Cell Phone Useage

[JSWalk]

We are going on a fourteen day cruise on the Caribbean Princess. This cruise is actually 2-7day cruises so we come back to Port Everglades. On our turn around day back at Port Everglades can we use our cell phones while we are on the ship without incurring the cellular at sea charges.?

[Lucky TGO]

We are going on a fourteen day cruise on the Caribbean Princess. This cruise is actually 2-7day cruises so we come back to Port Everglades. On our turn around day back at Port Everglades can we use our cell phones while we are on the ship without incurring the cellular at sea charges.?

When you get back to Port Everglades and you are still on the ship you can use your cell phone no charges. I do it all the time.

Tony

[BDRebel]

Just be sure that you are connected to the cell service and not "Cellular at Sea". It should say somewhere at the top of your screen (top left next to the antenna signal on IPhone)

[sunshine221]

Yes, as long as you phone says "at&t"? Or Verizon you are on the local service

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Colo Cruiser]

We are going on a fourteen day cruise on the Caribbean Princess. This cruise is actually 2-7day cruises so we come back to Port Everglades. On our turn around day back at Port Everglades can we use our cell phones while we are on the ship without incurring the cellular at sea charges.?

 

 

Yes the ships cell service is usually shut off in ports. If you are stopping in St Thomas its covered under US cell service with your plan. (IE AT&T/Verizon etc)

Edited January 1, 2017 by Colo Cruiser

[MrSchwump]

We have ATT service which gives the same service as at home in the USVI and PR. Check with your carrier to see if you're covered there. At one time, Verizon was in international roaming in those localities.

[Happy2cruise]

Yes, as long as you phone says "at&t"? Or Verizon you are on the local service

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

We have consumer cellular and used our service in St. Thomas, San Juan as well in Port Everglades.......used it as we were sailing between Miami and back to the pier;)

Edited January 1, 2017 by Happy2cruise

[Lucky TGO]

We have ATT service which gives the same service as at home in the USVI and PR. Check with your carrier to see if you're covered there. At one time, Verizon was in international roaming in those localities.

It was about 4 years ago I had to pay roaming charges from St. Thomas with my Verizon service. Check your carrier before you make a call from there.

Tony

[Thrak]

I always check to make sure of the connection. My wife once got nailed for sending pictures over the ship's cell service. We were standing on our balcony looking out over the San Francisco dock. The ship hadn't even left port yet. After that I don't just trust the ship has turned off their cell service. I check to be sure.

[drvalo]

Make sure your phone setting is not set to "roaming". The only single your phone should get would be your carrier signal. There also should be some indication on the menu at the top of the screen as to whether it is roaming or not.

[easyboy]

We are going on a fourteen day cruise on the Caribbean Princess. This cruise is actually 2-7day cruises so we come back to Port Everglades. On our turn around day back at Port Everglades can we use our cell phones while we are on the ship without incurring the cellular at sea charges.?

We have always used our cell phone at Port Everglades while still on the ship to arrange for our pick-up at terminal. We have never received any cellular at sea charges.

[JSWalk]

Thank you all for your answers. My mother in law turns 101 in a few days and my father is 89 and not in the best health so it will be nice to check in on both of them.

[satxdiver]

The ship's cell tower is require by international law to shut down when not in international waters. Port Everglades is certainly not in international water. Just be sure when you use it, it does not say cellular at sea.

[pablo222]

The ship's cell tower is require by international law to shut down when not in international waters.

 

No, it's not.

It is supposed to shut down when it senses a land based cellular signal.

 

There are plenty of places in Alaska -- where you are out of range

of a land based cellular signal, but still within the territorial sea

of the united states -- where ship's cell service works.

 

If it didn't work this way, the ship's cell service would be disabled

for most of an alaska cruise.

[Colo Cruiser]

Another definitive answer on CC.

[Clownfish Cruiser]

We have always used our cell phones in US ports, and thanks for the reminder to make sure my cellular service says "Verizon."

 

I checked with Verizon this morning - I needed to know how to best way to be in touch with my family (elderly mother). I signed up for the pay as you go international plan. From what I understand, you have to sign up for this with Verizon or you are just on international roaming the whole time. There is no charge to "activate" this service. In the Caribbean ports, the calls are $1.79 per minute and text messages are .50 per text. Please correct me if I'm interpreting this wrong!

 

Otherwise, I will be setting my phone to airplane mode when at sea. I have an internet plan and will check email once or twice a day. I told my kids the best non-emergency way to contact me is via Facebook message. Does this sound about right?

[Colo Cruiser]

We have always used our cell phones in US ports, and thanks for the reminder to make sure my cellular service says "Verizon."

 

I checked with Verizon this morning - I needed to know how to best way to be in touch with my family (elderly mother). I signed up for the pay as you go international plan. From what I understand, you have to sign up for this with Verizon or you are just on international roaming the whole time. There is no charge to "activate" this service. In the Caribbean ports, the calls are $1.79 per minute and text messages are .50 per text. Please correct me if I'm interpreting this wrong!

 

Otherwise, I will be setting my phone to airplane mode when at sea. I have an internet plan and will check email once or twice a day. I told my kids the best non-emergency way to contact me is via Facebook message. Does this sound about right?

 

 

We have A&T and incoming text are free whether on the ship's cell or not. So for us this is the best way to reach us in an emergency.

[lstone19]

We have A&T and incoming text are free whether on the ship's cell or not. So for us this is the best way to reach us in an emergency.

 

But what if someone voice calls you? If you answer it, you'll pay the per minute ship roaming rate for voice calls. If you let it go to voice mail, with most carriers you pay double (once for routing it to the ship, and then a second time for routing it back to voice mail - leave it in airplane mode and that doesn't apply since the cell system just sees you as off so goes straight to voice mail within the domestic system).

[Colo Cruiser]

But what if someone voice calls you? If you answer it, you'll pay the per minute ship roaming rate for voice calls. If you let it go to voice mail, with most carriers you pay double (once for routing it to the ship, and then a second time for routing it back to voice mail - leave it in airplane mode and that doesn't apply since the cell system just sees you as off so goes straight to voice mail within the domestic system).

 

We turn off cell data and voice mail is not an issue.

We never use airplane mode.

That way calls and text still come through. We just don't answer. We can still see who is calling.

Edited January 2, 2017 by Colo Cruiser

[beg3yrs]

But what if someone voice calls you? If you answer it, you'll pay the per minute ship roaming rate for voice calls. If you let it go to voice mail, with most carriers you pay double (once for routing it to the ship, and then a second time for routing it back to voice mail - leave it in airplane mode and that doesn't apply since the cell system just sees you as off so goes straight to voice mail within the domestic system).

 

We turn off cell data and voice mail is not an issue.

We never use airplane mode.

That way calls and text still come through. We just don't answer. We can still see who is calling.

 

I agree with Lstone19, voicemail can be an issue. Two cruises ago I noticed the double billing for voicemail. Heck, even if voicemail picks up and no message is left, you get billed. Just before our next cruise we called AT&T and had our voicemail disabled. That's a real pain as you have to call, there's no way on the web-site to turn it off. You then have to re-enable it with a phone call when you get home.

[GRAYTech]

I signed up for the pay as you go international plan. From what I understand, you have to sign up for this with Verizon or you are just on international roaming the whole time. There is no charge to "activate" this service. In the Caribbean ports, the calls are $1.79 per minute and text messages are .50 per text. Please correct me if I'm interpreting this wrong!

 

Yes, I think those are the international rates for pay as you go with Verizon. Another option is Verizon's "travel pass". For $10 per 24 hours you use your domestic plan with no additional charges beyond the $10. This DOES NOT apply when you are connected to the ship, only while in port. So depending on how much you might use your phone in port the travel pass might be a better deal.

 

I looked into this and posted the results a while ago -

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2404860

 

I have used the travel pass in Mexico and there it truly was $2 for 24 hours. I have not used it while on other Caribbean islands but I'm hoping it works as advertised.

[Colo Cruiser]

I agree with Lstone19, voicemail can be an issue. Two cruises ago I noticed the double billing for voicemail. Heck, even if voicemail picks up and no message is left, you get billed. Just before our next cruise we called AT&T and had our voicemail disabled. That's a real pain as you have to call, there's no way on the web-site to turn it off. You then have to re-enable it with a phone call when you get home.

 

 

 

As I said we turn off cell data and turn it back on when ready. Not an issue at all. Using it this way for 5 years. Had many calls come through.

Never been charged and never an issue.

[beg3yrs]

As I said we turn off cell data and turn it back on when ready. Not an issue at all. Using it this way for 5 years. Had many calls come through.

Never been charged and never an issue.

 

Cell data and voicemail are two different things. It is an excellent idea to turn off cell data (especially on the ship where AT&T doesn't have any arrangement with Princess) but that doesn't stop charges for voicemail.

[Colo Cruiser]

Turning off cell data does not allow any VM's to be accessed. We have many VM's when we return and have never been charged. It works well without having the hassle of calling the carrier. To each his own I guess.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[baz48]

If anyone has T-Mobile, they have free texting and data in over 120 countries, and phone calls are 20 cents per minute. Love this service - we used it on our 49 day cruise around South America with no problems.