Cell Phone in Mexico

[bookwoman]

Does anyone know if you can use your cell phone in Mexico? Particularly the west coast of Mexico? I have Verizon service and can't find any info on their website. Would like to know if anyone has been able to do this. Thanks

[dixiegirl]

I just got off the Glory Western cruise and our cell phones worked up to Miami then they didn't work anymore. We have Altell.

[stanimal]

It depends on the model telephone that you have, and the provider you have. Not only are there different cell phone standards, but there are different cell phone frequencues that are used in Mexico. Here's an informative article.

 

http://www.thetravelinsider.info/2002/0308.htm

 

Bottom line, go ask your provider.

[NewCruzer1]

If you have a modern GMS model, it'll probably work along the coasts, when you are within reach of a tower. However, rates are an entirely random matter. AT&T Wireless is $1.29 a minute back to the U.S. from Cozumel/Playa del Carmen.

[CruiseFever]

It depends on the model telephone that you have, and the provider you have. Not only are there different cell phone standards, but there are different cell phone frequencues that are used in Mexico. Here's an informative article.

 

http://www.thetravelinsider.info/2002/0308.htm

 

Bottom line, go ask your provider.

 

Great article, thanks for sharing. It seems like recently cell phone usage is something we need to be sure of before each vacation as technology has taken some big leaps recently.

[RWolver672]

Does anyone know if you can use your cell phone in Mexico? I have Verizon service and can't find any info on their website. Would like to know if anyone has been able to do this. Thanks

I tried to use ours in Cozumel and I got a recorded message in Spanish. I have no idea what she said so I gave up. I was told after the cruise that for Verizon, you have to have the International Calling Plan for them to work.

[PlaneJoy]

My provider is Cingular.... I have to call them first to activate the international service (it is otherwise restricted to domestic only). Accoarding to their website, Mexico is .79 per minute.

[LSUtraveler]

My provider is Cingular.... I have to call them first to activate the international service (it is otherwise restricted to domestic only). Accoarding to their website, Mexico is .79 per minute.

PlaneJoy is correct. I am with Cingular also and I called them. Since I don't sail until January I had them activate their international service for January for just that month. I think the per cost was a little higher, somewhere around $1.69 but I'm not sure. Beats $9 dollars and change on the ship.

I can use it when close to each port we stop.

[karfest]

We used my husband's AT&T phone and were also getting the message in Spanish, which we don't speak except for "cervasas"! I got the English-Spanish dictionary out and figured out she was telling us how to dial the country code. After we learned how to dial, we had service in every port in the Mexican Riviera. I think we paid about $1.29/minute.

 

I have a Nextel phone that I didn't bring with- but found out I could use the two-way feature at no charge from any port. I will be bringing that one next time.

[cantwait2cruise]

I called Cingular before for our recent cruise. The rep told me I was a good customer so it sounded as if some sort of "block" had to be lifted before making international calls. She also asked me about my phone and she ended up telling me to go to the Cingular store and get a new SIM card b/c she thought mine might be too old. I did that (it was free). I was able to call fine in Grand Cayman. In Cozumel, I had a full signal, but when I tried to dial out I also got a Mexican operator or got beeps and then it said restricted access. I tried dialing the country code 001 but that did not work. I was very surprised when my dad called me. So I was able to receive calls but could not dial out.

 

What is it that you have to dial to get out of Cozumel??? I think I just dialed the area code and number when calling from Grand Cayman.

[CruisnMom007]

WE HAVE VERIZON AND JUST EXPERIENCED THIS!!!!!!!!!!!! Sailing on the Pride.

 

We have all newer phones....NOT ONE of the the three would work in Mexico!!! Once we got out of the California area....a message in Spanish kept coming on! In PV we had to go buy a phone card and use it at the port terminal. When I got home I called Verizon and they said you have to purchase an EXTRA package to be able to call out of Mexico!! I HAD NO IDEA... When we traveled to Hawaii it worked great....but not in Mexico!!

 

Go to Verizonwireless.com to add services.

 

good luck!

[Chudley]

Thanks to PlaneJoy,LSUTraveler and Cantwait2cruise, I have Cingular, so I will be calling them to activate for Oct. I was thinking I'd be out of touch with my husband, who will be out in the woods for the week and now I know I won't be! :D Thanks, again, Chud

[bookwoman]

Thanks to all of you for the useful information. I will definitely give Verizon a call!

[cruisnmomof2]

I called Cingular about our cruise in November. While on the phone they changed my service so it would work internationally at NO CHARGE!! Cingular also said that the price you pay per minute is your normal roaming charge per your contract. I also asked another rep. at a different time & was told the same thing so I'm hoping I'll only have to pay the $.79 per minute.

[dansize]

Call your provider.

 

In our case we were on the Pride in March and were able to use our AT&T service without any serious problem while in ports. The cost per minute is higher ($1-$2 per minute if I remember correctly) then you pay at home but still well under the shipboard rates. Make sure you get instructions on how to dial internationally from your phone as any calls home require more then the average number of digits.

[imsulin]

CruisinMom007 - that's because Hawaii is a US STATE!. Mexico is a FOREIGN COUNTRY!

[morriscats]

CruisenMom,

 

Geez, AGAIN. Can't win - thanks for the info. We have Verizon and are going to call to see if we can get it for October. Hang in there.

[OSUcruiser]

When we tried to call out we got the same spanish recording. I then went and called from the phone/internet cafe in Cozumel. I told my mom to call me back on my Verizon phone and the call came through fine. SO the one way you can do it is to have the people in the US call you. It was 99 cent a minute for me. Good luck!

[coevan]

You can upgrade to international service for $3.99 for one month, and cancel it when you get home. You must dial 001-area code and #. We just got back from Dominican Republic, perfect signal. My service also worked in Cozumel, St Thomas, Aruba, San Juan(only roaming charges)and any major port in the Caribbean. There can be 2 charges, one through the local gov't and ATT, billed as one. Hope that helped.

[cantwait2cruise]

I tried dialing 001-the area code and number from Cozumel on my Cingular phone and it did not work. If any one figures it out how to dial out please let me know.

[Trlbnd1]

It will very from cell provider your rates and per minute charges. It will range from 3.99-7.00 per month charge to connect internationally with a .50-.99 per minute charge, this with include incoming calls.

 

For the person that was able to get a incoming call you were lucky to get a low connection charges. You could of received a tower ping.

 

It is possible to connect at a casual bill rate but may not show on your bill for 2-3 bill cycles. The best thing for you to do is call your provider and ask for a Mexico Plan before a International Plan. Most providers (ie: Cingular, Sprint PCS, ATT) Have coverage in all 50 states and U.S. territories: US Virgin Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico.

 

You may wonder how I know this: I used to work for a cell phone company.

[CruisnMom007]

IMSULIN: I know that Hawaii is a US STATE and that MEXICO IS A FOREIGN COUNTRY.... I was being sarcastic in a "blonde sense" (yeah I am a blonde!)...geographically Hawaii is further and I was looking at it in that perspective...and when I was in Ensenada, Mexico on one of our cruises..the cell phone worked.

Now, in Canada...another COUNTRY it works. Go figure.

 

I was giving the poster good advice on contacting our mutual cellular carrier, Verizon to add the Int'l service to cover Mexico..as we learned all too late.

You don't have to be rude.

 

THANKS MORRISCATS! :)

By the way....that call from a Mexico payphone to So. California for only 4 minutes was $39.95 !! YIKES

[DiveCruiser]

Unless you own a businees why do you need a cell phone on a cruise? YOUR ON VACATION!!!!!

[morriscats]

Possibly to check on kids and family that were not lucky enough to go. My previous husband died unexpectadly in a car accident and it is frustrating not to be able to get ahold of family members.

[bookwoman]

I would be interested in knowing how to dial out from Mexico as well. Anyone done that? Verizon has a plan that is $1.49 per minute and all you have to do is let them know to turn that feature on for your phone. Guess I should have asked how to dial?