What to do with cell phone when onboard?

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

I also like the idea of photographing the Pitter Patter. I hate carrying that around.

 

 

If you're referring to the Princess patter it's now available for free via the WI-fi signal on the ship.

[Grannycb]

If you're referring to the Princess patter it's now available for free via the WI-fi signal on the ship.

 

Is that true of all Princess ships?

Edited October 10, 2014 by Grannycb

[skynight]

The Royal and Regal have intra-net. There is an electronic app version of the Patter available. Not aware that other ships in the fleet have this. I have been told that in cabins the intra-net signal is weak, and that it is best to stand by the cabin door.

[hansi]

I have a programme on my phone that lets me use my landline minutes when using it over wi-fi, and my landline calls are free. So if have to call the UK for any reason, at least it's free.

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

Is that true of all Princess ships?

 

I really can't say other than they just had it on the Caribbean Princess last week. I suspect it's been rolled out on the other ships as well at the same time. You can also check your OB account to see the charges as they occur. The signal was also weak in our cabin and many places on the CB but that's an individual ship problem.

The only additional thing I would like to see is having them post the daily menu's for the DR. :)

[Trent212]

I turn mine in Airplane mode while on the ship. No calls, data, or texts that way. I still use it as a music player, and my alarm clock.

 

When I get to port, I'll take it with me and turn on the Wi-Fi so I can find a hotspot to check the weather for later in the day, or the odd email.

[Iamcruzin]

Are people still using cell phones to talk? That's the feature I use the least. I don't even consider it a phone anymore. It's a mini tablet with a camera,internet capability and a source of entertainment(games books movies, music) all of which can be downloaded and available off line. I turn off data and call roaming and just leave WiFi on. It's in my pocket at all times.

[RocketMan275]

Do you just put your phone on airplane mode in order to not incur charges for texts? I would prefer not to turn it off but am unsure how to leave it on without incurring extra charges when onboard. I would appreciate any advice?

Thanks

 

A lot of helpful people have offered some very well intentioned advice. The problem is their advice reflects their experience with their service provider and may not be correct for your provider.

 

Call your service provider and get the correct information for your particular situation. For example, I called Verizon and they sent me detailed instructions. I'm sure your provider will do something similar.

[Potstech]

I used to just turn if off and put it in the safe. Then on one trip I took it out in Nassau and turned it on to exchange some txt, make some calls knowing it was roaming but fell asleep. Woke up two hours after sailing and that cost me $60.

 

Last year on the Royal (early November) I turned off data update or connecting to roaming networks. Not sure what I did but my niece works for Verizon and she walked me through turning off something. It was cool to use the intranet on the ship.

 

But still stinging from an $1100 bill from a land trip to St. Thomas in December. (My sister was dying and I wanted to keep my family informed). Found out later it was the voice minutes that killed me. I should have texted or emailed.

 

Sailing soon on the CB and don't think it has that intranet. I am thinking I will turn it off. Without the intranet I don't see the benefit of keeping it on.

 

When we went to ST Thomas our carrier, Verizon, told us all calls and usage were as if we were at home. They said to just make sure you turned off all roaming and look for the VERIZON signal at the top left corner of the phone. Were told the same for Puerto Rico. Did not get any extra charges after being there.

[paddingtonbear]

We just turn off Data Roaming and keep our phones with us to use as a camera, texting device, recorder, clock, converter, mirror, calendar, alarm clock, flashlight, etc. Sometimes we even get on line with our phones, using our free ship time.

 

I love the idea of downloading the ships map, although by this time we pretty much know all the Princess ship layouts by heart. We will do that, however, on the Queen Elizabeth next month. I also like the idea of photographing the Pitter Patter. I hate carrying that around.

 

It will be wonderful when the new feature allowing us to text for free on all ship is in place. We both rely heavily on our phones for almost everything and love, love, love technology.

 

So do I. I love my iphone and always have it with me. Photographing the Patter is a great idea. I have to work out how to highlight the good/relevant bits.

[PescadoAmarillo]

So do I. I love my iphone and always have it with me. Photographing the Patter is a great idea. I have to work out how to highlight the good/relevant bits.

 

I use an app called Aviary but it draws- it doesn't highlight. I did a search on the App Store and didn't see an app that highlights jpegs, but if anyone knows of one, I, too, would be interested.

[JimmyVWine]

What to do with cell phone when onboard?

 

• Use it as a drink coaster.
  
• Use it as an extra shuffleboard puck
  
• Use it as a paper weight to keep things from blowing off your balcony in the wind.
  
• Use it as a nightlight in the bathroom.
  
• Tape it to the shower curtain to weigh down the curtain and prevent "curtain creep".
  
• Use it to level the table on your balcony.
  

 

Those are just a few ideas. I am certain there are plenty more.

[Musky Ike]

In my experience, cell phones and hot tubs do not play well together ;)

[Island Hopping]

If we drive to the port, our phones are locked in the car, they never make it to the ship.

[geoherb]

Since we have cheap cell phone plans (through Virgin Mobile), we don't have to worry. Our phones work in the U.S. and U.S. territories (Puerto Rico and St. Thomas), but don't work anywhere else. After sailaway, I turn our phones off and put them in the safe. If we're stopping in one of those ports, I'll take them out to charge them the night before.

[PunkiC]

We also travel with a pre-paid global phone which we use for international calls, rather than our smart phones. It is a whole lot cheaper than using our AT&T plan for international calls.

 

Since we have retired, however, we hardly ever use the global phone anymore except for making meet-up plans with friends and relatives who live in or near our ports. It is very nice to take a vacation without having to worry about a business back home. :p

[atdahop]

A lot of helpful people have offered some very well intentioned advice. The problem is their advice reflects their experience with their service provider and may not be correct for your provider.

 

Call your service provider and get the correct information for your particular situation. For example, I called Verizon and they sent me detailed instructions. I'm sure your provider will do something similar.

 

I have Verizon also, so I am going to turn off data and put it in Airplane mode. That should do it.

 

Thanks

[donaldsc]

As long as it is in airplane mode, you are OK. I use mine as an alarm clock and a white noise generator.

 

DON

[PescadoAmarillo]

What to do with cell phone when onboard?

 

• Use it as a drink coaster.
  
• Use it as an extra shuffleboard puck
  
• Use it as a paper weight to keep things from blowing off your balcony in the wind.
  
• Use it as a nightlight in the bathroom.
  
• Tape it to the shower curtain to weigh down the curtain and prevent "curtain creep".
  
• Use it to level the table on your balcony.
  

Those are just a few ideas. I am certain there are plenty more.

Sarcasm, right? ;)

 

I can certainly understand that, for those passenger to whom a cell phone is a tether to work, they might be happier parking theirs in the safe for the duration of their cruise. But for me (and I think I'm not alone), mine is an integral part of my vacation experience. I guess I'm more confused by people who purchase expensive smartphones and know how to do little more than talk and text on them. Why bother?

[Cruisin' Chick]

It's fine to read the Patter but I don't want to take the chance of misplacing it during the day & carrying a Patter is much easier anyway.

 

I'm like that too. Rather have that hard copy of the Patter. I can write on it etc. which I can't do if I had downloaded it to my phone. On my last cruise, I did put my phone in airplane mode and turned it off (save the battery) but I noticed that when I turned it back on (while in port) it wasn't in airplane mode. So maybe turning it off erases that setting on my phone.

 

I bring a digital camera to take my photos -- I can zoom and do other things with the photographs that I can't on my cell phone.

[RocketMan275]

I have Verizon also, so I am going to turn off data and put it in Airplane mode. That should do it.

 

Thanks

 

I'm a bit different than some of the others here on Cruise Critic. I do not wish to give you advice that might wind up costing you money. Please do what I suggested and call your service provider. There are a lot of 'experts' here on cruise critic that will advise you on all sorts of things even when they are not the most knowledgeable. Call your provider and get the real facts. The call is free and it won't take but a few minutes and then you will really know what you should do rather than relying upon some 'maybe experts'.

 

If you put your phone into airplane mode and you won't be able to receive emergency calls or text messages. Is that what you want? Maybe just turning off data is sufficient? Call and find out.

 

I will advise you of this. Regardless of what you do with your phone, if you have children, lock their phones up in the safe. There are multiple stories of kids racking up some phone bills in the thousands.

[cruis247g]

Just don't do what I recently did, that is, put your smartphone in airplane mode and think that you have turned off your iPad only to later discover that it was just asleep and roaming:eek:!

[Musky Ike]

As long as it is in airplane mode, you are OK. I use mine as an alarm clock and a white noise generator.

 

DON

 

Just remember that in airplane mode it will not automatically update your time zone.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Just remember that in airplane mode it will not automatically update your time zone.

You're right, that is an issue. To get around it, I just turn that feature off on my iPhone when I cruise and set the time manually.

[Times Prince]

Just remember that in airplane mode it will not automatically update your time zone.

with my old Verizon phone, I put it is airplane mode to use as a clock/nightlight/alarm. As soon as I reach a port after a time zone change I turn it on for a few seconds, and it updates the time from the nearest cell tower. Then back to airplane mode.

 

my old phone has no way to manually set the time. When trying to sync when at sea it goes to Zulu time.