Cell Phones in Port only?

[Caramel1398]

Hello Everyone,

I'll be a first time cruier in a few months, and was wondering about using my cell phone with T-Mobile's International calling feature? This should work, right? Also, I'm assuming that cell phones generally only work in port, correct?

 

Thanks!

Caramel1398

[Arwenmark]

Hello Everyone,

I'll be a first time cruier in a few months, and was wondering about using my cell phone with T-Mobile's International calling feature? This should work, right? Also, I'm assuming that cell phones generally only work in port, correct?

 

Thanks!

Caramel1398

 

Do Not make any assumptions about what is covered by your international calling plan, Call them give them the specifics of your trip and ask them what you will be charged from each port and in general yes they only work in some ports.

[bububr]

Good advice, check your plan.

 

bring your phone, but please be courteous.

 

On a previous cruise there were people who kept checking their phones during a show we were at and all we saw was the constant blue glow of the key pad. I don't think they paid any attention to what ws going on or to those around them.

 

The other instance was someone in the dining room at the table next to us who took a picture of their dinner and HAD to try to send it to some one right away. They were irritated they couldn't get a signal, and the folks around them were irritated that they were being disturbed during their formal dinner.

 

A cell phone, Although I do not have, want, or need one, can be a good thing if used properly. It can also be a nuissance to everyone around you if you let it.

 

Have a great cruise!

 

Dave:eek:

[Allis154]

When I was on the QE2 in 2003, we hardly saw a cell phone at all. This time, a couple of weeks ago, they were everywhere, for the first three days, then the last day. We didn't even think of taking ours, we were on vacation! It is bad enough that we are tied to the things when we are home! Funny how things change over time

[cringerskeeper]

Hello Everyone,

I'll be a first time cruier in a few months, and was wondering about using my cell phone with T-Mobile's International calling feature? This should work, right? Also, I'm assuming that cell phones generally only work in port, correct?

 

Thanks!

Caramel1398

Depends on the phone. You will probably have to have a dual band or tri band phone. Also will need to change network settings depending on the phone system at the port. Also be aware international calls are billed at higher rates and also deduct from your minutes. Don't forget to call T-Mobile to activate the international calling feature before you leave home.

[celbercrz333]

Caramel,

Where are you sailing to? If you are way out in the middle of the ocean or Gulf of Mexico, chances are you might not have service. As for being on land, sometimes it's cheaper to buy an international calling card and use it. We did this in Bermuda where as soon as we got off the ship, we saw machines with cards. Plenty of pay phones were around and we didn't want to be on the phone that much anyway. The whole idea is to get away from it all. We also used the internet cafe on the ship once or twice just to let everyone at home know that all was ok. Some locations on the high seas might make your call to what I call the "relay station" but might not make it further than that. When we go to SC from Baltimore, I get a screen that says "conversion in process". I think of this as the signal going to a relay station before heading up to Baltimore. We were in SC during Ophelia last year and my access to the "relay station" was blocked for several hours. We are with Cingular. Not sure how T Mobile works their system.

[dhcoaster]

Take the phone with you on the cruise. When it stops working, turn it off, put it in the safe and then start enjoying the cruise for what it is... A VACATION!

[bostonnerd]

Hello Everyone,

I'll be a first time cruier in a few months, and was wondering about using my cell phone with T-Mobile's International calling feature? This should work, right? Also, I'm assuming that cell phones generally only work in port, correct?

 

Thanks!

Caramel1398

Caramel (et al)

Q: Can I use my mobile phone in Outside the US?

A: You can if you have AT&T, Cingular, or Tmobile as a carrier. Reminder, you must call your carrier to have them provision International Roaming before you leave!! This is not turned on by default. GSM in Europe and much of the rest of the world is on 900/1800mhz, and the US is on 850/1900mhz. Note 850mhz is used by Cingular only in the US although some other countries have implemented it.You will need (at the minimum) a Triband phone that supports 1800mhz. A quad band phone is better. Voice calls will run ~ $1.25 per minute. Inbound SMS is free for certain carriers, so check. (it's a good way of being contacted from work/home).

 

There is minimum CDMA service (Verizon and Sprint )outside the US (GSM is pretty much the world standard)

 

Q: Reception/coverage from the ship

That depends on cell tower location and land topolagy. If a land tower is located on the coast, you may be able to squeeze 10-12 miles over open water. Some ships now have cell stations on board provided by MTH that access via satallite. MTH is the company that is the major supplier of all onboard ship communications. Note the large round spheres on the ship. These contain all of the comms/navigation equipment. Caveat......calls utilizing this can cost ~US$8.00 per minute so be careful!

 

For GSM users (ATT, Cingular, and Tmobile) see:

www.gsmworld.com

The site will show you all world wide cross carrier roaming agreeements as well as the frequencies used in a particular country.

[Jacky Tar]

Hello Everyone,

I'll be a first time cruier in a few months, and was wondering about using my cell phone with T-Mobile's International calling feature? This should work, right? Also, I'm assuming that cell phones generally only work in port, correct?

 

Thanks!

Caramel1398

 

I can't speak to the details of T-Mobile as I use a different provider, but as for your second question, I would think the answer is yes, unless you actually have a satellite phone. Looks like a cell phone, but costs a poopload more for air time. However, the ship very likely will have INMARSAT service (forget what it stands for, not being a comm weenie, but it's maritime satellite phone service). I mean, if they're putting it in naval vessels these days, I'm pretty sure the cruise lines have long since figured it out. :)