iPhone Facetime or Skype?

[TaylorMace]

I'm still trying to figure out the cheapest way to call home daily for DW to talk to DD7 briefly.

 

From what I have read:

100 Minutes = $55

Possibly Skype Voice - but warned it might not work - Anyone with recent expericence?

Might try to Facetime with Parents since they have an iPhone and we do too. Nyone with experience?

 

Or - could just call using verizon at $2.49 a minute. For $55 could talk for about 22 minutes.

 

Anyone out there vacation without their kids and try to call home recently?

[Loonbeam]

Talk about timing. Just added this to the FAQ:

 

A common question is whether Skype and similar services will work on cruise ships, and the answer is yes, but...

 

The amount of information (bandwith) that can be sent and received from the ship is very limited due to it being a satellite connection. Skype (especially with video) consumes a large portion of that capacity. This has two effects, possibly making your connection very poor, but also reducing the amount available to the other ships passengers. Depending on the satellite signal, 3 or 4 skype users can take up almost half of the total capacity for all passengers.

 

For this reason some ship's engineers block voip and streaming services. This is becoming more common as the amount of smartphones and other devices proliferate.

 

 

 

If you need to use such a service, connecting during off hours (very late evenings, very early mornings and while in port) can reduce both your issues and impact on other passengers.

 

 

 

http://www.loonbeam.com/PrincessFAQ/?p=12

 

 

 

I'm still trying to figure out the cheapest way to call home daily for DW to talk to DD7 briefly.

 

From what I have read:

100 Minutes = $55

Possibly Skype Voice - but warned it might not work - Anyone with recent expericence?

Might try to Facetime with Parents since they have an iPhone and we do too. Nyone with experience?

 

Or - could just call using verizon at $2.49 a minute. For $55 could talk for about 22 minutes.

 

Anyone out there vacation without their kids and try to call home recently?

[1025cruise]

Skype and Facetime will more than likely be blocked. If they do work, the quality won't be very good. You'll be mimicing the Verizon commercial "Can you hear me now?" and burning your minutes.

 

If you insist on calling home nightly, just use your cell phone and make it quick. Or call when you are in port. Odds are the charges will be slightly cheaper.

 

I know when I go on a cruise (no kids), the phone gets shut off and locked in the safe until we get back to disembark.

[Pam in CA]

If it's that important that you speak to your kids, by all means spend the $2.49/minute plus any roaming charges. Your kids are worth it.

[BratDet]

One of the neatest face time moments we had on our med cruise was face timing with our adult kids from Greece with the Acropolis in the background. Free wifi in the National Archeological Museum.

 

From the ship, you can free email postcards....if you have a lot to say...break it up in a few notes.....

 

My Iphone did not work in Europe, except for facetime.

 

 

Bernadette

[Mom33]

My experience using Facetime is that the slow speed on the ships internet will not produce a picture for the person with the high speed back at home. They could hear me but not see me. However, I could see them. When using free wifi in port, the bandwidth was sufficient to use Facetime.This was on AT&T from Paris. I had a special package from them so the costs were contained.

[TaylorMace]

Thanks everyone!

[sun&sea]

If it's that important that you speak to your kids, by all means spend the $2.49/minute plus any roaming charges. Your kids are worth it.

 

Life is short. I like your thinking.;)

 

Janet (Gramma Janet)