Mobile phone

[Lapad56]

Can any body advise on the use of your mobile phone system at sea please?

Is the PO option expensive?

[the english lady]

Can any body advise on the use of your mobile phone system at sea please?

Is the PO option expensive?

For making calls yes-as it's via satellite. For surfing the web yes (and it's very very slow) as it uses satellite

Best option see where the crew go in ports with their laptops-that is where the free wifi is.

using your phone ashore , well that depends on your package.

On the old Pando site you used to be able to communicate via their webpage, but now that is gone, there is no way-unless you pay for the packages, which are not worth it.

[davecttr]

Leave your phone switched off when at sea and only use it when in port. Otherwise it can cost a fortune. For the short calls i wanted to make I found it just as cheap to use the telephone in the cabin.

[mika6617]

My advise would be as someone else has already mentioned, turn off your phone as son as you leave port as the ships rates are stupid beyond belief. When you dock in foreign ports make sure your mobile data is turned off and search for frr wifi if you need to use the internet. Macdonalds have free wifi all over the place as does Starbucks. Alternatley you can buy a day package from your network if you plan to use it a lot. (3 charge £5.00 per day unlimited) you can use per mb but before you know it, it mounts up.

[loobs40]

Another option is to put the phone in 'Flight Mode' (check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airplane_mode) rather than turning it off completely. That should disable access to any phone network you might accidentally connect to

 

I use my phone for listening to music, camera and games, as well as a clock and then when I am in a place with wifi I can use it as a phone using BT SmartTalk

Edited November 8, 2013 by loobs40

[hammers]

Another word of warning, don't use the credit card pay phones at the port docksides, they cost a fortune - £30 for less than 5 minutes

[Denarius]

The rate you pay for calls at sea is determined by your phone company. It is their maritime roaming rate. For internet you need to sign up for and use the ship's wifi; the rate is set by the cruise company. Best to limit internet access if possible to ports of call, many bars and cafes offer free wifi to customers.

[majortom10]

The rate you pay for calls at sea is determined by your phone company. It is their maritime roaming rate. For internet you need to sign up for and use the ship's wifi; the rate is set by the cruise company. Best to limit internet access if possible to ports of call, many bars and cafes offer free wifi to customers.

 

No it isnt if you are at sea and on the ship all calls are connected by satellite system used by P&O and on my last cruise was about £1-80 per min.

[@Porthole]

It is free to make calls and texts if you are in one of the few feel at home countries and on the three U.K. Phone network. Hope this helps.

[@Porthole]

Three has abolished roaming charges to these few feel at home places like Italy.

[shallwe]

O2 has a Travel Package already set up on their mobiles....

 

Whatever you get up to on the continent, you'll pay just £1.99 for the days you use data with O2 Travel. No catch. No scary bill to keep you awake at night. And we'll even text you if you hit the daily limit.*

 

This is only on land though, not the ship.

Edited December 4, 2013 by shallwe

[jeanlyon]

If you have a 3G Kindle, you can use that for emails home. Just use your phone in ports for calls and texts.

[103brandy]

O2 has a Travel Package already set up on their mobiles....

 

 

 

This is only on land though, not the ship.

 

Do you have to sign up for this facility or is it automatic if you are an O2 user?

[shallwe]

According to the O2 website, it is automatic unless you opt out. You can check this if you sign into your 'My O2' account. It comes up as one of the automatic 'boltons'.

 

Sent from my XT890 using Forums mobile app

[103brandy]

According to the O2 website, it is automatic unless you opt out. You can check this if you sign into your 'My O2' account. It comes up as one of the automatic 'boltons'.

 

Sent from my XT890 using Forums mobile app

 

Thanks found it. Sorted :)

[Dragonless]

If you are with Virgin Media and have a landline phone package & a Virgin Mobile either iPhone or Android then you can download the SmartCall App which allows calls to be made over a land based wifi connection and uses you landline package for the calls.

 

http://my.virginmedia.com/my-apps/smartcall/overview.html

[davedex]

Whatever network you are on, can it not wait for a few days/ couple of weeks? I know when I am on holiday the last thing it want to do is be contacted by the peasants back home!!

[shallwe]

If you are with Virgin Media and have a landline phone package & a Virgin Mobile either iPhone or Android then you can download the SmartCall App which allows calls to be made over a land based wifi connection and uses you landline package for the calls.

 

http://my.virginmedia.com/my-apps/smartcall/overview.html

 

Great call ('scuse the pun) Dragonless. Having read the various links, you don't need a Virgin mobile, any mobile network will work. Bet you have to pay to connect to the ships wifi though :mad:

Edited December 12, 2013 by shallwe