Question re internet

[Swampduck]

Hi

Can you help?

 

So every year on our cruise we take the internet package, 90 mins. which is fine, but this year I have a friend who is cruising and is just using own internet provider! For a cost per day - I didn't realise you could do this.

Has anyone here done that? I would be concerned that you would still be hit with a bill from the ship... am I wrong?

 

thanks in advance for all your wise words.

:confused:

[pl281]

The only thing I can think of is your friend is using one of the Portable WiFi devices. However my research shows that they don't work on the cruise ship Cellular network so I'd be very interested to know what they are using.

 

If you can find out and post here

[Swampduck]

The only thing I can think of is your friend is using one of the Portable WiFi devices. However my research shows that they don't work on the cruise ship Cellular network so I'd be very interested to know what they are using.

 

If you can find out and post here

 

Apparently she is using her mobile phone, through her mobile contract, with internet bundle @ £1.99 per day!

 

I would be concerned that there would be a charge at the end of cruise, but she has checked on the TV her bill and nothing has been added!

[WestLakeGirl]

Ukeep i mind that the OP is from N. Ireland. Programs offered by their cell and Internet carriers may not be the same as the ones offered by US-based carriers

[pl281]

If there is a cell phone company that offers that and gives you decent speed - I think that is great - I've never checked the data speed of the cellular on the ship. Being that it is still satellite based I wouldn't expect the same as on land.

 

I would not expect a charge from the cruise line as the ship based cellular usage is charged directly by the cell phone providers

[jb008]

I think I remember at&t having a data package that included cruise ships (Cellular @ Sea), but was quite pricey for the cost per MB.

 

It will vary by carrier and potentially even by what plan you have with the carrier. My parents have a plan option on vzw that they pay $2/day to have Canada and Mexico data and minute usage treated as if they were in USA (so basically a flat daily fee to access their US pkg phone and data service).

 

From what I've seen, at&t and VZW are generally pretty expensive to roam w/outside USA, and the cost per minute to use cellular @ sea w/at&t is something like $8-11/min depending on what pkg you have.

[cle-guy]

 

I would not expect a charge from the cruise line as the ship based cellular usage is charged directly by the cell phone providers

 

Yes, I agree. The satellite usage on the ships is charged directly by the user's cell phone company to their private monthly billing nothing done by the ship.

 

I wonder f the OP is on a cruise that never leaves sight of coasts or something, and thus land-based services are acceptable and working?

 

I do know that when I talk to my cell phone agents to make changes for cruises, many don't get the fact that billing works different from a crush ship than land based providers when roaming. I have to be very specific with them, and ask to be transferred to a special department to make sure all is good.

 

A few back, I called my provider explained what i needed, they told me that had a great new package for $10 a day that included unlimited one data and text when traveling internationally. I told them the didn't seem right, its usually a lot more, they said it was a new plan, I said does it work from cruise ship, I usually get cruise ship plan - they insisted it would. This was for a transatlantic sailing.

 

Well, about 7 days into the sailing, mid atlantic, my cellular and data plan was shut down. I used my Captain's Club minutes to log into my account in the computer lab, and found I had reached over $1000 in roaming costs.

 

I was right, the "new plan" didn't work own cruise ships. Once I got to London, I called AT&T and they immediately changed me into the plan I new I needed and credited off all the bogus billings.

[cle-guy]

I think I remember at&t having a data package that included cruise ships (Cellular @ Sea), but was quite pricey for the cost per MB.

 

It will vary by carrier and potentially even by what plan you have with the carrier. My parents have a plan option on vzw that they pay $2/day to have Canada and Mexico data and minute usage treated as if they were in USA (so basically a flat daily fee to access their US pkg phone and data service).

 

From what I've seen, at&t and VZW are generally pretty expensive to roam w/outside USA, and the cost per minute to use cellular @ sea w/at&t is something like $8-11/min depending on what pkg you have.

 

Here's details on AT&T's Cellular at Sea rates.

 

Basically:

• $30 gets you 50 calling minutes, overages at $1/min
  
• $60 adds 100 texts, overages at 50¢ each
  
• $120 adds 100mb cellular data, overages at $10/10mb
  

 

Prices are for a 1 month billing cycle. If you exceed these limits, you can have them add a second package rather than pay the as you go rates.

 

You cant'g et messaging without the calling minutes.

You can't get data without taking both calling and texting.

[pl281]

Verizon's new plan called Travel Pass is $2/24 hour period in Mexico and Canada and $10/24 period pretty much everywhere else.

 

Travel pass allows you to take your existing data/voice plan with you and have local calling where you are...

 

For example....if you were traveling to the United Kingdom and you arrived on a Monday at 10am and started to use your phone...

 

It would be $10 for 10am monday -> 9:59am tuesday

Assuming you have a current Verizon plan you would have unlimited talk (local United Kingdom calls and US calls) / messages and however much data your plan includes - if you call outside the United Kingdom - standard international rates apply

 

This plan DOES NOT include usage of the cellular @ sea

[germanyboy]

And Verizon travel pass in Ireland in December worked very very badly. Many tech-support calls and trying to find the provider in Ireland that would match up to Verizon. Not worth it, it was so new, they hadn't gotten all the bugs worked out yet.