What do you do for phone service??

[Astro Flyer]

We just bought a Sprint version of the iPhone 4S which we can use outside of the US. If we pay $4.99/month for the international plan there's a slight discount...$1.69/minute vs. $1.99/minute without the monthly plan. It's nice to have it while outside of the US just in case it's necessary for any reason.

[Karennella]

I realize that cell phones are here to stay. And they are necessary at times. However, on a recent all-day bus excursion in southern Turkey, the man in front of us on the bus conducted business on his cell phone practically the whole time we were on the bus, in a loud voice, phone ringing endlessly. There was no where else to move to on the bus - it was full. I wasn't the only one who was annoyed. It really ruined the excursion.

Dreadful manners. A single call can be ok, but endless calls like that should not be allowed. We were on a tour in Turkey a few years ago when someone got a call from home in Australia, from her teenage son, asking how to get a frog out of the swimming pool filter. We all had a good laugh and commented that in days gone by, without the mobiles, he would have worked it out himself.

[Love the beach]

I do not want to use my regular cell number when I'm out of the country because I only want to receive calls/texts from family while on vacation.

 

I use a Telestial dual sim card in a new unlocked quad band cell phone I bought on Amazon. (Telestial.com sells the sim cards and they also sell phones.)

 

Their dual sim card gives me 2 phone numbers - one is a USA number and the other is a UK number. I give my family the USA number so they can call/text me at no cost to them. I give the UK number to all our transfer/tour providers. I use the same card and phone each time we go to Europe.

 

 

We did this as well. Bought a used GSM phone on ebay and used the Telestial sim card---worked great!

[sippican]

The Verizon phone was very easy for us to use. It worked in every country we visited. It provided a great deal of peace of mind for us to know that the caretakers of our elderly parents could reach us directly through our cell number if the need arose.

We were specific in directing them NOT to activate the data plan (which we also kept turned off the entire time) - we wanted it for emergency phone use only.

[PCWalton1]

The Verizon phone was very easy for us to use. It worked in every country we visited. It provided a great deal of peace of mind for us to know that the caretakers of our elderly parents could reach us directly through our cell number if the need arose.

We were specific in directing them NOT to activate the data plan (which we also kept turned off the entire time) - we wanted it for emergency phone use only.

 

We did the same thing last year and the phone was great. Verizon even sent a free text when we pulled into each port to tell us how to dial in that country.

At the end of the cruise, we got delayed in Barcelona due to the volcano in Iceland and the phone came in very handy for getting our flights re-arranged.

[account4fun]

Has anyone bought a prepaid phone in the country they were visiting and used that? A colleague just returned from Italy and she used a prepaid Go phone she purchased over there.

[caripoo]

I don't understand how Verizon claims they have the largest network when it doesn't work in Europe. Both of my boys studied abroad in Italy and they had Verizon and couldn't use their phones, and they HAD international phones. We have AT&T and while I do NOT love everything about them, we have international phones and have never had a problem with them in Europe...that is why we stay with them, since we travel abroad each year. I wouldn't want to spend EXTRA to rent a phone that I'm not used to when we pay so much for our phones to begin with....just MY opinion

[euro cruiser]

I don't understand how Verizon claims they have the largest network when it doesn't work in Europe.

It's important to pay attention to the details of marketing claims as well as to ask yourself what has been left unsaid (I say that as a professional marketer who has been creating claims for a variety of brands for 30 years). Verizon's claim is specific to the United States:

 

From surfing the web to watching movies. From getting social with friends to sharing pics or playing games. Verizon gives you the power to do it all, all on the largest high-speed wireless network in America. That's how Verizon helps you connect to the things that matter most.

 

The above quote is found on their web site under the heading "why Verizon" here: http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/explore/?page=why-verizon&lid=//global//explore//why+verizon

[shemp2000]

We have done the Passport Lite SIM from Telestial past cruise and it worked great in all ports. Cost of phone and card is about $40. Got a PINGO card for our family to call us from the U.S.

 

This time we are going to get the $5 sim as a backup (since we have the phone) but try to use Skype with free WIFI spots using our iPhone on Airplane Mode.

[celebritydave]

We purchased one of the Mobal international phones. Worked great. It got it's first try out when we were waiting on luggage after landing. Our flight was almost 2 hrs. late and it was the agent at the apartment checking on us.

 

We were also able to call out fine too. Only used it for limited calls.

 

I bought a Mobal phone quite a few years ago and I really like it. It has worked in every country I have visited and you only pay if you use it. The phone cost $40 and you get a UK phone number.

[Gracie115]

We bought our phone and sim card from one sim card dot com. Worked well for us last year and with the option of holding onto our numbers for $14.95 for the year we just kept it and now we're all set for our next Med cruise in April. We used it minimally so still have 20 of the 30 original minutes, but it's nice to know you have it. We had to use it once to straighten out a credit card issue in Israel...that was worth having it alone. Very easy.

[Lois R]

We bought our phone and sim card from one sim card dot com. Worked well for us last year and with the option of holding onto our numbers for $14.95 for the year we just kept it and now we're all set for our next Med cruise in April. We used it minimally so still have 20 of the 30 original minutes, but it's nice to know you have it. We had to use it once to straighten out a credit card issue in Israel...that was worth having it alone. Very easy.

 

Hi Gracie:), I am glad I saw this thread....you know I am going to the

Med for the first time in May:D. The only reason I would need to bring

a phone at all is if my flight was late.....the hotel I am staying at

has a car service that will be there to pick me up. I use Sprint and

have no idea what the price is to make an overseas call....guess I

need to check...but what you did sounds better to me. Just leave

my cell here at home and buy a phone for the trip.

This is one of the things I am learning since I have yet to sail to

Europe.

So you just bought the phone and they give you a number?

And thinking about it....what does happen if your flight is late?:eek:

How do you call the hotel since you can't call from the plane?:confused:

[D4]

Hi Gracie:), I am glad I saw this thread....you know I am going to the

Med for the first time in May:D. The only reason I would need to bring

a phone at all is if my flight was late.....the hotel I am staying at

has a car service that will be there to pick me up. I use Sprint and

have no idea what the price is to make an overseas call....guess I

need to check...but what you did sounds better to me. Just leave

my cell here at home and buy a phone for the trip.

This is one of the things I am learning since I have yet to sail to

Europe.

So you just bought the phone and they give you a number?

And thinking about it....what does happen if your flight is late?:eek:

How do you call the hotel since you can't call from the plane?:confused:

 

I use a Telestial SIM card and a quadband unlocked phone. (Telestial also sells phones to use with their SIM cards; see Telestial.com)

 

I prearrange my own transfers through RomeCabs. They know my flight number and monitor the flight, so they know if it will be late. They also know about how long it take to get through Immigration and baggage claim.

 

You could contact your hotel and see if the car service they use also does that. (If you never had to supply your airline and flight number, then you know for sure that they aren't monitoring your flight.)

 

We've needed a cellphone in Europe for a variety of situations where we would not have access to any other phone. On our most recent trip to Europe, we had to wait about an hour for a wheelchair we had preordered to come to the gate at FCO. After we waited a half hour, I called RomeCabs to tell them our situation and let them know we'd be coming. (You could run into a similar situation if you had lost luggage, etc.)

[Lois R]

I use a Telestial SIM card and a quadband unlocked phone. (Telestial also sells phones to use with their SIM cards; see Telestial.com)

 

I prearrange my own transfers through RomeCabs. They know my flight number and monitor the flight, so they know if it will be late. They also know about how long it take to get through Immigration and baggage claim.

 

You could contact your hotel and see if the car service they use also does that. (If you never had to supply your airline and flight number, then you know for sure that they aren't monitoring your flight.)

 

We've needed a cellphone in Europe for a variety of situations where we would not have access to any other phone. On our most recent trip to Europe, we had to wait about an hour for a wheelchair we had preordered to come to the gate at FCO. After we waited a half hour, I called RomeCabs to tell them our situation and let them know we'd be coming. (You could run into a similar situation if you had lost luggage, etc.)

 

Hi, thanks for the reply:) I have given my flight number, date, time,

etc to the hotel already:D and they explained everything to me via

email...the driver will have my last name on a card and they told me

where to go after I get my luggage so they have all my information

and I know what to do:) I guess the hotels know all about us

cruisers;) Oh, they said the driver will be holding the card up in the

air so I will see him......not sure if you recall, but I am staying at

The Golden, which you gave a thumbs up to me:)

[Gracie115]

Hi Gracie:), I am glad I saw this thread....you know I am going to the

Med for the first time in May:D. The only reason I would need to bring

a phone at all is if my flight was late.....the hotel I am staying at

has a car service that will be there to pick me up. I use Sprint and

have no idea what the price is to make an overseas call....guess I

need to check...but what you did sounds better to me. Just leave

my cell here at home and buy a phone for the trip.

This is one of the things I am learning since I have yet to sail to

Europe.

So you just bought the phone and they give you a number?

And thinking about it....what does happen if your flight is late?:eek:

How do you call the hotel since you can't call from the plane?:confused:

 

 

Lois if you go to www one sim card dot com you can get everything you need there. The phone/initial 30 minutes and special US phone number was around $100.00 but the $14.95 I added kept the phone number for a year and we'll just renew it when it comes time. The phones work a little differently but they work. We had need of it twice, once with the credit card issue and the other to track down our guide in Israel. I had Sprint too when we went and they basically TOLD me to go get a phone like this that it wasn't worth adding on service to the Sprint phone. Anyway it just sits here now waiting for our next trip, I charge it every couple of weeks when it beeps at me.... As far as your plane being late if you've given the info to the hotel and they're coming to get you I'm sure they'll monitor your flight number. We were over 2 hours late and our ride was right there waiting so I don't think you have anything to worry about. OH, I'll be on the Equinox on the 4/30 cruise so will keep it in shape for you!!!!

[Lois R]

Hi Gracie, oh...the purchase is 100.00?:eek:

[Gracie115]

Hi Gracie, oh...the purchase is 100.00?:eek:

 

 

Well the phone itself was $79.95 and then with taxes and the US # it wound up being around $100.00, but from what I can tell the only cost now is the $14.95 to keep the number per year, unless you need to add minutes. It came with 30 minutes and we still have at least 20 of them left from our last cruise, so I imagine that will last at least through this next cruise....it's just for emergencies, ya know....

[Lois R]

Hi Gracie:), so it is a small phone? Just like a regular cell?

Guess I didn't realize it was another 100 bucks.

[DrmnOfMaui]

We used skype...

[Lois R]

I thought Skype is for a computer.

[Gracie115]

Hi Gracie:), so it is a small phone? Just like a regular cell?

Guess I didn't realize it was another 100 bucks.

 

It's actually smaller than my normal cell phone. Not sure wqhat you meant by "another 100 bucks" . It was $79.95 to buy the phone and then with tax and the US number it came to a total of around $100.00(including the phone). That gave us the US phone # for 30 days, at 30 days I realized I could renew the US number for $14.95 for the year.

[cj_one2000]

I've been living in Europe now for over a year and let me tell you, that a $100 just for the cell phone itself is not necessary. There are numerous companies over in Europe that sell cheap (we're talking $20 phones) phones and you can add minutes based on your needs. VodaFone, T-Mobile and Orange are just a few off the top of my head. You can put something like 10-15 euro that will give you about 100-200 minutes based on the company. So you are looking at less than $50 for phone AND minutes.

 

What many of you DON'T know is that in europe, only the person placing the call "pays" for the minutes. The person receiving the call does not use minutes, the call is free for them. So, if you just need a phone for a week or two while abroad in europe, this is the way to go. Tour companies or hotels that need to get a hold of you can call you, and it doesn't use your pre-paid minutes. Some electronic stores like Saturn will buy back unused minutes.

 

There are other options too, such as data that allows you internet access on phones either on a daily, monthly or minute-to-minute basis. Text messages aren't always the best option as they range from 10 cent euro to 20 cent euro - which is really like 25-40 cents US dollar, PER MESSAGE. Ouch.

 

Be aware that in Europe, free wifi is not as common as it is in the states. That being said, my advice is to NOT rely on using Skype or other wifi-based services to make phone calls on an iphone or other capable device. You will be sorry when you discover that few cafes and public areas have free wifi access. Even when it comes to staying in a hotel, you only have a 50% chance of getting one with free wifi in the hotel lobby, and maybe a 25% chance of getting wifi in your room.

Hope this clarifies the communication issue.

[Gracie115]

I've been living in Europe now for over a year and let me tell you, that a $100 just for the cell phone itself is not necessary. There are numerous companies over in Europe that sell cheap (we're talking $20 phones) phones and you can add minutes based on your needs. VodaFone, T-Mobile and Orange are just a few off the top of my head. You can put something like 10-15 euro that will give you about 100-200 minutes based on the company. So you are looking at less than $50 for phone AND minutes.

 

What many of you DON'T know is that in europe, only the person placing the call "pays" for the minutes. The person receiving the call does not use minutes, the call is free for them. So, if you just need a phone for a week or two while abroad in europe, this is the way to go. Tour companies or hotels that need to get a hold of you can call you, and it doesn't use your pre-paid minutes. Some electronic stores like Saturn will buy back unused minutes.

 

There are other options too, such as data that allows you internet access on phones either on a daily, monthly or minute-to-minute basis. Text messages aren't always the best option as they range from 10 cent euro to 20 cent euro - which is really like 25-40 cents US dollar, PER MESSAGE. Ouch.

 

Be aware that in Europe, free wifi is not as common as it is in the states. That being said, my advice is to NOT rely on using Skype or other wifi-based services to make phone calls on an iphone or other capable device. You will be sorry when you discover that few cafes and public areas have free wifi access. Even when it comes to staying in a hotel, you only have a 50% chance of getting one with free wifi in the hotel lobby, and maybe a 25% chance of getting wifi in your room.

Hope this clarifies the communication issue.

 

 

All true but I like having ONE phone for international use, and one phone number so I don't have to give different info out each time I leave the country. Also the OneSimCard phone has dual sim cards so it's good in nearly every country worldwide, and now that we've made the initial investment it's only $14.95 a year plus any minutes we buy. We used about 8 minutes on the first trip so at that average we won't have to buy more minutes for 2-3 more trips. The phone is just for emergency contact stuff as I have NO DESIRE to talk on the phone, just nice to know we can communicate if we need to. But for a one time trip your idea may be the better way to go..

[dlorenzo]

Hi Gracie:), I am glad I saw this thread....you know I am going to the

Med for the first time in May:D. The only reason I would need to bring

a phone at all is if my flight was late.....the hotel I am staying at

has a car service that will be there to pick me up. I use Sprint and

have no idea what the price is to make an overseas call....guess I

need to check...but what you did sounds better to me. Just leave

my cell here at home and buy a phone for the trip.

This is one of the things I am learning since I have yet to sail to

Europe.

So you just bought the phone and they give you a number?

And thinking about it....what does happen if your flight is late?:eek:

How do you call the hotel since you can't call from the plane?:confused:

 

Anyone else have Sprint and planning to use iphone cell service while in Europe? Is this even possible? Do I need to get a different phone? Does an android phone work better or does it even matter. I would like to be able to call tours providers in Italy and call my kids occasionally.

 

Thanks for any help you can give me!

[seven11297]

my husband and I will be traveling to Italy for the 1st time Oct 2012 and I am so grateful to have read all your notes about Verizon cel phones. Thank you for all the information .. I am so excited and nervous too. LOL. :)