Option for Cell Phone Coverage During Med 19 Night Cruise

[leftyofnorth]

We will be sailing round trip from Barcelona on a back to back 19 night Celebrity cruise.  Koodo has an international plan for $15/day for one phone which we find expensive. I am looking for options to use one phone in Europe as we will be receiving text messages.  Any suggestions are most welcome.

[Fouremco]

I'd suggest that you do some research on SIM cards and eSIM. They come with a wide variety of options on where they can be used and the amount of data, texts and phone minutes available. These options will allow you to find one that best needs your personal requirements, and whichever one you decide on will be far less expensive than Koodo's roaming plan.

 

This is a somewhat typical SIM: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07RYLB6PK/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&aaxitk=b7493dd449e12df467c1bf96f4a85140&content-id=amzn1.sym.2391ded4-5342-4a72-ab16-54835c13e968%3Aamzn1.sym.2391ded4-5342-4a72-ab16-54835c13e968&hsa_cr_id=3787483910401&pd_rd_plhdr=t&pd_rd_r=b0524b0d-4e33-46ba-ac56-7b1663cc982f&pd_rd_w=G62A1&pd_rd_wg=DJFx3&qid=1665157038&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_0_img&sr=1-1-a094db1c-5033-42c6-82a2-587d01f975e8&th=1

 

Here's a site to get your research going: https://www.lifewire.com/what-are-sim-cards-577532

 

 

[WESTEAST]

We use WhatsApp which is a free app to download on your phones.  All you need is WiFi to text or call. To ensure we aren't charged from our provider Bell, we keep our phone on Airplane Mode, turn off Cellular data and wi-fi calling that we use at home for the duration of our trip. We have complimentary WiFi onboard so it is seamless once we connect to the ship's WiFi.  When ashore, there are plenty of places that offer free WiFi or, we wait till we are back onboard to text.

[Middleager]

Most of us have limited wifi access on ships.  The NCL's "free" wifi promo gives 150 minutes of very slow and sometimes unstable wifi.  But yes people can use web text to send/receive texts.

 

Can buy physical SIM or eSIM, but these are limited to when you are at port.  When you're at sea, your SIM or eSIM won't connect to the wifi, you'll still need to use the ship's slow expensive wifi.

 

Anyway, for an upcoming trip, I'm looking into Airolo eSIM for some places, and have bought this Vodaphone SIM which also covers Turkey in addition to other EU countries.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Check out this link 

https://www.traveltomtom.net/destinations/europe/spain/best-spain-sim-card-for-tourists

 

I have used Vodafone in the past and got a SIM card from simcorner.com last month and it worked great 

[leftyofnorth]

Thanks to everyone that responded. Simcorner.com looks interesting.  I didn't know you could send/receive texts with Whatsapp when your phone is on airplane mode.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

23 minutes ago, leftyofnorth said:

Thanks to everyone that responded. Simcorner.com looks interesting.  I didn't know you could send/receive texts with Whatsapp when your phone is on airplane mode.

I was mostly using FB messager app to connect with people 

[CamperCali]

On 10/8/2022 at 8:18 PM, leftyofnorth said:

Thanks to everyone that responded. Simcorner.com looks interesting.  I didn't know you could send/receive texts with Whatsapp when your phone is on airplane mode.

We are in Greece right now and have been doing it for about 14 days.  We were told to make sure we turned "wifi calling enabled on" on our phones before we left home, and then just leave phone in airplane mode through your entire trip.   We had wifi on the ship for 7 days, are on land now for 2 weeks and then back on a ship.  We have found everywhere we go, every little cafe etc... offers free wifi so seems to be working great.   

[Heidi13]

On 10/7/2022 at 8:18 AM, leftyofnorth said:

We will be sailing round trip from Barcelona on a back to back 19 night Celebrity cruise.  Koodo has an international plan for $15/day for one phone which we find expensive. I am looking for options to use one phone in Europe as we will be receiving text messages.  Any suggestions are most welcome.

 

When in UK or the Continent, we switch our home plan to the minimum to keep the number, then when we arrive in Europe, we purchase a local SIM card, for DW's unlocked phone. If purchased in Spain, you should have service in all EU countries.

 

We get a service provider that has local calling/text and calling/text back to Canada.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

On 10/8/2022 at 1:18 PM, leftyofnorth said:

Thanks to everyone that responded. Simcorner.com looks interesting.  I didn't know you could send/receive texts with Whatsapp when your phone is on airplane mode.

If you got a  EU SIM card , you take your phone out of airplane mode , just use it like you normal do