Ship Wi-Fi or upgrade through Verizon

[trotzoll]

We're cruising out of Rome on the Wonder of the Seas. I've seen that we can't make calls using the ship Wi-Fi but can text and upload pictures and such. Would it be better for us to upgrade our Verizon plan for travel, or just use the cruise ship Wi-Fi? 

 

Thanks, in advance, for your help.

[Funky Fusion FoodsJ]

Verizont has a Cruise talk and text pay as you go plan.  I think it starts automatically when you connect at most ports.  You'll have to call them to check.  I have Sprint and it connects automatically.  We're also on the wonder for the May 26 cruise and then back for the June 26 cruise.  See you there!

[reallyitsmema]

59 minutes ago, trotzoll said:

We're cruising out of Rome on the Wonder of the Seas. I've seen that we can't make calls using the ship Wi-Fi but can text and upload pictures and such. Would it be better for us to upgrade our Verizon plan for travel, or just use the cruise ship Wi-Fi? 

 

Thanks, in advance, for your help.

 

You need to decide when you want to use your phone.  Verizon has an international travel planner that you can use to decide what is the way you want to go.  Verizon is pay as you go on a cruise ship for voice and sms text only.  We get Voom so we will have internet access on the ship and if we want to use our phone in port, we pay for a travel pass for that country for the day.  We do not upgrade to the $100 international plan but would look into it in more detail if we were sailing from Rome.

[jamestown478]

1 hour ago, trotzoll said:

We're cruising out of Rome on the Wonder of the Seas. I've seen that we can't make calls using the ship Wi-Fi but can text and upload pictures and such. Would it be better for us to upgrade our Verizon plan for travel, or just use the cruise ship Wi-Fi? 

 

Thanks, in advance, for your help.

we were able to make calls over ship wifi on the harmony in Rome this past October.

[nelblu]

The last time I used Verizon for calls while on tours/land in Italy, it was $10 per day.  Also, used the same plan in the Caribbean.

[klfrodo]

For my European trips I rent a worldwide hotspot from Skyroam.

Solis WiFi Hotspot | Stay Connected – soliswifi

 

I can make wifi calls with it. I carry in my backpack during port excursions and have at least 4G wifi capability anywhere, all day long.

 

Just a thought.

 

[Merion_Mom]

36 minutes ago, klfrodo said:

For my European trips I rent a worldwide hotspot from Skyroam.

Solis WiFi Hotspot | Stay Connected – soliswifi

 

I can make wifi calls with it. I carry in my backpack during port excursions and have at least 4G wifi capability anywhere, all day long.

 

Just a thought.

 

 

Would you mind emailing me (link in signature; CC name without underscore at aol dot com) and explaining this to me like I'm a 2nd grader?

[SRF]

Just switch to T-Mobile and get unlimited texts, unlimited 2G data, wifi calling, and 25 cent per minute calling anywhere you would cruise to.  Faster data available for a fee (fee is per X amount of data to be used within 30 days IIRC).

 

Those mobile hotspots are still just a gate way to cellular.  
 

Looking at the one posted, you either pay per GB, or get "unlimited" for 30 days.  But the "unlimited" is 20GB in 30 days, then the speed drops.

[nelblu]

1 hour ago, Heymarco said:

Verizon travel pass charges $10 a day to use your domestic plan abroad (same data, text, and calls for no extra $). You only get charged for the days you take your plane out of airplane mode. It can’t get any more simple than that. You may be able to save a few bucks by doing it otherwise, but will be a lot more work.

If you want to use while at sea, that’s a different story.

Correct 

[klfrodo]

16 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

Would you mind emailing me (link in signature; CC name without underscore at aol dot com) and explaining this to me like I'm a 2nd grader?

email sent

[klfrodo]

2 hours ago, SRF said:

Just switch to T-Mobile and get unlimited texts, unlimited 2G data, wifi calling, and 25 cent per minute calling anywhere you would cruise to.  Faster data available for a fee (fee is per X amount of data to be used within 30 days IIRC).

 

Those mobile hotspots are still just a gate way to cellular.  
 

Looking at the one posted, you either pay per GB, or get "unlimited" for 30 days.  But the "unlimited" is 20GB in 30 days, then the speed drops.

While I'll agree with you that T-Mobile beats Verizon and AT&T all to hell in pricing in local and international service, unlimited 2G data means you're better off traveling with Carrier Pigeons.

[Charles4515]

5 minutes ago, klfrodo said:

While I'll agree with you that T-Mobile beats Verizon and AT&T all to hell in pricing in local and international service, unlimited 2G data means you're better off traveling with Carrier Pigeons.

 

I can't switch to T-Mobile but I have read that their  internationalservice is better than 2G. Does 2G actually still exist anymore? Here is the US the carriers are turning off 3G. 

[Charles4515]

2 hours ago, SRF said:

 

Those mobile hotspots are still just a gate way to cellular.  
 

Looking at the one posted, you either pay per GB, or get "unlimited" for 30 days.  But the "unlimited" is 20GB in 30 days, then the speed drops.

 

The mobile hotspot seems like a solution for a business traveler or for a family. A family can all connect to the one hotspot. So the Skyroam is a good solution for some use cases. The AT&T $10 a day travel pass works sufficient for me as it is only charged when I use it. I don't always use it. 

Edited March 22, 2022 by Charles4515

[Biker19]

22 hours ago, trotzoll said:

. I've seen that we can't make calls using the ship Wi-Fi 

It’s a bad assumption that if someone reports it not working for them that it won’t work for you. Those reports were for AT&T only, only recently (things can change by the summer) and only for some folks. 

Edited March 22, 2022 by Biker19

[rdtpm64]

6 hours ago, Heymarco said:

Verizon travel pass charges $10 a day to use your domestic plan abroad (same data, text, and calls for no extra $). You only get charged for the days you take your plane out of airplane mode. It can’t get any more simple than that. You may be able to save a few bucks by doing it otherwise, but will be a lot more work.

If you want to use while at sea, that’s a different story.

I thought I read on Verizon's website that customers get one free international day a month, and that they roll over.  I'll have to check on that again.

[lakelorain]

5 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

 

I can't switch to T-Mobile but I have read that their  internationalservice is better than 2G. Does 2G actually still exist anymore? Here is the US the carriers are turning off 3G. 

I use T-Mobile and only have problems with it being slow in countries that don't have a very good communnications infrastructure(some islands).  In large countries it works fine.  Works especially well in Europe since it's a German company.

[trotzoll]

3 hours ago, rdtpm64 said:

I thought I read on Verizon's website that customers get one free international day a month, and that they roll over.  I'll have to check on that again.

I’ll look into that. Thank you! 

[trotzoll]

5 hours ago, Biker19 said:

It’s a bad assumption that if someone reports it not working for them that it won’t work for you. Those reports were for AT&T only, only recently (things can change by the summer) and only for some folks. 

Thank you!! 

[trotzoll]

9 hours ago, Heymarco said:

Verizon travel pass charges $10 a day to use your domestic plan abroad (same data, text, and calls for no extra $). You only get charged for the days you take your plane out of airplane mode. It can’t get any more simple than that. You may be able to save a few bucks by doing it otherwise, but will be a lot more work.

If you want to use while at sea, that’s a different story.

Perfect. Thank you!! 

[Charles4515]

3 hours ago, rdtpm64 said:

I thought I read on Verizon's website that customers get one free international day a month, and that they roll over.  I'll have to check on that again.

 

That is something they launched a few weeks ago on Unlimited plans

[brillohead]

IMO, it depends what you want to be able to do, and when you want to be able to do it.

Do you want to use your phone while on the ship (Voom) or while in port (cell plan)?

Are you concerned about making phone calls, or other kinds of things (texting, email, Facebook, etc.)?

[SRF]

20 hours ago, klfrodo said:

While I'll agree with you that T-Mobile beats Verizon and AT&T all to hell in pricing in local and international service, unlimited 2G data means you're better off traveling with Carrier Pigeons.

 

Not really.  I have used it for basic use (email, texting/messaging, Google maps, Trip Advisor) without major issues.  Yes, it takes a bit longer.

 

Otherwise, I can find a wifi hotspot and use that.

 

Also, in some countries, I have gotten 4G speeds.

 

[TheMiz]

Sorry wrong thread

Edited March 23, 2022 by TheMiz

[trotzoll]

18 hours ago, brillohead said:

IMO, it depends what you want to be able to do, and when you want to be able to do it.

Do you want to use your phone while on the ship (Voom) or while in port (cell plan)?

Are you concerned about making phone calls, or other kinds of things (texting, email, Facebook, etc.)?

We'll need to think about that and figure it out. Thank you!

[trotzoll]

3 hours ago, TheMiz said:

Sorry wrong thread

Oops. Did I put this in the wrong area? Sorry about that. Where should I have put it?