Verizon vs T-Mobile for Cruise in Europe

[seaventuregal]

I am thinking of changing our current cell phone plan from Verizon to T-Mobile and would like to ask if anyone has used T-Mobile recently on a cruise to Europe and if the phone service worked for texting as well as talk.  I know Verizon worked quite well on previous trips, but the cost keeps going up and T-Mobile has a much less expensive plan for Seniors with lots of extras.   We will be cruising to Italy and Greece in October.   Thanks!

[patty1955]

We have t-mobile Magenta. It cost us $70 a month for both of us, with unlimited text, data and phone. In Europe, we had free (but slow) data, free text and talk for $.25 a minute. There's nobody I want to talk to that badly, so it worked for us. 

[FlyerTalker]

I have found that the best solution for me was to buy a prepaid SIM once I was in Europe.  All carriers are required to provide included roaming throughout the EU, so it's an easy process.  FWIW, I had a TIM sim that I picked up in Italy before a 3 week cruise.  It was 8Gb of data for 25 euros - a far better deal than anything I could get from a USA carrier, and it was at full 4G speed.

 

Just walked into the mobile carrier's storefront, gave them my passport and credit card and was out the door in about 10 minutes.  On the flight back to the USA, I popped out the euro sim, put in my Verizon one (that I had taped to a card so as not to lose it), and was back in business for use at home.

[seaventuregal]

Thanks both Patty1955 and FlyerTalker.   I don't plan on using the cell phone a whole lot, but would like to know that at least it works for text and data in Italy and Greece.   I like the euro SIM idea too which sounds like a viable solution for cruise and extended land tours. I'll check it out.

[edgee]

I just stick with my Verizon plan that allows unlimited calls and texts and data up to a reasonable limit for $10 per day. Ten bucks is only charged on days you use your phone. Using your same phone number as at home has advantages for staying in touch and handling emergencies should they arise. Considering the amount of money I am spending for a cruise, an extra $300 tops for phone use for two of us is inconsequential. Of course some feel differently and I respect that.

[Plainfred]

Be aware EU sim cards don’t work in Turkey— roaming charges.  Read where your card works.

[Cliff-FLL]

I've been using T-Mobile for several years now in Europe and couldn't ask for better service & coverage.  Because of my plan - Magenta Max, I believe - they don't throttle my data so I can send emails, texts, photo's, etc. without any problems. Calls, as noted by Patty, are $.25/minute - but that's still cheaper than my old AT&T plan that charged $.35/minute for calls, $.10 for each text, limited data, and $60/month just to have access to service!

Edited August 22, 2022 by Cliff-FLL

[seaventuregal]

1 hour ago, Cliff-FLL said:

I've been using T-Mobile for several years now in Europe and couldn't ask for better service & coverage.  Because of my plan - Magenta Max, I believe - they don't throttle my data so I can send emails, texts, photo's, etc. without any problems. Calls, as noted by Patty, are $.25/minute - but that's still cheaper than my old AT&T plan that charged $.35/minute for calls, $.10 for each text, limited data, and $60/month just to have access to service!

That's good to know.   We are looking at the T-Mobile Magenta Max plan and it seems like a good choice as long as it works!!   

[rizello]

We just switched recently to TMobile to their Magenta Max plan.  We went through five counties in our recent cruise and it was seamless.  Each time we entered a new country we got a text that we had the support for texting and data.  We didn't make any calls, but the data and texting worked great.

[seaventuregal]

10 minutes ago, rizello said:

We just switched recently to TMobile to their Magenta Max plan.  We went through five counties in our recent cruise and it was seamless.  Each time we entered a new country we got a text that we had the support for texting and data.  We didn't make any calls, but the data and texting worked great.

Yay!!!  Thanks for the input on your recent experience.  It sounds like lots of positive reviews for T Mobile!

[mauibabes]

About 7 years of cruising and using T-Mobile, never a blip. Had ATT before and was instructed by our Tech guru’s in our Sun City Community to switch and so glad we did. 55+ discount, Military Discount and we have Apple everything, phones, pads, watches, Mac books, etc.  

Good luck,

Mauibabes

[FlyerTalker]

6 hours ago, Plainfred said:

Be aware EU sim cards don’t work in Turkey— roaming charges.  Read where your card works.

 

Well, since Turkey is not part of the EU, I'm not sure why anyone would think that EU roaming rules would apply there.

[HiFi43]

I’ll add to the T-Mobile fans for international travel. We’ve used them with their very inexpensive senior plan for many, many years. Because we have also had a Verizon and an ATT phone issued by our businesses during the same period we can easily compare them all for cost and ease of us. T-Mobile is the hands down winner. It is warns us by a free text when we enter any country that we are there and confirms the 25 cents per minute falls and free data (low speed data has been more than fast enough). Plus the calls are free whenever we happen to find Wi-Fi available anywhere. We have used it throughout the world on every continent except Antarctica. 

[seaventuregal]

All of the replies have been very helpful in making our decision to switch to T-Mobile!   They are also currently offering a free Samsung phone worth $800 or a trade in of your old phone for the IPhone 13 plus a $100 Prepaid Mastercard!  I am happy to hear that the service works so well in most parts of the world!

[HiFi43]

Just a note RE T-Mobile. If you are not traveling in the next month and prefer I-Phones, Apple will be releasing their I-Phone 14’s by mid September and at T-Mobile they told me today, when I visited them, that they would have offers on the new phones with the next two weeks. So it might pay to wait to get the newest model (although the 13 is more than adequate)

 

If you are a senior, their senior plan monthly pricing is great.

 

 

[seaventuregal]

4 minutes ago, HiFi43 said:

Just a note RE T-Mobile. If you are not traveling in the next month and prefer I-Phones, Apple will be releasing their I-Phone 14’s by mid September and at T-Mobile they told me today, when I visited them, that they would have offers on the new phones with the next two weeks. So it might pay to wait to get the newest model (although the 13 is more than adequate)

 

If you are a senior, their senior plan monthly pricing is great.

 

 

That is great information.  We are planning to get the Magenta Max for Seniors Plan and it might be worth waiting a few weeks for the newer I-Phone.   I have an I-phone 11 now and am very happy with it, but the offer to upgrade is quite generous by T-Mobile.   Thanks.

[HiFi43]

My pleasure…good luck

[LaCroisiereS'amuse]

On 8/22/2022 at 10:29 PM, Plainfred said:

Be aware EU sim cards don’t work in Turkey— roaming charges.  Read where your card works.

Phones will frequently log on to Turkish networks in the Greek Islands near to the Turkish coast and Cyprus, so worth bearing in mind on an Eastern Med. 

[edgee]

On 8/23/2022 at 8:19 AM, HiFi43 said:

I’ll add to the T-Mobile fans for international travel. We’ve used them with their very inexpensive senior plan for many, many years. Because we have also had a Verizon and an ATT phone issued by our businesses during the same period we can easily compare them all for cost and ease of us. T-Mobile is the hands down winner. It is warns us by a free text when we enter any country that we are there and confirms the 25 cents per minute falls and free data (low speed data has been more than fast enough). Plus the calls are free whenever we happen to find Wi-Fi available anywhere. We have used it throughout the world on every continent except Antarctica. 

DW likes to talk to kids and grandkids wherever we are. Ten dollar per day day pass with unlimited calls plus data on Verizon wins vs 25¢ per minute on calls with low speed data on T mobile for us.

[Fam_Cruise]

11 hours ago, edgee said:

DW likes to talk to kids and grandkids wherever we are. Ten dollar per day day pass with unlimited calls plus data on Verizon wins vs 25¢ per minute on calls with low speed data on T mobile for us.

I use my phone a lot when traveling and recently switched to T-Mobile after being with AT&T forever. When AT&T got rid of their International Passport plans and wanted $10 a day I said no way. 
 

A much better roaming deal with T-Mobile is their 15GB International Pass which gives you 15GB of high speed data over 30 days with unlimited texting and calling for $50 USD. I generally do 30 day trips so that comes to $1.67/day which can’t be beat IMO. And it works in Turkey according to T-Mobile. I’ll find out as I’ll be in Turkey in a couple weeks.  Note: free 2G data is more restrictive in that respect 

Edited August 26, 2022 by Fam_Cruise

[seaventuregal]

3 hours ago, Fam_Cruise said:

I use my phone a lot when traveling and recently switched to T-Mobile after being with AT&T forever. When AT&T got rid of their International Passport plans and wanted $10 a day I said no way. 
 

A much better roaming deal with T-Mobile is their 15GB International Pass which gives you 15GB of high speed data over 30 days with unlimited texting and calling for $50 USD. I generally do 30 day trips so that comes to $1.67/day which can’t be beat IMO. And it works in Turkey according to T-Mobile. I’ll find out as I’ll be in Turkey in a couple weeks.  Note: free 2G data is more restrictive in that respect 

This sounds like a great option for our upcoming back2back cruises from Ravenna through the Greek Islands and on through the Suez Canal to Dubai.  Thanks for the information!  I will check it out at our local T Mobile store.

[JHLH821]

Another T-mobile 55+ Magenta Max user. We have travelled internationally previously and it just works. For us, being able to use our own numbers and picking up a country's networks without switching out sim cards works for us. We also plan on purchasing the international add on with 15 gigs per line for our upcoming travel. 

[navelgunner]

Unfortunately,  non-US travellers don’t have access to the TMobile plans, so here’s a thought - many later model phones have the ability to use both an e-sim and a regular SIM card.  Put your home carrier on the e-sim, and pick up a European sim with lots of data.  Make the European sim your primary number, but have the ability to answer your home number if someone calls you.  Use WhatsApp, Skype, Facetime etc to call home.

the advantage of this is that you only pay a roaming fee IF someone calls you!

[Cyberchomp]

It probably helps that T-Mobile is owned by Deutche Telekom, one of Europe's biggest telecommunications providers, so your T-M phone ought to work over there.

[seaventuregal]

9 hours ago, Cyberchomp said:

It probably helps that T-Mobile is owned by Deutche Telekom, one of Europe's biggest telecommunications providers, so your T-M phone ought to work over there.

That makes perfect sense especially if tied into their network.