Mobile Phone Coverage - Darwin to Sydney

[Miamia65]

We are cruising from Singapore to Sydney. Just wondering, after we arrive in Darwin and then travel down the the great barrier reef to sydney will Optus or telstra mobile phones work? thanks

[Thorpe]

You need to be close to land or in a port for them to work. You may get coverage when travelling through the reef. But otherwise you will be too far from land.

[Flipper133]

From my experience there will be no coverage after you leave Darwin until you get to about Cairns. From there down the coast (as Helen indicated) it will be a bit intermittent... depending how far off the coast you are.

 

I am sure there are a lot of factors... I had some good reception (on and off) when cruising down the coast of West Australia, and that's pretty remote.

 

cheers

[gaechann]

From my experience there will be no coverage after you leave Darwin until you get to about Cairns. From there down the coast (as Helen indicated) it will be a bit intermittent... depending how far off the coast you are.

 

I am sure there are a lot of factors... I had some good reception (on and off) when cruising down the coast of West Australia, and that's pretty remote.

 

cheers

 

 

I had better service whilst cruising up the east coast of Australia then down the west coast than I get here at home though I must admit my reception at home is nothing short of woeful!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Miamia65]

thanks everyone for the replies. I'm really not a fan of paying for the internet on the cruise ship!! Way to expensive for the slow service.

[Aus Traveller]

thanks everyone for the replies. I'm really not a fan of paying for the internet on the cruise ship!! Way to expensive for the slow service.

Just be careful that your phone isn't set on 'roaming'. We haven't been caught by this and usually wait until we are very close to a port before using the phone, although we have had service with Telstra from Sydney northwards to well up the Queensland coast. I have heard of other people happily using their mobile only to find out later that it accessed the ship's system and they had an enormous bill.

 

Forget out phone service off WA. Even travelling on land the service is dreadful. Definitely not fair on the Western Australians and the travelling public.