A Few Questions for upcoming Canadian Cruise

[BarnCat1]

Will we need any type on International Phone Plan (iPhone) for our upcoming Canadian cruise?  We only need to message and maybe do a quick check of email.  No social media, streaming, very little internet, etc. We know about the Wi-Fi and airplane mode for messaging on the ship.  We have FAS, so we have the free 150 minutes. What will we need once on land?

 

We have one Specialty dining with our FAS, but right now they are offering 2 more Specialty dining nights for a discount.  This is a 7-night cruise on the Jade.  Is it worth it for another $170.00 when there are so many dining options on the ship that are already included in our cruise fare? 

How is the food on the Jade?  This is a pretty port intensive itinerary as well. 

 

We are disembarking in Boston.  How long should we expect it to take to clear customs there?  

[hallux]

20 minutes ago, BarnCat1 said:

Will we need any type on International Phone Plan (iPhone) for our upcoming Canadian cruise?

 

20 minutes ago, BarnCat1 said:

What will we need once on land?

Not knowing anything about what carrier or plan you have I think everyone here would be wise to just suggest you check with your carrier as we simply don't know what your plan allows for this.

[BarnCat1]

21 minutes ago, hallux said:

 

Not knowing anything about what carrier or plan you have I think everyone here would be wise to just suggest you check with your carrier as we simply don't know what your plan allows for this.

 

Unlimited talk and text but no international plan with AT&T

[hallux]

I still say it's best to just contact AT&T to find out exactly what your plan includes.

[UKstages]

many domestic USA plans include canada and mexico at no charge, but check your plan's benefits with AT&T:

 

https://www.att.com/international/canada-roaming/

 

Edited March 12 by UKstages

[The Traveling Man]

3 hours ago, BarnCat1 said:

Will we need any type on International Phone Plan (iPhone) for our upcoming Canadian cruise?  We only need to message and maybe do a quick check of email.  No social media, streaming, very little internet, etc. We know about the Wi-Fi and airplane mode for messaging on the ship.  We have FAS, so we have the free 150 minutes. What will we need once on land?

 

We have one Specialty dining with our FAS, but right now they are offering 2 more Specialty dining nights for a discount.  This is a 7-night cruise on the Jade.  Is it worth it for another $170.00 when there are so many dining options on the ship that are already included in our cruise fare? 

How is the food on the Jade?  This is a pretty port intensive itinerary as well. 

 

We are disembarking in Boston.  How long should we expect it to take to clear customs there?  

What is your sailing date?  I also will be sailing on the Jade this Autumn, so we may be on the same cruise.

[The Traveling Man]

3 hours ago, BarnCat1 said:

We are disembarking in Boston.  How long should we expect it to take to clear customs there?  

Since this is a round trip cruise, both departing from and returning to Boston, every American citizen should be able to pass through customs with little or no delay.

[BirdTravels]

3 hours ago, BarnCat1 said:

 

Unlimited talk and text but no international plan with AT&T

You need to contact AT&T to see what your plan includes. Most AT&T plans include free Canada. If so, you need to be very, very very careful to turn your phone on when in Canada, and turn it off once the ships leave port (else rack up $100's of dollars in charges). 

[BarnCat1]

10 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

What is your sailing date?  I also will be sailing on the Jade this Autumn, so we may be on the same cruise.

  Sept 12th from Boston. 

[UKstages]

9 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

If so, you need to be very, very very careful to turn your phone on when in Canada, and turn it off once the ships leave port (else rack up $100's of dollars in charges). 

 

maybe.

 

but probably not.

 

frankly, it doesn't really work that way anymore. that's your daddy's roaming plan.

 

i mean, sure, it's a good idea. you don't want any unexpected charges. by all means, get in the habit of putting your phone on airplane mode (which i assume is what you meant to say, rather than turning it "off") when you leave a port.

 

in fact, recently i was pulling into saint maarten, or so i thought. i saw land. we were, in fact, sailing by anguilla, which is just next door. sure enough, when i got my bill...  there was a $10 a day international day pass charge for anguilla, but no charge for saint maarten, so the cell providers seem to be aware of this possibility. verizon only charged me for one country that day, even though i accidentally activated in two. they seem to have some fail safe mechanisms built into the system. (the way their plan is written the charge is indeed supposed to be per day per country.) they might have a minimum usage requirement... if you don't text, use data or make or receive a phone call in the few seconds you're connected, there may be no charge.

 

similarly, the way they do "roaming at sea" plans now, what verizon calls a "cruise daily pass," for which they charge $30 a day, is that they require you to opt in. you can opt in before the cruise by texting a certain number. or if you connect while on the cruise (accidentally or otherwise), verizon will text you and you must respond affirmatively by texting back in order to activate your roaming cruise pass.

 

i know because this recently happened to me!

 

i can't speak for AT&T, but i would hope they operate their plans in a similar manner. so, the days of accidentally racking up hundreds of dollars in charges would seem to be a thing of the past.

 

also, the ship turns off its cellular network once its within 12 nautical miles of its destination. so, there is a buffer during which you can remember to put your phone on airplane mode. this also means that you may be able to pick up regular cellular service for a decent amount of time while headed in and out of port. i usually have cell service out of manhattan for a good 30 or 40 minutes or so.

 

bottom line... you can connect to the "cellular at sea" network without authorizing the service and incur no charges.

[The Traveling Man]

3 hours ago, BarnCat1 said:

  Sept 12th from Boston. 

We will be getting on board as you are leaving.  Perhaps we'll pass each other in the terminal like ships in the night.

[Rick&Jeannie]

We have the AT&T International Day Pass.  At $10/day it gives you unlimited voice and data in just about any country outside the US.  The nice thing about this is I just leave it activated all the time.  It does not "kick in" unless you are actually outside the US...so I do not have to remember to turn it on/off.  If you choose not to do any phone activity in a given port, just leave your phone in airplane mode and AT&T will be none the wiser...and will not charge that days' $10.  It's the best plan for *us*.  YMMV

[BarnCat1]

16 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

We have the AT&T International Day Pass.  At $10/day it gives you unlimited voice and data in just about any country outside the US.  The nice thing about this is I just leave it activated all the time.  It does not "kick in" unless you are actually outside the US...so I do not have to remember to turn it on/off.  If you choose not to do any phone activity in a given port, just leave your phone in airplane mode and AT&T will be none the wiser...and will not charge that days' $10.  It's the best plan for *us*.  YMMV

Is this per phone or for all phones on the plan? 

 

[Rick&Jeannie]

3 hours ago, BarnCat1 said:

Is this per phone or for all phones on the plan? 

 

Per phone

[Turtles06]

7 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

We have the AT&T International Day Pass.  At $10/day it gives you unlimited voice and data in just about any country outside the US. 

Unless something has changed recently, what it gives you is your domestic plan internationally. So if your domestic planning plan is unlimited voice and data, that is what you will get in most countries outside the U.S.  And the $10/day is limited to a $100 charge per billing cycle, which works especially well if you are going to be traveling for more than ten days. 

[slidemaster5]

I used the AT&T international plan in Canada last fall and it worked exactly as described by Rick&Jeannie and Turtles06.

[Rick&Jeannie]

It's a great fit for us...we've used it for several years now.  Obviously, if your not on AT&T then it is of no help to you, but your carrier very likely has a similar plan.  A little detective work is in order here.

[olemissreb]

On 3/11/2024 at 9:46 PM, BirdTravels said:

. Most AT&T plans include free Canada. 

I don't believe this is true at all with AT&T. In looking at theit website it appears that Canada is not on any plan...at least not back in 2019. I know I had to add the Intetnational Day Pass at $10/day (which is still pretty cheap) in order to be able to access my Google Maps so I could get directions in Halifax. 

[hallux]

5 minutes ago, olemissreb said:

I don't believe this is true at all with AT&T. In looking at theit website it appears that Canada is not on any plan...at least not back in 2019. I know I had to add the Intetnational Day Pass at $10/day (which is still pretty cheap) in order to be able to access my Google Maps so I could get directions in Halifax. 

This is why I suggested way back in my first reply that the OP should consult the carrier related to their plan...

[BirdTravels]

On 3/12/2024 at 7:31 PM, Rick&Jeannie said:

We have the AT&T International Day Pass.  At $10/day it gives you unlimited voice and data in just about any country outside the US.  The nice thing about this is I just leave it activated all the time.  It does not "kick in" unless you are actually outside the US...so I do not have to remember to turn it on/off.  If you choose not to do any phone activity in a given port, just leave your phone in airplane mode and AT&T will be none the wiser...and will not charge that days' $10.  It's the best plan for *us*.  YMMV

No. If you roam onto the ship’s tower, you will not be covered by your international day pass and you will be paying hundreds of dollars if you have any data usage (e.g., email checking, text messages, and phone calls). 

[zqvol]

2 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

No. If you roam onto the ship’s tower, you will not be covered by your international day pass and you will be paying hundreds of dollars if you have any data usage (e.g., email checking, text messages, and phone calls). 

What does this have to do with the post you quoted. Ridiculous response

[Wayward Son]

6 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

and you will be paying hundreds of dollars if you have any data usage

 

Ok. I'm starting to get the bird thing now.

 

[BirdTravels]

5 minutes ago, zqvol said:

What does this have to do with the post you quoted. Ridiculous response

The post said don’t worry about turning off roaming. Yes????? If you do that, you WILL roam on the cellular at seas tower. Yes????  And cellular at sea is NOT covered by the international day pass. Yes??? And you pay international rates from your mobile carrier. Yes???

Edited March 16 by BirdTravels

[zqvol]

42 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

The post said don’t worry about turning off roaming. Yes????? If you do that, you WILL roam on the cellular at seas tower. Yes????  And cellular at sea is NOT covered by the international day pass. Yes??? And you pay international rates from your mobile carrier. Yes???

It clearly said put the phone in airplane mode on the ship. 

[Wayward Son]

I think the bird is living a decade or two in the past (see luggage tag). My carrier won't allow me to connect at sea without approval. "Roaming" isn't a thing anymore.

 

 

Edited March 16 by Wayward Son