Internet and Cell Phones

[IslandRetrievers]

So, this is going to be our first trip without kids and I'm really excited but I'd love to be able to call home or possibly FaceTime with my kids during the trip. Has anyone had luck with iPhones? AT&T is our provider. Also, what is the internet service like? Do you pay a few onboard for a certain amount of time and can you use laptops in your room or are you limited to certain areas on the ship? I haven't travelled internationally in a LONG time and never without my kids so this is all new to me! Thanks!

[Zimmy]

We were on the PG for Christmas. We both have iphones and AT&T is our provider. Before we left we arranged for an international calling package and an international data package - very important if you don't want your bill to resemble the national debt. We were warned by AT&T that when we were at sea on the ship's system, our data package did not cover us. We tried to shut off our data on those days, but we weren't always on top of it. We have not yet received our bill so I don't know what the damage is. We had good cell and data service in Papeete, Bora Bora & Moorea. We had either spotty or no service in Tahaa'a and Huahine. While we both have the same iphones, and are on the same package/service, there were definitely times when one of us had better service than the other - go figure!

[IslandRetrievers]

Thanks Zimmy!!!

[Zimmy]

When I answered you yesterday I did so with the knowlege I had then. But last night my husband told me a story, and not a pretty one, which you need to hear. Before we left Chicago we told AT&T that we were going to FP, and they sold us a data package. When DH called to cancel the data package upon our return, AT&T told him that FP is not one of the countries covered by their data packages, and that we had racked up a thousand dollars in data charges. DH worked this out as he knew who he had spoken to when he ordered the package, and he had clearly stated that we were going to FP. Needless to say, we were not pleased with AT&T customer service, and that we had to go through this.

 

I don't know what AT&T will tell you when you call, but if they do offer to sell you a package, keep careful notes of whom you spoke to and when, and what they promised. It appears that the left hand in that company doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

[IslandRetrievers]

That is CRAZY!!!! Thank you for letting me know. I will definitely take meticulous notes about whatever options we purchase for our trip. Thanks again and glad you were able to get yours worked out.

[Giskard]

We used Skype on our last international trip in November on our iPhones and the iPad. We couldn't get a data package so we made sure we turned off the data services and just used wi if. It worked great. I'm not sure what the wi if packages will be on PG but that's what we plan to use when we cruise in July to talk to our son.

[aussiemaid]

:confused:Slightly different question re cell phones. My son who lives in Europe has purchased two prepaid phones for my DH and me to use when we go to see them. He lives in Germany. He says calls within Germany are about 5c per minute, but we will arrive in Holland. Is it a "toll" call, to call from one country to another? We will also be meeting my sister in Venice, We will want to call her from Germany to Italy. We may also want to call Germany from Istanbul and Barcelona. Not sure how the system there works. Anyone know how all this works? He said the instructions that came with the phones are all in German, so found it difficult to interpret the details.