Cell phone usage?

[kceasnick]

What experiences do some of you have with regard to cell phone usage while on a cruise? We are essentially first time cruisers, and will be going to the Western Caribbean in a couple of months. Do cell phones work on the ship? What about in port cities?

[steve20832]

What experiences do some of you have with regard to cell phone usage while on a cruise? We are essentially first time cruisers, and will be going to the Western Caribbean in a couple of months. Do cell phones work on the ship? What about in port cities?

 

Check with your cell phone carrier. Most have the ships and fees on their websites. I know Verizon works on most RCCL ships but the service costs $3/per minute while at sea. I believe the price is around the same for all carriers.

The free weekend and night airtime does not apply while on the ship. Some people learn this the hard way when the bill shows up.

[KristyM79]

My phone did not work while at sea, but when I was in Mexico, I could receive calls. Beware of international rates!!

[Cheerysmom]

I will be cruising in 11 days and have changed my Verizon service to include the Ship's tower. You have to do this in advance and then once on board you need to do the 228 send, *2 thing for it to recongnize the roaming service. The rep at Verizon told me that this would also work while on land at each port and would be cheaper. As long as I dialed 228 to allow my phone to find the roaming service.

I know it is expensive, but with an 86 year old, frail mother at home they need to be able to reach me.

 

Happy sailing!

[Shanafan]

If you have an iPhone make sure you put it in airplane mode or your email will continue to download and you will have one big surprise of a bill when you get home!

 

Our AT&T phones work without additional fees in San Juan and St Thomas.

[financialgrl]

I am going on my first cruise this summer also. I also have Verizon and went to the website to the international costs. They have a pull down tab to check the charges for different countries once you step off the ship. If you absolutely have to call while on a cruise (to check on kids, etc), it appears much cheaper if you can wait and get off the ship at port to make your call.

 

For example, I am going to Bermuda. The cost goes down to like $1.29 per minute if you step off the ship to make your call. Still not cheap but less than half what will be charged while on ship.

[skisteamboat]

Test messages are a lot cheaper (at least on my company, Cincinnati Bell) and also, if you can wait until you are in port, you can save a lot.

 

Cheers

[pjinaz]

Last time I used a cell phone on Royal Carribean was a little over a year ago. I have verizon and at that time I knew Verizon would not work on the ship, I have heard that now you can get them to work, but don't know particulars. I do know that it is very hard to get a straight answer out of the cell phone customer service people sometimes. I borrowed a AT&T phone from a friend and it worked on the ship, no problem. The ships have their own towers so if your phone works with the technology they have, you have just as good as or better than at home. I know that they used to turn their towers off in port, so then you would have to roam internationally. Using the phone on the ship was also nice because it was like dialing from inside the US, ie, no foreign long distance codes to dial. It wasn't cheap, I think $3 or $4 a minute back then, but it was crucial to use the phone on a sea day.

 

Good luck!

[sdmike]

I had ATT/Cingular service on a western caribbean trip last year and only once...in Cozumel...did I get any kind of signal.

[derrick22]

We did the Western Caribbean in April and had no problem with using our Verizon phones. We made sure to call ahead of time and added international calling, no charge to do it, to our phones.

 

Denise

[MrsPete]

As we were leaving Port Canaveral, we made two calls -- I'd guess they were 10-20 minutes total in length. We were still in sight of land, but we were definately "out to sea" when we made the calls. I was worried about how much they'd cost, but when the bill came, they only added $10 and some change to the bottom line.

 

By the way, we have Cingular.

[Gracie115]

Well hope it all works for you but please be kind to your fellow passengers. On my last cruise in early December our "neighbors" would spend their "cell" time on their balcony talking loudly and annoying people on both sides(I'm not talking about a few minutes here, it was much much longer than that)...if you must use one do it inside please....many of us have no desire to even hear a phone ring while on a cruise let alone use one of the darn things....

[rccl9876]

I use cingular and got signal in St. Thomas but not at sea.

[hermang]

On our Med cruise this summer we were amazed as to how easy the EU passengers were able to use their phones anywhere on the cruise.

Since GSM is pretty much universal over there ( Only T-Mobile and AT&T are currently offering it here) - A few months later on a flight back from Savannah we sort of found out how they did it.

 

Mobal GSM World Phone Service is one alternative.

 

The company sells one of two bare bones "world phones" - one for $49 good in about 120 countries and the other for $99 good in about 170 countries.

 

I purchased the $99 phone and subsequently an unlocked Blackberry on e-bay along wih a second SIM card from Mobal.

 

The deal is YOU ONLY PAY FOR MINUTES USED - NO CONTRACT - and with rates running from $1.95/min to $4.95 ( some very weird places) I think in the long run it is going to be very cost effective.

 

Furthermore - you get a UK phone number so you can give this number to friends and family to reach you in an emergency. I have asked a number of folks about the service and everyone seems very positive,

 

Checkout the website

 

 

http://www.mobalrental.com/gsm/handsets.asp?source=1001XXXXNDROWRED

 

International travel is becoming more common, and the need for and convenience of an international cell phone is increasingly essential.

 

 

 

If you occasionally travel internationally, the Mobal GSM World Phone Service is an interesting alternative to the Hop global roaming service discussed in part three.

 

The cost of getting a Mobal phone is lower, and because you have no annual line rental costs, the ongoing cost of keeping the phone is obviously unbeatable.

 

But if you're making lots of calls with the phone, the per minute charges can quickly add up. Choose this product if you don't plan to use your phone a great deal; but consider Hop or some of the other solutions offered in the decision matrix if you plan to be a heavier phone user.

 

 

What You Get

 

The Mobal phone service gives you an international SIM that works in over 140 different countries in the world, complete with an (optional) phone to use with the SIM.

 

If you don't already have a suitable international GSM phone, you can also choose a phone at very discounted prices, ranging from an entry level dual band phone (900/1800 MHz - doesn't work in the US) for only $49, to fully featured tri-band phones costing $99 and up.

 

See our discussion on which GSM bands you need to help you choose the best phone.

 

The phone comes complete with a multi-voltage charger for the different voltages and frequencies around the world.

 

Mobal's SIM is from one of the major wireless network operators in the UK, but has special features that you wouldn't find if buying direct from any of the UK wireless services.

 

Because the SIM is issued by a UK phone company, it has a British phone number associated with it. No matter where you are in the world, people will always get through to your phone by calling the UK number assigned to the SIM.

 

Using with other phones

 

You can also buy the SIM card by itself and use it with any GSM phone that you might already have. The SIM card - without a phone - costs only $19 - less than what a hotel would charge you for even a very brief international call from the phone in your hotel room.

 

If you choose to buy the SIM alone, be sure to remember that the GSM phone you use must not only have compatible frequency bands but also must be unlocked. If you're not certain if the phone is unlocked or not, it will quickly tell you this when you put the Mobal SIM into it.

 

We tested Mobal's SIM with a range of different Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and Siemens phones, and it worked perfectly in all of them.

 

Buying the SIM by itself is a good strategy if you already have a high end phone that you'd rather use. But for the minimal $30 extra cost to get a nice dual band phone that can be kept as a spare, this might also be something to consider.

 

Update : We can provide you with a Mobal SIM ourselves (costing a mere $2.50 each plus $2.50 shipping) and also have a limited range of easy to remember phone numbers for sale.

 

Using Mobal

 

Using the Mobal service is very simple. You put the SIM into the phone, turn it on, then start making calls and receiving calls.

 

It works just like any other cell phone you've ever used. There is nothing special you need to know or do.

 

Even though you are calling through an international network, calls go through quickly, both from your phone and to your phone, and voice quality is clear and the same as for local cell phone calls.

 

Strangely, however, I was unable to call to my Mobal UK number using my prepaid calling card service, even though it allows me to contact other phone numbers in the UK. Calling the number just caused a nasty tone to appear in my ear.

 

SMS and Voicemail

 

SMS - Short message service - is something that almost everyone uses abundantly overseas, but which has yet to become very popular in the US.

 

The SMS service works very easily with the Mobal service. The SIM automatically configures your phone to send and receive SMS messages, so no additional configuration is required.

 

SMS messages cost 80¢ each to send. Incoming messages are free to receive.

 

Voicemail can be a great convenience, particularly if you switch your phone off while sleeping at night, but have people calling you at horrible hours due to misunderstanding the time zone changes.

 

Voicemail is an expensive service with Mobal, however. When a call gets switched to voicemail, you'll pay a double cost - first of all, the cost of having an incoming call routed to your phone, and then secondly, the cost of having the call then routed from your phone to the UK, where the voicemail service is based.

 

To retrieve your voicemail messages, you pay the cost of a call from where you are located to the UK. So, in total, you're paying three times the cost per minute to get a voicemail message that you would with a normal call.

 

Fortunately, in view of the cost of incoming voicemail messages, the voicemail service is turned off by default.

 

Using the voicemail service is slightly complex. You have to program a special number into your phone to call.

 

When someone leaves you a message, the system sends you an SMS message to tell you. The message suggests you simply dial 901 to retrieve the message. This suggestion is, alas, wrong, and doesn't work! Instead, you must call the special number.

 

Mobal do helpfully point out that it might be a good idea to switch voicemail off when you're not traveling, so as to avoid any inadvertent or accidental costs.

 

Costs

 

Perhaps the most distinctive thing about the Mobal product is that there is no monthly/annual line fee for having a phone number. Mobal say that they reserve the right to suspend your service if you haven't used it for eighteen months, but they'll switch it back on again for free if you ask them to. It is probably a good idea to remember to make a call to or from your number once every year or two just to make sure it is still active, but other than that, you have no ongoing costs at all.

 

This is a uniquely good deal, and compares with potentially $50 or more a year to keep other products active.

 

But offsetting the no line fee are high per minute phone call costs, with one exception.

 

The one exception - if you're in the UK, all incoming calls to your phone are free. But elsewhere in the world, you'll typically be paying $1.25 - $1.95 per minute for incoming calls.

 

Outgoing calls to numbers within the country you're in are generally about the same as the cost for incoming calls (ie $1.25 - $1.95 a minute), although in many cases, it is strangely less expensive to place a call to someone than to receive a call.

 

International calls to places outside the country you're visiting are of course more expensive, with rates to call the US or UK ranging from a low of $1.50 a minute up to a high of $8.95/minute, depending on where you're currently located.

 

Calling to other countries is more expensive again, with rates ranging from $2.95 all the way up to a breathtaking $11.95 (to Serbia & Montenegro - you probably won't need to call there too often).

 

We've prepared a table comparing international cell phone calling costs that gives you a quick summary of the respective costs of competing services.

 

Phone calls are charged in whole minute increments - this tends to make your calls more expensive than if they were charged in shorter, single second or 6 second (1/10th minute) increments. For example, a 4 minute 1 second call would be charged for 5 minutes with Mobal, whereas Hop, which charges by the second, would charge for only the exact time used.

 

One positive thing is that no taxes are added to Mobal's rates.

 

Cost Considerations

 

Yes, Mobal costs are higher than buying local prepaid SIMs for each country you visit. But this alternative is not convenient for everyone, and also pre-supposes you already own a GSM international phone to use with the prepaid SIMs.

 

The Mobal costs are generally the same or lower than those charged by companies that rent you a phone and SIM, and are also generally the same or lower than those charged by US phone services.

 

Hop rates are much lower than Mobal's rates, but the cost of equipping yourself with a Hop number are greater to start with - a Hop SIM costs $99, including $15 worth of airtime.

 

If your phone usage is likely to be less than two hours or so of talk time while traveling, the Mobal product might be the better choice for you. But if you expect heavy usage or regular travels out of the US, then the Hop product's lower costs per call start to overtake the Mobal product's lower cost to start up.

 

Paying for Service

 

One of the very nice features of Mobal is that you do not need to prepay for service. Instead, you simply register a credit card with Mobal, and they bill it as and when you make calls, with invoices being billed every two weeks.

 

They also send you an itemized invoice so you can see how you're spending your money.

 

Due to the billing to your credit card, you never need to worry about running out of airtime, or the hassle factor of needing to recharge the balance on your SIM card if using any type of pre-paid SIM service.

 

Summary

 

The Mobal SIM and phone costs very little up front and is easy to use. It can be purchased direct from their website.

 

We can provide you with a Mobal SIM ourselves ($2.50 each plus $2.50 shipping) and also have a limited range of easy to remember numbers available for sale.

 

For people who don't anticipate a high volume of phone usage during their international travels, this is the best way to get hassle-free phone service

[songster2]

In June when we were along the west coast of Norway, my son called home and there was no extra charge. I called home from San Juan, St Thomas and Grand Cayman a year ago, and there was no extra charge. I have Sprint, with roaming included in my plan.

 

We think that we were within range of an oil rig at sea close to Norway, and their phone service has a much greater range for service than on land. The bill noted that it was Sprint service. I was expecting a good sized bill but was pleasantly surprised. :D

[Mac777daddy]

If you have an iPhone make sure you put it in airplane mode or your email will continue to download and you will have one big surprise of a bill when you get home!

 

Our AT&T phones work without additional fees in San Juan and St Thomas.

 

AT&T works in San Juan and St Thomas at no extra cost to me??

[skisteamboat]

AT&T works in San Juan and St Thomas at no extra cost to me??

 

Last time I was there (a few years ago), even though it showed ATT and was in the US, I was charged international rates. Things may have changed but you can check at their web site I assume.

 

Cheers

[Mac777daddy]

Is there a way a loved one can contact me while on the cruise just in case I have an emergency back home? What are the ways someone can contact me (cheapest way)? Thanks

[ehfl]

My Sprint phone worked just fine for placing and receiving calls. Internet on the phone did not work.

 

When I got to a new port, a text message would usually come in from the local phone company, explaining the cost of calls (usually about $2/minute) and how to dial (be sure to include the country code (1 for US). I think calls on the ship are about $3/minute.

[Gonzo70]

As we were leaving Port Canaveral, we made two calls -- I'd guess they were 10-20 minutes total in length. We were still in sight of land, but we were definately "out to sea" when we made the calls. I was worried about how much they'd cost, but when the bill came, they only added $10 and some change to the bottom line.

 

The ship is not permitted to turn on their own cell tower until the ship is a certain distance from land as they are not authorized as a land based carrier. Even though you were sailing you likely were picking up a land based cell tower rather than the ship's tower; otherwise your bill would have likely been much heftier.

[sixbirches]

What experiences do some of you have with regard to cell phone usage while on a cruise? We are essentially first time cruisers, and will be going to the Western Caribbean in a couple of months. Do cell phones work on the ship? What about in port cities?

 

We did the 12 night cruise on the Explorer and I found the least expensive way to stay in touch with our kids was to use text messages. They also go through when you don't really get a good signal for a voice call. And .... I know I always get a much quicker response from my kids when I text than when I call them !

[TahoeBob]

My phone did not work while at sea, but when I was in Mexico, I could receive calls. Beware of international rates!!

 

Thats funny because my cell phone did not work in Mexico or on the ship. One thing I found out is my phone works better when I turn it on, it was off the whole cruise!

[skisteamboat]

Is there a way a loved one can contact me while on the cruise just in case I have an emergency back home? What are the ways someone can contact me (cheapest way)? Thanks

 

There is an 800 RCCL number they can call listed in your cruise documents that will get them to you on the ship. It may also be listed on the web site.

 

Cheers

[imsulin]

I've had Cingular/ATT for several years, and - to my knowledge, they're the only company that covers calls from U.S. "territories" like Puerto Rico (San Juan), and the USVI (St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix) with no extra fees. That's the main reason I signed up with them.

 

BTW..that 800 number costs about $12.50 a minute...or higher...for a shore-to-ship connection, and they can only ring your cabin. If you're not in it, you'll be charged anyway, just for receiving a call.

[3seass]

We are cruising on ROS on the 13th. We have verizon I called them and they said that our phones will work anywhere, any port even at sea but the cost to roam is 2.49 a minute and she said text messages do not work on that ship. I would suggest calling your own carrier and asking them. She wanted to know cruise line and ship before she gave me info. It will be nice to have just in case one of the 7 kids at home needs us but I don't plan to use it and we told the kids no calls to us to say someone wont let them use the computer LOL. I plan to e-mail every couple of days and I know I have ship phone cell for an emrgancy.

Hope that helps..