Excessve phone charges

[Alg63]

There are so many threads advising people to watch for overage and roaming charges while at sea or overseas... It would be interesting to hear some stories about excessive cell phone/ internet charges while cruising and what the outcome was.

[Kevnzworld]

A few years ago I did a mediterranean cruise on Regent. I stayed in Istanbul afterwards to visit some friends for two weeks. I had recently purchased an iPhone and loved using Facebook, texting and sending , posting pictures. I made sure I had ATT's international plan. I knew it wasn't going to be cheap, but I wasn't prepared for almost $2000.

Now I use Skype through wifi to talk, and only use FB with wifi and the cell network disabled. I will still text a little, but that's it.

[dpryo319]

My boyfriend who works the Reflection currently, made the mistake of answering his phone while on Silhouette's first TA, thinking he was close enough to shore that if it's ringing...it was bouncing off towers on land (false). Then, add texting to that mix...

 

3 days of this, and $700 or so later, he now gets his phone deactivated when he is on the ship working :D

[garycarla]

My boyfriend who works the Reflection currently, made the mistake of answering his phone while on Silhouette's first TA, thinking he was close enough to shore that if it's ringing...it was bouncing off towers on land (false). Then, add texting to that mix...

 

3 days of this, and $700 or so later, he now gets his phone deactivated when he is on the ship working :D

 

We have both phones on almost all the time. It will tell you right on the screen what carrier you are attached to. We watch our texts - very few - and no chit chat. First thing we say if somebody calls us - we are out of the country and this is $3 a minute (actually $2.49 if on the ship). Calls then are short. Usual cell phone expense - $20-$40.

[Alg63]

But of course what many don't realize, if you don't turnoff data services, even if you are not emailing out, or reading your emails... It is using data to download.. Even if it just sits in your inbox.

 

And my understanding is that the pone companies don't have much sympathy.. Offering maybe 10% off and "a payment plan"

[mpbmark]

If the phone is placed in airplane mode, is that sufficient to stop data or must the phone be completely turned off? :confused:

[Alg63]

As long as it is in airplane mode you should be good to go

[mpbmark]

As long as it is in airplane mode you should be good to go

 

Thanks for the info.

[Keith1010]

If the phone is placed in airplane mode, is that sufficient to stop data or must the phone be completely turned off? :confused:

 

Airplane mode will take care of this.

 

Of course you can also turn data off too..

 

Keith

[garycarla]

I wish others would stop telling people that have to be in Airplane mode to stop data.

 

If you are in airplane mode, you can not text, make or receive calls or do data.

 

Most phones have a setting to turn off DATA ROAMING. That will solve the data problem. And that means you still have a phone - assuming want that.

 

Of course, if you want to be in airplane mode, that is fine. You now have a fancy watch that plays games.

[firemanbobswife]

I wish others would stop telling people that have to be in Airplane mode to stop data.

 

If you are in airplane mode, you can not text, make or receive calls or do data.

 

Most phones have a setting to turn off DATA ROAMING. That will solve the data problem. And that means you still have a phone - assuming want that.

 

Of course, if you want to be in airplane mode, that is fine. You now have a fancy watch that plays games.

 

And takes pictures which is the only reason I would have it turned on at all. Can't wait to do a panoramic shot of Maho Beach with my iPhone 5.

[Alg63]

I wish others would stop telling people that have to be in Airplane mode to stop data.

 

If you are in airplane mode, you can not text, make or receive calls or do data.

 

Most phones have a setting to turn off DATA ROAMING. That will solve the data problem. And that means you still have a phone - assuming want that.

 

Of course, if you want to be in airplane mode, that is fine. You now have a fancy watch that plays games.

 

We are saying to be in airplane mode to be "safest", to stop calls and data.

[garycarla]

We are saying to be in airplane mode to be "safest", to stop calls and data.

 

If you want to stop CALLS and DATA and TEXT, then airplane mode.

 

If you are only trying to stop data, then turn off data roaming.

 

Two different things. And one works for some people, and the other for others.

[Christine Frances]

And takes pictures which is the only reason I would have it turned on at all. Can't wait to do a panoramic shot of Maho Beach with my iPhone 5.

 

You will have to do a video there too:D

[kitty9]

My neighbors and their two teens, first time cruisers, didn't realize the charges for texting. They came home to a bill of nearly $1500. They found out the kids were constantly texting their friends at home. Parents took their phones away for two months.

[garycarla]

Texting and teenagers is dangerous. Lots of stories on how they run up big bills. Even at the $.50 and $.10 charge..they can do hundreds per day.

 

Not, THAT is a situation where you not only turn it off, but you lock them in a safe.

[mum and son]

I have a great solution for travelling (well it's great for my situation :D). Before I leave Australia I have my phone permanently diverted to messagebank for all calls, then I have a service called "voice to text" and all voice messages are converted to a text message.

 

With my carrier it is free to receive texts anywhere in the world (some charge you to receive international texts as well :eek:). So I receive all of my messages via text for free so if it's urgent I am easily contactable and I can respond if required.

 

I change my phone message to say I am on holidays and to leave a message in the case of an emergency so I rarely get any messages but at least I know people can contact me if the matter is urgent.

 

There are also plenty of "Free WIFI finding" Apps for iphones that you can use when you travel as well.

[isdoo]

As long as it is in airplane mode you should be good to go

 

Just turn data roaming off, no need to use airplane mode unless you wish to block calls as well.

 

 

Simples.

[sandancer]

If the phone is placed in airplane mode, is that sufficient to stop data or must the phone be completely turned off? :confused:

. No, it is not. You need to also turn off data roaming as well as airplane mode.

[Adammara]

We have a spare simple text/voice phone, only the family know the number, and it is for emergencies only. Our normal phones are swirched off at sea, and only used on land, where we know the tarrifs!

 

We only ever had one occasional where we might have been contacted, but our family did not tell us. It was a terrible shock to come home and find out that our nephews wife had been killed in a terrible car crash, leaving our nephew with 3 young girls. Should they have told us while we were on board? I don't know.

 

Richard

[believer33323]

We have a spare simple text/voice phone, only the family know the number, and it is for emergencies only. Our normal phones are swirched off at sea, and only used on land, where we know the tarrifs!

 

We only ever had one occasional where we might have been contacted, but our family did not tell us. It was a terrible shock to come home and find out that our nephews wife had been killed in a terrible car crash, leaving our nephew with 3 young girls. Should they have told us while we were on board? I don't know.

 

Richard

 

My sister during her honeymoon had their best man killed in a freak accident and her mother in-law called them on their honeymoon to tell them. as much as they licked the guy we (and she) all felt that it was the wrong decision. What good did it do but ruin there honeymoon.

During my honeymoon 33 years ago my best friend was killed in a car accident and my mother did not tell me until we got home and as much as I loved this Girl I am very happy I was not told. As I said it does NO good to know when you are away and cannot do anything anyway.

[Gracie115]

I have a great solution for travelling (well it's great for my situation :D). Before I leave Australia I have my phone permanently diverted to messagebank for all calls, then I have a service called "voice to text" and all voice messages are converted to a text message.

 

With my carrier it is free to receive texts anywhere in the world (some charge you to receive international texts as well :eek:). So I receive all of my messages via text for free so if it's urgent I am easily contactable and I can respond if required.

 

I change my phone message to say I am on holidays and to leave a message in the case of an emergency so I rarely get any messages but at least I know people can contact me if the matter is urgent.

 

There are also plenty of "Free WIFI finding" Apps for iphones that you can use when you travel as well.

 

 

My solution is to turn the phone off when the ship leaves the embarkation port, put it in the safe, leave it there until the morning we are disembarking....if someone from home or work needs me they can email me and I'll use the free internet minutes to check that.....I take pictures with a camera...part of the joy of a cruise is the phone NOT ever ringing....of course I realize I am quickly becoming a minority in this...but NOT being in constant contact with the rest of the world REALLY is a beautiful thing...:)

[Alg63]

My neighbors and their two teens, first time cruisers, didn't realize the charges for texting. They came home to a bill of nearly $1500. They found out the kids were constantly texting their friends at home. Parents took their phones away for two months.

2 months? I would have taken them for 2 years!!

[believer33323]

Personally I hold the parent's responsible. Half a brain would tell you your out if your normal area of coverage and they should have either reset the phone's settings or take the phone's away from the beginning. How do you hold a teenager responible if the parent was not smart enough to know from the start.

 

Chris

sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3

[DeltaOne]

If you want to stop CALLS and DATA and TEXT, then airplane mode. If you are only trying to stop data, then turn off data roaming. Two different things. And one works for some people, and the other for others.

 

Exactly.

 

Airplane Mode works for me. When traveling I like to use my iPhone for taking pictures, videos and listening to audiobooks. That's much more than a "fancy watch that plays games."

 

The reason it works for me is I have no need of phone calls or text messaging when traveling.

 

And, I can still turn WiFi back on when I need to check email or surf the web.