Boarding tomorrow - quick question

[MiMiof2]

Our FIRST cruise ! I am sooooo excited !!!!

 

We plan on getting onboard asap tomorrow.

Will I be able to use my mobile internet & cell while we are docked in port without being charged the sea rate ?

I would love to get some quick photos posted for friends & family before sail-away, if possible. But I don't want to pay an arm and a leg.

 

Thank you !

[dioxide45]

I would be interested to know also, though I would also like to know how this works when at sea. Can you use your cell phone, how does it all work? Do you register your phone with the ship? We would like to make a quick call while at sea to touch base with home. Is it cheaper to just buy a phone card somewhere at one of the ports?

[klmorg]

Our FIRST cruise ! I am sooooo excited !!!!

 

We plan on getting onboard asap tomorrow.

Will I be able to use my mobile internet & cell while we are docked in port without being charged the sea rate ?

I would love to get some quick photos posted for friends & family before sail-away, if possible. But I don't want to pay an arm and a leg.

 

Thank you !

 

Yeah, you'll be able to do that while still in home port. You can tell when the "switchover" happens, because your cell should read "Cellular at Sea", rather than your usual cell carrier.

[klmorg]

I would be interested to know also, though I would also like to know how this works when at sea. Can you use your cell phone, how does it all work? Do you register your phone with the ship? We would like to make a quick call while at sea to touch base with home. Is it cheaper to just buy a phone card somewhere at one of the ports?

 

Meant to answer this in the other post. Check with your cell provider for sure. I have AT&T, and you can make a call from the ship by just dialing the area code & number. The charge, however, is $2.49/minute. That's the typical charge for most providers. But to send a text message, it's 50 cents, and I think 5 cents to receive. We did have to use the cell phone on board for a critical business issue, and it really didn't cost that much. Just be careful, and if you leave it on and people call you, even if it goes to voice mail, it will cost. You can try the phone card thing in ports if you want; but I never have so I can't speak to that.

[MiMiof2]

Thank you for the quick reply.

[dioxide45]

Meant to answer this in the other post. Check with your cell provider for sure. I have AT&T, and you can make a call from the ship by just dialing the area code & number. The charge, however, is $2.49/minute. That's the typical charge for most providers. But to send a text message, it's 50 cents, and I think 5 cents to receive. We did have to use the cell phone on board for a critical business issue, and it really didn't cost that much. Just be careful, and if you leave it on and people call you, even if it goes to voice mail, it will cost. You can try the phone card thing in ports if you want; but I never have so I can't speak to that.

 

We have AT&T and I checked it out on their website. However we use a prepaid GoPhone since we have only have the cell phone for limited use and emergencies. We can't use this phone when we visit my parents in Canada, wonder if it will work at sea? The phone will always be off except to make a call or two out.

 

Their website doesn't really get in to detail about prepaid phones and calling customer service is a crap shoot as you can never really trust what they tell you to be true.

 

We basically need to call from the port to make sure my in-laws made it on their plane and then another while at sea to make sure they made it home. Not like there is anything we can do if they didn't but the peace of mind knowing they made it is worth millions to my DW. They have never flown on their own before so it will be an adventure for them I am sure.

[klmorg]

We have AT&T and I checked it out on their website. However we use a prepaid GoPhone since we have only have the cell phone for limited use and emergencies. We can't use this phone when we visit my parents in Canada, wonder if it will work at sea? The phone will always be off except to make a call or two out.

 

Their website doesn't really get in to detail about prepaid phones and calling customer service is a crap shoot as you can never really trust what they tell you to be true.

 

We basically need to call from the port to make sure my in-laws made it on their plane and then another while at sea to make sure they made it home. Not like there is anything we can do if they didn't but the peace of mind knowing they made it is worth millions to my DW. They have never flown on their own before so it will be an adventure for them I am sure.

 

Sorry... can't answer about your pre-paid GoPhone, maybe someone else can. Your best bet is calling them. I've never had a problem getting the right answers from them about international and cruise calls. Good Luck!

[jojoacq]

Meant to answer this in the other post. Check with your cell provider for sure. I have AT&T, and you can make a call from the ship by just dialing the area code & number. The charge, however, is $2.49/minute. That's the typical charge for most providers. But to send a text message, it's 50 cents, and I think 5 cents to receive. We did have to use the cell phone on board for a critical business issue, and it really didn't cost that much. Just be careful, and if you leave it on and people call you, even if it goes to voice mail, it will cost. You can try the phone card thing in ports if you want; but I never have so I can't speak to that.

 

 

Well even if your phone is turned off it will go to voice mail, so are we charged even if it's off and in the safe??

[cherylscruises]

I used my Sprint phone on an 8 day cruise on the Miracle in April of 08. I called hubby and sent pics to ppl thru out the cruise and never noticed a change in my next bill. Im takin Sprint with me this April too!!! :D

[wrf2e]

As long as you are sailing out of the U.S. (not San Juan or a foriegn port) you will be able to use your cell onboard while still in port. Just be careful and make sure your phone doesn't say roaming or Cellular At Sea. I have read horror stories about where the ship had "Accidentally" left the onboard cell tower turned on while in home port so when folks used their phones to make those last minute calls they were being charged the higher rate. One story I remember was a guy was onboard a ship in Miami and used his laptop to watch a football game and when he returned his phone bill was in the thousands....he ended up getting the charges removed but you don't want that trouble. All of that being said, I have never had a problem using my phone in homeport or onboard the ship while docked at a US port of call like Key West, just be careful.

[momof4boys]

Haven't cruised for 2 years, but the last time we cruised, we kept our phones off and there were no charges for texts (even though people tried to text us or call us.)

[ginag]

Have a great cruise! You are going to love it!!!:)

[sylvis]

In 2006 my husband and I took a cruise out of Port Canveral and we made calls from the ship for the first two nights to say goodnight to our kids as we sailed along the Florida coast! As a previous poster had said the important thing is to look at your phone BEFORE you make the call and make sure that it doesn't say Cellular at Sea!