Tips for saving $$ when calling home? Sprint HTC

[Michelle M]

What are your tips for saving money to call home while at sea or port??:confused:

 

We will bring our Sprint HTC. Someone suggested finding free wi-fi on the islands, not sure the cost of wi-fi on board...any suggestions??

 

PS, Before you say don't call home, that won't be an option as we run a business and will need to check in 1 or 2 times a day during the week, and most of those days we are in port!!

 

Thanks for your help!:)

 

Michelle

[SCUBA Mark]

What are your tips for saving money to call home while at sea or port??:confused:

 

We will bring our Sprint HTC. Someone suggested finding free wi-fi on the islands, not sure the cost of wi-fi on board...any suggestions??

 

PS, Before you say don't call home, that won't be an option as we run a business and will need to check in 1 or 2 times a day during the week, and most of those days we are in port!!

 

Thanks for your help!:)

 

Michelle

 

I use Skype on my iphone using free internet while we are in port. It works great.

 

The internet bandwidth on the ship is not fast enough and costs and arm and a leg also.

[Michelle M]

I use Skype on my iphone using free internet while we are in port. It works great.

 

The internet bandwidth on the ship is not fast enough and costs and arm and a leg also.

 

Okay very stupid question, is it free on board?:confused:

 

Michelle:p

[ksat]

Make sure you have international calling and data plan with sprint. Depending on port, I believe calls are around 1.99 per minute. If texting is an option those are much cheaper. Around 50 cents to send and 15 cents to receive even on ship. Call Sprint as they are very helpful on this and will make sure the HTC is set up to make the calls.

[Michelle M]

Make sure you have international calling and data plan with sprint. Depending on port, I believe calls are around 1.99 per minute. If texting is an option those are much cheaper. Around 50 cents to send and 15 cents to receive even on ship. Call Sprint as they are very helpful on this and will make sure the HTC is set up to make the calls.

 

Texting is definitely an option, and at those prices, not bad, especially from the ship. Will speak to Sprint, thank you again!!

Michelle:p

[mommyz]

When we were in mexico and jamaica a while back we would go into town and go into one of the internet/phone cafes. call home real quick cost maybe a buck or two. good thing is you know before hand. one time i think we bought a $2 calling card and used a pay phone.

[Michelle M]

When we were in mexico and jamaica a while back we would go into town and go into one of the internet/phone cafes. call home real quick cost maybe a buck or two. good thing is you know before hand. one time i think we bought a $2 calling card and used a pay phone.

 

Thanks for the tips!

[SadieN]

On some ships you can call from your cabin for 99c. Using your cell phone is $2.49.

[SexyK]

Get the international plan. I think its like 10 a month. Let them know when you going . When come back have it taken off. Its not that expensive.

[Michelle M]

On some ships you can call from your cabin for 99c. Using your cell phone is $2.49.

 

Do you remember which ship??:o

[SadieN]

Do you remember which ship??:o

 

 

Carnival Paradise. They - Carnival or Cellular at Sea - are testing this rate on certain ships. Didn't notice which ship or line you are on. You can ask on your lines board.

[Michelle M]

Carnival Paradise. They - Carnival or Cellular at Sea - are testing this rate on certain ships. Didn't notice which ship or line you are on. You can ask on your lines board.

That would be amazing to pay only 99 cents a minute from the ship!

 

We are sailing on the Valor, I wonder if Valor is testing phones service for 99 cents also???:confused:

 

Thanks much!:p

 

Michelle

Naples Florida

[Bradpinksc]

I am going to try this one. Need to check on husband and son-in-law who are home with the grandsons. Mother,daughter bonding time.

[Vanessa L]

What are your tips for saving money to call home while at sea or port??:confused:

 

We will bring our Sprint HTC. Someone suggested finding free wi-fi on the islands, not sure the cost of wi-fi on board...any suggestions??

 

PS, Before you say don't call home, that won't be an option as we run a business and will need to check in 1 or 2 times a day during the week, and most of those days we are in port!!

 

Thanks for your help!:)

 

Michelle

 

OK, I've never owned or run my own business so I genuinely want to know, if you don't have a second in command to whom you can trust the business, do you really have any business (no pun intended) running off and leaving it? This seems kinda like child care to me. If you trust someone with your kids (business) why would you need to call 7 zillion times a day to "check on them"? And if you do, why leave at all? I am genuinely curious how that works (again, no pun intended).

[Michelle M]

OK, I've never owned or run my own business so I genuinely want to know, if you don't have a second in command to whom you can trust the business, do you really have any business (no pun intended) running off and leaving it? This seems kinda like child care to me. If you trust someone with your kids (business) why would you need to call 7 zillion times a day to "check on them"? And if you do, why leave at all? I am genuinely curious how that works (again, no pun intended).

 

All I can really say is it will be hard to explain it to someone who has never owned their own business.

 

Good point, when you leave it, and stay in touch, then we are not running off and leaving it....we are attending to it!!

 

Thanks for asking!

Michelle

[Vanessa L]

All I can really say is it will be hard to explain it to someone who has never owned their own business.

 

Good point, when you leave it, and stay in touch, then we are not running off and leaving it....we are attending to it!!

 

Thanks for asking!

Michelle

 

Exactly. So if you cannot vacation without leaving it, why vacation at all? Is that really a vacation? I don't get it because when I vacation, I vacation. Work, and everything else, is back home. That what needs monitoring is monitored by people I trust. That which doesn't need it, doesn't need it. I guess I just don't understand going off on "vacation" if you have to call in every day. Why not just stay home and tend to the business? If you want to leave and take a break, why not just leave the second or third in command, in command and then enjoy your vacation?

 

Edited to say that, if the answer is, when you own your own business you NEVER trust anyone enough to leave it, then I guess I'll be ok with that. Guess I'm just glad I don't own my own business!!

[missmay80]

Michelle - Thanks so much for asking this question! It saved me the trouble. I called Sprint, and they can add the International to a plan. We are cruising in April, so I'm glad I called. However, they also informed me that we will still incur a per minute charge that is different for each port. The per minute fee (about $2.00 per minute) is significantly less than if you don't have the International plan (up to $10 per minute). I understand that you will have to call your business. I used to be a hotel manager, and it was MUCH easier to check in a put out a fire each day than to come back to the place being burned down :-) This time, we are going to be using it to check on our 1 and 2 year old munchkins.

 

PS - They will automatically add it for your next billing cycle (to avoid proration) unless you specify otherwise. We had to request to have it go into place immediately.

[Michelle M]

Michelle - Thanks so much for asking this question! It saved me the trouble. I called Sprint, and they can add the International to a plan. We are cruising in April, so I'm glad I called. However, they also informed me that we will still incur a per minute charge that is different for each port. The per minute fee (about $2.00 per minute) is significantly less than if you don't have the International plan (up to $10 per minute). I understand that you will have to call your business. I used to be a hotel manager, and it was MUCH easier to check in a put out a fire each day than to come back to the place being burned down :-) This time, we are going to be using it to check on our 1 and 2 year old munchkins.

 

PS - They will automatically add it for your next billing cycle (to avoid proration) unless you specify otherwise. We had to request to have it go into place immediately.

 

Thanks, we found out the same thing from Sprint.......as for the hotel, we used to be in the hotel business, so I relate there too!

 

Enjoy your cruise...:D

Michelle

[mikel24m]

Im not sure if they fixed this flaw yet but our last few cruises we called home and it was less than a minute just to check on things and we were never charged anything

[Michelle M]

Im not sure if they fixed this flaw yet but our last few cruises we called home and it was less than a minute just to check on things and we were never charged anything

 

That is a lesson in fast talking!!! :rolleyes:Thanks for the tip!

Michelle

[Michelle M]

That is a lesson in fast talking!!! :rolleyes:Thanks for the tip!

Michelle

Anyone know if Valor is offering this discounted rate to call from the ship??

[QVickiB]

The Destiny funtimes actually says that calling home is $.99. Check out John Heald's blog and see if there is a recent Valor funtimes on there.

 

And I, for one, believe that a vacation with 30 minutes of work a day is better than no vacation at all :)

[Marysunshine]

Hi All: First, I would guess it depends where you are calling from. We are doing the southern caribbean. I spent 40 minutes on the phone with sprintpcs this morning. From what the guy said, since we get long distance included, then any US territory to call is a normal long distance call. However, in my untrusting brain....I say to msyelf.."Is St. Thomas a territory ?" I now know Puerto Rico is fine, but just to ensure no issues, I sent an e mail and I"m awaiting a response. If I can check in from PR and ST then that's more than enough.

[Michelle M]

The Destiny funtimes actually says that calling home is $.99. Check out John Heald's blog and see if there is a recent Valor funtimes on there.

 

And I, for one, believe that a vacation with 30 minutes of work a day is better than no vacation at all :)

 

Thank you on all fronts, I will check to see if Valor has the .99cent per minute rate. That will be awesome if they do!!

 

As for working for 30 mins a day while on vacation....I am with you!! Better than a sharp stick in the eye!!!HAHA

thank you

Michelle:p

[New2Cruising24]

Hi there, just found the VALOR fun times on John's blog thingy and Valor says 6.99 per minute to call home from stateroom. Boo :( as I was hoping it would be .99 too...but maybe by Oct it will be...*insert fingers crossed* ;)

 

Also going to St. Thomas and San Juan...according to AT&T site they are considered US (as they should be, since they are, LOL), so should be included. My guess is SPRINT is the same.

 

I know I'm AT&T and not SPRINT as the OP but I like to check out these threads for as much info as possible.

 

Happy Cruising!!!