Using cell phone on embarkation day

[doneinne]

If we board in the morning, can we use cell phone until ship sails? Will it connect to land based cell towers and pay regular rates? Or will it go through the ship and charge international rates? We are leaving Galveston?

[SMSACE6]

good question, Im looking forward to some responses from those who are in the know!:)

[AdrenalineRush]

Usually I can still get a signal until about 10pm or so when sailing out of Miami.

You can just look at your phone to see if you are using the ship towers or your cell phone network

[*Mach*]

If we board in the morning, can we use cell phone until ship sails? Will it connect to land based cell towers and pay regular rates? Or will it go through the ship and charge international rates? We are leaving Galveston?

 

 

Yep... you're fine. I use my cell phone (Sprint...) out to about 12 miles from shore sailing from Galveston.

Watch to make sure your screen doesn't say roaming or 'Cellular At Sea' and you're OK...

:)

[tracy12502]

i've heard a horror story or two but I personally have never been charged international rates. We usually depart from a Florida port and we have used the phone even during sail away.

[Mxlady]

Att allows us to talk on land rates, your phone will tell you when you start bouncing off of the ships towers. We are usually talking to someone as we leave as the port cam is monitored by those left at home.

[bonnie&clydecruzers]

Your fine using your cell during sailaway.

[sjcruiser]

Your good until a few miles out. You can check your signal strength area to see if your still on your service provider, satellite, roaming, etc.

[Vettebuf]

I got charged roaming fees by Verizon ($5 per call to leave one sentence messages) even though I was standing on land next to the Splendor in Long Beach. I called them when I got home and they said you have to be far away from the ship when you're in port to avoid this. They wouldn't remove the charges.

[*Mach*]

I got charged roaming fees by Verizon ($5 per call to leave one sentence messages) even though I was standing on land next to the Splendor in Long Beach. I called them when I got home and they said you have to be far away from the ship when you're in port to avoid this. They wouldn't remove the charges.

 

 

The system is required to be shut down in port. The folks that own the satellite com system, Cellular At Sea, state that it will not be operated in port:

http://cellularatsea.com/guest_services.htm

 

I can understand Verizon refusing to remove the charges as Cellular At Sea billed them. Contact CAS at this link and tell them what happened:

http://cellularatsea.com/contact.htm

[bonnie&clydecruzers]

I got charged roaming fees by Verizon ($5 per call to leave one sentence messages) even though I was standing on land next to the Splendor in Long Beach. I called them when I got home and they said you have to be far away from the ship when you're in port to avoid this. They wouldn't remove the charges.

 

Have made several phone calls(Sprint) on Splendor during sail away and have never been charged. Sounds like somebody messed up and guessing this was a one time thing. I would definitley call CAS to find out what happened.

[kelkel2]

I can say without a doubt you will be fine using your cell phone in a US port without charges.

I always use my phone on embark/debark day. On our last cruise we had it on even as we were pulling out of the port in ft lauderdale. If you pay attention you will know when it turns to the other service. I think on mine it said "LIME" instead of "at&t"

[Rosefloater]

I got charged roaming fees by Verizon ($5 per call to leave one sentence messages) even though I was standing on land next to the Splendor in Long Beach. I called them when I got home and they said you have to be far away from the ship when you're in port to avoid this. They wouldn't remove the charges.

 

I also have Verizon. I have never been charged roaming fees when I have either sent text messages or called people while on the Splendor or the Paradise when they were at the port of Long Beach.

[CCLNCLRCICRUISER]

I got charged roaming fees by Verizon ($5 per call to leave one sentence messages) even though I was standing on land next to the Splendor in Long Beach. I called them when I got home and they said you have to be far away from the ship when you're in port to avoid this. They wouldn't remove the charges.

 

That does seem strange

 

1) If you are a loyal customer, escalating it to a supervisor, should have taken care of $5 charge

 

2)That would mean any of the workers at the port would have also been charged when using their cellphone near the ship.

[golfadj]

We will get and receive cell phone calls via Verizon during sailaway.

 

When we are about a mile out we will shut off our phones and they will enjoy the rest of the cruise locked in the safe.

[gail811]

This will be my first time sailing with my I Phone. I would like to use it onboard for pictures, but don't want to receive any data/calls. Does turning on to "airplane mode" take care of that, or is there something else I need to do?

[Border Granny]

Yes, putting it on airplane mode will let you use the camera, the alarm function if you need one, etc. On our last cruise, for some odd reason, we could not get my husband's phone to turn off, so it spent the whole 7 days on airplane mode just because it would not turn off!

[gail811]

Thanks!

[carib1]

I got charged roaming fees by Verizon ($5 per call to leave one sentence messages) even though I was standing on land next to the Splendor in Long Beach. I called them when I got home and they said you have to be far away from the ship when you're in port to avoid this. They wouldn't remove the charges.

 

 

I've had this same problem, but only happens when we sail out of Miami. Verizon always seems to charge international rates while sittin in port. They always end up removing the charges when i call.

[dioxide45]

We have an ATT GoPhone, so it isn't capable of roaming. We have never had a problem using it in ports, including the USVI. Also when we were on the Dream in May 2010, the ship had to come close to the coast for a Coast Guard medivac, during that time we were also able to make phone calls. For those with a regular cell phone, just making sure you are not roaming on Cellular at Sea and you should be safe. Be careful with texts during that time also.

[golfadj]

I've had this same problem, but only happens when we sail out of Miami. Verizon always seems to charge international rates while sittin in port. They always end up removing the charges when i call.

 

Very strange this has never happened to me in Miami an we use Verizon.

[Vettebuf]

That does seem strange

 

1) If you are a loyal customer, escalating it to a supervisor, should have taken care of $5 charge

 

2)That would mean any of the workers at the port would have also been charged when using their cellphone near the ship.

 

I know. I don't understand it. It only happened the one time in February, 2010. I haven't used my phone near a ship since.

 

I was miffed about them not removing the charges at the time but I didn't escalate it like I usually do when I feel that I was unfairly charged and Verizon and other companies have always removed the charges. I should have pursued it.

[am588]

I was able to use my verizon in Galveston for a while (not sure of exact times) during embarkation, and started at about 5:45am when we were arriving to Galveston. If you're on the Key west itinerary, you can also use your cell then