Jump to content

Cell phone for a world cruise


Recommended Posts

What is the best cell phone service company for world cruising?

 

There is no one company that will be good for a world cruise . On land every country will slightly different in the type and set up of cell service. The only consistent cell usage will be on board the ship.

The only way to get a proper answer is to talk to the different companies

as to where their phone can be used.

 

Here are links to world cell phone service

 

http://www.telestial.com/gsm_phones.php

 

https://www.mobal.com/international-cell-phones/

 

If you do a google service there is more info.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We got our phones in the US and the International texting came standard, I think. I don't remember us having to get a special plan for it. When I arrive in a new country I get a text from TMobile that says they know I am in Country X and texting is free and usually how much it costs per minute to make a call. Usually the per minute cost is 50 cents. The only country I've had to pay for texting was in Honduras and there it was 59 cents per text.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have friends who use Facetime and/or Google to talk with their families while on a cruise. They were able to find either free or reasonable WiFi in most ports (and it was a world cruise) so it worked well for them. We're sailing away: they will be on the 2016 WC so you can ask them about this while on board. They would let the kids know when they would probably be calling. Does tie all to their computer but it was basically a 'free' call.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have friends who use Facetime and/or Google to talk with their families while on a cruise. They were able to find either free or reasonable WiFi in most ports (and it was a world cruise) so it worked well for them. We're sailing away: they will be on the 2016 WC so you can ask them about this while on board. They would let the kids know when they would probably be calling. Does tie all to their computer but it was basically a 'free' call.

Thanks for the info ..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

We live in the USA:

 

1. we got brand new iPhone 6s with great connectivity.

2. we got Tmobile with free data in 120 countries around the world.

 

It worked like a charm. It is not 4G rather it is 3G. However compared to the ship's wifi it was great. Calls home were .20 cents a minute to the USA. We were very happy to have this service on our 109 day circumnavigation trip.

They do not require a contract so you can cancel service when you get home. We did get iPhones optimized for Tmobile which helped.

 

Highly recommended

Edited by ijkh
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have TMobile and are able to text for free in most countries. Not sure if you need to make a lot of calls but the free texting has worked great for me.

Have you tried using wi-fi calling with T-Mobile? Presumably if it's communicating via wi-fi and not the cell tower, it doesn't care what country you're in? (I've only got T-Mobile last year and haven't had a chance yet to travel with it internationally).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wifi calling is the same as data if you have the "voice and data turned off". The data is ONLY free in the countries indicated by Tmobile. You get a happy little text message when you 'arrive' in a new country from Tmobile. The message will tell you whether it is a free country or not. I have a fun souvenir on my cell phone from all the countries we visited.

 

Do NOT call if it is not one of the free countries. If in doubt you can ALWAYS call Tmobile for free from anywhere and ask the nice agent in the USA if this a free call port or not.

 

The service for us was very good. Double check with Tmobile if calls over wifi are free. They may have closed that loophole. We used Skype over wifi as well as Whatsap. Both worked like a charm.

Edited by ijkh
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have TMobile and are able to text for free in most countries. Not sure if you need to make a lot of calls but the free texting has worked great for me.

 

We have T-Mobile, too. It worked very well for us on our trip to France and England for a Transatlantic. I've also used it in the Caribbean.

 

The plan is called the Simple Plan. I don't want to sound like a commercial, but basically, you get unlimited minutes and text in the US for the base rate (apx. $50 per line), plus your choice of data plans: 1Gb=free?, 3Gb=$10, 5Gb=$20, 10Gb=$30 or unlimited=$40.

 

Then in 150 countries around the world you get 2G or 3G speed data for free. You can pay extra for 4G, I never checked how much. Calls are low cost, but not all are 50 cents/min. I believe England was $1.50/min. Still better than regular international rates with a US cell phone.

 

I did have to pay off one contract early to switch plans. The Simple Plan can be "no contract" if you already have a T-Mobile compatible phone or if you buy the phone outright upfront. With a 2 yr contract you can pay for a phone in 24 installments added to your bill. Really, just like before, except the bill goes down after 2 yrs if you keep the same phone. My Samsung G5 was an extra $25/month and that goes away after 24 months.

 

No relation to T-Mobile except as a satisfied customer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

There was a thread some months ago about this international phone. Sounds like it is the cheapest way if you only plan on using the phone for important overseas calls. I will look for the thread and post it if I can find it (not sure which forum it was on).

 

Here is one thread although it is not the one I remembered.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2322258&highlight=international+cell+phones

 

Found it! http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2322097&highlight=international+cell+phones

Edited by Scrapnana
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was a thread some months ago about this international phone. Sounds like it is the cheapest way if you only plan on using the phone for important overseas calls. I will look for the thread and post it if I can find it (not sure which forum it was on).

 

Here is one thread although it is not the one I remembered.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2322258&highlight=international+cell+phones

 

Found it! http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2322097&highlight=international+cell+phones

 

We had a Mobal ... never did work the way it was advertised. We have since gotten rid of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Project Fi from Google. Works great for us in 20 countries so far. I also carry an iPad mini with. T mobile data plan for $35 a month. With both I spend about $80 a month and have had great connections except when we were in Antarctica last month. Definitely on my tech list for the RTW.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Forums mobile app

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
Project Fi from Google. Works great for us in 20 countries so far. I also carry an iPad mini with. T mobile data plan for $35 a month. With both I spend about $80 a month and have had great connections except when we were in Antarctica last month. Definitely on my tech list for the RTW.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Forums mobile app

 

 

With the project fi can you use it on ship without incurring extra fees? Or just in the countries they list?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Project fi phones work in 135 countries. Basically T Mobile countries. At sea they are like any phone, ship wifi and cellular @sea works. The difference between Fi and T mo (I use both) is the Fi data will always be the fastest available, and always $10 usd/gb even if you go over your requested amount, everywhere. It never gets throttled. It just get tacked on your next bill. T mo data will be throttled at 2g when international unless you buy the international package of hi speed.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...
Thanks ' date=', did you get it in the U.S. what type plain do you have ?[/quote']

 

All t mobile plans give free international text and internet in most ports.

Last year on Princess world cruise the only port I could not get free service was Vietnam. Really keeps internet costs down.

 

Michelle

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

AT&T and T-Mobile work on the same type system. (I forgot what it is called.) Other carriers, such as Verizon, use a different system and and are not usable in many countries. We have had AT&T for many years and have used it in Asia, South Pacific, Europe, and the Caribbean.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

After the 2017 WC we switched to T-Mobile. $50/line includes data and text almost anywhere in the world. Calls are $.20/minute. We are currently in Europe and are enjoying being connected with the world for no additional cost.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I too, recommend T-Mobile! Currently on 24-day European cruise (Baltics, Scotland, etc) and have been able to get emails, FB, news, etc. with no problem at all...I was surprised that I've only used 2.5 GB of unlimited data!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...