cell phones

[pecker]

does anyone know the "per minute" rates

[steve1era]

Depends on your carrier. Cingular shipboard is $2.49. It varies in other ports from nothing in American ports such as Puerto Rico and St. Thomas to $.59 in Mexico and higher amounts throughout the Caribbean.

It is cheaper to use text messaging than actual cell phone calling.

 

Call your provider (or check their website) for details and to see if you will have any access at all.

[mjtx]

We stopped by our neighborhood Cingular store to add International rates to our phone for our cruise. The rates in Mexico are much lower than on the ship, but the consultant who helped us told us that if we are in Mexico off of the ship, but real close to the ship that we could be charged the ship's rate ($2.69) instead of the Mexico rate (59 cents) so that we should wait to turn on our phone until we are away from the ship. Otherwise, our phone could still hook up to the ship's cell service instead of the local Mexico cell service.

[garycarla]

To the first poster - please be a bit more specific. Carrier, where, etc.

 

To the previous poster regarding ships tower- your phone should show the carrier so you will know if you are getting hit the $2.49 or a "local" roaming rate. You are right in that you could possibly pick up the ships tower, though it is supposed to be turned off in port. To be safe, check your phone to see who the carrier is.

 

We used the "something at sea' service with our Cingular phone while in the Med and crossing the Atlantic. It works all too good. $$$

[mkk]

We are on the Jewel on Sunday..DH just called Cingular today (our carrier and the one used by NCL)..he was told that if..when you turn on your phone ..if the screen says 'Cingular At Sea'..you will be charged the roaming even when in port...if it just says 'Cingular' you are in a local land based tower...

[cassie225]

What about verizon. I just planned on leaving my cell phone at home. We will be on the Sun in December

[bakechef]

What about verizon. I just planned on leaving my cell phone at home. We will be on the Sun in December

 

I don't believe that they have yet entered into a roaming agreement with cellular at sea, so they don't yet work at sea, even though the ships are capable of handling cdma. If you have international roaming set up on your phone, you can use it in some foreign ports, with varying rates.

 

MAC

[GROOVERS]

Believe me, it's a ripoff anyway you do it...:mad: Leave the stupid cell phone at home. Cruises are way too much fun to be bothered, or should I say "tethered", by a phone!:D

[bakechef]

Believe me, it's a ripoff anyway you do it...:mad: Leave the stupid cell phone at home. Cruises are way too much fun to be bothered, or should I say "tethered", by a phone!:D

 

Mine will be off! Makes me wonder how anyone took a cruise before they could have constant contact with home, "I have to have it in case of emergency"! I guess there were not as many emergencies before:rolleyes:. And cell phone companies know this and it is another way to nickel and dime their customers.

 

MAC

[CrAzEEcRuIsEnShAnNoN]

Does anyone know about Alltel? I'd like to use my cell phone at sea instead of calling from the room. Sounds much cheaper.

[swoosh2005]

I love not having the phone for 10 days-it was so funny to see everyone on their cells when we hit Puerto Rico last cruise-

if you MUST have the phone have you considered a sat phone rental-just google it-not too bad on the $$

[Cruisetini]

I am on Sprint and pay a flat fee for unlimited everything - I was shocked after returning when my next bill came. We were married on the ship and called family and some friends while still in port in CA. The phone did not say roaming but we found out that the fee while "on" any cruise ship is the roaming cruise ship rates no matter what program you have - I think it was around $3.00 a minute. I agree with others.....leave the phone off and enjoy your holiday!

[jingle5616]

For whatever reason, my tracfone was only charged the regular rate for my recent cruise on the Dream in October. Tracfone is a prepaid phone and I was only deducted for the minutes used. I've been waiting for the units to suddenly fall off the phone, but so far so good.

[Retired not Expired]

My daughter, SIL, and two Grandsons, 16 and 17, went on the Star to Alaska in August. All use Cingular. The 16 year old met a girl on ship and was happy. The 17 year old missed a girl back home. His Cingular bill was over $900.

[clerky96]

I guess I'm not allowed to ask a specific poster about something they posted. I asked jingle5616 a question about the tracfone and the post disappeared. :o Hope I can ask it here. jingle5616, did you use your tracfone while onboard, or did it only work in the ports? We will be on the Sun in Feb. I have an 87 year old mother, and although her health is good, she is 87. We also have a 3 year old granddaughter who has seizures, so I need to be able to be reached. We used the tracfone in Alaska and it worked in every port without incurring any extra minute usage. Thanks.

[garycarla]

For whatever reason, my tracfone was only charged the regular rate for my recent cruise on the Dream in October. Tracfone is a prepaid phone and I was only deducted for the minutes used. I've been waiting for the units to suddenly fall off the phone, but so far so good.

 

Me thinks there is a billing problem with the Tracfone and would suggest folks buy one for their next cruise if you want to make a few calls. Eventually they will figure this out and turn it off, somehow.

 

As to Sprint and the charges... I did not think it even worked on the ship at all. Surprised to see someone got a large bill.

[Surfgirl]

Please tell me that the cell phones are only allowed to be used in your cabin. Please, please, please! I do not want to see people walking around the ship with those blasted things in their ears. I hate cell phones. They are rude, rude, rude.

[clerky96]

I think that on the ships that have service, they have blocked off certain areas of the ship so there is "no service" (dining rooms, theaters, etc). However most places on the ship have service. At the cost for service, I can't imagine anyone just walking around chatting on their phone like they do elsewhere. If people would just put them on vibrate and go somewhere discreet to talk, it would be fine. However, there are people who think it makes them look important to walk around with that cell phone stuck to their ear! That said, some people (me:D ) feel like they have to have it with them for emergencies. Sorry!:(

[roddee]

I definitely will not be showing this thread to my husband. We go on cruises to get my "workaholic" away from anything to do with work. In Jan we are going to S. America. I am just hoping it is far enough away that he won't even think of using that phone!!

[theonlyjoie]

I have used my TracFone in Alaska, Hawai'i, and the Caribbean (USA ports) with no roaming charges. Have NOT used it at sea.

 

FYI: What may be perceived as cellphones being used onboard ship at sea (and other times, too) may not be really "cellphones." Some guests (penthouse category and above) get wireless phones for their personal shipboard use so they can call their butler and concierge (to make dinner reservations, order room service, etc.), and also other guests. (There is no charge for this service, BTW. Since we pay $omewhat extra for the penthouses, etc., anyway.........) The crew and staff of the ship carry around the same type of wireless phones.

 

Use of any type of cell or wireless phone ANYWHERE on the ship is not prohibited. But, of course, you are requested to be polite about it, especially in public areas such as the theatre, dining rooms, etc. And, OF COURSE, you are going to find a percentage of passengers that are just as rude about using their phones on the ship as they would be in their everyday lives. Pathetic, eh?

 

That being said, ENJOY YOUR CRUISE! I know you will!:D

[jingle5616]

I guess I'm not allowed to ask a specific poster about something they posted. I asked jingle5616 a question about the tracfone and the post disappeared. :o Hope I can ask it here. jingle5616, did you use your tracfone while onboard, or did it only work in the ports? We will be on the Sun in Feb. I have an 87 year old mother, and although her health is good, she is 87. We also have a 3 year old granddaughter who has seizures, so I need to be able to be reached. We used the tracfone in Alaska and it worked in every port without incurring any extra minute usage. Thanks.

 

Clerky96, I used the phone while in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico working out a real estate deal. I also used it while on the ship in port in Cozumel. It didn't work off the ship, so it must have been using the ships cell tower. Why it worked I don't know. Just thought I'd pass it on.;)