Will a Verizon international data plan work on my iPad?

[jdvmd]

Cellular Phone Service & Texting at Sea

Freestyle Cellular Service

Norwegian Cruise Line guests can make and receive calls, send and receive text messages and read emails and surf the web on their own cell phones and mobile devices just as they do on land when the ship is at sea with the Freestyle Cellular Service. Staying in touch with family and friends when cruising has never been so easy. Please note this service in the US and the Caribbean is available once the ship is 12 miles from shore, but not while in port. In the European Union, service is available when the ship is 2 nautical miles from shore.

 

Questions and Answers

Q: Is Cell Service available in port?

A:Only from shore side cellular towers, as the cellular connectivity onboard is turned off while the ship is in port.

 

Q: Can I make calls to shore without my cell phone?

A: Yes, right from your cabin telephone to anywhere in the world. These calls will be billed to your onboard account at applicable ship-to-shore rates.

 

Q: How much will I be charged if I use my cell phone onboard?

A:The rates vary according to cellular phone carrier and the pricing / roaming plan which you have established with them directly. The charges incurred will appear on your normal mobile carrier's bill you receive at home. For more information on pricing contact your carrier. For more information on the service and how it works please visit the following link: http://www.cellularatsea.com/roaming.htm

 

Q: Can my family call me onboard?

A: Yes, Norwegian Cruise Line guests can also be contacted on our ships by calling the guests cell phone number. The service works just as it does on land. If the party does not answer a voice message can be left on the phone and later retrieved by the guest. In addition guests can also be contacted on our ships by calling 1.888.NCSHIPS (1.888.627.4477) from the USA. For the rest of the world please dial 1.732.335.3280. When guests are contacted with the ship via satellite, they can be reached directly, if they are in their stateroom. If not, a message about the incoming call will be delivered to their stateroom and then they can call back the shoreside party.

[jlpcruiser]

Then isn't Verizon selling any package that specifies the Norwegian Gem rather deceptive? If all that it means is that I can use it when I'm in port, then why list what ships it supposedly works on? It would work the exact same for my bathtub if I could sail that to St. Maarten!

 

I think it's all a big run around. lol. I looked for Norwegian ships (I'm going on the Star) on Verizon's website and found that. I also think the package from Verizon is more phone calls and text instead of the data plan.

 

According to Norwegian's site - http://www.ncl.com/about/staying-connected-sea-cellular-phone-service-texting - they don't charge you for calls or texts, it's all done through your carrier. If you do call or text from international waters, you will need to have the global roaming package turned on (through Verizon) so you don't get crazy charges.

 

For data (ie: internet) it's all done through the ship's service so you will have to pay their usage fees. http://www.ncl.com/about/staying-connected-sea-internet-access

[Mistizoom]

Hmmm...Verizon has this pretty cool international trip planner on their website:

 

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/tripplanner/tripplannercontroller

 

You can enter the ship you will be on, and the countries you will be visiting and what are the rates for voice, text and data for each location, inlcuding the ship! I'm wondering if Verizon is somehow partenering with Celluar at Sea to do this? Maybe this is a new thing? I know there are plenty of places where Norwegian's website isn't exactly up to date.

 

Unfortunately I do not yet have a smart phone (have an iPod touch and a prepaid dumb phone) but DH is concerened about not having a cell phone avaialble at all when on the cruise. Maybe this will make him reconsider and I can get a smart phone before our cruise! :D

[Cruising4]

With the global plan any data used on the ship is included in the $25/100mb.

 

Called Verizon three times and spoke with a supervisor.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

[Cruising4]

When you go to the Global Plan area on Verizon Wireless, they have a "Special Info!" tab that says this -

 

Cruise Ship Rates apply in international waters. Global Roaming Voice Rates apply while in port or in coastal areas covered by a Global carrier.

 

So, you will have the global plan when you are in port or close to a tower in those locations, but in international waters - Cruise Ship Rates apply. No point in getting the plan if you really only want to use it on the ship on at sea days.

 

Yes, cruise ship rates apply when in international waters. And the global data plan rates apply when at sea.

 

Rates vary when you get data from a shore tower.

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

[roger001]

Hmmm...Verizon has this pretty cool international trip planner on their website:

 

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/tripplanner/tripplannercontroller

 

You can enter the ship you will be on, and the countries you will be visiting and what are the rates for voice, text and data for each location, inlcuding the ship! I'm wondering if Verizon is somehow partenering with Celluar at Sea to do this? Maybe this is a new thing? I know there are plenty of places where Norwegian's website isn't exactly up to date.

 

Unfortunately I do not yet have a smart phone (have an iPod touch and a prepaid dumb phone) but DH is concerened about not having a cell phone avaialble at all when on the cruise. Maybe this will make him reconsider and I can get a smart phone before our cruise! :D

 

Ok....good! This looks like something new with Verizon (at least since our last cruise when I last researched this). Yes, according to the excellent Verizon trip planner, the international data rate package is good both on the ship and in the several countries I typed in. Basically, for data, it is $25 for 100 MB. Voice remains $2.50 a min while on the ship and somewhat less while on shore in the other countries. Texting is as previously mentioned. This Verizon trip planner actually does a good job in putting all the info in one location and I withdraw my previous whining about not having the answers readily available. Hope the other provider companies do something similar. Mitzizoom...thanks for pointing this out.

 

P.S. Let me add, and someone mentioned this before, 100 MBs can be used quickly. I have an iPhone and when home (not cruising) generally am connected by WiFi instead of cellular data signals when using services involving data. And even with my limited use of cell data, this last month shows I used 300 MB (have unlimited). So 100 MBs could get used pretty quick.

[Mistizoom]

Also, if you click on the Cellular at Sea link in post #26 above, they do say they partner with Verizon and other cellular carriers. Then when you click on Verizon it goes to the global info on their website. So I think the onboard service is the same as offered through Cellular at Sea. So, then, for wi-fi do you go through Norwegian, and if you want cellular service you go through Cellular at Sea/your normal carrier? Trying to figure out how to wrangle a smart phone out of this trip....

[DeltaOne]

According to Norwegian's site - http://www.ncl.com/about/staying-connected-sea-cellular-phone-service-texting - they don't charge you for calls or texts, it's all done through your carrier. If you do call or text from international waters, you will need to have the global roaming package turned on (through Verizon) so you don't get crazy charges.

 

For data (ie: internet) it's all done through the ship's service so you will have to pay their usage fees. http://www.ncl.com/about/staying-connected-sea-internet-access

 

If I'm reading you right -- you've got it all wrong. Yes, NCL won't charge you for phone calls or text messages, it is done through your carrier. At $2.49 per minute. You won't see these charges until you're home and the cruise is a distant memory.

 

And for data -- that page is talking about WiFi access. That's a completely different thing than data access through the ship's cellular network.

 

Be careful and make sure you understand all of this. It's really frustrating to come home from a cruise and face a bill of hundreds or thousands of dollars from your cell phone carrier.

[DeltaOne]

Also, if you click on the Cellular at Sea link in post #26 above, they do say they partner with Verizon and other cellular carriers. Then when you click on Verizon it goes to the global info on their website. So I think the onboard service is the same as offered through Cellular at Sea. So, then, for wi-fi do you go through Norwegian, and if you want cellular service you go through Cellular at Sea/your normal carrier? Trying to figure out how to wrangle a smart phone out of this trip....

 

That's right. If you don't change the settings on your smart phone it will use the ship's cellular network (typically Cellular At Sea) for phone calls, text messages and data (checking email, surfing the web). You're charged $2.49 per minute. And you'll face even more charges from your cell phone carrier because you are roaming (off your normal network). Many folks have run up a bill for hundreds or thousands of dollars during a seven-day cruise.

 

One strategy is to buy a travel plan from your cellular carrier. This lessens the impact of phone calls, text messages and data. But it's still pricey.

 

Another strategy, if you don't need phone calls or text messages is to put the smart phone in Airplane Mode. Then turn WiFi back on and use free or low-cost WiFi hotspots for email and surfing the web. There are NO SURPRISES here, either the WiFi is free or you pay up-front. No surprises.

[scopewest]

Just one question if anyone knows: We'll be in Vancouver and do NOT plan to make phone calls nor text. But we want to use apps so we'll need the web. If we put the phone in airplane mode and turn on the wifi (if available), will there be a charge since we're in Canada (international)?

[DeltaOne]

Just one question if anyone knows: We'll be in Vancouver and do NOT plan to make phone calls nor text. But we want to use apps so we'll need the web. If we put the phone in airplane mode and turn on the wifi (if available), will there be a charge since we're in Canada (international)?

 

Not all apps need the web, but some do of course. The WiFi will either be free or not. If not, you'll have signed up and paid -- so you'll know the cost. No surprises, no charges from your cellular carrier.

[FIRELT5]

Thanks for all of the responses. Seems clear I will need to buy the NCL data package. But I am still left with no idea as to what Verizon claims to be selling with an international package that lists the Norwegian Gem. It seems to be absolutely nothing (sure I can use it when I'm on land, but that has nothing to do with the Gem).

 

This should explain it. Try using an Internet cafe in San Juan or St. Thomas which is very economical. I also brought along my ipad ( which has AT&T sim installed) and had excellent service in SJU and St. Thomas

 

Still expensive

 

http://www.wmsatsea.com/roaming-partners.html

[scopewest]

Thanks, Paul!!

[letsgomets]

Just returned (to a pretty dreary day in NYC). Thought I'd post a report about my internet experience for those who read this post.

 

I did not sign up for any Verizon plan given the mixed reports people had. Instead, I signed up for the Gem's $100 plan for 250 minutes (plus 20 bonus minutes for signing up during the first sea day).

 

I was VERY pleasantly surprised by the speed of the connection. I was often able to log on and download a lot of work emails (some with attachments) within a minute or two, then log off and review them offline. So while $100 wasn't cheap, the speed was fast enough that it lasted the entire 9 days for me and my brother to check emails several times/day (although didn't need the ship's connection in San Juan or St. Thomas), plus download the NY Times and check the internet a bit each day.