International phones onboard

[ohmark]

If somebody has used the Comcast Xfinity Connect Phone 2go app on an Oceania ship, please let us know how it went.

Edited August 20, 2014 by ohmark

[rallydave]

You can also text (free) via the Comcast app. And it doesn't matter whether or not your friends have Viber, the Comcast app, or even a smartphone. As long as they have a phone capable of receiving texts. But remember, you need two things to do make phone calls or texts via the Comcast app: You need a Comcast home phone landline and the Comcast app on your smartphone.

 

Are you sure the comcast home phone is a landline?? Pretty sure it is an internet phone requiring connection to the internet to work while a "landline" is hard wired into the phone company's office and works without internet or electric power as long as the phone company has electricity. A subtle but, important detail.

 

And, with comcast's horrible customer non-service and the difficulty in canceling as the recent recorded conversation proved, not sure comcast is a viable option.

Edited August 20, 2014 by rallydave

[pacheco18]

Are you sure the comcast home phone is a landline?? Pretty sure it is an internet phone requiring connection to the internet to work while a "landline" is hard wired into the phone company's office and works without internet or electric power as long as the phone company has electricity. A subtle but, important detail.

 

Works with a modem -- but since that's the only kind of phone Comcast "installs" I am assuming Ohmark's description of the "free" service via the Comcast app works with that phone.

Edited August 20, 2014 by pacheco18

[rallydave]

Works with a modem -- but since that's the only kind of phone Comcast "installs" I am assuming Ohmark's description of the "free" service via the Comcast app works with that phone.

 

I'm sure the app does work with that phone thru the internet. Am simply letting people know that comcast does NOT provide what is commonly called a landline thus you are possibly at risk if either the internet goes down at your home or electricity is not available as the traditional land line does NOT rely on internet or electricity in your home. These nuances might be a deal breaker for some people.

 

Another deal breaker might be the notoriously horrid customer non-service!!

Edited August 20, 2014 by rallydave

[ohmark]

Are you sure the comcast home phone is a landline

 

It's a voip service, which makes absolutely no difference for purposes of this discussion. To be more specific, I might have used the term "home phone" rather than "landline phone." I used the "landline" moniker to differentiate traditional and voip telephone home service from cellular service. For example, in addition to our Comcast home phone service, we have ATT wireless home phone, which is a home phone which is neither landline nor voip--it's a home cellular service.

 

Somehow, from your posts, you appear to believe I'm lobbying that people switch their telephone service to Comcast. Of course I'm not--I don't care. I simply posted that if you have Comcast home phone, there exists a wonderful app for free calling from overseas, which was invaluable for us when my wife was injured in Europe. There are many arguments for or against traditional ATT-like landline home phone service versus cable and other voip providers. We switched to Comcast a number of years ago and haven't looked back. We've had no problems and have cut our phone bills substantially.

As to customer service, in my experience Comcast does not have great customer service, BUT no better or worse than the customer service I've received from ATT and Verizon. However, when the Voice 2go service was new and I had questions, my posts to Comcast forums resulted in quick and helpful replies from Comcast customer service.

Edited August 20, 2014 by ohmark

[beachchairs2]

great topic....thank you for starting it...

 

here is my dilemma....

 

my mother who is 91, needs to hear from me every day...when I travel, there is only our son who looks after her, there is no other family...it is of great comfort to her if she hears me each day...

 

we have been able to use google phone to call from the ship to her land line...using our net book....that has worked well most of the time...

 

on land we go to a near by cafe and are able to do the same, except when we are on a tour....

 

I am looking for something to use to call her without having to be in a cafe, while on tour....

 

any ideas?

[rallydave]

great topic....thank you for starting it...

 

here is my dilemma....

 

my mother who is 91, needs to hear from me every day...when I travel, there is only our son who looks after her, there is no other family...it is of great comfort to her if she hears me each day...

 

we have been able to use google phone to call from the ship to her land line...using our net book....that has worked well most of the time...

 

on land we go to a near by cafe and are able to do the same, except when we are on a tour....

 

I am looking for something to use to call her without having to be in a cafe, while on tour....

 

any ideas?

 

Buy yourself an unlocked GSM phone and then buy SIM cards that work for each country you will be going to. Depending on your itinerary, could be as few as one or as many as the number of different countries you port in. Then simply phone your Mother from where ever you are as long as near civilization in each port. For non Port days, you can simply phone using the ships phone system but, expensive or use one of the VOIP Apps that isn't blocked on board. Just remember, there is no guarantee that you will have access to the internet every day. Unfortunately, internet isn't a guarantee although will be available most days.

 

Good luck with the phoning and have a great cruise.

[ohmark]

I am looking for something to use to call her without having to be in a cafe, while on tour....

 

Here's a link to a company that specializes in international SIM cards and/or gsm phones to use with the cards. We've used their SIM cards in previous years in Europe (for calls back to the U.S. or intra-Europe), without problems. Also note that you can use the SIM cards for relatively low international rates to the U.S. or use cell data packages for voip telephone apps on smartphones, which generally result in even lower costs for calls back to the U.S. http://www.telestial.com/international_sim_cards.php

One advantage to an international SIM card is that it can generally be used in a great variety of countries rather than purchasing separate SIM cards for each country or group of countries. And the international calling rates back to the U.S. using these cards are generally substantially less expensive than using the international calling plans of U.S. cell companies such as ATT.

Edited August 21, 2014 by ohmark

[hondorner]

Speaking of VOIP in a handheld instrument, I just ordered a pair of Moto G Cell phones from Republic Wireless. Republic has a different protocol -- the phones are set to use WiFi as the primary carrier for talk, text and data. You can make and receive unlimited calls, send and receive unlimited text and use unlimited apps/email/browser anywhere you can connect to WiFi, anywhere in the world. The phones also run on the Sprint network when WiFi is not present and depend on cellular service.

 

Of course, Sprint has no International service to speak of, and Sprint phones are not GSM compatible, nor can they use sim cards. So, the only way to use the phones internationally is by WiFi. Republic's lowest calling plan is WiFi only, at $5 per month per phone (plus normal taxes & fees).

 

They also have 3 other plans. All use WiFi as the primary connecton, like the basic $5 plan. However, $10 gets you unlimited talk and text over the Sprint cellular. This is good when you are driving between WiFi locations, like home and work or school -- you can make and receive calls and send and receive texts, but no data. For $25 per month, you have all the lower plans offer, plus "unlimited" 3G data, and $40 per month buys "unlimited" 4GLTE data where available.

 

Our rural home does not have 4G, so we ordered the less expensive Moto G phones that receive 3G only -- that's what we use now.

 

The real benefit will come next year on the World Cruise. We'll cut back to the $5/month plan and use WiFi where available to keep tabs on home. Hopefully, it won't be blocked on board, as we get unlimited free internet. Even if it is blocked, we can call home any time we find WiFi service in any of the ports. However, we have received reports that VOIP services like Skype work on the ship in voice mode only.

 

In the meantime, we're cutting our cell costs from over $150/month to less than $24/month, switching to the $25 plan any time we're on a road trip and would like 3G data. With Republic, you can switch back and forth among the plans twice a month, from your phone, pro-rated, with no hassle and no fees.

 

The reason I used "-" to describe the unlimited service is they do choke speeds the second time one exceeds 5 GB/month in data.

 

We're on the Sprint network now, which admittedly is not as robust as Verizizon or ATT, but Sprint is the only one with a signal at our rural home. So, our only change will be the price we're paying.

 

Is this any different than Skype or Viber? It's native to the phone, unlike Skype, and can call any phone, unlike Viber. I understand TMobile has a similar WiFi talk mode, but that's more expensive than Republic Wireless.

[terry&mike]

Because I am out of the country quite a bit with travel to new places, and visiting a second home in Mexico, but am self employed and like to give the impression I am in town and available to my clients, I need to be accessible but don't like to spend a lot of money. My plan of action looks like this:

 

Handle anything I can via email first.

 

If a call needs to be made then I will move to Skype, Truphone or Viber depending on who I'm calling, and what service is working well at the moment.

 

On the rare chance that all that fails, I just make a call on my iPhone via AT&T. Before I leave home I add the international packages (for phone, text & data) for a small monthly fee. For example the international phone package for travel to most of Europe is $30 month and gives you 30 minutes of calls free, with overages billed at $1/minute. The Mexico plan is $30/month for 80 minutes of calls, and overages billed at .50/minute. Just remember to cancel the plan when you return home so you don't keep getting charged the $30/month.

 

And if you didn't do any of this, and just picked up your AT&T phone and made a call while onshore back to the US, it's only $2.99/minute, which is high, but for people who only need a very rare, short call, not ridiculous. A note on this, please let your provider know you will be using your phone out of the country, as they will need to unlock the international calling capability if you have never had this done before.

[PaulMCO]

Buy yourself an unlocked GSM phone and then buy SIM cards that work for each country you will be going to. Depending on your itinerary, could be as few as one or as many as the number of different countries you port in..

 

No need to buy a another phone. You can call your provider (mine being ATT) and ask for an unlock code. This will unlock your phone for any SIM you would like.

 

Don -- you might look at T-Mobile... They have a new data plan that is good in 120 counties at no charge. (I am considering switching from ATT because of this)

Edited August 21, 2014 by PaulMCO

[rallydave]

No need to buy a another phone. You can call your provider (mine being ATT) and ask for an unlock code. This will unlock your phone for any SIM you would like.

 

Don -- you might look at T-Mobile... They have a new data plan that is good in 120 counties at no charge. (I am considering switching from ATT because of this)

 

You are partially correct PaulMCO; can't get that unlock code until your contract is up or you jailbreak the phone and, only ATT and T-Mobile in the US have GSM phones. Any other carriers, need a new phone and, if you only need the phone for phone calls, don't need a smart phone and unlocked plain phones are not very expensive.

 

Really all depends on what the OP or others currently own and the status of their contracts, if any.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

You are partially correct PaulMCO; can't get that unlock code until your contract is up or you jailbreak the phone and, only ATT and T-Mobile in the US have GSM phones. Any other carriers, need a new phone and, if you only need the phone for phone calls, don't need a smart phone and unlocked plain phones are not very expensive.

 

Really all depends on what the OP or others currently own and the status of their contracts, if any.

 

My HSPA phone came unlocked. It's a Nexus 5, Canadian, but I think Google phones come unlocked everywhere, not sure.

[edgee]

You are partially correct PaulMCO; can't get that unlock code until your contract is up or you jailbreak the phone and, only ATT and T-Mobile in the US have GSM phones. Any other carriers, need a new phone and, if you only need the phone for phone calls, don't need a smart phone and unlocked plain phones are not very expensive.

 

Really all depends on what the OP or others currently own and the status of their contracts, if any.

 

 

I have a Verizon smartphone and it works fine outside the U.S. using GSM. Most all of the new Verizon phones have GSM capability for roaming, although actual Verizon service is CDMA.

[hondorner]

No need to buy a another phone. You can call your provider (mine being ATT) and ask for an unlock code. This will unlock your phone for any SIM you would like.

 

Don -- you might look at T-Mobile... They have a new data plan that is good in 120 counties at no charge. (I am considering switching from ATT because of this)

Looked hard at TMobile -- took advantage of their 7 day free trial -- they send an iPhone 5S setup with an active account and encourage one to try anything with the phone. Sadly, TMobile's signal extends just 10' on either side of the road passing our house, and unless I wanted to walk 200' out to the gate to make a call, I got no signal at all, indoors or out. Gave the phone back; no TMobile for us. We do get a Verizon signal (weak), but our goal was to cut costs, not double them, so Verizon is out. Since TMobile runs on the ATT signal, I didn't even bother trying them.

 

Our present carrier is Sprint -- the only signal we get at the house -- even though it's never over 3 bars. Sprint is far from the most robust service (I tell people we're "Sprint Challenged" ;)), but I have to go with what works. Republic Wireless runs on the Sprint network at a fraction of the cost of Sprint.

[ohmark]

Since TMobile runs on the ATT signal, I didn't even bother trying them.

 

T-Mobile and ATT both utilize GSM technology. But they run on their own separate networks. TMobile does not run "on the ATT signal."

Edited August 22, 2014 by ohmark

[hondorner]

In my area, they are most often on the same tower. I guess I was mistaken about them using the same signal, but that's what I was told at the official Tmobile store in my area. Fact is, the att signal is also non-existant in my area, as both my son and daughter have it and can't get a signal on our property. I'm "stuck with Sprint", like it or not.

 

The Republic phones will always be on internet if in range of our house, and I have repeaters to extend the signal. Sprint has an adequate signal if I'm at the other end of our property, about 1200', or on the road.

 

Tmobile also says their phones will drop back to internet if there is no cellular sevice, but I couldn't get it to work.

 

I didn't post in the expectation that RW would work for everyone, but alerting that it may be a viable option if one wants to save serious money yet have access to full service if needed. It also appears to be one of the best options for international travel. I'll let you know; my new phones arrive tomorrow.