Another cell phone question

I've searched the forum and unfortunately am still confused. I saw that Verizon now has you pay per call/text etc. What I'm confused with is if I receive a text will I get charged by CAS as well as Verizon? Should I get the Internet package on the BA if that is the case. Sorry, I'm totally lost regarding this and don't want to be killed with a huge bill when I get home.

Sorry, I'm totally lost regarding this and don't want to be killed with a huge bill when I get home.

Easy answer: either leave the phone turned off or better leave it at home. You're on holiday and must have better things to do.

Easy answer: either leave the phone turned off or better leave it at home. You're on holiday and must have better things to do.

Maybe that works for you.

Others might have a reason to be connected. Myself, I have an elderly parent at home with health issues. On my last cruise my niece received assignments from her teachers. Others might be business owners. Not everyone can "unplug".

Easy answer: either leave the phone turned off or better leave it at home. You're on holiday and must have better things to do.

Really? ? ? ? there are a gazillion reasons why someone may NEED to be "connected"..... Don't you have "better things to do" than demean and ridicule people with your shortsighted "casofilia way"?

I've searched the forum and unfortunately am still confused. I saw that Verizon now has you pay per call/text etc. What I'm confused with is if I receive a text will I get charged by CAS as well as Verizon? Should I get the Internet package on the BA if that is the case. Sorry, I'm totally lost regarding this and don't want to be killed with a huge bill when I get home.

Calls, texts, etc are between you and your cell phone carrier. You won't get billed by NCL...or any other cruise line, and you certainly won't get billed by CAS who could care less if you're on the phone.

Your cell phone will act the same regardless of the cruise line on which you sail. You should contact your carrier for the best information on your device and plan.

Maybe that works for you.

 

Others might have a reason to be connected. Myself, I have an elderly parent at home with health issues. On my last cruise my niece received assignments from her teachers. Others might be business owners. Not everyone can "unplug".

Everyone? Can't we be better here than using the exception to argue the rule? Gotta wonder how people ever traveled on ships before cell phones. Unless this "need" to be connected is a new thing...

Perhaps those who "have" to be connected would be best served by choosing a vacation option where they are guaranteed a connection. What do you suppose happens to these people when the ship drops the connection? I've yet to see the reported "disaster" that occurred because someone couldn't be on the phone.

I've searched the forum and unfortunately am still confused. I saw that Verizon now has you pay per call/text etc. What I'm confused with is if I receive a text will I get charged by CAS as well as Verizon? Should I get the Internet package on the BA if that is the case. Sorry, I'm totally lost regarding this and don't want to be killed with a huge bill when I get home.

You will be charged one price by Verizon Wireless and part of that price, they will pay CAS for the ability to have their customers "roam" on Cellular at Seas network

Text is cellular not internet (data) .... the internet package will help with email, mms (pics or videos), wifi calling..... NOW, if you send a single text to multiple people at the same time, that could be MMS (depends on how it is set up in your messaging app) - easy fix is to copy / paste that same message into text messages for each person

Get the pay as you go plan from Verizon and use that for on the ship and the $10 a day unlimited plan for your port days only when on land and you only pay $10 if you use it

Thanks to Verizon dropping their cruise ship plans you actually need a different method for ship days and port days

Of course you can just stay with pay as you go the entire trip but that more costly

The Verizon website will actually suggest you do what I have posted and set up both a pay as you go on the ship and also a per day price on the islands

I also use a wifi only iPad and do FaceTime audio and texts with my family ....but you need the ships wifi for that and that's why I took the free 250 minutes of wifi as my perk

Everyone? Can't we be better here than using the exception to argue the rule? Gotta wonder how people ever traveled on ships before cell phones. Unless this "need" to be connected is a new ...

Everyone? Can't we just answer the question and not judge the reason for the question? Can we not give opinions on where or how people go on vacation just because it doesn't fit your little world?

Everyone? Can't we just answer the question and not judge the reason for the question? Can we not give opinions on where or how people go on vacation just because it doesn't fit your little world?

Yep, everyone. That is exactly the word that was used. (It was in the quote in case you missed it...and it's still there if you didn't)

Not for anything, but answer what question? The person I replied to didn't even ask a question. Kinda hard to "just answer the question" when one wasn't even asked.

Arguing against what was not said never makes you look clever.

Text is cellular not internet (data) ....

While you are technically correct, sms texting over your telephone carrier is cellular. Many people use apple products with imessage which is internet data and not cellular. While you are on the ship, you can use wifi to "text" message over internet. It's the blue bubbles vs green bubbles.

Thank you to everyone I truly appreciate the info. As much as I'd like to turn off my phone it's not possible. Can't wait for my cruise and with this info I will be able to really enjoy.

Thank you to everyone I truly appreciate the info. As much as I'd like to turn off my phone it's not possible. Can't wait for my cruise and with this info I will be able to really enjoy.

What's-matta sailor got that phone with no ON - OFF switch ? --- Well there

is always the ole remove the battery and kill the service and when and if you

need to make a call put the battery back in and boot the phone - careful where

you are at the time some of the phones may start down loading the latest

expired issues of the Encyclopaedia Britannica in digital format charging you

for a Doctorate in Media Transmission.

Careful about using that phone that wants to reach out and communicate with

someone anyone costing you while it is in so called idle mode.

Do some research with Verizon or whoever your carrier is come back to CC

to query about using your phone at sea. Near a major port you should be able

to use it mating up with any cell tower in the area. May even get reception up

to few miles out to sea.

I have used my android Verizon phone 20 miles off shore from Monterey CA

talking with a relative as I cruised from SFO to LA - enough to get my

message across with no cost - there were more bars on the ship than my

phone was producing on its screen but the signal was not in morse code.

Look into using the ship's WiFi and other methods of communication while at sea !

But surely you can turn your phone and data mode off (airplane mode) ???

The only way to get better service is to have to your own satellite phone.

While you are technically correct, sms texting over your telephone carrier is cellular. Many people use apple products with imessage which is internet data and not cellular. While you are on the ship, you can use wifi to "text" message over internet. It's the blue bubbles vs green bubbles.

Ugh, being an Android family I forgot all about the iWorld way of how Apple handles texts.... thanks for adding that clarification

Thank you to everyone I truly appreciate the info. As much as I'd like to turn off my phone it's not possible. Can't wait for my cruise and with this info I will be able to really enjoy.

This is critically important. Make sure you turn data roaming off. Otherwise your smartphone will likely passively use data constantly (even when you're not using the phone) and you can come home to a huge bill (there are horror stories of people coming home to bills that are thousands of dollars). With data roaming off you will still be able to make and receive phone calls and sms messages but will have to use wifi for data.

Really? ? ? ? there are a gazillion reasons why someone may NEED to be "connected"..... Don't you have "better things to do" than demean and ridicule people with your shortsighted "casofilia way"?

Thumbs up on this post, very well put. People are so critical of other people. I love staying connected, sending texts and pics home, but you can't because its so expensive. I wish it were different.

Ditto on last 2 posts (and then some.) Alas, the demographics of who's cruising these days are different. The younger & newer generations will NOT (likely to) leave home without their mobile devices ... one has the choice to embrace the changing world, or not. It wasn't long ago that we're using "advanced" tools like fax, pagers and telex machines. Emails and messaging has been around for decades, way before the AOL days.

Whether one has frail elderly or loved one with chronic health issues, or an unexpected emergencies while traveling (whether it's at sea or land, on a short business trip or extended B2B/TA or round-the-world sailing, etc.) - telecommunications are part of the link & lifeline, and, in some cases - to manage finances & make sure bills are paid promptly.

CC as cruise passengers have different priorities, expectations and needs - and live our daily life differently - DW & I don't disconnect completely just because we are on vacation, sorry as that's not how it've worked. We all once have/had (many still do) have aging parents, ours used to be in extended acute care facilities 24/7/365 and it didn't mean we forgo vacations and cruises.

Between DW & I, we have access to & coverage to major cellular carriers & partner networks in 140+ countries worldwide; and, some of that being very inexpensive and it is part our integrated living & business expenses. We travel with Android & iOS devices, tablets & iPads - and make/receive messages & calls over cellular and WiFi, free & sometimes paid, as needed. Free WiFi is nice but it isn't as secured, ours often encrypted over VPN firewalled networks. $10 a GB worth of international 3G+ data and 20 cents a minute calling from overseas to the US (when we don't have access to secured WiFi) is something we drink to all the time (non-alcoholic ones, LOL)

Far more important to us than any other meal & drink packages in values. "In case of ‘real’ emergencies, the cost to get connected to the internet and WiFi is irrelevant, just get online and worry about the expenses later."

For basic voice calls & text messaging without data charges, the answer for most is a "dumb" phone. Yes, there is a trend to rediscover & use basic mobile telephone again ... watch for a new generation of global friendly flip-style and candy-bar devices. Officers & crews on cruise ships have been using the same basic "Nokia" style phone for the last 2 decades, take a closer look next time.

VZW (subjectively speaking) has been a PITA in recent years with their global plans, lots of flip-flops. We ditched them after almost 30 years, even with a generous 22% corporate discount, not worth it as there are better choices & options out there, especially lately for as little as $25 to $30 a month, taxes & fees included for unlimited global calling & texting - and moderate data usage with solid & good access to WiFi @home and @work. Fi Network is Pay As You Go when traveling outside North America at dirt cheap rates, just doesn't work on cruise ships ... yet.

OP, while staying with "Big Red" - they have online tutorial help specific to your particular devices (usually) and take a little time to learn & get comfortable with turning things off or disabling unwanted features, in addition to signing up for free classes offered in their retail stores ... to avoid nasty billing surprises. Turn off cellular roaming and data roaming, turn on Airplane mode most before turning back ON WiFi access, you should be 99% safe - and, run a few text messaging tests before leaving home to see how it work first. Breakaway's internet package options are fine but they are only good while on the ship, not while in foreign ports - for simple text messaging, it is NOT necessary depending on how you are setup and what you are using now.

Time to do a little QSL on my 2M/70CM HT & auto-patch. :p

Personally, I've found the whole "have to have cell phone access constantly" a recent phenomena. I kind of view it as, sailing hundreds of miles off shore. If something at home or work went sideways, not one thing I can do about it since I'm sailing.

I tell everyone, work and family, that I will be inaccessible during my cruise. They find other ways to deal with any alleged crisis. And, I get peace and quiet while sailing, which is a godsend.

That's just me! I don't comprehend this recent need to have to always be available to family, friends, work, when there is no way to affect whatever it is they need/want.

Tipping point for me came when my work insisted they be able to reach me while I was on a cruise vacation a couple of years, ago. I agreed if they covered my phone and internet bill while I was cruising. After seeing a ~$600 cell and internet expense report. The data usage surrounded me sending spreadsheets and power points which they could have found elsewhere. And, having phone conversations which could have waited until I returned, or worse, amounted to little else than making small talk. Like magic, they never asked me to have access to a cell phone while cruising ever again.

But, as others have said, if you leave your phone on, and you don't have have a special plan while you're at sea, there's always the possibility of racking up big bills. Foreign cell rates tend to be much higher when connecting to the main cell carriers (at least when connecting to U.S. based carriers).

If you want internet access, someone mentioned buying one of the ship's internet plans. Unless internet has become much speedier lately, streaming will be out of the question, as will browsing graphics heavy WEB sites with flash videos, etc.

In a thread several months ago there was a recommendation for those of us who are traveling and need to stay in touch-an option not afforded in days gone by.

You can rent a satellite phone for the week. It is fedexed to your home, prepaid minutes and you always have service in the ship due to the open sky and depending on which brand you choose.

Rates are quite reasonable, anywhere from 79 dollars a week up to 120 .

If you do a google search you will find many rental companies.

While it has been mentioned that those of us who need to stay in touch should choose another vacation .. Bollocks! Thank goodness we CAN be in touch. Whether work or elderly parents or kiddos it really isn't anyone's business and the comments add ZEROto the thread.

 

Time to do a little QSL on my 2M/70CM HT & auto-patch. :p

I'd bet $5 that I'm the only one here who knows what that means.

QCX

Here's your $ $ $ $ $.

As I always tell work, family, any caretakers, and friends... If it's important to reach me while I'm hundreds of miles at sea, call me. But they have to be willing to pay for the call(s) they make, any foriegn roammg charges, foriegn data charges, fees, etc.

Except for work (once and once only), no one has found it so necessary to pay for the calls, texts. emails, etc.

I'd bet $5 that I'm the only one here who knows what that means.

 

 

 

QCX

Nope

As I always tell work, family, any caretakers, and friends... If it's important to reach me while I'm hundreds of miles at sea, call me. But they have to be willing to pay for the call(s) they make, any foriegn roammg charges, foriegn data charges, fees, etc.

 

Except for work (once and once only), no one has found it so necessary to pay for the calls, texts. emails, etc.

Knock on wood that you continue that streak......

I've had to fly home mid cruise due to a completely unplanned unexpected family emergency that could NOT wait until the 10 day cruise ended ..... I've cruised over a dozen times, flown to Europe, California, Hawaii, Disney, and never an "emergency" incident..... but it only takes that one time to realize you don't mind being "connected" and those roaming charges are nothing to be able to be there to say good bye before it's too late.... or that "emergency" Skype call from my 8 year old nephew who just had to tell me he got an "A" on the science project we worked on together..... best $13 I spent that week on roaming charges!!! ............. thank God I didn't take some of your advice and just shut my phone off!!!

Nope

So you're saying I've lost that bet?

Easy answer: either leave the phone turned off or better leave it at home. You're on holiday and must have better things to do.

Without knowing the OP's reason for needing the phone, this is a STUPID RESPONSE.