Telephone Calls - Worried Mothers Help

[tipfamily]

Ok, I know there is a current thread on cell phones, but in general what is the best way to make telephone calls while at port? Most people don't want to have anything to do with the phone while on vacation but I am a mother who is leaving behind two very young children for 8 days (ages 4 and 2). It will kill me if I have to miss more than one day not talking to them or checking on them. I would be so worried that I wouldn't even be able to enjoy my vacation. With that said, I'm getting ready to get a new cell phone and want to know if there is a particular provider that gets service in the Western Caribbean - Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Roatan, and Belize. Or, is is better to get a prepaid phone card? What do other mothers checking on their children do???

[katie286]

We just returned. Our cell phones did not work once we left Port Canaveral. They didn't work in the Bahamas either. They only worked once we arrived back to Florida. There is a phone in your cabin that you can use. It was $6.99 per minute and believe me the minutes go fast!! We spent $27.00 for a very short call home to check up on the kids. we spoke to our kids the day we left, once while on the ship (4 day cruise) and again when we returned to Florida. We have Sprint, I'm not sure about other carriers, but none of our friends phones worked while cruising.

[Sablerose]

We have Cingular and they have some kind of international plan - we are going to look into it before we hit the road and see about getting switched to that just for the duration of our cruise. I don't know about it yet though.

[thehittgirl]

I can't speak for the other ports though! I had the international roaming turned on when we were in Key West.

[Fern Crest]

If you don't get the international plan for a month while you cruise (which I think is a brilliant idea, if your provider lets you discontinue it after a month without a stiff penalty), then international calling cards are your best bet. Not all cards are international, though, so be careful and read the fine print when you purchase.

 

I think you're marvelously brave for vacationing without the kids! I'd have been a nervous wreck!

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

[halos]

to the OP: Just a tip from someone who has been there done that.

When you call home to check on the kids, please just speak to the adult in charge of them and don't talk to the kids every time you call. They could be fine without you but the minute they hear your voice, they'll start to miss you again and may even begin to cry...talking to them most likely will make them feel bad, not good.....I don't know if anyone else agrees with this but as someone who has watched other people's kids while they were away, having the parents call and make the kids upset made my job a lot harder.

 

oh, and I also wanted to say that it sounds like this is your first time leaving them. Let me assure you that the anticipation of leaving is far, far worse than what it will actually feel like when you are gone...you'll be pleasantly surprised at how calm you are once you leave compared to how nervous you feel before hand. Have a great trip!!

[Running_Dad]

The below post has NOTHING to do with the OP's question. Stop lecturing everytime you post.

 

How dare you tell someone how to interact with their children by telling the OP to "just speak to the adult in charge" and "don't talk to the kids every time you call".

 

If I want to hear preaching I'll go to church.

 

Running Dad

averaging .26 posts per day and proud)

 

 

to the OP: Just a tip from someone who has been there done that.

When you call home to check on the kids, please just speak to the adult in charge of them and don't talk to the kids every time you call. They could be fine without you but the minute they hear your voice, they'll start to miss you again and may even begin to cry...talking to them most likely will make them feel bad, not good.....I don't know if anyone else agrees with this but as someone who has watched other people's kids while they were away, having the parents call and make the kids upset made my job a lot harder.

 

oh, and I also wanted to say that it sounds like this is your first time leaving them. Let me assure you that the anticipation of leaving is far, far worse than what it will actually feel like when you are gone...you'll be pleasantly surprised at how calm you are once you leave compared to how nervous you feel before hand. Have a great trip!!

[BrendaB1]

The below post has NOTHING to do with the OP's question. Stop lecturing everytime you post.

 

How dare you tell someone how to interact with their children by telling the OP to "just speak to the adult in charge" and "don't talk to the kids every time you call".

 

If I want to hear preaching I'll go to church.

 

Running Dad

averaging .26 posts per day and proud)

 

 

WOW! I believe she was just offering a suggestion. But thanks for your opinion. :rolleyes:

[big_duck]

The below post has NOTHING to do with the OP's question. Stop lecturing everytime you post.

 

How dare you tell someone how to interact with their children by telling the OP to "just speak to the adult in charge" and "don't talk to the kids every time you call".

 

If I want to hear preaching I'll go to church.

 

Running Dad

averaging .26 posts per day and proud)

 

It wasn't a lecture it was a tip did you not see the word tip, from someone with a lot of experience and the matter.

 

And I might add someone with a lot of class. You could learn a lot from her Michael Moore Jr.

[corina27]

As a parent I will also be cruising with out my daughter.I am glad for the heads up on calling to check in.:)

[Wennfred]

There is a phone in your cabin that you can use. It was $6.99 per minute .

 

Try 9.00 per minute.

[wrp96]

A couple at my table on my last cruise bought a phone card while in port to use to call home to check on their daughter. They then gave the card with its remaining minutes to the waiter so he could use it the next time he was in port.

[Cruisin Dave]

Here is the web site for the cingular plan: http://www.cingular.com/international/legacy

Hope this helps. You can usually purchase international phone cards in the ports of call or if you just need to get intouch, try Email. There are usually internet outlets at most port of calls also.

[Capt_BJ]

Somewhere buried in these threads is my long answer to this question, based on 12 years experience working on ships and visiting these ports regularly.

 

Your best bet is to simply buy a phone card locally in each port and make your call. As other posters have said - buy a $20 card and give the left overs to a crew member. They'll appreciate it. This is without a doubt the easiest way to go.

 

I did use an AT&T credit card for years. Only problem is finding a pay phone that lets you dial international access. They are out there...but not all allow. For a 1 day visit, I don't think you want to search.

 

Do NOT use pay phones that take your MC/VISA - the rate will be killer. You can do better just using AT&T Collect (1-800-callatt)

 

You can probably get cell phone access via a major carrier in Cayman and Cozumel - when I had AT&T cellular with international access it worked in Bahamas, USVI, BVI, and Pacific MX ports....but local cards were a cheaper rate. Call your carrier and ask about turning on international access; but don't go out and buy a phone just for this.

 

Lastly making a call...easy or hard

 

Cayman....easy

Cozumel...easy

Roatan....harder

Belize....harder

 

 

that's my 5 cents.... but...alll in all, sending a couple of e-mails a day is WAY cheaper (this is for other readers.....)

[halos]

The below post has NOTHING to do with the OP's question. Stop lecturing everytime you post.

 

How dare you tell someone how to interact with their children by telling the OP to "just speak to the adult in charge" and "don't talk to the kids every time you call".

 

If I want to hear preaching I'll go to church.

 

Running Dad

averaging .26 posts per day and proud)

 

what is your problem????

That wasn't a lecture. You jump on my case every time I post. Let go of the animosity will ya, and if you can't, then at least put me on your ignore list so you won't have to put up with my 'preaching'.

You sound as if you need some church Running Dad...seems you have quite an anger issue.

And by the way, your post on this thread helped the OP with her question a lot now didn't it?

 

To the OP, if that sounded like a lecture to you as well, I apologize, it surely wasn't meant as one.

[TinaJ04463]

I was floored by the cost of phone calls from the room, but last year on the Victory it was $1.99 a minute.

TinaJ

[Momto5boys]

We take our kids along with us, but we use an AT&T calling card and call from port to check in on our employees, call family to say hi, etc. AT&T will give you the access numbers and rates from each port if you call them in advance. I just put the info in a little list and keep it with the card. I am thinking of bringing a laptop along next time for communicating via email. I suppose you could bring a wireless laptop with a webcam/microphone and use MSN messenger to chat with your kids face to face for 55 cents per minute from the cybercafe.

[ger_77]

Have you thought of checking on your children via email? You can either use the internet on the ship, or check into one of the many internet cafes near the dock. Our friends did this last year when they left their 2 and 4 year olds with us. We made a point of telling the little ones there was an email from Mommy and Daddy and they were there when we sent the replies. We tried making a game out of it for them to see if there was any email whenever we turned on the computer. It worked well and there weren't any tears either on the children's part or the parent's. Once the children returned home, we have sent emails to them from time to time and they really enjoy it. Just my 2 cents worth!

 

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[cubdaddy]

We take our kids along with us, but we use an AT&T calling card and call from port to check in on our employees, call family to say hi, etc. AT&T will give you the access numbers and rates from each port if you call them in advance. I just put the info in a little list and keep it with the card. I am thinking of bringing a laptop along next time for communicating via email. I suppose you could bring a wireless laptop with a webcam/microphone and use MSN messenger to chat with your kids face to face for 55 cents per minute from the cybercafe.

 

Hi Momto5boys! I think it is great you want to keep in touch with the little ones. We remember those days. Our little ones are in their teens now and we still feel the need to talk to them everyday. Though the kids usually cruise with us, my DW and I take one long weekend a year for ourselves.

 

When we were in Cozumel in March, we had cell service but did not understand spanish to follow directions. I have a Nextel and did have Direct Connect capabilities. My son had his girlfriend call him and talked twice for a total of 90 minutes. It cost me $1.00 a minute which I guess was not bad but still a shock. I usually use e-mail when on the ship.

 

Good luck!

[Hootsie]

We take our kids along with us, but we use an AT&T calling card and call from port to check in on our employees, call family to say hi, etc. AT&T will give you the access numbers and rates from each port if you call them in advance. I just put the info in a little list and keep it with the card. I am thinking of bringing a laptop along next time for communicating via email. I suppose you could bring a wireless laptop with a webcam/microphone and use MSN messenger to chat with your kids face to face for 55 cents per minute from the cybercafe.

 

We called from the ports too and it wasn't as expensive as the ship. We also bring the laptop along and will use the wireless service on the Valor. We bring our kids along with us but have a business to check up on every couple days.

[MSSQRL]

We bought a phone card from Walmart before our 2004 Eastern Carribbean cruise and thought it was an international card, but it turned out we couldn't use it. We called using our credit card and the rates were quite reasonable we thought. In 2005, we went to Western Carribbean and figured prices would be about the same. Boy were we wrong. We didn't have a single call under $35.00 so wound up with over $200.00 just in phone calls. The ones on the ship were even worse. One call was to our son of which we got his short voice mail message. We only left the message that we were ok, would try to call next day and we loved him. When we checked the cost we were charged for something like 4 minutes. We went to the information desk where they advised us the charges begin as soon as your call starts ringing on the other end. If the call doesn't go through, you're not charges. But, if it does, the charges begin when the first ring starts.

 

Both my chldren are grown, but my son is a State Trooper and I am a worrier, so it was worth every penny just to know they were ok. Of course, like DH tried to tell me, if they weren't ok someone would be getting in touch with us and short of a MAJOR MAJOR emergency what could we do anyway? But, men just don't understand the peace mom's have just from knowing for sure everything is ok. Good luck.

[bsdmhutch]

to the OP: Just a tip from someone who has been there done that.

When you call home to check on the kids, please just speak to the adult in charge of them and don't talk to the kids every time you call. They could be fine without you but the minute they hear your voice, they'll start to miss you again and may even begin to cry...talking to them most likely will make them feel bad, not good.....I don't know if anyone else agrees with this but as someone who has watched other people's kids while they were away, having the parents call and make the kids upset made my job a lot harder.

 

oh, and I also wanted to say that it sounds like this is your first time leaving them. Let me assure you that the anticipation of leaving is far, far worse than what it will actually feel like when you are gone...you'll be pleasantly surprised at how calm you are once you leave compared to how nervous you feel before hand. Have a great trip!!

 

To the OP - I must agree with halos. We left our children (5 and 2 at the time) with their grandparents when we went on our first cruise. My in-laws put them us on the speaker phone. DS (2) was fine until he heard our voices, then he started crying. They said he hadn't done that the whole time. However, if your children are used to being away from you (for a few days at a time maybe) then they may not mind hearing your voice on the other end. As far as cost, my kids are quite chatty, and that can get REAL expensive if you are calling from the ship. So in those cases, it might be better to check in with the adult also. Again, JMHO (from experience).

[katie286]

Try 9.00 per minute.

 

I guess ships have different rates. The Fantasy was $6.99 per minute. :(

[cruizinrican]

I call collect whenever I want too! And DH lets me, thank God. Sometimes you just miss them too much but bc of school, they can't always join us as often as we cruise.;)

 

 

Cruizinrican

[L2J]

what is your problem????

That wasn't a lecture. You jump on my case every time I post. Let go of the animosity will ya, and if you can't, then at least put me on your ignore list so you won't have to put up with my 'preaching'.

You sound as if you need some church Running Dad...seems you have quite an anger issue.

And by the way, your post on this thread helped the OP with her question a lot now didn't it?

 

To the OP, if that sounded like a lecture to you as well, I apologize, it surely wasn't meant as one.

 

Pat the bean counter never has anything good to say....to anyone.....

 

Some people are just morons.:rolleyes:

 

10+ posts per day and proud of it:rolleyes: