Using your phone on the cruise

Hi all,

I'll be going on a cruise next year and I want to be able to text my family and friends whilst I'm on board. I am with Tesco Mobile and have been told texts will cost around 20p, which is fine considering how much internet packages cost! I was just wondering if there was anyway I needed to activate Tesco mobile abroad system and tell them I'm on holiday or if it will just let me text automatically when I'm at sea and change networks to Tesco abroad (Not sure of the abroad network) or if anyone had any other experiences with different phone networks. I previously went on a cruise a few years ago and I was able to text, but I can't remember how I did it, so any help and info will be muchly appreciated.

Thanks and kind regards :)

Plans an providers vary. I would call your provider tell them where you're going and ask about proceedure, cost, etc etc

Just remember, you'll be using the ship's tower while at sea, so you won't be connecting to your plan's towers....roaming charges can still apply!

If you use your phone while at sea , you will go thrugh the ships system and be charged thier rate. Also while at sea if you leave your phone on you will be charged for calls, text, and e-mails. Most people just turn the phone off and never use it.

If you don't see your provider's name in the upper corner of your phone (or the name of a partner provider included in any Int'l package you may purchase), you will be paying Int'l roaming charges whether or not you're on a ship.

As you mention 'Tesco' and '20p', you are probably in the UK. It would help people reply correctly if you added your location and also mention where you are cruising.

However, the best people to ask would be Tesco. When the ship is at sea you can only use the ships mobile tower and that is expensive.

Although I'd love to turn my phone off for the entire trip, having an elderly mom at home means I need to be in touch. I used to use the internet, but then I had to wait for an answer and it was slow to hear from home. Eventually I started using my cell phone, for mostly texts. I would text a couple times a day, just to make sure everything was ok, and my daughter would text back with reassurance. Each text I sent cost 25 cents. Overall, I spent much much less than when I was connecting to the internet to e-mail, and I was able to have instant answers to my questions. We saved most calling for St. Thomas, although we do connect by phone if need be. I find this method to be the most efficient and the cheapest method, depending on how much you use your phone. For me, it's just reassurance that my mom is ok. FYI: I have AT&T.

Although I'd love to turn my phone off for the entire trip, having an elderly mom at home means I need to be in touch. I used to use the internet, but then I had to wait for an answer and it was slow to hear from home. Eventually I started using my cell phone, for mostly texts. I would text a couple times a day, just to make sure everything was ok, and my daughter would text back with reassurance. Each text I sent cost 25 cents. Overall, I spent much much less than when I was connecting to the internet to e-mail, and I was able to have instant answers to my questions. We saved most calling for St. Thomas, although we do connect by phone if need be. I find this method to be the most efficient and the cheapest method, depending on how much you use your phone. For me, it's just reassurance that my mom is ok. FYI: I have AT&T.

You may want to check with att about your current plan. Almost all their current plans include unlimited texting.

I have AT&T. How can I do this? Do I put my phone on aiirplane mode and turn off wifi?

I have AT&T. How can I do this? Do I put my phone on aiirplane mode and turn off wifi?

Call att to make sure you have a basic plan that has unlimited texting. This is for everyday domestic use. Then ask to talk with their international dept. Regarding whether it includes international texts. Even if it does, you'll still need phone and/or data service abroad (at sea or on land). And that means "roaming charges." Call ATT!

I have AT&T. How can I do this? Do I put my phone on aiirplane mode and turn off wifi?

Google and the internet are your friends. ATT has info on using your phone on a cruise ship. Down to the specifics for some cruise lines.

Go to the ATT site, google ATT wireless cruise ship, call ATT -- do not rely on the info here because it all depends on your plan. If something goes wrong and you dispute charges, I doubt they will have much sympathy when you say "but this is what the people on Cruise Critic told me to do".

I really prefer my approach to any other. I call our daughter when we arrive and the port of embarkation. I call again when we depart at the end of the cruise. In between, my cell phone does not work and stays in our stateroom safe.

OP, be careful using a cell phone on a ship. If you don't put it in airplane mode, or turn off data roaming, you phone will constantly be searching for data/email and the rest, at a per minute charge. It's not been unheard of for people to come home to huge phone bills, and never had made a call. The per minute charge using the ship's phone satellite is $2.49USD per minute.

I am with Tesco.

Only got a Nokia 9 quid phone but it has internet!

I cannot speak highly enough of Tesco. Take my phone everywhere and it joins into the local company instantly.

As I am not in the least technical, I would suggest that you call them as they are very helpful.