Pre-paid phone cards?

[CruisersTimesThree]

Sailing off on the Summit this Sunday and I have a question about staying in contact with home. Of course, cellphone call rates are ridiculous, so while at sea we will stay in touch with texting which is relatively more affordable and I believe staying in a Royal Suite gives you some complimentary internet time, which we will take advantage of also.

Once we get to Bermuda on Wednesday, is there any place you can buy a prepaid phone calling card to use? We have done it in Puerto Rico and Aruba. I told my son that we would be calling from a phone on the island once we get there, are there public phone booths?

Anyone have any experience with this? Would appreciate any input, thank you!

[Phxazzcruisers]

You do not get any free internet time on the ship for being in a Royal Suite. The free internet minutes are for Captain's Club members and minutes depend on level. Elite get 90 minutes each. It is easy in Bermuda to purchase a phone calling card. However I am sure you can purchase the calling card in New York before you leave. They sell cards that are usable anywhere in the world. Just check the card for countries. Have a great cruise

[CruisersTimesThree]

Hmmm, I was told by the Celebrity cruise planner that we booked with that staying in a Royal Suite gives you elite perks for your time on the ship during that particular cruise.

Anyone know? If not, I guess I'll just have to wait to board to see what extras there are or are not.

Whatever the case, I can't wait for Sunday to get here!

 

p.s. just called my cruise planner and he said yes, royal suite guests get elite perks while onboard.

[Phxazzcruisers]

That is interesting since guests that we traveled with on several cruises stayed in a Royal Suite and did not get elite perks. They only got the perks outlined as perks attached to the Royal Suite...... Good luck

[kitty9]

Before we became Elite, we NEVER got those perks even when booked in the Penthouse.

 

You can find phone cards in every port. Don't purchase them here at home because they don't work outside the US. Usually, there are phones right in the terminal or right outside. Just follow the crew because they use those phones to call home.

[Gonzo70]

Penthouse and Royal Suites sometimes receive Elite perks (and even Celebrity Suites on occasions) but this is a discretionary rather than guaranteed perk. You will not know until you enter your suite if you have been granted such perks (you will have the Elite coupon book and a print out with information about Elite activities/events in your suite if you have been granted these perks).

 

I had no difficulty purchasing a calling card and finding payphones when I was in Bermuda on Century; while that was a few years ago I would imagine this can still be easily done.

[CruisersTimesThree]

Thanks so much for the info Kitty and Gonzo...its much appreciated :)

[Phxazzcruisers]

You can purchase phone cards here in the US that are good worldwide. You just have to make sure you are purchasing the right card. It will say in the card attachment which countries it will work in. I have done it several times

[Gonzo70]

You can purchase phone cards here in the US that are good worldwide. You just have to make sure you are purchasing the right card. It will say in the card attachment which countries it will work in. I have done it several times

 

That is good to know. What stores have you found them in and is the per/minute rate decent?

 

Thanks

[cb at sea]

It's easier to buy a card in the country where you'll use it....all ports have shops that will sell them.

[CruisersTimesThree]

I actually went to Target today with the intention of buying phone cards. One I found was $30 for 360 mins, but then went on to explain the cost per minute on the back of the card for different areas, and stated that international calling rates where higher, but didnt give the amount. I don't really think it works out to the stated 360 mins.

In Aruba my husband bought cards that were $20 for 20 mins of calling back home..I'll guess that once we get to Bermuda it will be similar, so we'll wait till we get there.

Thanks again everyone for your input! Happy cruising!

[Phxazzcruisers]

That is good to know. What stores have you found them in and is the per/minute rate decent?

 

Thanks

 

Gonzo. They were available everywhere from WakMart to Target to Circle K. I am sorry but do not remember the per minute rates for each country. I now just use my iPhone.

[nicebbern]

Ask any of the staff members on the ship where you can purchase them. I've seen several staff members use their computers while in port onshore. One staff member explained that it is more economical for them to purchase Internet time through a Wifi Cafe and phone cards while onshore. They usually know where to purchase them reasonably, since they go weekly. I believe they have to pay for Celebrity's phone & Internet usage time like we do.

[loopymcgee]

I guess if I have an international rates package on my cell I can use that with an international calling card?

 

I used my cell while in Europe a few years ago and it was a whopper of a bill. Wont do that again. Need a better way to contact home.

 

I was thinking about using skype while in port. I have it on my phone.

[garycarla]

I guess if I have an international rates package on my cell I can use that with an international calling card?

 

I used my cell while in Europe a few years ago and it was a whopper of a bill. Wont do that again. Need a better way to contact home.

 

I was thinking about using skype while in port. I have it on my phone.

 

EVERYONE needs to take just a minute and think through what they are doing. Before buying something, ask yourself a few questions:

 

1 - How much will it cost to just use your cell phone? All carriers have their rates on their website. Some offer intl packages as well.

 

2 - A calling card that allows to call FROM the USA to Spain at xx per minute is not the same as calling FROM SPAIN back to the USA.

 

3 - All calling cards require that you access their system by calling some number. Figure out how you will call that access number.

 

4 - Using a calling card with your cell phone intl plan will probably be foolish. You need to access the system somehow.'

 

5 - Most ports have shops where you can make calls on their phones for a set amount. Sometimes that is way easier.

 

6 - Texting is cheap. Short. Simple. Phone calls are often hard to end - neither side wants to hang up. Or you play phone tag.

 

Personally, we just use our regular phone. $2.49 a minute on the ship - no setup, instructions or strange dialing. Use in many countries is around $1.

[Olive1950]

What I have always done in the past is to get a bunch of people together who were interested in calling cards and buy one card that we can all use; as opposed to 6 people each buying a card. The cost was then divvied up.

 

Once everyone had called home, we would give the card to a crew member if any minutes remained on the card.

 

It was usually always appreciated.

[SusieV]

In the Caribbean, we had an extremely hard time finding public payphone so we could call our son. We wasted most of the day in St Thomas. Unfortunately, using my Canadian cell phone would have cost a small fortune, and I can't text a three year old.

 

We might just have to bite the bullet this time though because I don't like being gone for so long and not being able to call him, but I don't want to waste my port time either.

[garycarla]

...We wasted most of the day in St Thomas. ...

 

 

After spending $2000 on a cruise - I have no problem spending $20 to make a quick call. Then go back on vacation.

 

On another note ...do we really need to call? A call may actually be upsetting to a little one. They are doing find, and then they hear Mom or Dad's voice and start all over again. Just sayin.

[loopymcgee]

I think I will just add an international roaming package to my cell while Im gone. I dont plan on using it very much, just to call my husband, make sure hes feeding the animals.

 

I am going to get some cards for the crew though. I like that idea.