Any Recent Experience with Verizon Wireless onboard Explorer

[ktharris120]

Hi All,

 

I have usually had our family bring our cell phones with us when we cruise and we simply shut them off once we set sail. There was no service anyway. However, I understand that Explorer now has cell phone service. This means that even if you turn your phone off, people from back home (work, friends, etc) can text you. If they call and you do not answer, no charge right? If they call and leave a voice message, can you be charged for them leaving the voice message?

 

How does this work...I mean if my teens' friends continue to text them while we are at sea, what happens?

 

Has anyone used their verizon family texting plan to stay in touch onboard? If so, how has that worked out for you?

 

Thanks!

[ktharris120]

Anyone?

[boop3]

Hi

I did this past February. At sea the connection is 'iffy' at best. You will be charged for international roaming fees. I think it was 2.50 to send or receive text messages. I made the mistake of leaving my phone on when we were headed into St Martin. I got about 5 messages from the cell tower on St Martin welcoming me. I didn't want to shut the phone off cause the kids were home with my sister. When I got the bill I was charged 2.50 for each of those messages that I didn't want. I called Verizon and explained and they took the charges off.

So I would advise if your kids text a lot to not let them bring their phones unless you want to pay the charges.

Good Luck!

[crusinmama06]

Shut your phones down as soon as you leave port. Those "cellular at sea" charges are not cheap. And yes, you pay for calls coming in. Just ask my MIL who thought it was so "neat" that her cell phone worked at sea - $580 later - she didn't think it was so neat.

 

Keep them turned off. If they aren't on, then you can't be charged.

[alphakitty]

Hi Kathy ...you may find this link helpful. Unless you have a Blackberry or I phone, you shouldn't have problems. I've used my Verizon phone on many cruises and was charged the $2.49/minute rate for ship's service. It would be nice if we could all just shut them off and leave them off during a cruise, but it's not possible for many who need to keep in touch with loved ones at home. :)

 

Texting is 50 cents sent and 5 cents received according the the Verizon website, though I did not use the texting feature on board.

 

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

[BND]

We didn't send/receive calls this trip, but we did have them on and they said roaming. When we pulled into Bermuda we got the text explaining how to call the US and a welcome. ANd when we came back to the US, we got a welcome text also (those texts are free from the provider). I did see plenty of people using theirs and I have used mine on Carnival which also chargers $2.49/min(probably the same company provider).

[EaglesRock]

If they call and leave a voice message, can you be charged for them leaving the voice message?

 

How does this work...I mean if my teens' friends continue to text them while we are at sea, what happens?

You will be charged at your international roaming rate for both incoming voice mails and incoming text messages if you leave your phone turned on while at sea or at the ports of call, even if you don't reply. If you don't want to pay for either then leave your phone off throughout the cruise.

[ktharris120]

You will be charged at your international roaming rate for both incoming voice mails and incoming text messages if you leave your phone turned on while at sea or at the ports of call, even if you don't reply. If you don't want to pay for either then leave your phone off throughout the cruise.

 

 

I just spoke with a verizon representative who said that even if the phone were turned off, we would be charged for any texts that were sent to us. The only way to avoid it would be to leave the phone at home.....Maybe she wasn't as knowledgeable as she should be?

 

I am going to call again and find out.

 

Thanks!

[compuryan]

I just spoke with a verizon representative who said that even if the phone were turned off, we would be charged for any texts that were sent to us. The only way to avoid it would be to leave the phone at home.....Maybe she wasn't as knowledgeable as she should be?

 

I am going to call again and find out.

 

Thanks!

 

 

This is completely untrue (and impossible). They cannot deliver the messages if the phone is turned off. And if the phone is turned off, how would they KNOW that you have taken it out of the country, and thus charge you more? Their customer service reps need to gain a little bit of sense before answering these kinds of questions.

 

Speaking from experience, if your phone is off, you will not have problems. If you have a blackberry or some other kind of smart phone, you may wish to take a look at this thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1024138&highlight=

 

 

Hope that helps

[EaglesRock]

This is completely untrue (and impossible). They cannot deliver the messages if the phone is turned off. And if the phone is turned off, how would they KNOW that you have taken it out of the country, and thus charge you more? Their customer service reps need to gain a little bit of sense before answering these kinds of questions.

 

Speaking from experience, if your phone is off, you will not have problems. If you have a blackberry or some other kind of smart phone, you may wish to take a look at this thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1024138&highlight=

 

 

Hope that helps

I agree. If your phones are never turned on during the entire cruise, how would Verizon know where they're at? They could be sitting in a drawer at home for all they know. If however you turn your phone on and it acquires a signal, be prepared to pay for any voice mails and text messages sent to that phone while you had it off.

[cb at sea]

Tel your regular contacts NOT to text or phone you---have them e-mail you, and you can check your mail on either your own laptop or the ship's computers. It's much cheaper than paying those roaming charges!

If you must call home, when you reach a port, buy an int'l calling card at that port and use a payphone!

[cruise4]

We have unlimited text/pix messaging with Verizon. Last year we went to the Mexican Riviera. This year was the Explorer to Bermuda and Caribbean. We used text/pix messaging to keep in contact with our kids and other friends and relatives back home. There was never a charge. I expect that if we had actually called them, there would have been a charge. But we just stuck to text messaging. (We do not have the international plan.) We take our phones with us into ports so that we can use the cameras for background pics on the phones. At times, the messages were 'undeliverable' (both ways). Other times, service was instant. It put both us and our kids at ease knowing that things were okay both ways.

 

When we were on an excursion in Bermuda, our bus driver asked if anyone had strange things happen to any of their electronics (phones, watches, clocks, etc.) because of traveling through the Bermuda triangle. We hadn't noticed (or even looked for) anything. But, when we got back to the ship, we took a look at our phones and they had gone back to October 1999! (This was in June/July 2009.) The current date and time came back in St. Maarten, but then went back to 1999 for the rest of the trip. It finally changed back to the current date/time when we got back to Bayonne, NJ. Don't know if this was due to the Bermuda Triangle, as the bus driver mentioned, or just a freak thing going on with Verizon at the time.

[EaglesRock]

 

When we were on an excursion in Bermuda, our bus driver asked if anyone had strange things happen to any of their electronics (phones, watches, clocks, etc.) because of traveling through the Bermuda triangle. We hadn't noticed (or even looked for) anything. But, when we got back to the ship, we took a look at our phones and they had gone back to October 1999! (This was in June/July 2009.)

Did you hear the Twilight Zone theme playing on the bus' radio while the driver was telling you about the Bermuda Triangle?

[laurspag]

I was just on EOS a few weeks ago, and my daughter and I have Verizon Wireless. It took a few calls to get a straight answer from them, but they set us up for international calling, which was way cheaper than what you would pay normally. However, service was iffy at best. Sometimes, a text wouldn't go through and then 5 hours later, you received it 6 times. We are waiting for our bill now - they better not overcharge me for those!:mad: