Cell Phone Questions

Hi,

I am traveling on November 12th and have a couple of cell phone questions. I am trying to find the least expensive way to contact my elderly parents a couple of times during the week. My cell phone company is Verizon.

I would like to call them but also could send a text to my brother and wait for him to text me back that everything is ok.

I have heard nightmare stories about roaming charges.

Any thoughts????

Thanks

Not sure where you are going. I have Verizon and have had it set up for international on multiple land trips and for Baltic and South Anerican cruise. I never used on board unless in a port. I relied on use of email and Facebook and Internet cafe to keep up with people. Your situation is different from me, but I would 1) investigate based on where you are going and how many sea days/port days and what is the best option with Verizon. 2) figure out how much "comfort" you will have if you are at sea for a few days and can't have contact (Internet went down last 3 days of my South American cruise, which were all sea days.

If you are very worried/uncomfortable about being out of touch (it is a reality), then you may want to think about changing your travel plans from a cruise to something else.

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We really need to know where you are going to give a valid answer.

It looks like you are going to the Caribbean. This is easy. Call Verizon and ask them to turn on international dialing. Turn OFF cellular data when you get on the ship and leave it OFF. This is a setting in your phone, if you can't find it, have a Verizon store show you how. This is where people rack up HUGE charges.

Get off the ship and place the call. Talk for a few minutes. At the max you are looking at $1 per minute including taxes. Do NOT use the ships cellular, wait until you are ashore. I am pretty sure that St. Thomas is not "long distance" and will only use the regular minutes or data that you would use at home, so might be a good place to turn the data back in and catch up with things. (I know when I've gone to Puerto Rico on business I have been on the Verizon network just like at home, and I believe the US Virgin Islands are the same.

The phone in your cabin only costs $1.99 per minute

I'm new to the smartphone world. Just had international set up for my phone. I use Verizon. What is the difference between turning cellular data off and putting it in airplane mode? I'm guessing that I can't make a call while in airplane mode but can when cellular data is off. Is that correct?

Anything else to be aware of?

Cellular data off and wifi on will let you connect to ships internet if you purchase a plan or on land at a place with free wifi. Airplane mode turns it all off

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Thanks!

Does anybody read the operators manual?

Does anybody read the operators manual?

If it's an iPhone, no manual comes with it.

The phone in your cabin only costs $1.99 per minute

Depends on the line. Some are much more.

Does anybody read the operators manual?

LOL Manual???? There was more writing in Chinese and Spanish, than in English (no offense to other cultures)

Thats what our kids are for in this techno world.

I am well aware of how to use a phone (I Phone 6+) once my DD set it up, and when I have trouble I just call her..................

Just saying

Sorry about that. Yes stopping in St Thomas which is US. Then Tortilla which is BVI then Nassau. I really appreciate everyone's help. As for the comment about a manual. I never received one. I thought manual were a thing of the past.

Check with Verizon about St Thomas. It may not be part of your coverage. It wasn't for me.

Does anybody read the operators manual?

No manual came with my phone. If not for teenage grandkids I may never have figured it out!

Thank you everyone. I will talk to Verizon. I was trying to get everyone's input because here in RI you can get several different answers from a Verizon representative when visiting in person.

Just go to their website and they have maps for international and national coverage.

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Has anyone used sprint with their iPhone 7. Just want to communicate with family while I am in Europe.

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Has anyone used sprint with their iPhone 7. Just want to communicate with family while I am in Europe.

 

 

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Then utilize the wifi calling feature

My own opinion.

I earlier asked about reading operators manual.

Feedback varied from no manual provided to that's what my kids are for.

While part of me agrees, another part of me says "Really?".

Siri can answer most of these questions. Google can answer the rest. CC can help with some but then again, some CCers like to give eronious answers.

The kids can be great and for the most part, they enjoy it.

However, just like them coming to me for help with homework,,,, they better have tried very hard on their own before coming to me for the answer. By searching on my own for the answer, I usually find answers I didn't even know I had a question about.

I guess what I'm saying is that CC shouldn't be the first step in finding you answer. CC is a good source though.

If you don't need to contact them every day just add the daily plan to your service - $10/day for any day you use it - no extra charges for minutes or texts - it pulls from your plan allowance.

https://www.verizonwireless.com/solutions-and-services/international-travel/

I would contact Verizon to find out HOW you dial from the countries you will be in. If calling home you don't just click on your contact from your list and dial.

I would contact Verizon to find out HOW you dial from the countries you will be in. If calling home you don't just click on your contact from your list and dial.

Well - sort of true/false if your home is in the US.

When you enter a phone number in your phone's address book, always preface the area code with +1

Thus, the listing will read +1 (XXX) XXX-XXXX. Within the US, it'll dial the same as without +1. Outside the US, the +1 is the country code.

In either case, clicking the contact gets you home.

When we were in St Thomas in March, there was this little bar right outside the port gate that offered free wifi. Pretty sure we had to order a drink but the bartender put in the password for us. Our friend was able to call home using her Verizon phone on wifi. Or you could at least send a fb message or text. I know she did the same thing at the Hard Rock in Nassau.

Thank you!