in order to use the blackberry as just a phone.

[Mademypoint]

My phone turns on and off automatically and I forgot to set it when I got on. We left during a bad storm and my phone receives flood warnings and weather advisories and one morning it showed 12 messages waiting for me. I then turned it off but when I turned it on I had a message from TMobile reminding me that I am not in a local area and that I may incur charges. I feared the worst but when I got my bill they were delivered as texts for .20 each.

 

Unfortunately it's caveat emptor when it comes to cell companies... Good luck getting it resolved.

[UTCJCB]

No, I just assumed (unfortunately) that it would mirror my normal roaming phone charges. I was very very wrong. We talked on the phones for about an hour and I think it cost an extra $100 bucks or so. Pales compared to the internet charges.

 

I work for AT&T and might be able to help you out...but what happens is when you "roam" internationally, you are charged by the company that allows you to roam on their network. In turn, they charge your provider, Verizon, all at one time....because of this, no provider can cut your access to the net....I know it sucks, but unfortunately the carriers are at the mercy of the international providers, in this case, cellular at sea.:(

 

Call *611 and ask if there is anyway they can reduce part of it...I'll be honest, they may not be willing to do anything, so if they stonewall, escalate it to a supervisor...hope this helps. :-)

[PhoenixCruiser]

Yikes!!!

 

Hope they offer you a payment plan...

 

###

[greatam]

FYI-

 

The charges are broke up into 2 categories, cruise ship time and Bahamas time.I believe they charged by the KB and we used somewhere around 150,000KB. I pay $60 a month for the net card unlimited. My average bill is only $300 so I can't even imagine Verizon letting the bill rack up like that. We're working to get it resolved/reduced settled but no luck yet. Just wanted to pass on the warning. Did anyone else ever have this problem? :mad:

 

I'm trying to figure this one out. Verizon's aircard, even the global card, is just a cell phone dial up connection. So even if you connected to the Cellular at Sea tower-2.49 per minute x 300 minutes is still only about $750.00. BUT if you left the aircard on (didn't disconnect from the internet), are you being charged per minute for phone use or are you being charged for downloads like email and computer updates which go on in the background (the per kb part of Cellular at Sea)? We have a fairly large Verizon corporate account and they have always informed me that the air cards are merely cell phones and incur cell phone charges, while the Blackberries automatically pull DATA and hence the kb charge. Am I wrong???

[PhoenixCruiser]

I'm trying to figure this one out. Verizon's aircard, even the global card, is just a cell phone dial up connection. So even if you connected to the Cellular at Sea tower-2.49 per minute x 300 minutes is still only about $750.00. BUT if you left the aircard on (didn't disconnect from the internet), are you being charged per minute for phone use or are you being charged for downloads like email and computer updates which go on in the background (the per kb part of Cellular at Sea)? We have a fairly large Verizon corporate account and they have always informed me that the air cards are merely cell phones and incur cell phone charges, while the Blackberries automatically pull DATA and hence the kb charge. Am I wrong???

 

You should call and get the package in writing, no one here can honestly answer your question.

 

###

[critterchick]

There have been stories about this kind of thing all over the place....internet is VERY expensive.

 

Also with things like iPhones and Blackberries, when the phone is on it is often constantly using data.....so you'll likely end up with a horrendous bill. I turned my iphone to airplane when I was onboard.

 

If the iPhone is in data roaming "off" then it doesn't need to be in airplane mode to keep data at bay. But if a call comes in and goes to voicemail while the phone is on, you pay for the call even if you don't listen to the message until you return home, so it makes sense to keep it in airplane mode unless you're actually using it.

 

OP, I hope that a mistake was made that is resolved in your favor.

[OnMedic]

There have been stories about this kind of thing all over the place....internet is VERY expensive.

 

Also with things like iPhones and Blackberries, when the phone is on it is often constantly using data.....so you'll likely end up with a horrendous bill. I turned my iphone to airplane when I was onboard.

 

Better yet, I take the battery out! I hate when the phone gets bumped and turns on!

[seaofwonder]

I just did airplane mode because I knew I wasn't even going to check voicemail. My preferred mode of communication is email and I'm much happier paying the .50/min for internet service on the ship.

[paulap70]

You should call and get the package in writing, no one here can honestly answer your question.

 

###

 

Good advice. I plan on having Verizon put it all in an email. They tell me that we will switch our blackberry to a global data plan for the week we're on the ship. At $64.99 per month, it should amount to about $16 for one week cruise. We are supposed to be able to use the internet and email functions without incurring the additional charges from the cellular at sea folks. But if we use it as a phone, it's subject to the $2.49 per minute, I'm told. I definitely don't want any unwelcome surprises once I get back!

[dougp26364]

Verizon has international plans that stop things like this from happening. Before we left for our Western Med cruise, we contacted Verizon and added the international plan that worked for us. For a flat fee around $69, my wife could use her Blackberry for everything we use it for in the U.S. There were charges for text messages and there was a roaming fee the was dependent upon where we were calling from but, after 9 days abroad our bill was only around $40 more than normal. Verizon allows you to put the international plan on, then take it back off once you're home. The cost is prorated.

 

The most important thing to do is contact your carrier before you leave. Tell them where you'll be and ask them what options you have. Ask about any and all charges you might incur including internet, phone calls and texting. Most carriers have more than a few options to fit individual needs so it's important that you get the correct option for you and be sure you understand how your phone works. I ran into a doctor who was complaining about her data usage charges because one of the program she has on her phone does automatic upgrades every day. She either needs a different plan or needs to shut that app off. Unfortunately, she figured that out about 6 weeks to late.

[dougp26364]

Good advice. I plan on having Verizon put it all in an email. They tell me that we will switch our blackberry to a global data plan for the week we're on the ship. At $64.99 per month, it should amount to about $16 for one week cruise. We are supposed to be able to use the internet and email functions without incurring the additional charges from the cellular at sea folks. But if we use it as a phone, it's subject to the $2.49 per minute, I'm told. I definitely don't want any unwelcome surprises once I get back!

 

If you're on the correct plan, you won't have any issues. My wife's Blackberry was put on a Verizon international plan that sounds like what you're talking about. The per minute charge will depend on where you're calling from. If you're on the ship, you get hit with RCI's charge. On land the charges were different depending on what country we were in and what network. Everytime we changed networks my wife's storm recieved an uncharged text message letting her know she was on a particular network at that time.

[X]

While on vacation in Mexico, a man let his son watch Wall-E over the internet through his mobile internet card. Total cost - $62,000. He fought with the cell phone company and they lowered it to $17,000. He called Clark Howard and Clark Howard got them to clear the debt all together.

 

http://www.switched.com/2009/04/27/us-man-gets-62k-bill-for-wall-e-download-in-mexico/

 

Remember to be careful with your cell phone bill!

[John Henry on CC]

i just did airplane mode because i knew i wasn't even going to check voicemail. My preferred mode of communication is email and i'm much happier paying the .50/min for internet service on the ship.

 

.55

[nutzo]

I normal keep data roaming turned off on my Blackberry, just in case.

On a recient cruise, I told the office I would have limited availablity, but would check my emails in the evening in case of emergency.

 

Since my Blackberry supports WiFi, I completely turn off the phone service, and left WiFi on. While walking around Sydney the first night, it found a free WiFi signal and updated my emails for free :)

 

While on the ship, I purchased the 90 minute plan for $38. That was plenty of time on a 10 day cruise to send several emails with pictures from my laptop (typed off-line with outlook) and to sync my Blackberry each evening. Only 1-2 minutes to login, sync, and logout. I could then read through the emails, reply off-line and repeat if needed. Found 9 minutes per day to be plenty.

[Kellie Poodle]

If you're on the correct plan, you won't have any issues. My wife's Blackberry was put on a Verizon international plan that sounds like what you're talking about. The per minute charge will depend on where you're calling from. If you're on the ship, you get hit with RCI's charge. On land the charges were different depending on what country we were in and what network. Everytime we changed networks my wife's storm recieved an uncharged text message letting her know she was on a particular network at that time.

 

I don't have a Blackberry. I have a Verizon global phone that is capable of operation on both GSM and CDMA systems. Before I go out of the US, I call Verizon and tell them what countries I'll be visiting. They send me an email with the price per minute for each country and, in those cases, for the cruise ship. I pay a pro-rated $5 per month to lower the per minute rate a little. I pay not a single solitary cent more than the $5 and per minute charges.

 

I also get the free courtesy text messages when I am in a new roaming area.

 

According to the email they sent me in November, The Bahamas is $1.99 per minute roaming. The ship is $2.49 per minute.

 

Is that "International Package" just for Blackberries?