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Cell Phone

CruiserShip3

By CruiserShip3,
in First Time Cruisers

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Clarea

Clarea

Posted
Posted
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.

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spookwife

spookwife

Posted
Posted

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.

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cb at sea

cb at sea

Posted
Posted (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 by cb at sea
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CruiserBruce

CruiserBruce

Posted
Posted
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.

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sanger727

sanger727

Posted
Posted
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

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leftfieldnz

leftfieldnz

Posted
Posted

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

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Flatbush Flyer

Flatbush Flyer

Posted
Posted
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

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sanger727

sanger727

Posted
Posted (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 by sanger727
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jensplace

jensplace

Posted
Posted

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.

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FireStation46

FireStation46

Posted
Posted (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 by FireStation46
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Laid Back Lenny

Laid Back Lenny

Posted
Posted

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?

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babygirl79

babygirl79

Posted
Posted

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

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scapel

scapel

Posted
Posted
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.

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