Cel Phone service on Caribbean Princess

[CrusinPaul]

Can you tell me if Verizon has Celphone service on this ship?

 

Thanks.

[BalconyGal]

I did the NY to Bermuda and the Caribbean last summer and had reception the whole time. Now the cost is another thing, I never used my phone so I cannot say what it cost.

[paul929207]

I believe they do. The charge is $2.99 per minute for calls. Text is 5 cents if you receive it and 50 cents if you send it.

[Colo Cruiser]

At sea, its the ships cell service MCP that you will be accessing.

[Asil65]

Does your phone only work when you are at sea? I had heard that you need to check with your carrier and they have to do something(pay fee) to your phone so you can use the ships service is that correct? Texting may be a nice option for me to be able to stay in touch with my son when we are at sea. I really willl not need it when we are in port as he will be with me anyway. I need to find out if my verizon LG phone will work. Guess I need contact verizon to find out.

[satxdiver]

MCP who provides the cellular services on Princess ships will work with Verizon cell phones. The bill will come from Verizon and not Princess or MCP. The cost is $2.49/minute or part thereof and $.50/text message sent. It can get expensive. If someone back in the US calls you, the charge clock will be running.

 

Verizon uses a technology called CDMA for their cell phones. AT&T and most of the rest of the world uses GSM. The two are not compatible. So you have to check each port you visit to see if they provide CDMA service and you have to make prior arrangements with Verizon. Some do and some do not.

[goldesq]

I was on the CB this past October and contacted Verizon beforehand to ensure the phone was capable of being used where I went. I also wanted to know the charges for each island that I would be docked at.

 

The last poster is correct in that MCP who provides the cellular services on Princess ships will work with Verizon cell phones. The bill will come from Verizon and not Princess or MCP. The cost is $2.49/minute or part thereof when you are at sea and 1.99 to 2.99 when you are docked at most islands; $.50/text message sent and received.

 

I have a BB Tour (new when I traveled on that cruise) and contrary to what Verizon promised, the phone did not always work when we were out at sea so that was sometimes frustrating. I also couldnt always use the internet out at sea other on the BB as Verizon promised. They did have to activiate the SIM card for me so make sure Verizon does that for you.

 

I picked a special data plan (forgot what it was called) that was prorated for the time I was away that allowed me to use the internet on my phone for a less costly amount. When I got back to the US and explained my troubles with it, Verizon just refunded that plan to me, no hassles.

 

Also, in parts of San Juan, my phone was connecting at a higher rate than Verizon promised. San Juan was supposed to be part of my regular calling plan and it sometimes worked and sometimes indicated roaming. Verizon refunded that as well.

[traveller99]

Remember to contact Verizon and have the International roaming/dial feature turned on. You will need this for the ship's service while cruzin'. Just dial *611>SEND and drill down to talk to a rep. I just did this the other day. When you get home you can have it turned off. The info and fees listed above are spot on. Also, the International features do not cost anything to activate. Tell the Verizon Rep what countries you'll be visiting and they will tell you if your phone will work in those countries. A really easy experience.

ENJOY!

[Colo Cruiser]

Does your phone only work when you are at sea? I had heard that you need to check with your carrier and they have to do something(pay fee) to your phone so you can use the ships service is that correct? Texting may be a nice option for me to be able to stay in touch with my son when we are at sea. I really willl not need it when we are in port as he will be with me anyway. I need to find out if my verizon LG phone will work. Guess I need contact verizon to find out.

 

Your phone will work when near land and it picks up a cell tower from land (possibly roaming) so watch your screen for the service provider where ever you are.

When at sea this is provided through MCP and must be turned on by the ship, its not always on. When connected at sea your phone will show MCP on the screen instead of Verizon. It can get very expensive so use caution when making calls or texting. You will also be charged if the phone is on and you don't answer it. (voicemail)

[Asil65]

Thanks everyone. I did call Verizon today and activated my phone so it can roam internationally. I was glad that it was free. The funny thing was that they did not list the Caribbean Princess as a ship with capabilities when at sea. They listed every other Princess ship. I thought that was strange. I think it was a mix up on Verizons part. I got all of the prices when I am on various islands. I really will likely not use it much when we are on the islands. I did notice that you need to use different area codes in different places which could get confusing. Looks like when you are on the ship you pay 2.49 a minute for voice calls and 50 cents per sent text and 5 cents per received text. I am going to likely just text a bit when at sea. I can see how this could get really expensive.