Verizon Wireless plans

[ken_nyc]

Has anyone used Verizon Wireless for calls and texts in Italy and Spain? What would our best options be? Thank you in advance!

[Crusin6]

Get the 100/100/100. Plan $40

 

My kids are in Germany and Poland now and calling and texting...not iMessage as that burns data...are perfect.

 

 

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[ken_nyc]

Get the 100/100/100. Plan $40

 

My kids are in Germany and Poland now and calling and texting...not iMessage as that burns data...are perfect.

 

 

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Thank you! I will go check it out at Verizon Wireless.

[JZ1018]

When I checked with Verizon last week, they suggested I use the International Plan. For $10 per day, you get whatever your home plan is. You only get charged for the days you use it. I'm not planning on that many calls or texts, but data usage might come in handy. I've been checking out Google Maps for our ports of call, and it seems to be very accurate.

 

A Verizon store worker told me that if you go with this plan, to ask Verizon to email or text you a confirmation that you signed up for it. If for some reason the plan does not go through, it would be very difficult to get the other charges reversed without the confirmation.

Edited March 23, 2016 by JZ1018

[ken_nyc]

When I checked with Verizon last week, they suggested I use the International Plan. For $10 per day, you get whatever your home plan is. You only get charged for the days you use it. I'm not planning on that many calls or texts, but data usage might come in handy. I've been checking out Google Maps for our ports of call, and it seems to be very accurate.

 

A Verizon store worker told me that if you go with this plan, to ask Verizon to email or text you a confirmation that you signed up for it. If for some reason the plan does not go through, it would be very difficult to get the other charges reversed without the confirmation.

 

Thank you JZ1018! This is great, I will go to Verizon Wireless and check out both suggestions.

[Crusin6]

When I checked with Verizon last week, they suggested I use the International Plan. For $10 per day, you get whatever your home plan is. You only get charged for the days you use it. I'm not planning on that many calls or texts, but data usage might come in handy. I've been checking out Google Maps for our ports of call, and it seems to be very accurate.

 

A Verizon store worker told me that if you go with this plan, to ask Verizon to email or text you a confirmation that you signed up for it. If for some reason the plan does not go through, it would be very difficult to get the other charges reversed without the confirmation.

 

 

The $40 plan is better IMHO because if you just go with the daily plan and make a call or text on a Monday and then again on Wednesday you have already spent$20 for very little service

 

 

$10 goes for 24 hours but that can be an expensive call if you only talk for a few minutes

 

Whatever plan you go with please do not sign up online....call a rep and go over the details explicitly...especially the start and end date if you go with the $40 plan

 

 

If you go with the $10 deal ask for details....such as....if I use it on a Monday and then again on a Friday....I will only get charged $20 right? That is actually very e pensive for what you are getting IMHO

 

The reps are completely confused about this plan so be prepared to call a second or third time until you get the same info 2x lol

 

 

And beware if your billing cycle closes while you are away....

 

The service works great....its just that Verizon programmed the billing haphazardly and plus their website DOES NOT accurately explain the billing procedure for the $40 plan....trust me on that....so that is why you must speak to a human or 2 or 3 or you could get charged $80 and/or they could screw up the prorating of the plan

 

Every time I called the reps were apologizing for the previous reps incorrect info. Lol

 

 

However as I said the plan works very well...actually it's excellent. And is $40 very well spent ...its the billing that is off if you travel over the end/start of your billing cycle

 

I guess Verizon expects us to book our trips within one billing cycle and for some reason can't handle it if we straddle a cycle without a manual override

 

 

Really Verizon? You can do better than that.

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited March 26, 2016 by Crusin6

[ken_nyc]

The $40 plan is better IMHO because if you just go with the daily plan and make a call or text on a Monday and then again on Wednesday you have already spent$20 for very little service

 

 

$10 goes for 24 hours but that can be an expensive call if you only talk for a few minutes

 

Whatever plan you go with please do not sign up online....call a rep and go over the details explicitly...especially the start and end date if you go with the $40 plan

 

 

If you go with the $10 deal ask for details....such as....if I use it on a Monday and then again on a Friday....I will only get charged $20 right? That is actually very e pensive for what you are getting IMHO

 

The reps are completely confused about this plan so be prepared to call a second or third time until you get the same info 2x lol

 

 

And beware if your billing cycle closes while you are away....

 

The service works great....its just that Verizon programmed the billing haphazardly and plus their website DOES NOT accurately explain the billing procedure for the $40 plan....trust me on that....so that is why you must speak to a human or 2 or 3 or you could get charged $80 and/or they could screw up the prorating of the plan

 

Every time I called the reps were apologizing for the previous reps incorrect info. Lol

 

 

However as I said the plan works very well...actually it's excellent. And is $40 very well spent ...its the billing that is off if you travel over the end/start of your billing cycle

 

I guess Verizon expects us to book our trips within one billing cycle and for some reason can't handle it if we straddle a cycle without a manual override

 

Really Verizon? You can do better than that.

 

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Thank you Crusin6! Do you know the length of the $40 plan? We will be cruising around Europe for 7 days and a 2 day precruise stay in Barcelona.

[ken_nyc]

Have you seen this? I think this is great, using Wi-Fi to make phone calls for free internationally. http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/att-verizon-switch-free-international-wi-fi-calling-ios-93-update/2016-03-23

 

Thank you CathyCruises, this is very interesting and will go to the Verizon Wireless store and inquire about this.

[JZ1018]

Also, as long as you have a wifi connection, you can make free calls over facebook messenger.

[ken_nyc]

Also, as long as you have a wifi connection, you can make free calls over facebook messenger.

 

I never tried that let alone knew about that. Guess I will have to try that.

Thank you!

[germanyboy]

I got the $10 day plan while I was in Ireland in December it didn't work I had to get tech-support two times just to get one phone call made and then they refunded me for most of the days.

[Regguy]

I used the $10 plan a couple weeks ago in London and Madrid. Service was fine. I didn't turn it on every day. The problem was figuring out when the day started and ended. It seemed to be 24 hours from when first activated, but it was hard to tell and I would get texts at weird times telling me another day was about to start. I think if you are going to turn on every day, the $10 plan is simple albeit expensive. If you just want data, pay as you go $25 per 100 MB is also an option.

[Crusin6]

Thank you Crusin6! Do you know the length of the $40 plan? We will be cruising around Europe for 7 days and a 2 day precruise stay in Barcelona.

 

 

It's $40 for 100/100/100 over a 30 day period so in order to get 100/100/100 you certainly want to set it mirror your billing cycle and even though you have 30 day access the plan will only kick into use once you arrive abroad so for your 7/9 day trip you will have 100/100 /100 but will only need to use it while abroad so even though the plan is still active when you get home until the end of your billing cycle it won't matter

 

 

As mentioned if your 7/9 day trip falls totally within 1 billing cycle you will be fine if you call a human and set up a start date to be the first day of your billing cycle and set the end date on the last day of your billing cycle

 

 

It's very important to set up a full 30 day cycle or they will prorate not only your costs but the actual 100/100/100 you get

 

E.g. If you only set it up to start on the day you leave and end the day you come home....a week later.... You will only get 25/25/25. Or 1/4 of a month

 

 

Check your billing cycle to see when your start and end date billing is and then compare your travel dates

 

If you are lucky and travel totally within your billing cycle and don't straddle 2 cycles you will be fine

 

If not.....for some reason Verizon has incompetently programmed their computers so they can't handle this scenario without a complicated manual override and I suggest if you do straddle 2 cycles that you call them at least 6 weeks in advance as this will allow them to make these manual overrides easier. Trust me about this. Lol. I was on the phone with them way way too long thanks to service rep incompetence

 

I feel this plan is very complicated simply because the reps are as confused as the Verizon computer program

 

However....

 

 

The phone service is excellent though......its just Verizon haphazardly programmed the billing system....but that should not surprise any Verizon customer anymore. Lol

 

Sad but true

 

 

Fwiw our next cruise starts on the 15 th of the month but my Verizon billing cycle starts on the 17th so our simple little 8 day cruise actually straddles 2 billing cycles......my solution.....lol

 

I'm taking the ncl free wifi and making FaceTime audio or IM calls on the 15 th and 16 th ....which are sea days.....and having my Verizon $40 plan set to start at 12:01 am on the 17th Lol

 

 

I really can't deal with Verizon reps any more. And you know there is a real systems programming issue when you hear a sigh of relief in the reps voice when they jubilantly state...." Oh good...you are traveling within 1 billing cycle!"

 

 

Come on Verizon.....fix your programming!!!!

 

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Edited March 28, 2016 by Crusin6

[laurelgrove]

I just called Verizon and what they told me seems to confirm everything I read here. But she did say that I need to be careful that the cruise line might also charge me (on my verizon bill) when using their wifi. I said wifi is included with my cruise and she said but there might be charges to verizon that you get charged. Does anyone understand this at all???

 

Also if I have the 100/100/100 plan, I guess I don't need to keep my phone in airplane mode like I normally do when I go out of the country true, cause then none of this will work...just makes me nervous with all the emails I get everyday.

 

Thanks for any help you can provide

[Crusin6]

Ncl will not charge you extra

 

They made a deal with Verizon

 

If you told the rep exactly which ship and which cruise line you were on.....they should have told you that. While I don't know what line you are cruising if you go to the Verizon website and go to international travel plans you will be able to see if your ship is covered at no additional cost

 

This info can be found without speaking to a human but I suggest you do call to confirm anyway

 

 

If for some reason you aren't covered on the ship do remember on land the 100/100/100 is good to have anyway and you can always buy or take the wifi as a perk on the ship and send IMs or do FaceTime audio calls. There are other wifi based audio communications but I stick to those I mentioned

 

 

 

 

 

I used the 100/100/100 plan on the gem and in the islands ...both USA territories and others with no problem at all and no extra charges My kids just returned from land trips in Europe (Germany Poland Netherlands)and no problem there either

 

 

And you wonder why I needed to call and reconfirm everything over and over again? They just are not fully informed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited March 31, 2016 by Crusin6

[ken_nyc]

This is great info, I thank you all!

[luvtheships]

I just called Verizon and what they told me seems to confirm everything I read here. But she did say that I need to be careful that the cruise line might also charge me (on my verizon bill) when using their wifi. I said wifi is included with my cruise and she said but there might be charges to verizon that you get charged. Does anyone understand this at all???

 

 

 

Also if I have the 100/100/100 plan, I guess I don't need to keep my phone in airplane mode like I normally do when I go out of the country true, cause then none of this will work...just makes me nervous with all the emails I get everyday.

 

 

 

Thanks for any help you can provide

 

 

Put the phone in cellular data off....voice roaming only and turn off iMessage ...just text instead. Green not blue or you will burn data sending messages and your 100 outgoing texts will go to waste

 

Just turn data on to check your email if you must but it's better to just check your mail in wifi

 

IMHO the 100 mg data should be saved for emergency such as Google maps should you be lost or uber etc.

[jmspls72]

I never tried that let alone knew about that. Guess I will have to try that.

 

Thank you!

 

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but my understanding is if u are on wifi you should use ur phone for calls texting and Internet.

 

I haven't used it yet as I am on an October cruise so let me know if I am wrong so I know what to do

 

 

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[slidergirl]

Put the phone in cellular data off....voice roaming only and turn off iMessage ...just text instead. Green not blue or you will burn data sending messages and your 100 outgoing texts will go to waste

 

Just turn data on to check your email if you must but it's better to just check your mail in wifi

 

IMHO the 100 mg data should be saved for emergency such as Google maps should you be lost or uber etc.

 

What is "green, not blue"??? I just gave up my RAZR for an SE a month ago and am still discovering the wonders of a smartphone (I just learned yesterday how to delete old messages...)

[Sigyn]

What is "green, not blue"??? I just gave up my RAZR for an SE a month ago and am still discovering the wonders of a smartphone (I just learned yesterday how to delete old messages...)

 

This is on iPhones. A text message shows up in green while an iMessage shows up in blue.

[luvtheships]

iMessages use data. Texts do not.

[Islandgirl4242]

Also with Verizon you can do a "chat" online and then a transcript is emailed to you for a record of what you were told...believe me, this can come in handy! ~~Judy

[BajanFab]

Has anyone used Verizon Wireless for calls and texts in Italy and Spain? What would our best options be? Thank you in advance!

 

Hi Ken, How did you do using your Verizon Wireless on your Cruise I am Cruising on Harmony on Sunday and I am also planning to use my Verizon Wireless. I would like to know which Verizon plan did you use and how did it go. Thanks

 

BajanFab:)

[ken_nyc]

Hi Ken, How did you do using your Verizon Wireless on your Cruise I am Cruising on Harmony on Sunday and I am also planning to use my Verizon Wireless. I would like to know which Verizon plan did you use and how did it go. Thanks

 

BajanFab:)

 

Sorry this is late just went on Cruise Critic!

 

We used the $10 a day plan and was only charged when the phone was used at ports which was handy to contact private excursion guides. On the ship I used the VOOM and used WhatsAPP for texts and calls back home to family. I would switch back and forth between my phone and my wife's when needed.

Edited August 13, 2016 by ken_nyc

[theriac]

Thanks for all this info I now know what I'm doing opposed to getting a sim for my Italy, Greece, Turkey and Israel cruise