Massive Mobile Phone Bill Whilst @ Sea

[Static events]

Just got my monthly mobile phone bill through and unsurprisingly £450 worth of the bill is from using my phone whilst on board the Independence of the Seas.

 

I just want to make people aware of this crazy charge per MB of data used. I called Orange to see how much data I used and they said I used roughly 40MB of data whilst on board. Obviously whilst I was at sea I could only use Royal Caribbean’s phone mast which is run by AT&T Maritime. In other words it works out roughly £10 per 1MB used this is VERY expensive when you compare if to Oranges data plan which roughly works out to be £1 per every 25MB.:eek::eek::eek:

 

The worst part of it is I phoned Royal Caribbean's customer service department to complain and they have to be the most useless complaints department I have ever come across. I am well into Diamond now meaning I am a fairly 'Loyal to Royal' well obviously loyalty means nothing these days. The most senior member of the complaints team told me he was the highest person within the company I could speak to and that it was my fault I had such a high mobile phone bill. He also went onto say that mobile phone bills whilst on their ships is nothing to do with Royal Caribbean.

My complaint is this… nowhere on the ship does Royal Caribbean highlight that there will be extremely high prices for using data at sea and EXACTLY what that cost is. The reason for this is that no one will use the service.

The customer service manager also told me Royal Caribbean did not make any money off the mobile phone service. He is obviously a total dimwit, Royal Caribbean must get paid a rental fee for AT&T to have a mast at sea and they most likely take a percentage of whatever the service makes however don’t quote me on that as I am not a mobile communications expert. One thing I do know is Royal Caribbean are getting paid handsomely for this service at the expense of their guests and they try to be a covert as possible with the pricing structure.

 

This website here shows all the ships with this service on:

http://www.wmsatsea.com

[cb at sea]

Most folks know by now that using your phone on the ship will result in large bills...just a fact of life at sea! They are a monopoly while you're cruising, and can charge what they want.

You may want to take it up with your carrier...sometimes, they will drop some of the charges for you.

[Host Faith]

So sorry that happened to you. I would be shocked with a bill that high. :eek:

 

Then again, we always leave our phones in airplane mode when traveling abroad. Just like contacting your bank/credit card companies before leaving the country, you should definitely contact your phone carrier to find out about roaming charges.

 

If we really need the phone, we call our company ahead of time to discuss our options. If we need to check on people back home, we'll hop on email for a couple minutes to look for emails. We let everyone know they shouldn't really expect to hear from us unless it's an emergency, and if there's any news they want us to know about, they can email us. That's why I love vacations. It's a time to disconnect :)

[S.A.M.J.R.]

I have never been on a cruise (going on Oasis next June). *I* even know using a cell phone on a ship will result in EXTREMELY high rates. To have as much experience as you ("well into Diamond"), I don't understand how you COULDN'T know.

 

Expecting Royal to do something about your cell bill is ridiculous. They didn't force you to use their cell service (which they need to turn into a satellite signal).

[DaveG99]

Everyone knows to turn off your phone while on a cruise. Interesting seeing the word whilst instead of while.

[leaveitallbehind]

Most folks know by now that using your phone on the ship will result in large bills...just a fact of life at sea! They are a monopoly while you're cruising, and can charge what they want.

You may want to take it up with your carrier...sometimes, they will drop some of the charges for you.

 

Keep in mind that while at sea any ship is using satellite technology for their cellular phone service which is the key driver in costs. While there is certainly a premium charged by the cruise lines, there are more than one provider in this market offering comparative rates to. However, the usage costs are significantly higher than standard land based cellular systems. The key is to not use your cell at sea unless absolutely necessary and to discuss with your carrier (and the cruise line) in advance to understand what the charges will be.

[FLACRUISER99]

Just got my monthly mobile phone bill through and unsurprisingly £450 worth of the bill is from using my phone whilst on board the Independence of the Seas.

 

I just want to make people aware of this crazy charge per MB of data used. I called Orange to see how much data I used and they said I used roughly 40MB of data whilst on board. Obviously whilst I was at sea I could only use Royal Caribbean’s phone mast which is run by AT&T Maritime. In other words it works out roughly £10 per 1MB used this is VERY expensive when you compare if to Oranges data plan which roughly works out to be £1 per every 25MB.:eek::eek::eek:

 

The worst part of it is I phoned Royal Caribbean's customer service department to complain and they have to be the most useless complaints department I have ever come across. I am well into Diamond now meaning I am a fairly 'Loyal to Royal' well obviously loyalty means nothing these days. The most senior member of the complaints team told me he was the highest person within the company I could speak to and that it was my fault I had such a high mobile phone bill. He also went onto say that mobile phone bills whilst on their ships is nothing to do with Royal Caribbean.

My complaint is this… nowhere on the ship does Royal Caribbean highlight that there will be extremely high prices for using data at sea and EXACTLY what that cost is. The reason for this is that no one will use the service.

The customer service manager also told me Royal Caribbean did not make any money off the mobile phone service. He is obviously a total dimwit, Royal Caribbean must get paid a rental fee for AT&T to have a mast at sea and they most likely take a percentage of whatever the service makes however don’t quote me on that as I am not a mobile communications expert. One thing I do know is Royal Caribbean are getting paid handsomely for this service at the expense of their guests and they try to be a covert as possible with the pricing structure.

 

This website here shows all the ships with this service on:

http://www.wmsatsea.com

From the FAQ's of the website you linked, Rates are set and determined solely by your cell phone carrier—WMS has no involvement whatsoever in the retail rates your carrier charges for cruise ship roaming. For precise rates you will pay onboard, please contact your carrier’s international roaming department directly to confirm their Cruise Ship Roaming Rates for voice calls, texting, and data if applicable.

[BlueRiband]

...The most senior member of the complaints team told me he was the highest person within the company I could speak to and that it was my fault I had such a high mobile phone bill. He also went onto say that mobile phone bills whilst on their ships is nothing to do with Royal Caribbean.

 

I'm sorry you got socked with this added expense but the data charges are no secret. I can only guess that like many people who run apps on their phones you also don't give them a second thought. Yet they all suck up data transmission charges.

 

If you are at the diamond level for RCI this wasn't your first boat ride. Yes, it was your fault to use services without checking the charges. They are outrageously expensive but they are are published.

[Static events]

I have never been on a cruise (going on Oasis next June). *I* even know using a cell phone on a ship will result in EXTREMELY high rates. To have as much experience as you ("well into Diamond"), I don't understand how you COULDN'T know.

 

Expecting Royal to do something about your cell bill is ridiculous. They didn't force you to use their cell service (which they need to turn into a satellite signal).

 

 

I am just saying that £10 per MB is beyond a joke at sea or not. I have had much higher phone bills in the past so I am not overly worried but Royal Caribbean need to be aware that £10 per MB is just not acceptable anymore. Just getting a bit tired of paying for them!

 

 

PS. Enjoy the Oasis in June :eek:

[Jason12]

There is a £44 cap on any UK price plan to stop this happening i would contact you povider and get more info.

 

http://www.itpro.co.uk/622285/is-the-eu-data-roaming-cap-enough-to-protect-uk-users

[mommabean]

There is information in the cruise compass and a brochure at guest services about using your cell phone at sea. It does tell you to contact your own carrier for charges. All carriers do not have the same charge so they can't give you an exact price.

 

If it were cheap and included in your regular cell phone plan, everyone would be on their phones all the time and the service would end up jammed. "cellular at sea" can only support so much. Even the wifi and on board computers get bogged down during peak times.

 

You could have bought an international data plan from your cellular carrier before you left home. This would have solved your problem. Then you should have reset your cellular data usage on your phone so you'd know how much of your package you were using.

 

Live and learn. You owe your cell phone carrier the money. Your mistake.

 

Gina

[kyriecat]

I wouldn't say that "everyone" knows to turn their phone off. My mother forgot on a cruise even though I had told her. Fortunately for me (who pays her phone bill), she has a phone and not a data device. She had a couple phone calls (@$2.49/minute :rolleyes:) that I ended up paying but no roaming data.

 

I leave my phone on but turn data off onboard. I bought an international data package before leaving for my cruise just in case I needed some data and WIFI wasn't available. The ship WIFI service is not always reliable! I used some data onboard (manually turned on data then turned it off when finished) and I didn't have any surprises when I got home.

 

I checked out the Orange UK website. Unlike most of the US carrier websites (Sprint, AT&T, Verizon), I could not find any information on the use of cell phones on cruise ships. The US carriers explain that data and voice are "roaming" and not included in the standard monthly packages. Apparently Orange needs to update their roaming information.

 

Royal Caribbean's website is extremely vague about cell phone use: "Royal Caribbean has an advanced roaming network available on all ships, allowing you to place and receive calls, voice mail, text messages and GPRS data using your own cell phone. Per minute rate applies; carrier rates may apply."

[Static events]

I'm sorry you got socked with this added expense but the data charges are no secret. I can only guess that like many people who run apps on their phones you also don't give them a second thought. Yet they all suck up data transmission charges.

 

If you are at the diamond level for RCI this wasn't your first boat ride. Yes, it was your fault to use services without checking the charges. They are outrageously expensive but they are are published.

 

Nowhere are the data tariffs published...? It’s an AT&T mast on the ship...AT&T bill Orange (my mobile phone provider) who then bill me. AT&T and Royal Caribbean have an agreement.

[iloverags2]

Everyone knows to turn off your phone while on a cruise. Interesting seeing the word whilst instead of while.

 

OP is from UK, where the word "whilst" is common.

[Static events]

I wouldn't say that "everyone" knows to turn their phone off. My mother forgot on a cruise even though I had told her. Fortunately for me (who pays her phone bill), she has a phone and not a data device. She had a couple phone calls (@$2.49/minute :rolleyes:) that I ended up paying but no roaming data.

 

I leave my phone on but turn data off onboard. I bought an international data package before leaving for my cruise just in case I needed some data and WIFI wasn't available. The ship WIFI service is not always reliable! I used some data onboard (manually turned on data then turned it off when finished) and I didn't have any surprises when I got home.

 

I checked out the Orange UK website. Unlike most of the US carrier websites (Sprint, AT&T, Verizon), I could not find any information on the use of cell phones on cruise ships. The US carriers explain that data and voice are "roaming" and not included in the standard monthly packages. Apparently Orange needs to update their roaming information.

 

Royal Caribbean's website is extremely vague about cell phone use: "Royal Caribbean has an advanced roaming network available on all ships, allowing you to place and receive calls, voice mail, text messages and GPRS data using your own cell phone. Per minute rate applies; carrier rates may apply."

 

 

I have a worldwide data package with Orange but for some unknown reason it looks like cruise ships are not covered in this package.... I just think Royal Caribbean could be more transparent with their data charges whilst at sea.

[Static events]

There is information in the cruise compass and a brochure at guest services about using your cell phone at sea. It does tell you to contact your own carrier for charges. All carriers do not have the same charge so they can't give you an exact price.

 

If it were cheap and included in your regular cell phone plan, everyone would be on their phones all the time and the service would end up jammed. "cellular at sea" can only support so much. Even the wifi and on board computers get bogged down during peak times.

 

You could have bought an international data plan from your cellular carrier before you left home. This would have solved your problem. Then you should have reset your cellular data usage on your phone so you'd know how much of your package you were using.

 

Live and learn. You owe your cell phone carrier the money. Your mistake.

 

Gina

 

 

I have an international data plan... thanks for the advice anyways!

:D

[johneeo]

Everyone knows to turn off your phone while on a cruise. Interesting seeing the word whilst instead of while.

 

Almost everyone.:rolleyes:

[kyriecat]

The issue is Royal Caribbean does not set the rates - the carriers do. As far as I am aware, Royal Caribbean has no say in the rates.

 

Orange does not provide any information on cruise ship rates on their website that I found. I don't know how well they do if you call them and specifically ask about rates. I use Verizon for my cell phone service. Their website spells out very clearly the rates for cruise ships (see below cut-and-paste):

 

Cruise Ship Rates

Voice Roaming Rate:

$2.49 per minute

 

Text Messaging Rates:

$0.50/address sent

$0.05/message received

 

Global Data:

Monthly Access: $25 for 100MB

Rate after allowance: $25/100MB

Pay As You Go: $0.02/KB ($20.48/MB)

 

Cruise Ship Dialing

Dialing Internationally: 011 + Country Code + Number

Dialing to the U.S.: 011 + 1 + Number

 

Terms and Conditions

Cruise Ship roaming rates apply only to calls made and received when traveling in international waters on the cruise lines and ships. Calls made and received when you are in port or cruising in an area served by a foreign roaming partner are billed at the applicable roaming rates for that country.

 

I assume Verizon must have an agreement with whoever owns the cell towers on RC ships (AT&T?) so Verizon can publish fixed rates. The issue may be that Orange does not have an agreement for fixed rates, which is why your international data package wasn't used while onboard. I'm not familiar with Orange and their policies/partners so cannot explain it. There are other UK cruisers who review these boards so maybe they can.

 

Did Orange tell you if their was a cheaper way to use data while onboard (like a cruise specific data package)?

[Eng23]

I found a simple solution to this issue on my first cruise. I turned the phone off and locked it in the safe. Thanks to reading info here on cruisecritic and talking to friends that had cruised before me I was aware of how expensive using your cell phone at sea was.

[Pushka]

It really has nothing to do with RCL. Any phone that still has data active in its settings will ping the provider a few times a day. Especially if your apps have notifications on. These apps ping silently without any action from you.

 

If you have a smart phone and you are overseas you need to turn all notifications in your apps off, and turn off data services in your settings. You can still keep your phone on so you can send and receive texts.

 

We use the word 'whilst' in Australia too.

[Static events]

The issue is Royal Caribbean does not set the rates - the carriers do. As far as I am aware, Royal Caribbean has no say in the rates.

 

Orange does not provide any information on cruise ship rates on their website that I found. I don't know how well they do if you call them and specifically ask about rates. I use Verizon for my cell phone service. Their website spells out very clearly the rates for cruise ships (see below cut-and-paste):

 

 

 

I assume Verizon must have an agreement with whoever owns the cell towers on RC ships (AT&T?) so Verizon can publish fixed rates. The issue may be that Orange does not have an agreement for fixed rates, which is why your international data package wasn't used while onboard. I'm not familiar with Orange and their policies/partners so cannot explain it. There are other UK cruisers who review these boards so maybe they can.

 

Did Orange tell you if their was a cheaper way to use data while onboard (like a cruise specific data package)?

 

Orange just told me it’s an AT&T mast and AT&T bill Orange. I am sure Royal Caribbean has a say in the rates set as they must be getting a cut of revenues or a rental income for AT&T to use the mast...? :confused:

[leaveitallbehind]

I am just saying that £10 per MB is beyond a joke at sea or not. I have had much higher phone bills in the past so I am not overly worried but Royal Caribbean need to be aware that £10 per MB is just not acceptable anymore. Just getting a bit tired of paying for them!

 

 

PS. Enjoy the Oasis in June :eek:

 

As RCI is not the service provider, not sure how much of the rate is theirs v. the carrier with whom they are contracted. I don't think this is just and RCI issue. They do likely charge a connection fee or other cell service related charges - and this could certainly be high - but satellite sea service is not cheap. I think your questions should also be directed to the service provider, not just RCI. But I would not be surprised by the rates charged by any of the carriers to any of the cruise lines and the resulting bill to the consumer. I think you will find their rates are all likely very high. And as indicated by previous posters, available by them and through the cruise lines to the cruising public.

[mlmbar]

While at sea and in ports be sure your phone is on airplane mode AND turn off mail push. I have AT&T and got an international plan just for my cruises. It was around $30 for the month and pro rated for what I didn;t use when I returned. I had a certain number of text messages that could be sent (very liberal) and I think the number received was unlimited. I just called upon return and canceled. The only glitch was when I was in Nassau and attempted to send a text home, the international roaming message came up and Nassau was supposed to be included. In St Thomas, where AT&T is the carrier, I had no problems. In St Maarten, I had the same roaming message so I did not send any. Upon return , I contacted AT&T regarding this and was given a refund. This was not supposed to happen. I keep the phone turned off and in the safe unless I am listening to my iPod.

[mommabean]

I have an international data plan... thanks for the advice anyways!

:D

 

Well, that's all the more reason you should have known what your plans rates are.

 

We can buy one huge block of international data MB for a fixed price. If you can't, it was your responsibility to find that out from your carrier. Your plan is what it is and RCI has no responsibility for that.

 

Gina

[bbbearden]

Just got my monthly mobile phone bill through and unsurprisingly £450 worth of the bill is from using my phone whilst on board the Independence of the Seas.

 

I just want to make people aware of this crazy charge per MB of data used. I called Orange to see how much data I used and they said I used roughly 40MB of data whilst on board. Obviously whilst I was at sea I could only use Royal Caribbean’s phone mast which is run by AT&T Maritime. In other words it works out roughly £10 per 1MB used this is VERY expensive when you compare if to Oranges data plan which roughly works out to be £1 per every 25MB.:eek::eek::eek:

 

The worst part of it is I phoned Royal Caribbean's customer service department to complain and they have to be the most useless complaints department I have ever come across. I am well into Diamond now meaning I am a fairly 'Loyal to Royal' well obviously loyalty means nothing these days. The most senior member of the complaints team told me he was the highest person within the company I could speak to and that it was my fault I had such a high mobile phone bill. He also went onto say that mobile phone bills whilst on their ships is nothing to do with Royal Caribbean.

My complaint is this… nowhere on the ship does Royal Caribbean highlight that there will be extremely high prices for using data at sea and EXACTLY what that cost is. The reason for this is that no one will use the service.

The customer service manager also told me Royal Caribbean did not make any money off the mobile phone service. He is obviously a total dimwit, Royal Caribbean must get paid a rental fee for AT&T to have a mast at sea and they most likely take a percentage of whatever the service makes however don’t quote me on that as I am not a mobile communications expert. One thing I do know is Royal Caribbean are getting paid handsomely for this service at the expense of their guests and they try to be a covert as possible with the pricing structure.

 

This website here shows all the ships with this service on:

http://www.wmsatsea.com

 

 

I am sorry that you were suprised by the size of your bill, however I am suprised that someone that is "well into Diamond Status" was not aware of how high the cell phone rates are at sea. This information surfaces here on CC all the time, the cruise compass mentions it, and most savy travelers know to check out their cell phone rates before going outside thier home country.

 

The other issue is that the bill was sent to you by your cell phone company, not RCCL, to expect an RCCL representative to be able to assist you with your cell phone bill seems a bit misplaced.

 

I completely understand you being upset at such a large bill, I am just not sure how it is that you had no clue this would happen.