Allure of the Seas Cell Phone Question

[LoyaltoRoyal]

I am traveling on Allure on 7/31 and I will need to make late night business calls while we are at sea sailing to the next port. My question is, I have Verizon Wireless, will I be able to make phone calls and if so does anybody know what this will cost? (I called RCL and the representative couldn't give me a definite answer on whether it would work or not).

 

Can anyone share their experience with Verizon on Allure? Thanks!

[Merion_Mom]

I am traveling on Allure on 7/31 and I will need to make late night business calls while we are at sea sailing to the next port. My question is, I have Verizon Wireless, will I be able to make phone calls and if so does anybody know what this will cost? (I called RCL and the representative couldn't give me a definite answer on whether it would work or not).

 

Can anyone share their experience with Verizon on Allure? Thanks!

 

It will work.

 

Call Verizon and ask them what to do.

[mpillen]

talk to verizon about adding an international plan to your account....

[Merion_Mom]

From their website:

 

Can I use my Verizon Wireless phone to make and receive calls while on-board cruise ships?

 

You can use your Verizon Wireless CDMA phone to make and receive calls while traveling on select cruise lines. For service availability and rate information, visit International Roaming Rates and Coverage and scroll down to Cruise Ship Coverage.

[Merion_Mom]

From Royal Caribbean's website:

 

Cell Phone Service

Stay connected to friends and family from all over the world with Royal Caribbean International's fleetwide roaming network and Royal Caribbean Online fleetwide onboard workstations and Wi-Fi service.

 

Royal Caribbean International has an advanced roaming network onboard all ships, allowing you to make and receive calls, voice mail, text messages and GPRS data using your own mobile phone and telephone number.

 

FAQs:

 

What are the mobile phone rates while onboard?

Rates for usage of your mobile phone are determined by your home carrier.

For more information, please contact your home carrier customer service.

 

 

How will I be billed for the usage time on my mobile phone?

You will be billed by your home carrier for your international roaming usage on your regular mobile phone bill.

It can take up to 60 days for charges to appear on your phone bill.

 

 

Can I access GPRS data service (e.g. check e-mail, surf the Net, etc.)?

If your home carrier supports GPRS data service, you can use mobile phone service with compatible GPRS data capable devices to check email, surf the web, and share photos while onboard just as you would at home.

 

 

How do I call to the USA, Canada and the Caribbean when onboard?

Dial 1 + area code and number just as you would at home.

 

 

How do I call to other countries when onboard?

Dial "+," the country code and the full number.

Verizon Wireless/Sprint users, dial "011," the country code and the full number.

[AlanAllyn]

Verizon passes on a charge of $2.49 a minute from Cellular at Sea.

 

There is usually service, but you might hit a dead zone (satellite).

[reallyitsmema]

http://www.cellularatsea.com/roaming.htm

 

http://b2b.vzw.com/international/Roaming/index.html

 

Make sure you activate international dialing before you leave. It is free to activate. You will then need to program your phone using *228 and pick option 2. Rates are $2.49 per minute on the ship and vary in port. Check the above links for info.

[skandls]

I did make an expensive cell phone call at night. I did get disconnected 2 times which was not fun since I was trying to book flights using miles. It can be done just expect that it will cost a lot. There maybe areas of the ship that get better connectivity - I would ask about that.

[irishgirl]

International plans will only work while on land. On the ship, it's going to be $2.49/minute no matter what plan you have. Cellular at Sea is the carrier you will be using on the ship.

 

Judy

[precious89904600]

I just stopped by verizon wireless Wednesday and they told me its $1.99 minute in St. Thomas , St. Marteen and Nassau if thats any help or you might want to stop in and talk to the nearest verizon store and ask them. They also mention about a plan for $3.99 additioal

[fdthird]

And AT&T considers St Thomas the same as making a call from New Jersey so there is no additional charge to use your cell there if you have their service.

[Rellyrooly]

Are there charges for just having it on and roaming? Or only when an actual call is made? In other words, if I leave it on, will I get some crazy bill? Also, if someone calls me but it goes to VM, am I charged?

[tfrcal]

Are there charges for just having it on and roaming? Or only when an actual call is made? In other words, if I leave it on, will I get some crazy bill? Also, if someone calls me but it goes to VM, am I charged?

 

If it is on it will connect to the ship's tower (while at sea) and any calls you receive will be billed at $2.49 min. Plus, if you have a "smartphone" you need to worry about data downloads if you leave it on. There is no reason to leave it on unless you want to make a call.

[Former Goalie]

If it is on it will connect to the ship's tower (while at sea) and any calls you receive will be billed at $2.49 min. Plus, if you have a "smartphone" you need to worry about data downloads if you leave it on. There is no reason to leave it on unless you want to make a call.

We have Verizon wireless and are traveling on Oasis soon. After some research, this is what we plan to do with our smart phones very shortly after leaving Port Everglades:

1 - Turn data roaming off to avoid what can be a substantial charge for activation and usage. If you do not have a smart phone, this may not be necessary as data is not an issue.

2 - Put the phone in airplane mode. This will do the same thing as (1), plus we will not have the ability to receive and send calls and texts. Texts are the real issue here at 5 cents inbound/50 cents outbound. Phone calls not picked up are not charged.

This way, we can still take pictures with the phone.