Cell Service At Sea - questions and comments (merged)

This from Connecting @ Sea column on the main page

Cell Phones: GSM and CDMA roaming access is available on all ships except Monarch of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, and Vision of the Seas, which will be retrofitted soon. Charges apply.

I was under the impression that only Cingular/GSM phones worked on RCI. I have Verizon/CDMA and wondered if anyone has been to use their Verizon phone at sea?

Thanks for any info.

We just returned from a Western Caribbean cruise on GOS. We had international calling added before leaving. It is free. It allowed usage in Mexico, however, the phones did not work on the ship while cruising away from land.

These ships were equipped with Cellular at Sea as of October 16, 2006:

http://www.cingular.com/travelguide/coverage/cruise_ships_rates.jsp?PIDL=DIR%7CWC%7CWCM&dsessionid=FQQQm0GWJ346fgdrZlXhkXRNw2qvFdB2mlqm4cmjlxf1BHNGHHGJ!-1282084815!1157660688544

A GSM equipped phone is required. That is probably why the Verizon phone didn't work...

LL

I see more and more cruisers talking about the use of their cell phones onboard.

Is this going to turn into another, typical chatter deal with incessant cell phone use and yakking?

Am I overly concerned about this?

Please, cell phone users, no flames, I'm being up front and honest about this.

(by the way, my phones stay home when I'm on vacation)

Jim

I for one am glad you can use cell phones on board. I only use it for incoming calls and sort of a daily SITREP (situation reort) back to the kids. Other than that, its off and in the safe. Most of it is by text message which is only $0.15 a message to any number of addresses. Voice is only for "emergency".

Cheers

Is this going to turn into another, typical chatter deal with incessant cell phone use and yakking?

 

(by the way, my phones stay home when I'm on vacation)

 

Jim

Yes, you are being overly concerned. No, generally there are NOT people yakking on their cell phones. Usually it's business or people checking on their children. And at the roaming rate, no one talks THAT long.

I would LIKE to keep my phone home when I'm on vacation, but it's not feasible. I have a mother who's in the hospital at least twice a month and a 7 year old daughter that we generally don't cruise with.

The price of the usage is not going to be that cheap where a person will sit and chat for a long period of time. I would not be that concerned about it.

I carry a cell phone but only use it for emergencies. I never give my number to anyone except immediate family who may need me in a crisis. I absolutely never use it in a car while driving!

There will be no end of cell phone use on cruise ships and it will become as irritating as trains and planes and busses! I can't imagine wanting to talk on a phone while on vacation but then again some people just like to hear themselves talk. I know this may sound unkind but I have heard way more than my share of nonsensical and idiotic cell phone conversations where peeople discuss absolutely nothing and feel the need to do it loudly because they are on a cell phone. I vote to ban cell phones on cruise ships! There are other ways to reach people in emergencies... even on cruise ships!

However, if people are as careless while talking on a cell phone on a cruise ship as they are when doing it while driving a car maybe they will be so distracted that they will be walking and talking on the cell phone and fall overboard and thus solve the problem for the rest of us. We can only hope! :D

It seems as though you are in the majority according to most posts I've read here on CC.

We take a cell phone along, only it's turned off and packed away. It's there if we need it for any emergency, but so far we've only used it to contact ground transportation when we return home.

I'd not sit and yak with someone back home while I'm on vacation, I like to get away from it all. I don't find it hard at all to wait a week to talk to my family and friends back home. The only exception would be our own children, but most of the time they travel with us.

... if people are as careless while talking on a cell phone on a cruise ship as they are when doing it while driving a car maybe they will be so distracted that they will be walking and talking on the cell phone and fall overboard and thus solve the problem for the rest of us. We can only hope! :D

That's not really amusing. Some folks on CC have the same opinion about people cruising with children...they're not funny either.

See post #3 and #4 above.

:cool:

IMO, not overreacting.

On my last cruise there were teenagers in the windjammer, on the pool deck and in the stairwells chatting away on their cell phones. I was disappointed and irritated by the loud chatter. Some adults used theirs but they didn't stay on and keep chatting. I'm not anti teenager. I'm just not so thrilled about parents who let them do this.

I vote to ban cell phones on cruise ships! There are other ways to reach people in emergencies... even on cruise ships!

 

maybe they will be so distracted that they will be walking and talking on the cell phone and fall overboard and thus solve the problem for the rest of us. We can only hope! :D

Ummm - a little over the top don't you think?

IMO, not overreacting.

 

On my last cruise there were teenagers in the windjammer, on the pool deck and in the stairwells chatting away on their cell phones. I was disappointed and irritated by the loud chatter. Some adults used theirs but they didn't stay on and keep chatting. I'm not anti teenager. I'm just not so thrilled about parents who let them do this.

Wait until mom and dad get the cell phone bill. I took my phone on the Navigator last year as I have an elderly parent that I call to check on. I used it when I had to and tried to use it in San Juan and St. Thomas where I did not rack up any charges but on the ship the charge was around $2.50 a minute. That adds up quick. I still say most folks are not going to sit around and chat at those prices.

Jim - does your cell phone really stay home? Be honest - you don't have it tucked away in case of an illness or flight delays or a pick up at the airport?

I think people yakking on the phone can be annoying, but yes - I think you are blowing it all out of proportion.

Maddle

That's not really amusing. Some folks on CC have the same opinion about people cruising with children...they're not funny either.

 

See post #3 and #4 above.

 

:cool:

Well, perhaps after you have had your car totalled by some idiot yacking on a cell phone and not seeing the stop sign and nearly killing you, your family and themselves your opinion may change. As regards to your statement about children, children are people, not tech devices and I do not ever complain about them unless they are unruly and their parents are ignoring the situation. I also do not complain about emergency use of cell phones... but I certainly do object to them being used as time killers while driving and in areas where other people are forced to hear whatever nonsense you choose to spew! If you were to look at the real statistics as to how many accidents are caused by people not paying attention while on cell phones you might be surprised.

Well, perhaps after you have had your car totalled by some idiot yacking on a cell phone and not seeing the stop sign and nearly killing you, your family and themselves your opinion may change. As regards to your statement about children, children are people, not tech devices and I do not ever complain about them unless they are unruly and their parents are ignoring the situation. I also do not complain about emergency use of cell phones... but I certainly do object to them being used as time killers while driving and in areas where other people are forced to hear whatever nonsense you choose to spew! If you were to look at the real statistics as to how many accidents are caused by people not paying attention while on cell phones you might be surprised.

Um, last time I checked, no one drives motor vehicles on the cruise ship...

Hi Maddle,

actually it does stay home. Any communication that I need to initiate can either be done via email (yes, I check mine regularly) or the ships phone.

I've yet to need to do so however, thankfully.

J

I for one am glad you can use cell phones on board. I only use it for incoming calls and sort of a daily SITREP (situation reort) back to the kids. Other than that, its off and in the safe. Most of it is by text message which is only $0.15 a message to any number of addresses. Voice is only for "emergency".

 

Cheers

Are you sure it is only $0.15 a message? What about roaming charges? I know with my plan there is a $2.50/minute roaming charge if the phone is on, and I receive a text message or voice message, even if I don't check the messages until I get home.

We will be taking our cellphone but only to contact ground transportation. I also take it because the airlines have that number to contact me and I have been told that if my flight is changed at the last minute or cancelled I would be notified that way.My entire immediate family cruises together so I have no one to call home to because we are all together thank goodness. If for any reason I did have to use to phone to call back home I would be on and off in a matter of a few minutes. I don't think at those rates many people will be doing that much yacking on there phone just for the heck of it.

I carry a cell phone but only use it for emergencies. I never give my number to anyone except immediate family who may need me in a crisis. I absolutely never use it in a car while driving!

 

There will be no end of cell phone use on cruise ships and it will become as irritating as trains and planes and busses! I can't imagine wanting to talk on a phone while on vacation but then again some people just like to hear themselves talk. I know this may sound unkind but I have heard way more than my share of nonsensical and idiotic cell phone conversations where peeople discuss absolutely nothing and feel the need to do it loudly because they are on a cell phone. I vote to ban cell phones on cruise ships! There are other ways to reach people in emergencies... even on cruise ships!

 

However, if people are as careless while talking on a cell phone on a cruise ship as they are when doing it while driving a car maybe they will be so distracted that they will be walking and talking on the cell phone and fall overboard and thus solve the problem for the rest of us. We can only hope! :D

Gee, that is kind of scary to think that if you see a person on the ship using their cell phone, that you would wish them dead.

That's not really amusing. Some folks on CC have the same opinion about people cruising with children...they're not funny either.

 

See post #3 and #4 above.

 

:cool:

What does my post have to do about cruising with children?? My husband and I aren't allowed to vacation together alone anymore? Is that what you're saying? Please.

Personally, I hate the dang things even though I have two. My wife takes her with her everywhere she goes. Mine stays at home for the most part unless I feel the need to take it when I go shopping on my own.

I always felt it was nice to go out to eat without having the phone ring (wife's or someone else's). I'm annoyed when we're eating dinner out, her phone rings, she answers it and then has a conversation with whomever is on the phone, ignoring the meal we've just paid for for who knows how long. IMO, cell phones in certain area's are just rude. But, that's just my opinion.

On the highway, streets and parking lots I often have issues with cell phone users. If they can drive and talk on the phone fine. But there's enough of them that can't to make things scary. Sure people eat in their car, shave or put makeup on. But I can count on one hand the number of people I see in a week doing any of those activities. On my 7 mile commute to work I often need both hands and feet to count the cell phone users. Even then, I would sometimes run out of digits for counting. It's not that it's more distracting than other activities but that it occurs so often. I want to get a big sign for my car that say's it's a car not a phone booth.

Now, aside from places like the car, restaurants or movie thearters, I don't see a lot of harm in them. They are a very handy thing to have to keep in touch rather than playing phone tag with someone. It saves me gasoline if my wife can call me when I'm at the store to remind me to pick up something we forgot. I don't miss doctors calls because I can't sit by the phone all day waiting for their office to call me back et......

As for cell phones on a cruise ship. It will probably cost prohibitive enough so as to not encourage idle conversation. I like the idea that I can get a hold of family or they can get a hold of me if there's something that really needs my attention. There are things that I'd like to know before I get home. Family emergancies, serious illnesses or things going wrong with the house. Granted they don't happen often but, if a water pipe were to break at home (happened one winter to an outside line), I'd like to be able to arrange for it to get fixed before I get home. Perhaps a break in occurs while on vacation. It's be nice to get the work started with the insurance company and get any repairs that need to be made before I get home. On a cruise ship note, if the ship is late getting into port, it'd be GREAT to call the airline ahead of time to make alternative arrangements, search for a hotel if needed and arrange for a car if necessary. This one has personally happened to me and is why I purchased a world cell phone to take with us on trips. That AAA tour group that was onboard BOS and flying Delta along with us got every seat on the flight for the next two days booked up before we even got off the ship. If I'd have had a cell phone, I might have been able to snatch two seats for us AND saved the value of those tickets if I couldn't use them by calling rather than just being a no-show for the flight.

Cell phones that work on a ship can be a very good thing but, like anything else, they can be annoying. But because I've had the opportunity a time or two that one would have been very nice to have, I guess I fll on the side that is glad to see more availability/options for calling out while at sea.

Hello Jim -

I am incredulous!!! - you don't have it with you at all? I don't hardly use mine on vacation, but I can't imagine not having it.

What about your travels to the departure point? What if you got delayed? (Those are rhetorical questions, I don't want to hijack this thread.) I think I am going into withdrawal just thinking about leaving it home....LOL

Well, once people get that first roaming bill, that will put the ka-bosh on the yakkers. Please don't let it worry you.

mj

We have T Mobile cell service. We used our phone to send and receive calls from our family with same phone service leaiving port. We were not charged and kept using phone to till we were out to sea. We were not chargef for phone service in San Juan and St Thomas. Before our cruiise, we saw on here that you are charged to use your cell phone in Bayonne.

Any American port or a U.S. territory will get service on almost any carrier. It's the foreign ports you need to watch out for! Most, you won't get a signal, and many times, if you do get a signal, the cost will be pretty damn high!