CruiserShip3 Posted January 8, 2017 #1 Share Posted January 8, 2017 Can I use my cell phone at sea and/or at the Ports? How does that work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted January 8, 2017 #2 Share Posted January 8, 2017 What ports? Cell phone use on the ship has to go through the ship's cell tower. Usually very expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserShip3 Posted January 8, 2017 Author #3 Share Posted January 8, 2017 Ports I'm going to are: Amber Cove, St. Thomas and St. Maarten Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuizer2 Posted January 8, 2017 #4 Share Posted January 8, 2017 Ports I'm going to are: Amber Cove, St. Thomas and St. Maarten St. Thomas is a US territory and thus calls from there are just like calling from any of the fifty states. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserShip3 Posted January 8, 2017 Author #5 Share Posted January 8, 2017 So is Amber Cove ok as well? I think St. Maarten will be different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarea Posted January 8, 2017 #6 Share Posted January 8, 2017 So is Amber Cove ok as well? I think St. Maarten will be different. Amber Cove is in the Dominican Republic, so if there is cell coverage at the private resort area, there would be roaming charges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spookwife Posted January 8, 2017 #7 Share Posted January 8, 2017 you will pay international/roaming rates in all non US territory ports. on board, same thing unless you have a wi fi package( at a cost) and use wi fi to call. many carriers offer special rates for cruises, on a temporary basis( you only sign up for it for say a month) plenty of free wi fi access in most ports as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuizer2 Posted January 8, 2017 #8 Share Posted January 8, 2017 So is Amber Cove ok as well? I think St. Maarten will be different. Amber Cove is not on land that belongs to the USA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luddite Posted January 9, 2017 #9 Share Posted January 9, 2017 You use the phone and pay the bill. You might want to get a second job to help pay the bill. Or....................you shut the phone down and enjoy the cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb at sea Posted January 9, 2017 #10 Share Posted January 9, 2017 (edited) You can put your phone into "airline" mode, which turns off the roaming. You can still send and receive texts, but it won't be totally free... but less than if you use the ship's towers. If there is an emergency, you can use the phone, and you won't mind the charges, if it's a true emergency~ We leave our phones off once we leave our home port... Edited January 9, 2017 by cb at sea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted January 9, 2017 #11 Share Posted January 9, 2017 You can put your phone into "airline" mode, which turns off the roaming. You can still send and receive texts, but it won't be totally free... but less than if you use the ship's towers. If there is an emergency, you can use the phone, and you won't mind the charges, if it's a true emergency~ We leave our phones off once we leave our home port... More not quite correct info. If you are in airplane mode, you don't receive texts. You don't receive anything. If you turn your wifi on, and connect to the internet, you might receive some texts- but as most texts are NOT sent over the internet- they go via phone signal, not data service in most cases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftfieldnz Posted January 9, 2017 #12 Share Posted January 9, 2017 I'm getting a mifi from aliexpress.com and a global sim with 1 month data for when in port probably won't do much on board ship as expensive Sent from my SM-J200Y using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanger727 Posted January 9, 2017 #13 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Can I use my cell phone at sea and/or at the Ports? How does that work? Ok, so when you are in the US your phone communicates through cell phone towers that are owned or where time is leased by your cell phone carrier. So as long as you can connect to a tower (can be an issue with low cost carriers that simply lease coverage from other towers rather than owning their own) everything is covered by your monthly plan limits. When you are out of the country, on land, your phone will connect to local cell phone towers. Your choices are to use airplane mode to stop it from happening, to contact your carrier about getting a short term international plan to control the cost, or pay as you go and it will be a charge per text, per minute of calls, and per mb of data. When you are on the ship at sea, there are no cell towers to connect with. Your phone will connect to cellular at sea which is a satellite service. There is no cost controlled plan you can get through your carrier for this. It will charge you as you go and can be expensive. So, comes down to what do you need. If you don't want to pay extra, put your phone in airplane mode and when you stop in port for lunch or coffee can usually connect to wifi for email/imessage. If you need to be connected sometimes, the most cost effective way is to contact your carrier and sign up for an international plan. Have your phone in airplane mode at sea and turn it off in port and use your cell phone as normal. If you need to be connected all the time, leave airplane mode off and turn data roaming off. Data is by far the highest cost item here. Texts are .50 ish each, calls are a few dollars per minute. You'll get a bill when you get home. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftfieldnz Posted January 9, 2017 #14 Share Posted January 9, 2017 With a mifi and a global sim card I will be able to use Internet via cell towers on land at sea I plan not to do much Internet because of the cost But I think they may have cell phone tower on boats of cause my first choice is free WiFi like in Hong Kong these is an app for free WiFi BTW airplane mode is not the way to go as blocks everything just switch off data and roaming means you still use wifi and receive sms and phone calls Sent from my SM-J200Y using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserShip3 Posted January 14, 2017 Author #15 Share Posted January 14, 2017 When I get onto the ship will my phone change? For example. I use bluetooth and have roaming off. Even if I turn off cellular data off. My bluetooth is still on with Wifi still on. Will it turn Roaming on? Or this isn't much a difference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted January 14, 2017 #16 Share Posted January 14, 2017 Ok, so when you are in the US your phone communicates through cell phone towers that are owned or where time is leased by your cell phone carrier. So as long as you can connect to a tower (can be an issue with low cost carriers that simply lease coverage from other towers rather than owning their own) everything is covered by your monthly plan limits. When you are out of the country, on land, your phone will connect to local cell phone towers. Your choices are to use airplane mode to stop it from happening, to contact your carrier about getting a short term international plan to control the cost, or pay as you go and it will be a charge per text, per minute of calls, and per mb of data. When you are on the ship at sea, there are no cell towers to connect with. Your phone will connect to cellular at sea which is a satellite service. There is no cost controlled plan you can get through your carrier for this. It will charge you as you go and can be expensive. So, comes down to what do you need. If you don't want to pay extra, put your phone in airplane mode and when you stop in port for lunch or coffee can usually connect to wifi for email/imessage. If you need to be connected sometimes, the most cost effective way is to contact your carrier and sign up for an international plan. Have your phone in airplane mode at sea and turn it off in port and use your cell phone as normal. If you need to be connected all the time, leave airplane mode off and turn data roaming off. Data is by far the highest cost item here. Texts are .50 ish each, calls are a few dollars per minute. You'll get a bill when you get home. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Or - buy a new phone that has wifi calling and, unless your cruise line blocks/throttles it, get a data plan onboard and use wifi calling (uses about 1 MB data per minute). Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanger727 Posted January 14, 2017 #17 Share Posted January 14, 2017 (edited) Or - buy a new phone that has wifi calling and, unless your cruise line blocks/throttles it, get a data plan onboard and use wifi calling (uses about 1 MB data per minute). Sent from my iPhone using Forums I was explaining how cell phone service works on cruises because that was the question asked. I have wifi calling. I also have no intention of spending money on wifi given how easily available free wifi is in port. But find people confusing the 'cruise ship' plans that include in port service with at sea service. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Edited January 14, 2017 by sanger727 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jensplace Posted January 16, 2017 #18 Share Posted January 16, 2017 That information was very helpful. I was planning on getting an international plan so I could use my son's Gizmo to find/page him if we get separated, but that info tells me it would be a waste of money, because the place I would need to find him is on the ship. He is moderate to severely autistic and has limited language and is 17, so his Gizmo device wears like a watch but allows me to GPS track him on my phone and call him if needed. Now I need to figure out some other way to track him in an emergency situation. I think our room is too close to the elevators (he LOVES elevators and will go up and down them without me frequently) for comfort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelLovingGal Posted January 17, 2017 #19 Share Posted January 17, 2017 I have an iPhone and I can send texts and make calls over wifi. We have an internet package included with our cruise. If i put my phone in airplane mode and turn on the wifi will I be able to send texts just using the ships wifi with no extra charges? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireStation46 Posted January 17, 2017 #20 Share Posted January 17, 2017 (edited) Verizon told me I could get international call to/from my iphone for $40 per month extra on my plan. Problem was if my cruise was over the last week of one month and into the next month it would be a 2 month charge. Fortunately my next cruise is only one week. I will not get any cell plan. If they need me, it will have to wait:D Edited January 17, 2017 by FireStation46 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laid Back Lenny Posted January 19, 2017 #21 Share Posted January 19, 2017 We only have flip phones. We are meeting our niece in Nicaragua and may need to contact her. I am also suppose to call a friend in panama to let him know what time we will be going through the miroflores lock, as he is going to come and wave and take a picture. What are my best options? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WupperAV Posted January 19, 2017 #22 Share Posted January 19, 2017 You can buy a Sim card for your phone and have it changed for you in the airport. Pretty sure PTY had them as they had everything else, you may or may not be able to use the same Sim card in Nicaragua. http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/Panama Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WupperAV Posted January 19, 2017 #23 Share Posted January 19, 2017 We don't worry but try to pay cash, don't use Iphones or ezpass out of the country and pay cash. Funny thing about cash, everyone likes it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babygirl79 Posted January 20, 2017 #24 Share Posted January 20, 2017 Call your cell provider and see what plans they have for international calling. I have verizon and I can get a travel pass so when I'm in Belize it's just 10 bucks once I use my phone everything just comes out on my service txt calling and data.... I'm able to use all day at that port. Sent from my SM-G935V using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scapel Posted January 20, 2017 #25 Share Posted January 20, 2017 I have an iPhone and I can send texts and make calls over wifi. We have an internet package included with our cruise. If i put my phone in airplane mode and turn on the wifi will I be able to send texts just using the ships wifi with no extra charges? I was wondering if you have to pay any extra data charges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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