Question about the cell phone service onboard

[2Labs2Many]

Does HAL turn on and shut off their tower while they are in port?

 

What I guess I'm really asking is how can I make sure if I'm making a call while in a US port (for example San Diego before we leave or Hawaii when we get there), that I'm calling on a land tower rather than the ship's tower (at the higher rates)?

[IRL_Joanie]

Does HAL turn on and shut off their tower while they are in port?

 

What I guess I'm really asking is how can I make sure if I'm making a call while in a US port (for example San Diego before we leave or Hawaii when we get there), that I'm calling on a land tower rather than the ship's tower (at the higher rates)?

 

Yes they turn their satellite towers (or whatever they are called) off BUT, my cell phone service said that to be safe you should get about a block away from the ship before turning your phone on and to make sure it is turned off before you re-board.

 

Joanie

[ellieanne]

I have had no problems using my mobile on local networks on board while in port.

[NMLady]

Yes they turn their satellite towers (or whatever they are called) off BUT, my cell phone service said that to be safe you should get about a block away from the ship before turning your phone on and to make sure it is turned off before you re-board.

 

Joanie

 

We have Verizon nationwide coverage and in Hawaii I made phone calls as I sat by the pool onboard the Zaandam. No addiitional charges.

[Boytjie]

Does HAL turn on and shut off their tower while they are in port?

 

What I guess I'm really asking is how can I make sure if I'm making a call while in a US port (for example San Diego before we leave or Hawaii when we get there), that I'm calling on a land tower rather than the ship's tower (at the higher rates)?

 

Your phone should show you which network it is connected too.

[2Labs2Many]

Your phone should show you which network it is connected too.

 

Ah, great! That's what I guess I need to figure out before I leave. Seems like a trip to the Verizon store might be in order.

 

We have Verizon nationwide coverage and in Hawaii I made phone calls as I sat by the pool onboard the Zaandam. No addiitional charges.

I thought I might like to call home from the ship when we go in to eat for the evening or rest between excursions. (How awful is it that I'm more worried about my dogs than I am about my 25 year old who is going to be staying at our house and taking care of the dogs? :p )

[Boytjie]

Ah, great! That's what I guess I need to figure out before I leave. Seems like a trip to the Verizon store might be in order.

 

Look at your phone now, it shows you your cell phone service provider somewhere on the screen.

 

I thought I might like to call home from the ship when we go in to eat for the evening or rest between excursions. (How awful is it that I'm more worried about my dogs than I am about my 25 year old who is going to be staying at our house and taking care of the dogs? :p )

 

What would you have done before cell phones? Just because you can call doesn't mean you have to. :D

[Fontana]

Interesting article from The New York Times discussing different technologies available to use whilst travelling os, for *low* cost cell phone usage.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/technology/personaltech/07basics.html?em

Also posted in Oceania thread.

[kyriecat]

I have a Motorola phone with Verizon. When I'm using the local Verizon network is shows "Verizon Wireless" on the screen. When I'm on the ship tower it shows "Roaming". When I'm in the islands and Europe, it varies. Sometimes it shows "Roaming" but other times is actually shows the network (like Digicel).

[YXU AC*SE]

I have a Motorola phone with Verizon. When I'm using the local Verizon network is shows "Verizon Wireless" on the screen. When I'm on the ship tower it shows "Roaming". When I'm in the islands and Europe, it varies. Sometimes it shows "Roaming" but other times is actually shows the network (like Digicel).

 

If you have a CDMA phone, you will only show "ROAMING", so you are never quite sure if you being picked up by the ship, or by terrestrial carrier, when in port. If you have a GSM/GPRS enabled phone it will show the name of the carrier to which you are connected. On ship it will show as WMS (Wireless Maritime Services) IIRC. If you have a dual mode phone (CDMA + GSM) you will see either, depending on what network type you are connected to.

 

 

Scott.

[kyriecat]

If you have a CDMA phone, you will only show "ROAMING", so you are never quite sure if you being picked up by the ship, or by terrestrial carrier, when in port. If you have a GSM/GPRS enabled phone it will show the name of the carrier to which you are connected. On ship it will show as WMS (Wireless Maritime Services) IIRC. If you have a dual mode phone (CDMA + GSM) you will see either, depending on what network type you are connected to.

 

 

Scott.

Maybe it's my phone type (Z6) but it has never shown "WMS" on the ship, either on HAL or on RC. It always shows "Roaming". I have a dual mode phone. On islands using CDMA mode, it shows "Roaming" and not the carrier name. On islands using GSM, it usually shows the carrier name but occasionally will only show "Roaming", like on the French side of St. Martin.

 

I've never had it show up as "Roaming" in a US port. Sometimes it will show "Extended Network" instead of "Verizon Wireless" but the extended network is still part of my calling plan. Usually the ships turn off their cell phone towers a while before they dock. I noticed when we sailed AK that my phone would shift from "roaming" to either Verizon or extended network 30 to 45 minutes before we actually docked. I noticed the same thing going into Key West, FL and San Juan, PR. When we left, the ship didn't turn on their tower immediately. I talked to my husband from Puerto Rico for about 10 minutes during sail away and didn't get any extra charges.

[SusieKay]

I have a quad band LG phone from A T and T with international coverage.

On our recent Eurodam cruise, while at sea, away from ports, it showed "Cellular at Sea", which I believe most ships use as their satellite carrier. Anytime this shows up on your phone, you can be sure you will be calling at the highest rate, which on my plan was about $2.49 a minute.

In the ports of San Juan and St. Thomas, we had our usual home coverage with no additional charge. (our plan does not charge roaming)

On Grand Turk we could have made a call using the international rate with a local provider. There was no cell service provider that our phone could pick up while on shore at Half Moon Cay.

 

It's important to know your phone and plan before you leave. Though I am not a "techie", I think I understand that if you don't have at least a tri or a quad band phone, there will be many areas outside of the US where your phone just won't work. I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.

[Randyk47]

We have iPhones from AT&T but haven't used them on a cruise yet. Our previous AT&T phones worked throughout the Caribbean on most islands but we didn't make any calls. This was a few years ago and at the time HAL was "experimenting" with the on-ship service and the Volendam was one of the ships in the test. It was pretty clear on the Samsung phones we had at the time if you connected through the ship or the island system. For our upcoming Med cruise we'll have to be a bit more cautious as our iPhones do a lot more than our old Samsungs and we have a more extensive, all inclusive plan. AT&T sent us an email a few months ago with instructions on what to turn on or off, particularly as it pertains to Internet access, while in Europe and we've saved that information for future use.

[Boytjie]

If you have a CDMA phone, you will only show "ROAMING", so you are never quite sure if you being picked up by the ship, or by terrestrial carrier, when in port. If you have a GSM/GPRS enabled phone it will show the name of the carrier to which you are connected. On ship it will show as WMS (Wireless Maritime Services) IIRC. If you have a dual mode phone (CDMA + GSM) you will see either, depending on what network type you are connected to.

 

 

Scott.

 

 

You learn something new every day! I have always had GSM phones so I just assumed all phones show which network you are connected to.