Massive Mobile Phone Bill Whilst @ Sea

[GiannaD]

The issue is Royal Caribbean does not set the rates - the carriers do. As far as I am aware, Royal Caribbean has no say in the rates.

 

Orange does not provide any information on cruise ship rates on their website that I found. I don't know how well they do if you call them and specifically ask about rates. I use Verizon for my cell phone service. Their website spells out very clearly the rates for cruise ships (see below cut-and-paste):

 

 

 

I assume Verizon must have an agreement with whoever owns the cell towers on RC ships (AT&T?) so Verizon can publish fixed rates. The issue may be that Orange does not have an agreement for fixed rates, which is why your international data package wasn't used while onboard. I'm not familiar with Orange and their policies/partners so cannot explain it. There are other UK cruisers who review these boards so maybe they can.

 

Did Orange tell you if their was a cheaper way to use data while onboard (like a cruise specific data package)?

 

For me the least expensive way to communicate is with text messages. Verizon charges $.50 to send a text and $.05 to receive a text. As stated above it is really important to turn data off when using your cell at sea or in a foreign country. When in port it is important to check to see that the ship's antenna has been turned off and that you are using a "land" tower before using your phone.

 

I tell friends and family that I will not be checking voice mail or answering calls while away and to call the ship (very expensive!) in a dire emergency. I do check for texts on a regular basis.

 

I'm sorry for your unfortunate experience but Royal Caribbean really can't do anything about your predicament. You have to deal with your cell carrier.

[Alwaysonvacation]

OP: Sorry to read that your Cellular Bill was high, but as it was stated by another poster, you're a frequent cruiser, and it should have been somewhat of a "no brainer" that the connectivity is very high....

 

Nonetheless....

 

A tip and it may have already been posted but I wasn't going to read post after post of people telling you "Duh!": Contact your service provider next time prior to embarkation. Many of these companies (even European) have agreements with carriers here for "unlimited internet" - for my Verizon Smartphone, it's only an additional $25 for unlimited "Cellular at Sea" internet and so many cents/minute additional for International Calls. I do this for EVERY cruise as I am constantly being contacted for work issues. Obviously, your phone is an International Phone and can handle this.

 

Good Luck and your lesson may help newbies that read this board in the future!

 

Lady_G

 

Please let me know what exactly you tell Verizon when you call them re: Cellular at Sea Unlimited Data" as the VZ Rep I spoke to knew nothing of it. I too get calls, emails etc while on vacation and this would be very helpful.Thanks

[MrCruzdoggie]

If you are so important that you cannot turn off you cell for a week, please stay off the cruise ships......................................I'm so so tired of this same post

[Alwaysonvacation]

If you are so important that you cannot turn off you cell for a week, please stay off the cruise ships......................................I'm so so tired of this same post

 

Not sure who pee'd in your cheerios this morning, but if you are so tired of this type of comment or thread then STOP LOOKING AT THEM!!!.

 

No one here said , nor implied, that they were "so important" that they can't turn cell phone off.Sometimes it's not an option.

 

Wish they had an "ignore" button here, I'd surely use it on you.

[MrCruzdoggie]

Not sure who pee'd in your cheerios this morning, but if you are so tired of this type of comment or thread then STOP LOOKING AT THEM!!!.

 

No one here said , nor implied, that they were "so important" that they can't turn cell phone off.Sometimes it's not an option.

 

Wish they had an "ignore" button here, I'd surely use it on you.

 

We have seen this 100s of times, whine whine I had a big cell phone bill, I say read the boards before hand........................Lay off

[Alwaysonvacation]

We have seen this 100s of times, whine whine I had a big cell phone bill, I say read the boards before hand........................Lay off

 

And yet you not only feel the need to keep reading them, but then add a completely useless post to this thread..........................................

[Bettytrouble]

Just spoke with my carrier , AT and T.

 

The rates are as posted by others- 2.49 /minute once 12 miles from Us soil, including USVI

 

50/.05 for texts

they have internet plans or you can be charged per MB, I do not care about this.

 

What I did do is have them turn OFF internet and multimedia on my kid's cell phones for the duration of the cruise. They will not be able to access the internet or send photos to friends, etc. I don't think that they will WANT too, but you never know. Kids will be able to text us so that we can all keep in contact with each other on the ship, should we part ways for a while.

 

It is easy to do yourself on the IPhone, but the kids have less expensive phones.

If you are worried about big bills, turn the phone off!

 

I need to keep mine on as I care for elderly parents and they will be with hired nurses whilst we are away. I do not want to be incommunicado. We also like the teting on board, as the old fashioned walkie talkies a, as well as the phone talkies are annoying and prone to glitches. i HATE hearing someone screaming into their phone talkie because there is a lot of noise in the background...

 

Kids phones text only, the hubbie and I are all set to recieve calls re; parents-

[Pushka]

My mother who is aged thinks I'm important and likes to know she can contact me, if it turns out later she didnt need to. So I should not cruise then? Actually I'm going to swing this around. People who don't want contact while they are on holiday whatever the circumstances, are selfish. There, how does that feel?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Virtopia]

This is exactly why I'm glad I work for a cell phone company. I go as far as taking out the sim card while traveling abroad.

[Germancruiser]

I agree with the poster who said shut it off- your are on a vacation. Terrible terrible if people can´t be without their cell. Maybe a nice therapie would help...! I know there are such things nowadays....! Exeptions are of course when relatives are troubled or have to get in contact - just in case. Unbelievable how our society could surive all those years without cell´s ! We used to organize that our granparents or whoever stayed home was taken care of and left an emergency number just in case.!

Michael

[Bettytrouble]

My 14 year old daughter is going into a full shock mode because we just told her that she can't use her cell phone while we are on our cruise....I told her we would put it in the safe...but she really wants to use her camera. Can I turn off the data so she can safely turn her phone on to use her camera?????

 

Inquiring mind of a teen needs to know;)

 

 

 

CSBM

 

YES!! I posted about few posts ago ago. I called our carrier for my August cruiseand all 3 of my kids cell phones have had data/mulitmedia disabled for the duration. They put it in the computer ahead of time for you.I have the confirmation e-mail and all. ( AT and T) If she has a smartphone, go to their website and you can find easy instructions on how to do it.

[Bettytrouble]

I agree with the poster who said shut it off- your are on a vacation. Terrible terrible if people can´t be without their cell. Maybe a nice therapie would help...! I know there are such things nowadays....! Exeptions are of course when relatives are troubled or have to get in contact - just in case. Unbelievable how our society could surive all those years without cell´s ! We used to organize that our granparents or whoever stayed home was taken care of and left an emergency number just in case.!

Michael

 

 

This is only the first time I will be keeping my cell on- elderly parent issues. Before the tragic illness of Dad struck, we would just give them the phone # for calling the ship and all our info. Now I have nurses to watch them and MAY need to be contacted.

 

But using the text feature to stay in touch with teens on a BIG ol ship is a nice idea!

 

Remember the days when one would ask " Has anyone seen the phone?" Instead of " Has anyone seen MY phone?".

[temple1]

I agree with the poster who said shut it off- your are on a vacation. Terrible terrible if people can´t be without their cell. Maybe a nice therapie would help...! I know there are such things nowadays....! Exeptions are of course when relatives are troubled or have to get in contact - just in case. Unbelievable how our society could surive all those years without cell´s ! We used to organize that our granparents or whoever stayed home was taken care of and left an emergency number just in case.!

 

Michael

 

I am no where important enough to need my phone 24/7. However I am in business for myself and I do need to check my emails at least once a day. The joy is having my phone turned off - but I do need to have access.

 

Not sure who pee'd in your cheerios this morning, but if you are so tired of this type of comment or thread then STOP LOOKING AT THEM!!!.

 

No one here said , nor implied, that they were "so important" that they can't turn cell phone off.Sometimes it's not an option.

 

Wish they had an "ignore" button here, I'd surely use it on you.

 

There is an ignore button - I think you click on the member's name and their is an option to ignore. Use it wisely. ;)

 

We have seen this 100s of times, whine whine I had a big cell phone bill, I say read the boards before hand........................Lay off

 

If people only posted new topics, or topics of interest to everyone then you would see 1/100 or less of the posts currently on here. A lot of topics I'm really tired of reading but I don't open them and I don't make useless unpleasant comments.

 

I hope you have a better bowl of Wheaties today. :D

[Ocean Boy]

I agree with the poster who said shut it off- your are on a vacation. Terrible terrible if people can´t be without their cell. Maybe a nice therapie would help...! I know there are such things nowadays....! Exeptions are of course when relatives are troubled or have to get in contact - just in case. Unbelievable how our society could surive all those years without cell´s ! We used to organize that our granparents or whoever stayed home was taken care of and left an emergency number just in case.!

Michael

 

Going on vacation, unfortunately, does not relieve everyone of all responsibilities. And if one could plan ahead of time for emergencies then they would not be called emergencies. Yes, people did survive for years without cell phones. They also survived without electricity. But now that it has been "invented" I suspect most of us don't have homes without it.

 

You don't know what someone else's circumstances are or why they need to have contact with the "real world" while on vacation. Cell phones actually allow some to be able to get away more simply because they can remain in contact.

[reeran]

And yet you not only feel the need to keep reading them, but then add a completely useless post to this thread..........................................

 

 

LOL Good one!:D

[mommabean]

Going on vacation, unfortunately, does not relieve everyone of all responsibilities. And if one could plan ahead of time for emergencies then they would not be called emergencies. Yes, people did survive for years without cell phones. They also survived without electricity. But now that it has been "invented" I suspect most of us don't have homes without it.

 

You don't know what someone else's circumstances are or why they need to have contact with the "real world" while on vacation. Cell phones actually allow some to be able to get away more simply because they can remain in contact.

 

Good post. Very good.

[Ocean Boy]

If you are so important that you cannot turn off you cell for a week, please stay off the cruise ships......................................I'm so so tired of this same post

 

Here is your post from the thread on Norovirus. You seem to be having an issue with a lot of things around here........

 

We are close to having to sign something to if anything happens on board too bad...............................keep it up people.........................I'm about sick of the crying. People bring sickness onboard....................43 cruises and zero real illness caused by a ship

[Magicat]

I do not understand people that take/use their cell phones on vacation! If i used my cell phone on the ship my SO would throw it overboard. Same goes for my laptop!

 

We take a small travel lap top with us. After reading times where a ship is late coming into port and everyone is on the computers instead of changing their flights but checking their Facebook Status, we take it so we can log on do what we have to do.

Other than that, it remains off and safely stowed away. Same goes for our cell phones.

[Pushka]

Going on vacation, unfortunately, does not relieve everyone of all responsibilities......... Cell phones actually allow some to be able to get away more simply because they can remain in contact.

 

Yes, this! It has nothing to do with self importance and everything to do with responsibilities. Which cannot be shed just because of a vacation.

[Zach1213]

Everyone knows to turn off your phone while on a cruise. Interesting seeing the word whilst instead of while.

 

This is just not true at all. I never turned my phone off while at sea, nor did I put it in airplane mode. It's exactly like traveling international - your phone is roaming, but if you don't do anything with it, it will not use any data.

 

On many phones, it's very easy to set it so that it will not use data when you are roaming. Even if you ask it to...it will not do it unless you go in and change the settings. That way, you can have full access to your phone, and full access to WiFi, without worrying about outrageous data fees.

 

I travel internationally every month with my phone (which is essentially the same thing as using it on a ship while at sea) and have never paid a single penny (or pence) in unintentional data, without ever having to turn my phone off.

[Zach1213]

Going on vacation, unfortunately, does not relieve everyone of all responsibilities. And if one could plan ahead of time for emergencies then they would not be called emergencies. Yes, people did survive for years without cell phones. They also survived without electricity. But now that it has been "invented" I suspect most of us don't have homes without it.

 

You don't know what someone else's circumstances are or why they need to have contact with the "real world" while on vacation. Cell phones actually allow some to be able to get away more simply because they can remain in contact.

 

When I went on Liberty back in February, a work emergency came up while I was in line to check-in. When I got onboard the ship, I immediately went to our stateroom, pulled out my laptop, and had to work until the minute the muster drill started. So I agree with you...unfortunately, life does happen, which is why there is cell phone and Internet capabilities on every corner of the globe (and ocean).

[ggo85]

Yes, this! It has nothing to do with self importance and everything to do with responsibilities. Which cannot be shed just because of a vacation.

 

Agree. IMO, cell phone and email usage at sea is very situation dependent. My husband's business is such that he can be away for some time without checking email/voice mail. A few years ago, he traveled abroad (not on a cruise) and got slammed with a huge bill for data. The carrier waived most of it and now he doesn't take his smart phone overseas and turns it off when at sea if departing from the US.

 

I, OTOH, must be available to take phone calls and respond to emails while on vacation. I wish I didn't but in my line of work, it's an unfortunate fact of life. Because of that, my business pays for my data plan wherever I am and, if a client "demands" I be on a call while at sea, the client will pay the charges I incur.

 

I think the point of the original post is a good one . . . know before you go. Find out how much cell and/or data will cost, determine how important it is for you to "keep in touch," and decide whether it's worthwhile for you to pay what it costs to do so.

[nbsjcruiser]

Its not just the ships. My son went to Los Angeles last year for a week and called us a few times while he was down there. We always kept the call short because I knew he was on roaming. His bill was over $600! This year I told him to get a calling card and put his phone on airplane mode.

 

Its one reason why when I replace my phone it will NOT have a data plan. Its just a scam as far as I'm concerned.

[Zach1213]

Its not just the ships. My son went to Los Angeles last year for a week and called us a few times while he was down there. We always kept the call short because I knew he was on roaming. His bill was over $600! This year I told him to get a calling card and put his phone on airplane mode.

 

Its one reason why when I replace my phone it will NOT have a data plan. Its just a scam as far as I'm concerned.

 

$600 for a few calls doesn't make sense. He had to have been using a substantial amount of data roaming on top of those calls, unless he was constantly calling north of the border during the whole trip.

[caribbean sailor]

I found a simple solution to this issue on my first cruise. I turned the phone off and locked it in the safe. Thanks to reading info here on cruisecritic and talking to friends that had cruised before me I was aware of how expensive using your cell phone at sea was.

 

I agree,when the ship pulls out cell phones are turned off and put in the safe.An only used if we sail to ST Thomas or Puerto Rico,where regular rates apply.:)