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bala1130

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    Excursions in Auckland

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    We are starting to plan our transpacific from Hawaii to Sydney for this Fall.  We have a stop in the Auckland, New Zealand.  The cruise planner only shows 2 excursions one an All Black Rugby Club and the other is to a farm.  Neither one sounds very exciting for us.  Has anyone been to Auckland and can suggest what to do while there?  Is there a chance Royal will add some more Auckland excursions at a later date?

    Pre-cruise Testing in Rome

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    On Oct 31 we will be boarding the Odyssey of the Sea leaving out of Rome doing a TA to Ft. Lauderdale.  We are arriving in Rome 3 days before the cruise.  Question on Pre-cruise testing for anyone have recently cruised out of Rome.  As of now we will still need to provide a neg. COVID test.  I know we can purchase and bring the eMed tests.  But how easy is it to find a local testing site in Rome & the cost of a local test.  I wasn't planning on bringing a laptop, so I don't know how easy it will be to do the eMed test on a cell phone.  Thanks for any advice/experience you might have.

    T-Mobile and Cellular at Sea Info

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    3 hours ago, SRF said:

    But notice, if someone calls you, even if you don't answer and it goes to voice mail, it is $6 PER MINUTE.

     

    Even if it was a call about your car's extended warranty. 😄

    Not exactly true.  I had 2 incoming phone calls during my cruise that I didn't answer.  I was charged $2.50 for each call ($5 total).  I talked to T-Mobile when I returned and explained I didn't understand that I would be charged even if I didn't answer and the agent was nice enough to remove those charges for this one time.  That's when I was told I could contact T-Mobile before my next cruise and they could turn off incoming calls and texts for the time I was on the ship to stop any charges.

     

    So here is my plan for the next cruise:

    1. call T-Mobile and give them the dates for my cruise and they will turn off incoming calls and text.

    2. once on the ship change my network settings to Roaming "ON" and network to "2G ONLY".

    3. use FB messages instead of texting.

    4. I don't want to spend my vacation on the internet, so I don't get the VOOM package.  

     

    Again, this is for T-Mobile only.  I have no idea how other cell carriers handle this.  I'm just trying to provide information here and expect everyone that consider doing this to contact T-Mobile yourself to confirm this is how your plan works.

     

    Here is the T-Mobile website that has information on this topic:

    https://www.t-mobile.com/support/coverage/international-roaming-checklist

    T-Mobile and Cellular at Sea Info

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    24 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

    Again, on the ship (connected to only the ship cell tower), you were able to visit social media sites and have an albeit slow but acceptable experience?

    Yes, my phone showed connected to "Cellular at Sea".  I was on the Allure, then on the Independence at the end of Oct. this year.  I don't know if it was an acceptable experience because it is very slow.  Just don't text or make phone calls and there are no international data charges.  You can use FB Messager with no charge.  Just no T-Mobile texting.  Make sure you call and tell them to turn off incoming calls and texts and you will not have any charges.  But please call T-Mobile to verify this before trying it.

    • Thanks 1

    T-Mobile and Cellular at Sea Info

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Biker19 said:

    Did you actually try it on a ship? 

    Yes, I had Roaming ON and 2G ONLY as the network.  No charge for international Roaming.  Feel free to call T-Mobile, or check out their website: https://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/roaming

     

    Good news! Royal Caribbean: Oasis is covered.

     

    Data

    Text

    Talk

    All T-Mobile Plans

    T-Mobile ONE and Simple Choice Plan Customers get these rates automatically.

    Not on one of these plans? Activate these rates by adding the World Class service to each line through My T-Mobile.

     

    No Data

    Sending$0.50/txtReceivingDeducted from your domestic texting plan’s allotment.

    $5.99/min

    You’ve got unlimited texting and data at up to 2G speeds in 140+ countries and destinations—all at no extra cost. Check below to see if your next stop is on the list. On a prepaid plan? See our international prepaid rates.

    If you do not have a domestic texting plan, messages received are 20 cents each; if you have an unlimited texting plan, messages received are free.

    T-Mobile and Cellular at Sea Info

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    In the past I have always turned my T-Mobile phone to "Airplane Mode".  I called T-Mobile just before going on the Allure about a month ago.  I found out you don't need to set your phone to 'Airplane Mode".   It can be set to Roaming "ON" and "2-G only" for the network  You will not be charged for any data used while on 2-G.  2-G is not very fast, but you can use it for some social media or web browsing.  As long as you don't use texting or phone calls you will not be charged while on 2-G.   

     

    One warning:  If you get any incoming phone calls (even if you don't answer the call) you will be charged $2.50.  To avoid this charge,  you can call T-Mobile before you leave and give them the dates you will be at sea.  They can turn off incoming phone calls while on your cruise.   

     

    2-G may not be very useful, but I thought I would pass this info on to you all.  I'm not sure how other cell phone companies handle this, so check with your company before trying this.

    Hurricane Season

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    Depending on the credit card you use to pay for your cruise you may have insurance included already.  Chase Sapphire 

    Benefit Overview

    Trip Cancellation provides reimbursement if a covered loss prevents you from traveling on or before the departure date and results in cancellation of the travel arrangements.

    Trip Interruption provides reimbursement if a covered loss on the way to the point of departure or after departure causes interruption of your covered trip. It can also provide reimbursement if a trip is postponed due to a covered loss and certain fees are incurred if a new departure date is set.

    The information below applies to both benefits. Reimbursement can be provided for pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses including passenger fares, tours and hotels.

    • Covers trips when travel arrangements for a pre-paid tour, trip or vacation have been purchased with an eligible Chase card or with rewards earned on an eligible Chase card
    • Reimbursement is in excess of any travel insurance purchased, or reimbursement from the occupancy provider or common carrier such as airline, bus, cruise ship, or train

    Pool Towel Charges

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    I've never had a problem with charges only my statement for pool towels not turned in.  But if you do have charges at the end of your cruise can you get them removed by going to Guest Services with a story, or is Royal firm on these charges?  There must be families out there with teenages who leave them behind when they are done at the pool.  I've always wondered this...

    B2B Miami/Ft Lauderdale

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    There was a time when Royal had this service. We did a B2B on the Allure in Ft Lauderdale, then left on the Majesty the next morning. They gave us transportation to Miami and put us up in a hotel. Then transportation to the Majesty the next morning. I think they stopped providing this service shortly after we did it.

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