cell phones in AK

[twonpcb]

Has anybody had any experience with using their cell phones on an Alaskan cruise? I figure as long as we are docked in port, if we use our phones we will be bouncing off of a tower from our port town (i.e. Juneau, Skagway etc.) What I don't want to find is upon returning home I have a laundry list of "roam" charges on my Verizon bill. Any experiences would be appreciated.

[DizzyDallasDi]

Well, I use AT&T but had no roaming charges when calling from Juneau, Skagway or Ketchikan. Just be sure not to use your phone when you're traveling from port to port.

[cherylakers]

I have Sprint and had no roaming charges either. Do not use your phone on the ship as you will incur ships charges.

 

Coverage is spotty in Denali if at all. Had no problem in Fairbanks or any of the ports.

[Coral]

I have used my Verizon cell phone in Skagway, Ketchikan and Juneau. No problems and no roaming fees.

[azdmelani]

Has anybody had any experience with using their cell phones on an Alaskan cruise? I figure as long as we are docked in port, if we use our phones we will be bouncing off of a tower from our port town (i.e. Juneau, Skagway etc.) What I don't want to find is upon returning home I have a laundry list of "roam" charges on my Verizon bill. Any experiences would be appreciated.

 

We had extended network in Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan on our cruise this past week. Calls/texts were fine, data was roaming so I had it turned off.

[Okie1946]

We have AT & T coverage and on both of our Alaskan cruises and did not get hit with roaming charges on any of our calls. Of course, all of our calls went to AT & T phones. Don't know how you would be charged if you went out of network.

 

Cherylakers and DizzyDallas are both correct. Don't use the phone on board ship - the charges for the bounce off from there is outrageous. If you are concerned about staying in touch with people who are on board with you - invest in a set of Walkie Talkies and find a channel that no one else uses. A good idea if you are traveling with kids and want to know where they are.

 

Enjoy your trip.

 

Previous Cruises:

Alaska - Westerdam - September 2009

Alaska- Rotterdam - September 2010

Mexican Riveria - Oosterdam - April 2011

 

Future Cruises – in planning stage:

2012 - Alaska – Amsterdam – September - 14 day cruise - getting closer to booking

2013 - Eastern Med - 28 day (includes cruising Black Sea)

[Keith1010]

We recently came back from an Alaska cruise and had no problems using our Cell Phones from any of the major ports of call. No roaming charges.

 

Keith