International Cell Service While at Sea

[EmpressofPurple]

Check with your carrier for info about voice/text/data service and charges both at sea and in your specific ports.

 

Here's the info I got today from Sprint; I was grateful for their very specific walk-through on how to turn off data and access services thru Wi-Fi only:

 

SPRINT INTERNATIONAL USE:

Sprint International Contact Number (free call): 817-698-4199, option #3

International Voice Enabled; Rates (FYI 1 kb. Data = approx. 1 email with photo attached):

Oasis of the Seas: $2.99/min. voice calls; .50/send + .15/rec. texts; $12.00/min. 1 kb data (they do NOT have a "cruising plan" a la AT&T)

Cozumel, Mexico: $2.29/min. voice calls; .50/send + .15/rec. texts; $4.00/min. 1 kb data

Falmouth, Jamaica: $1.99/min. voice calls; .50/send + .05/rec. texts; $4.00/min. 1 kb data

Labadee, Haiti: No international Service available with Samsung Galaxy SIII

Note that the phone AUTOMATICALLY updates/checks data every few minutes unless data is SHUT OFF; this can result in THOUSANDS of dollars in data charges unintentionally!!

Therefore, it is very important when leaving U.S. to SHUT OFF VOICE AND DATA (except in case of emergency, may re-activate international voice) and ONLY OPERATE USING WI-FI CONNECTION:

Apps – Settings – More Settings – Roaming – Roaming Network – Automatic – Roaming Settings –

TURN OFF ALL CHECK MARKS (DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL VOICE AND DATA)

Turn on Wi-Fi under Settings, and connect to appropriate network as desired… utilize Skype or Tango to make free calls using Wi-Fi connection; ditto with internet browsing, sending/receiving email, etc.

[shutterbug63]

Yes as long as she does not exceed whatever she purchased in minutes or messages and also make sure that the cellular data is disabled on the phone or she will get automatic data charges wether she accesses the internet or not. I always see these small amounts of usage on my bill and wondered what they were, now I know. And that the phone says "Cellular at Sea".

 

I'm going to be using the cruise ship package from AT & T in about 11 days. They did not tell me to turn off cellular data, but they did tell me I should turn off "data roaming".

[Rogueperson]

I too just added the cruise package for my trip next week. We need to keep in touch with the two teenagers at home.

 

Surprisingly, the younger one, who is sometimes too smart for her own good goes "You're going to be out in the middle of the ocean, so what if there's an emergency, what can you really do about it anyways?"

 

But while i was looking, i read the FAQ for at least AT&T and I suspect all the carriers do it because my girlfriend got socked hard on her first cruise.

 

If you do NOT turn your phone off, and someone calls. Even if you do not answer and they get your voice mail and leave a voicemail, you WILL be charged roaming fees because the phone attempts to deliver that message to your phone via the roaming cell towers. If your phone is turned off, it will not deliver and you will not be charged.

[malacajo]

Does anyone have any ballpark idea what AT&T charges for international minutes?? We are leaving our teens (a first), I know that we can call from St Thomas for free, but will want to check on them, even if only by a quick text, a couple of other times but have no idea what we're in for?

[Daghis]

This is from memory as I can't find the appropriate AT&T web site that lists the rates.

 

Onboard the ship, AT&T charges $2.49/minute for voice calls. Sending a text from the ship costs $0.50, but receiving texts is included in your regular text messaging plan. On the islands, the cost is around the same, although the voice per-minute cost may be a bit less.

 

In addition, this FAQ page may be useful.

Edited February 10, 2014 by Daghis

[Havingfun2010]

Cruising on Allure in a few weeks. We'll be sailing with my teenage boys, 3 more extended family teenagers, and various inlaws. Keeping in touch onboard has been discussed a bit. My mother-in-law called AT&T and added an international plan to her phone for a set number of minutes & texts. Mother-in-law called RCI to ask if she's out to sea and uses her cell phone will she incur additional charge from the cruise line. They told her as long as she used her international plan then no, the cruise line won't charge her. Here's my question: if you're out to sea and use your cell phone even with an international plan the "tower" you hit belongs to the ship. They'll charge for that, right? Believe me, my life onboard staying in touch with my teenagers would be much easier if we could text via our iPhones (without paying data rates for iMessages). Did RCI tell my MiL wrong? Or, were they correct? Don't want her to have any ugly surprises at the end of our cruise.

 

Thanks!

 

ATT sells a rate plan that covers RCCL ships. The ship, just like any country is considered "roaming". A rate plan puchased must cover the area "roaming". If the rate plan covers RCCL ships, and you must check with this at ATT, than you should be good. The plans include talk, text and I believe also data. You must check with ATT to make sure it covers "cellular at sea" which is the company RCCL contracts with for satalite cell phone service.

[bouhunter]

I know there are people who need to keep in touch for business or personal reasons.

 

Aside from that, are we the only ones who look forward to shutting off the phones and putting them in the safe for the week???:)

[LetsGetWet!]

While out to sea there are no cell towers. You will be using the ship's system and its expensive. Who ever told you that it is included with your international plan has no idea what they are talking about

Or, they DID know what they wer talking about and YOU have no idea what you're talking about!:rolleyes:

I have seen other posts indicating Verizon was very restrictive and US cell service was not available in the US Virgin Islands.

 

I have AT&T and my phone worked for DATA and Voice in the US Virgin Islands with NO ADDITIONAL CHARGES. I cannot speak for the International plan on the ship. Calls made through the ships cell tower are billed by your provider, not RCI. Perhaps there is another CC friend out there that has used the AT&T International plan on the ship?

 

@steveru621, I'd love to hear from a CC friend w/AT&T how the international thing worked for them. I know we can do calls & data in the USVI. It's the at-sea time that I need. I'm not adding anything to my cell service or taking any chances until I'm more certain the ship won't charge for use if their tower to access my service. :)

Steve is correct. I couldn't get the earlier provided link to work, but a quick google search returned this directly from the RCCL site:

Mobile Phone Access

 

Royal Caribbean International has an advanced roaming network onboard all ships allowing you to make and receive calls, voice mail, text messages and GPRS data using your own mobile phone and telephone number.

What are the mobile phone rates while onboard?

 

• Rates for usage of your mobile phone are determined by your mobile phone carrier.
  
• You will be billed by your mobile phone carrier for your international roaming usage on your regular mobile phone bill.
  
• For more information, please contact your mobile phone carrier’s customer service.
  
• Can I access data service (i.e. check email, surf the net, etc.)?
  
• If your mobile phone carrier supports GPRS data service, you can use mobile phone service with compatible data capable devices to check e-mail, surf the web and share photos while onboard just as you would at home.

http://www.royalcaribbeanincentives.com/resource-center.aspx/onboard-connectivity

[LetsGetWet!]

Does anyone have any ballpark idea what AT&T charges for international minutes?? We are leaving our teens (a first), I know that we can call from St Thomas for free, but will want to check on them, even if only by a quick text, a couple of other times but have no idea what we're in for?

Shipboard your best bet is to sign up for one of AT&T's cruise packages, which is much cheaper than paying per minute or per text charges.

 

You can sign up for one of those three packages for one single month - i.e. a total charge of $30, $60 or $120, depending on which one you pick. If you don't pick the $120 package, then you SHOULD turn off cellular data in your phone's settings, to keep from being charged when your phone's various apps automatically connect to the internet periodically.

 

EDIT: OK, that didn't format well!

 

For $30 you get 50 minutes of voice, no texts, no data. Additional minutes $1.00 each.

 

For $60 you get 50 minutes of voice, 100 texts, no data. Additional minutes $1.00 each, additional texts $.50 each

 

For $120 you get all that plus 100MB of data, additional data $10/10MB

Edited February 10, 2014 by LetsGetWet!

[malacajo]

I know there are people who need to keep in touch for business or personal reasons.

 

Aside from that, are we the only ones who look forward to shutting off the phones and putting them in the safe for the week???:)

 

We have two teens that are not going on cruise with us, so just being able to get a quick check in a couple of times is necessary for us! Other than that, the world could melt away and I wouldn't care while I'm on vacation....:)

[malacajo]

Shipboard your best bet is to sign up for one of AT&T's cruise packages, which is much cheaper than paying per minute or per text charges.

 

You can sign up for one of those three packages for one single month - i.e. a total charge of $30, $60 or $120, depending on which one you pick. If you don't pick the $120 package, then you SHOULD turn off cellular data in your phone's settings, to keep from being charged when your phone's various apps automatically connect to the internet periodically.

 

EDIT: OK, that didn't format well!

 

For $30 you get 50 minutes of voice, no texts, no data. Additional minutes $1.00 each.

 

For $60 you get 50 minutes of voice, 100 texts, no data. Additional minutes $1.00 each, additional texts $.50 each

 

For $120 you get all that plus 100MB of data, additional data $10/10MB

 

Thanks so much, this is so helpful!!