Cell phone communication cost at sea?

[vizzle]

Anyone know the cost of the on board cell service? All the carnival.com site says it that it is capable. No word on cost per minute? Should I assume its the same as it would be to use their phone?

[LornaT]

I have a Verizon Nationwide Plan and when I used my cellphone while at sea I was charged a "roaming fee" by Verizon only at $2.95 per minute. Carnival didn't charge anything.

 

Check with your provider to see what your roaming fee would be.

[vizzle]

Haha! !! Good idea! I should have thought about that! My brain is sapped from all the packing!

[s & h]

I use ATT. Checked their usage areas. They say all cc ships have signal and that the current rate for roaming is 2.75 - 3.00 for all carriers. No charge from carnival. Different ports vary on signal and cost.

[vizzle]

I use ATT. Checked their usage areas. They say all cc ships have signal and that the current rate for roaming is 2.75 - 3.00 for all carriers. No charge from carnival. Different ports vary on signal and cost.

Very good to know, That is who I have too.

[LSM1018]

I would like to add that the charges start racking up the minute you press the send button. Our daughter called her boyfriend numerous times when he didn't answer. When we got our next bill, her charges were $350. For another $50, we could have just taken him with us. Be careful! ;)

[GinnyJ]

For another $50, we could have just taken him with us. Be careful! ;)

LSM1018,

 

Now that really made me laugh! I have teenagers(22,18,15,13) and this sounds just like our family. In fact, on our last cruise, Steve and I brought 'the friends'. Yup! ...the two of us, four kids and three friends.

[tamirpr]

I have Verizon and just called and had the international roaming added to the phone for no extra charge. On the ship it's 2.49 p/m on ship and 1.99 in the ports of St. Thomas and St. Maarten.

[CT Cruiser10]

San Juan was in my extended network (Verizon). I believe that the ship owns the tower on board, so they control the charges. You can call your carrier and find out about each destination on your itinerary.

 

 

cell phones have different cost structures that long distance calls from a land line. You are paying to use service, which begins as soon as you hit send. Whether or not somebody picks up, you still used the service.

[BND]

I have Verizon and just called and had the international roaming added to the phone for no extra charge. On the ship it's 2.49 p/m on ship and 1.99 in the ports of St. Thomas and St. Maarten.

 

St. Thomas is a US territory so international roaming doesn't apply. When we were there our cell minutes applied and it didn't cost us $1.99/minute and I made a couple of calls. If I remember, it didn't cost us extra at all there. We also have Verizon.

[PelicanBill]

For Verizon, St. Thomas is definitely NOT included in your plan, it has a per minute charge. I looked it up at the web site and $1.99 is correct.

Very pricey!

 

Puerto Rico is included in the typical Verizon plan. Like noted, you should call your customer service to make sure your phone will work, and what the rates are at sea and at your ports.

 

Here is the Verizon page on international roaming and cruise ships:

 

http://b2b.vzw.com/international/Roaming/rates_coverage.html

 

Be aware that Verizon is a CDMA system while most of the rest of the world has gone to GSM. There are ports where there is no CDMA coverage.

[murphy4]

I have heard that texting is at no charge from a cruise ship? Is this correct?

[candigirl41]

I used ATT when in cabo and mazatlan. Was told the charge in port would be $1.00. Never showed up on my bill.

 

Candi

[happy cruzin]

I have heard that texting is at no charge from a cruise ship? Is this correct?

 

Not in our experience. Using the tower on the ship (while out at sea) we were charged .25 per text - we have AT&T.

In ports depended on where you were - some were at no charge.

[BND]

For Verizon, St. Thomas is definitely NOT included in your plan, it has a per minute charge. I looked it up at the web site and $1.99 is correct.

Very pricey!

 

Puerto Rico is included in the typical Verizon plan. Like noted, you should call your customer service to make sure your phone will work, and what the rates are at sea and at your ports.

 

Here is the Verizon page on international roaming and cruise ships:

 

http://b2b.vzw.com/international/Roaming/rates_coverage.html

 

Be aware that Verizon is a CDMA system while most of the rest of the world has gone to GSM. There are ports where there is no CDMA coverage.

 

Well, then Verizon must not have realized we were in St. Thomas. I made several calls from there and we never added international roaming. We had a good signal the entire time we were there.

[mommyto2girls]

Having been through this many times...(on Caribbean cruises ) I have Cingular/ATT. If you take the ATT World traveler package before you cruise the rates are discounted. On board you will be charges $2.49 a minute for incoming and outgoing calls. If you leave your phone on and someone calls and leaves a voicemail...no you do not have to answer it ..they will charge you $2.49 a minute. Text messaging is $.50. Us territories are always part of your home package. San Juan, St Thomas, etc. no roaming charge. You must have the International Roaming or ATT World Traveler (if you use Cingular/att) or you wll not get the discount. You can put it on and cancel after your billing cycle ends when you get back. I believe it is $5.99. Just remember if the phone is on whether you answer it or not you will be charged. Hope this helps.

[CT Cruiser10]

Well, then Verizon must not have realized we were in St. Thomas. I made several calls from there and we never added international roaming. We had a good signal the entire time we were there.

 

When I was in St. Thomas, my phone (Verizon) was showing service without roaming but if I tried to call, I would get anything. Is St. Thomas close enough to pick up a San Juan tower? It doesn't matter where you actually are, it matters what tower you are using.

[BND]

When I was in St. Thomas, my phone (Verizon) was showing service without roaming but if I tried to call, I would get anything. Is St. Thomas close enough to pick up a San Juan tower? It doesn't matter where you actually are, it matters what tower you are using.

 

I made a couple of calls from Magen's Bay while sitting on the beach. This was in Nov 06 and I had no problems at all. I called my parents and our son's to check in. I also used it on the ship in St. Thomas too call my cc company and say "yes, we really did spend that much money in the caribbean that day"-the ships' tower was turned off in port.

[mzloolue]

I have heard that texting is at no charge from a cruise ship? Is this correct?

 

I used texting on our last cruise.

 

I called ATT before hand and verified everything.

And I will call them again before our next trip just to make sure.

 

On my ATT plan international texts were 50 cents. Incoming texts were no additional fee because I already have unlimited text messaging. Otherwise it would be 10 cents.

 

If your phone rings you are charged even if you don't answer it.

So, I would keep my phone off and just turn it on to check for messages a couple of times a day.

 

When my kids travel outside the country, I have them text me to keep old mom up to date on where they are.

[want2cruiseagain]

I use ATT. Checked their usage areas. They say all cc ships have signal and that the current rate for roaming is 2.75 - 3.00 for all carriers. No charge from carnival. Different ports vary on signal and cost.

 

 

I'll need to hide my DH's I-phone!!:eek: Should have seen the cell bill from our last two cruises!!!

[tbrown]

You also want to be VERY VERY careful with the blackberry's and pda devices. If they remain on the net you will be charged when they have a signal and that can rack up a bill quickly. All devices has a way to turn off the signal to the internet and this too will save you some money. You can also when calling to put a plan on your bill state an end date and you will be pro-rated for the days you actually use it. Put an international text plan on your account and text messaging will be a lot cheaper then the actual phone calls.

[ajmac01]

For Verizon, St. Thomas is definitely NOT included in your plan, it has a per minute charge. I looked it up at the web site and $1.99 is correct.

Very pricey!

 

Puerto Rico is included in the typical Verizon plan. Like noted, you should call your customer service to make sure your phone will work, and what the rates are at sea and at your ports.

 

Here is the Verizon page on international roaming and cruise ships:

 

http://b2b.vzw.com/international/Roaming/rates_coverage.html

 

Be aware that Verizon is a CDMA system while most of the rest of the world has gone to GSM. There are ports where there is no CDMA coverage.

 

 

We have Verizon and stayed in St. Thomas for 5 days in March called home every day and never received a single roaming fee or any other extra charges.

[lauderdalebob]

Am sailing on Carnival Freedom on 11/6/08 and was due from Verizon a "New Every Two Years" phone so bought a Motorola World Phone with CDMA and GSM, which will work in Europe when there. I had to get a SIM card from Verizon to get it to work and will need to call them from here in the States to activate it before I go and I'm also going to sign up for their International Plan and then un-sign when I get back. Gives you about .30 off per minute over the regular charge overseas. I was curious so I called Verizon Wireless the other day to ask if I'm in Europe and I don't answer my phone and let the call go to voicemail if I will be charged for it. They said no, only if I call in to get my voicemail. Hope they are right as I will not be expecting any important calls and any I would get I'd recognize the number from the Caller ID to decide if was really that important. Hope this helps someone.

[vizzle]

Why even bring an Iphone? It is contstantly looking for data.

 

Get a $15 go phone, and put your sim in that for the trip.

[want2cruiseagain]

Why even bring an Iphone? It is contstantly looking for data.

 

Get a $15 go phone, and put your sim in that for the trip.

 

 

Are you kidding????:confused: It's DH's security blanket!:D

 

Seriously, I was told if he puts it on airplane mode, that shouldn't happen.