best and cheapest way to phone home" while on ship

[cobra09]

Ok so I know that I have found you are supposed to turn your smart phone in airplane mode to avoid crazy international roaming charges...but i am wondering how does everyone keep in touch with home?

I think I read somewhere about creating a cruise critic account (? or maybe it was a carnival account? i cant remember) and talking that way through private messages because it was free to log into your carnival account? does anyone remember this and know anything about that? Thanks!

[firefly333]

Your subject line says phone, and the messages are online in the public. typed messages. there is some kind of hub where you can leave messages though. Just not private.

 

The cheapest I have heard of was $2.49 for internetional plan per minute onboard the ship. texting is cheaper. that was for ATT I believe.

[cobra09]

yes you're right. I got cut off while still posting...twice. I meant it as a joke..."phone home" as in a ET reference. For fun. For a little laugh. What I am asking is if anyone knows where you were able to get on the internet for free on the ship...if you are able to access your Carnival account or if it was a Cruise Critic account. I have read a thread on here, that now I cannot find, where someone was discussing that.

[crewsweeper]

Yes, you can. As mentioned earlier, it's public space so don't text/post anything private. But, on shore set up an account/user id for yourself and whomever "at home" you'll be posting to on Carnival's Funville site. On that site there is a forum tab/link and inthe forum page there are links to a thread called "On Board" or some such. Set up a Thread titled with your cruise for that board just before you go and both you and who ever at home will b epsoting stick a couple of test posts there.

 

Once on ship, go to the fun hub and and find the link on the home page to Carnival Funville. Go to Funville and login with your userid/pw. And find your thread. Then post away. The tech guy at the funhub can show you where the Funville link is. I can't recall if you need to do a login to the funHub ship's page or not. If you bring your laptop or netbook, you can do this from your cabin too.

 

Be advised that the internet is slloooowww!!! So be patient. Unless it's an emergency, I wouldn't bother checking more than once or twice a day.

[cobra09]

thanks crewsweeper!

[shelkate1]

Depending on the ports we usually make arrangements to call with our cell in specific ports. On Eastern itineraries, Bahamas is usually covered with US plans, St. Thomas, Puerto Rico. On Western Itineraries, Grand Cayman is usually covered. We have Sprint and I call to make them aware of our travelling out of the country and if necessary we make arrangements for one month of international calling.

I keep my phone on airplane mode until we arrive off the ship in our pre-arranged locations, call for a fairly specific amount of time and try to make at least 2 calls within the week.

[K&P Luv2Cruise]

Yes, you can. As mentioned earlier, it's public space so don't text/post anything private. But, on shore set up an account/user id for yourself and whomever "at home" you'll be posting to on Carnival's Funville site. On that site there is a forum tab/link and inthe forum page there are links to a thread called "On Board" or some such. Set up a Thread titled with your cruise for that board just before you go and both you and who ever at home will b epsoting stick a couple of test posts there.

 

Once on ship, go to the fun hub and and find the link on the home page to Carnival Funville. Go to Funville and login with your userid/pw. And find your thread. Then post away. The tech guy at the funhub can show you where the Funville link is. I can't recall if you need to do a login to the funHub ship's page or not. If you bring your laptop or netbook, you can do this from your cabin too.

 

Be advised that the internet is slloooowww!!! So be patient. Unless it's an emergency, I wouldn't bother checking more than once or twice a day.

 

I have not used the Carnival site to keep in touch, so can't really comment on it.

 

However, if you are taking a laptop or netbook with you, try using "Skype". You can 'call home' (love the ET reference), but you must have an internet plan (on board), OR find a free wi-fi spot on-shore in one of the ports. With Skype we were able to keep in touch, see our Grandkids open their Christmas presents (using the webcam) Christmas morning, mediate a disagreement between our two "young adults" left at home etc. Found it to be very inter-active, and it's like making a phone call.

 

The FREE thing is the only problem, but we found many ports with free wi-fi available...just be careful...some of the sites may not be secure, so don't check "important" stuff like bank accounts etc.

 

Hope this helps !:)

[SteelerCruiser]

some ships are now testing out the $.99 or $1.99 per minute rate to use the cabin phone to call home. maybe your ship will have it going on.

[sjcruiser]

Onboard we use Facebook and email. Inport we either use the phone, or connect to Skype, Facebook and email. Most of those we are trying to reach have two of the three on their cellphones for instant notification and communications.

[luv2cruz66]

Calling from the Cabin on the Fascination was 2.99

 

My DS(18) evidently "thought" his phone was on airplane mode....I came home to this email from Verizon...

**ATTENTION*** Bahamas Data Roaming Notification On 07/11/2011, your mobile number ***-***-**** accessed a data network while roaming in Bahamas. Data roaming charges in Bahamas are $20.48/MB.

If you would like to review international data plan options, please visit http://verizonwireless.com/global or call +1-908-559-4899

 

I also received a "free" text from Verizon welcoming me to the cruise ship network... it said receiving a text would be $0.05 and sending one would be $0.50. But I have an old phone without internet.

 

Hope this helps