Calling the US from the Caribbean

[esper10]

Hi all, first I can't begin to thank Cruise Critics for the information and the help I received from all of you. Now I have one more question. I will be in a cruise to the Caribbean for 2 weeks. In the past I never called home while l'm outside the US. I was wondering if their is an economic way to call. I have Viber out so I don't know if it can help in any way. How do you all make few calls home and how expensive is it. I will post also in celebrity and princess to get every ones advice. Thanks

[atnolan94]

If your phone does wifi calling you can call someone shoreside if they are using it as well. Newer iPhones do this.

[reedl]

If your phone does wifi calling you can call someone shoreside if they are using it as well. Newer iPhones do this.

 

It does not matter if the person you are calling has WiFi calling. You will be calling a regular number with WiFi calling on the new iPhones and Android phones.

 

Your end goes over a data connection to your cell phone provider's center and then is sent out the phone network as usual.

 

If you want constant connectivity, purchase the WiFi package on the cruise, and you will be able to make and receive calls all the time using WiFi calling. Just make sure to put your phone into airplane mode, and then re-enable WiFi.

 

If you do not need constant connectivity, you can use WiFi in ports. The bes thing is to ask the crew where good WiFi is in the port.

[esper10]

How much these call cost? I will be calling landline or to an OLD cell phone. I have a new iphone

[sammydh82]

Hi all, first I can't begin to thank Cruise Critics for the information and the help I received from all of you. Now I have one more question. I will be in a cruise to the Caribbean for 2 weeks. In the past I never called home while l'm outside the US. I was wondering if their is an economic way to call. I have Viber out so I don't know if it can help in any way. How do you all make few calls home and how expensive is it. I will post also in celebrity and princess to get every ones advice. Thanks

 

We waited to call home until we were in port in San Juan and St. Thomas the times we called home. They are U.S. owned territories so it was covered under our normal phone plan and no extra cost!

 

If you are not visiting any ports that would be similar some phone companies also over plans for like a month of international calling. I don't know much about it but it might be worth making a call to your service provider and asking!

 

Have a great trip!

[setsail]

How much these call cost? I will be calling landline or to an OLD cell phone. I have a new iphone

 

The cost is on your providers website under international calling

[cb at sea]

I would give "home" the emergency number for the ship...888-724-7447...(they need your name, ship and cabin #) and IF there is an emergency, THEY can contact you!

 

It's true that Puerto Rico and St. Thomas are covered under most US plans...even some parts of Mexico are covered, too! And, Key West, of course! We waited until we were in one of those ports to call home on our cells.

[Biker19]

WiFI in port + Hangouts = free calls/texts to anyone in the US.

 

An alternative is to get friendly with someone on board who would be willing to occasionally share their VOOM login = free WiFi.

Edited December 5, 2016 by Biker19

[shred5]

Allot of phone companies have calling packages you can pick up for cruising or international.

I know ATT has one just for cruising and you can look up the ship you are on to see if it covers it. They also have text and data packages. It also tells you what it cost per call with out the packages. Verizon has something similar too, I helped someone set theirs up a year ago.