Shut your cell phones off !

[KevinsCruising]

Hey,

 

I called AT&T yesterday so I would know what to do so I do not encounter crazy cell phone charges on my iphone like I did last November when I cruised.

 

Heres the low down: Any smart phones left turned on will be constantly looking for DATA. These charges will be adding up once you leave the United States and are in international waters. Also, when on the islands, if you think cause you call a phone with the same provider there is no charge..think again....nope. AT&T charges $2.49 per minute no matter who you call. Also charge $2.49 per minute for receiving calls. :mad: So if my wife is on the ship and I decide to go to the straw market in Nassau and she calls me, we are BOTH getting charged $2.49 per minute. That one minute phone call just cost $5.00.

 

Also if you text, even though you have unlimited texting...does not count here.. .50 cents for each text. $1.49 for each picture sent.

 

Some ways to help.... go to your settings on your phone before you pull out to sea and SHUT OFF your ROAMING DATA. Put your phone on AIRPLANE MODE. MAKE SURE NO APPS ARE RUNNING. If you do not do this and just keep your phone powered off, if you decide to turn it on for any reason, your data search will be searching like mad to update your phone, messages, missed calls, and WHAM you are getting hit with charges for just turning your phone on.

 

I have to check again, but I believe, if I am in airplane mode, I can still use my phone as my alarm clock, ipod, camera, even games. I believe it cannot recieve any data so therefore no charges.

 

I would like to know if anyone else does anything else to help not get charges other then leaving their phone off for the entire trip.

 

Thanks

[luddite]

Phones are off and in the safe. We're on a cruise. If we wanted to be on the phone, we wouldn't be on the cruise.

[shof515]

i think its overall safer/easier to just use a spare backup basic phone for crusing and emergencies.

 

alot of basic prepaid phones can be used international

[terrymtex01]

OP.. I do not work for AT&T but I do work for a major cell phone service provider and as long as you have your phone in Airplane Mode you are safe. Also, as they advised you, turn off Data roaming and you will be safe. This is not only true for iphones, but any high end data phone like Blackberry or Androids.

 

I don't know about AT&T, but most cell providers have more than just one rate for International usage so the $2.49 you quoted may only be for one island or country.

[MeHeartCruising]

Yes, if you keep your iPhone in "Airplane Mode", you can turn it on and use it as in iPod, camera, and alarm clock. I use mine for an alarm clock and for the iPod on every cruise with no charges from AT&T. I leave it in airplane mode the entire trip. Have fun.

[KevinsCruising]

Airplane mode... thats what I thought... thanks for confirming. I also like to use my phone and video on my iphone so that is good news.

 

Thanks :o

[3dogsrule]

I put my iPhone on airplane mode while on the boat, and then took it off while on land long enough to send text messages. I had also turned off data roaming, cellular data and fetch new data, just because I was paranoid! But when coming out of airplane mode, I didn't want the iPhone to try to download emails, I think I just had to enable cellular data to send/receive texts. Definitely the cheapest way to communicate, me and another fellow cruiser sent texts when trying to meet up in Roatan.

 

AT&T had told me texts would be $.50 from either the boat or in another country, but I bought an international text plan that gave me 50 texts for $10. Also, they told me that the per-minute call rate changes by country, Mexico being the cheapest (still think it's $1.50ish a minute). I had to make two business calls while in Cozumel; my bill comes out tomorrow so I'll let you know. :D

 

They had a $6 a month international calling package that would give you a slightly cheaper per-minute charge, but it wasn't worth it to me.

[njhorseman]

The $2.49 per minute rate applies while the ship is at sea and your calls are being placed through the ship's cell phone service. When you're in port, the ship's cell phone service is turned off and your phone will be operating on AT&T's local roaming partner's network. Those rates vary from country to country...last I checked it was a bit less than $2.49 per minute in the Bahamas, and generally if you buy an international roaming package you'll pay even less per minute. There are separate rates for data usage...AT&T's is generally $.0195 per Kb.

[KevinsCruising]

AT&T world traveler package costs $5.99 per phone and it lowers the cost only 50cents per minute...so instead of $2.49 its $1.99 per minute. Still a little high. When I called yesterday , that was the rates for the Bahamas.

[RedFlavoredJellybeans]

So if you really need to use the apps on your phone and don't trust airplane mode that much, you can always pull out the SIM card. Just be sure to stick that in your wallet or something so you don't lose it!

 

Also for T-Mobile, if you have an unlimited messaging plan, receiving is free. (Source: I called them up.) But I wouldn't risk disabling airplane mode (or replacing the SIM card) just for a few text messages.

[erdoran]

The data rate for Verizon in Roatan is absolutely insane, it is like $20/megabyte!

[roger001]

I did that research with Verizon also. Like you say, turn off data. That's the big one that can get you some expensive phone bills. Otherwise, texting is .50c sent and .05 received per message. I believe pics, as you say were extra charge. And the phone charge on the ship, as you said, is $2.50 per minute for voice calls in or out. On shore, it varies with each country, but expensive also. So for me, rather than airplane mode, which disables all communications, I'll go with data off, send and receive a few texts from a select few persons, not call anybody and hope the few calls in that might occur will be very few, and I won't answer them. That's with my Blackberry.

[max a million]

Going on cruise to Hawaii. I'll have to call Verizon to see what their extra charges would be while on land - since they are US.:p

[mking8288]

Going on cruise to Hawaii. I'll have to call Verizon to see what their extra charges would be while on land - since they are US.:p

 

Verizon (plus AT&T and T-Mobile) services in Hawaii are home rates as you are in the US, no extra charges in all the islands while on land/shore - sailing the POA and/or out at sea, you will be roaming on a satellite signal and billed thru your carrier at extra $$$. ;) While ship is docked, you are still on a home signal with no extra charges, but once it's 3 miles offshore & the ships' satellite tower is switched on, it will display roaming symbol and $$ charges will apply unless ....

 

i think its overall safer/easier to just use a spare backup basic phone for crusing and emergencies.

 

alot of basic prepaid phones can be used international

 

For non-US travel, services by GSM carriers (AT&T and T-Mobile) tend to be better for ease of setup, configuration & programming and easier to get help from local providers & agents. I always carry an unlocked quadband phone for using local Sim cards. :p

 

It's advisable to call and reconfirm with one's own prepaid AND postpaid carrier about availability & coverage, as terms/conditions/rates are changing all the time as more 4G devices are replacing 3G's with more iphones & iPads coming into the mobile device scene along with Androids .... :D

 

Unless coverage has recently changed again, AT&T prepaid (a/k/a Gophone) only works in Mexico and T-Mobile prepaid being good both in Mexico & Canada - roaming features that aren't always turned ON by default, it's best to call customer care at 611 to confirm & verify before the US. For the most part, prepaid phones will NOT roam in the Caribbean islands - exception being Puerto Rico as it's U.S. territority - frequented by cruise ships.

 

With a China Mobile (CMCC) or Peoples prepaid GSM sim card - I can roam in many countries in Asia plus the Americas on my global phone instead of using the Verizon-supplied Vodafone (postpaid) GSM sim card for use around the world. The CMCC prepaid roaming rates are still pretty expensive but it's always available in my global phone for emergencies when Verizon or its partner (CDMA carriers) signal cannot be found, and it will stop when the fund balance stored for the account is depleted (until it's refilled)

[szcakes]

As a newbie, I unkowingly racked up $600 in charges last week on the Epic via my laptop using the "cellular at sea" connection. ATT was kind enough to email us at the $00 point that they hat cut off the service due to unusually high charges. ( my hubby got the email on his verizon smart phone.) God only knows how high it would have been after 7 days!!

 

So now I have to call ATT and beg for mercy; that I stupidly did know the laptop was using that service, and hope they will work a deal with me. :(

[booboo2000]

turn data roam off and you will be fine

i have an iphone and travel from US to canada frequently

this works

[K&M2009]

Um, yes, airplane mode...that's all you need to do. Thought this was just common sense to not leave your phone on (or have airplane mode on) when you get going. You shouldn't have to call AT&T or whomever to solve this mystery about your domestic plan.

 

Also, I heard that when you type in capitals, people take you more seriously, so good work on that.

[Philip217]

Hey,

 

I called AT&T yesterday so I would know what to do so I do not encounter crazy cell phone charges on my iphone like I did last November when I cruised.

 

I would like to know if anyone else does anything else to help not get charges other then leaving their phone off for the entire trip.

 

Thanks

 

I have a great solution for you.

Buy your telephone and service in another country.

 

My Chinese 4G mobile telephone cost me only about US$40, has no monthly fee, no service contract, is unlocked, and roams everywhere in the world - even at sea - for US$0.06 per minute.

[webzila]

With Verizon you can temporarily add the International Data Roaming feature while you are traveling. Data will be free on the ship and in any port where your phone can get a signal. This does not apply to texting and making phone calls. When we went on the Carnival cruise recently I added this feature for a week - it came out to be about $17 but I had totally unlimited data and was not charged a cent extra for it.

 

I did that research with Verizon also. Like you say, turn off data. That's the big one that can get you some expensive phone bills. Otherwise, texting is .50c sent and .05 received per message. I believe pics, as you say were extra charge. And the phone charge on the ship, as you said, is $2.50 per minute for voice calls in or out. On shore, it varies with each country, but expensive also. So for me, rather than airplane mode, which disables all communications, I'll go with data off, send and receive a few texts from a select few persons, not call anybody and hope the few calls in that might occur will be very few, and I won't answer them. That's with my Blackberry.

[Got2Cruise]

Also note that on ATT some places such as STT, SJU, include free phone calls, but when you are at such places, your unlimited data plan is not unlimited. Not sure about data in Alaska, but phone calls are free. Also anyone with teenagers should not allow them to text their friends while at sea unless you want a huge text bill. It is .50 to send or receive each text.

[RichNY]

A few years ago I bought a phone from Mobal..flat fee, no roaming charges and always gets a signal..I use it just for travel...love it.

 

http://www.mobal.com/?utm_nooverride=1&gclid=CI6k1oTB0KcCFVFx5QodFRxjCw

[roger001]

With Verizon you can temporarily add the International Data Roaming feature while you are traveling. Data will be free on the ship and in any port where your phone can get a signal. This does not apply to texting and making phone calls. When we went on the Carnival cruise recently I added this feature for a week - it came out to be about $17 but I had totally unlimited data and was not charged a cent extra for it.

 

 

Thanks. I'll look into that.

[A1SusieQ]

So a question for all you "techies" My husband and I both use (Verizon)blackberry for work email and keep our blackberry's running all the time. Are you saying, just by leaving the power "on" each email we recieve will incur charges?

 

In past travels, on port days, the blackberry would go crazy buzzing with all the new emails pushing through, but received nothing while out to sea.

 

This year we have new blackberry smart phones. In the past we had older blackberry models.

 

We do need the option to read our emails and receive voice mails so turning it off all the time is not the best deal for either of us.

 

I fear being hit with $500.00 phone bills for each of us.

 

Thanks in advance.

[K&M2009]

Susie, you're going to get the best info by just calling Verizon and telling them your situation. They'll tell you what kind of charges you might be looking at or any package you might be able to purchase beforehand.

[A1SusieQ]

Susie, you're going to get the best info by just calling Verizon and telling them your situation. They'll tell you what kind of charges you might be looking at or any package you might be able to purchase beforehand.

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

Will do.