Reception for Canadian Cell Providers - East Cost Cruisers

[bortman23]

Hi all,

 

Anyone have experience with cell phone reception in Eastern Canada? I'm Canadian and have a cruise out of Quebec City to NYC. How good or bad is reception while sailing between Quebec, Nfld, NS? I have a plan that give me (basically) unlimited roaming. So I'm wondering if I'll have reception or if there will be dead spots. 

 

TY!
 

Edited August 13, 2023 by bortman23

[em-sk]

6 hours ago, bortman23 said:

Hi all,

 

Anyone have experience with cell phone reception in Eastern Canada? I'm Canadian and have a cruise out of Quebec City to NYC. How good or bad is reception while sailing between Quebec, Nfld, NS? I have a plan that give me (basically) unlimited roaming. So I'm wondering if I'll have reception or if there will be dead spots. 

 

TY!
 

 

That is going to depend on who your carrier is.  

 

Here is the map for Bell. https://www.bell.ca/Mobility/Our_network_coverage  

 

 

[CDNPolar]

Do you need roaming coverage if you can connect to the ship's WiFi?

 

Are you looking to be able to make and receive calls while on the ship that are inside your monthly package?

[Ex-Airbalancer]

I think all Canadian plan are unlimited national roaming 

once you are more than a couple kms from shore you will be in a dead zone 

nice post ‘em-sk

[bebe08]

We've done 2 similar cruises and don't remember any dead spots.  We did have the ships wifi plan as well as our own cellphone coverage which we relied on while in port. We did need to use our cellphone to make phone calls and always did this while in port with one exception...see below.

 

Be very careful not to make phone calls using your cell in Canadian waters when you are not in port.  We made that mistake on a cruise a few years ago.  Made a phone call from the ship while saling on the St Lawrence towards Quebec City. First time I've ever made a phone call from a cruise ship and I learned the hard way It was not covered by roaming...it was Cellular at Sea which is very expensive.  

 

FWIW we typically try to say more unplugged while cruising, however in this case there was a fair amount of flooding happening at home while we were cruising and we needed to be in touch with family.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Magicat]

I remember having cell reception on a recent TA while passing NFLD.  

[LHT28]

we have only used our cell in ports 

no problem in Saint John, Corner Brook, Halifax 

[CDNPolar]

Also you have to be careful while you are sailing that you are not connecting to US cell towers.  It is possible.  We have friends on Lake Simcoe and you have to be careful that your phone is not connecting across the lake.

[Middleager]

At port no problem.  At sea as you get a bit away from shore, you'll lose coverage.

 

Years ago when the phone companies were charging long distance even within Canada (yes that was that time), a friend and her daughter were with us on cruise.  While at port, the daughter spends a few chatting with a friend back in Toronto.  The girl didn't know there is long distance charge when in east coast.  It racked up >$3000 of long distance charges.

[d9704011]

42 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

Also you have to be careful while you are sailing that you are not connecting to US cell towers.  It is possible.  We have friends on Lake Simcoe and you have to be careful that your phone is not connecting across the lake.

Ontario is 'across the lake' no matter where you are on Lake Simcoe.

[Fouremco]

You will definitely have dead spots once you hit the Gulf of St. Lawrence. No problems in port, but for much of the Gulf and then the Atlantic once past Cape Breton, ships cruise too far from shore to enable cell coverage. 

 

Here's the Rogers coverage map: https://www.rogers.com/mobility/network-coverage-map

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, CDNPolar said:

Also you have to be careful while you are sailing that you are not connecting to US cell towers.  It is possible.  We have friends on Lake Simcoe and you have to be careful that your phone is not connecting across the lake.

Why ?

 If they  have  Canada wide calling  it will not be  a problem

Maybe Lake Erie or Lake Ontario   it could be

[bortman23]

Thanks for all who responded. I was mainly asking of times when I'm not in port. Basically I'm debating whether or not I'm going to pay for the unlimited wifi (I'm on NCL so I have the 150min).

 

Our ship leaves on a Wed from Quebec City, with two sea days during the week, where I'll need to be connected for work. I have a great roaming plan that gives me a huge amount of roaming coverage in Canada and the USA. I guess the real question is how far coverage usually extends off shore in Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

 

Thanks for sharing all the coverage maps, seems like I might have to bite the bullet and buy the package even though I only need it for a couple days...

 

TY!

Edited August 13, 2023 by bortman23

[bortman23]

1 hour ago, CDNPolar said:

Also you have to be careful while you are sailing that you are not connecting to US cell towers.  It is possible.  We have friends on Lake Simcoe and you have to be careful that your phone is not connecting across the lake.

Thanks! Luckily I have USA roaming inc! 

[gnome12]

2 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

Also you have to be careful while you are sailing that you are not connecting to US cell towers.  It is possible.  We have friends on Lake Simcoe and you have to be careful that your phone is not connecting across

Edited August 13, 2023 by gnome12
Deleted

[Tango99]

6 hours ago, bortman23 said:

Thanks for all who responded. I was mainly asking of times when I'm not in port. Basically I'm debating whether or not I'm going to pay for the unlimited wifi (I'm on NCL so I have the 150min).

 

Our ship leaves on a Wed from Quebec City, with two sea days during the week, where I'll need to be connected for work. I have a great roaming plan that gives me a huge amount of roaming coverage in Canada and the USA. I guess the real question is how far coverage usually extends off shore in Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

 

Thanks for sharing all the coverage maps, seems like I might have to bite the bullet and buy the package even though I only need it for a couple days...

 

TY!

Unlimited wifi is only going to cover you for excess minutes. It’s not a guarantee of quality or uninterrupted or hi speed service for work. Chances are your days at sea are the days that (not quite) everyone else is on line catching up. Your at home roaming plan is not a guarantee. I live in Ottawa and my home cell tower is in Quebec. Other times I’ve been in Cornwall and picking up signals and roaming on the US side of the St Lawrence river.  That was Bell and Telus. I don’t want to be a downer but I’m thinking you might best upgrade to top tier service if there is one….or take a couple of days off an enjoy yourself. Just my 2CW

[bortman23]

2 hours ago, Tango99 said:

Unlimited wifi is only going to cover you for excess minutes. It’s not a guarantee of quality or uninterrupted or hi speed service for work. Chances are your days at sea are the days that (not quite) everyone else is on line catching up. Your at home roaming plan is not a guarantee. I live in Ottawa and my home cell tower is in Quebec. Other times I’ve been in Cornwall and picking up signals and roaming on the US side of the St Lawrence river.  That was Bell and Telus. I don’t want to be a downer but I’m thinking you might best upgrade to top tier service if there is one….or take a couple of days off an enjoy yourself. Just my 2CW

 

Thanks! I'm aware, i've used their wifi for work before, and it got the job done, I don't need anything too high quality 😉

Edited August 14, 2023 by bortman23

[Tango99]

19 hours ago, bortman23 said:

 

Thanks! I'm aware, i've used their wifi for work before, and it got the job done, I don't need anything too high quality 😉

Gotcha!