calling home from ship

[beachchairs2]

we are on a transatlantic in november, I need to be able to have a quick communication with my mother each day, we use a netbook ( google ) to call her on her phone....and on celebrity ships we have been able to do that most days...on celebrity we also have free internet....

 

does anyone have advice....international phone?...other phone plans..we are canadian....

[Hawaiidan]

we are on a transatlantic in november, I need to be able to have a quick communication with my mother each day, we use a netbook ( google ) to call her on her phone....and on celebrity ships we have been able to do that most days...on celebrity we also have free internet....

 

does anyone have advice....international phone?...other phone plans..we are canadian....

 

They have satellite phone links to oversea operators and connect you to real phone.

It will be $$$$$ about $6-8 a min as I recall

 

A second option is to buy a satellite phone yourself... They cost around $3500 plus air time

[beachchairs2]

oh wow....you would think with all the technology today, it would not cost a kings ransom to make a two min call to see if your aging mother is ok....

 

ah I know....dont blame it on technology....

[ORV]

oh wow....you would think with all the technology today, it would not cost a kings ransom to make a two min call to see if your aging mother is ok....

 

ah I know....dont blame it on technology....

 

I certainly wouldn't take the above answer as the definitive answer to your question. I think I've seen others mention that they have been able to use programs for calls over the internet. A further search might yield more answers. Good luck.

[Hawaiidan]

I certainly wouldn't take the above answer as the definitive answer to your question. I think I've seen others mention that they have been able to use programs for calls over the internet. A further search might yield more answers. Good luck.

 

There are times trans pac and Atlantic when there is no internet connection at all. and get ready no TV feeds too.

Different bands/freq for voice and data...

Places where only radio works...and it marginaly .

 

Used the radio telephone in your room... leave the toys at home

[ORV]

There are times trans pac and Atlantic when there is no internet connection at all. and get ready no TV feeds too.

Different bands/freq for voice and data...

Places where only radio works...and it marginaly .

 

Used the radio telephone in your room... leave the toys at home

 

Appreciate the advice, but this is not my first rodeo. In some cases you're right, many other times wrong. I'd just caution readers to not always believe something just because someone posts it.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

We were on the crossing with Orv.

In the internet cafe they had a VOIP phone you could use with your own smart phone or with the computer cafe phones. They were $1.99 a minute.

If you used it from a desktop you needed a speaker/handset device.. Otherwise you used your own phone via wifi and the app installed.

[freddie]

Another very good and fairly inexpensive option is to use your own cell phone to make the call directly. Oceania participates in the Cellular at Sea program. All of the major US mobile phone carriers also participate, as well as some of the Canadian carriers, including Telus Canada. The charge for using our AT&T cell phones is about $2.00 per minute, thus pretty much the same as using the VOIP approach that ChatKat described above. You can get more info at http://wmsatsea.com/roaming-partners.html. There are links on the WMS at Sea website to determine whether your mobile carrier participates, as well as to find out the per minute cost. Generally, this option is dramatically less expensive than using the phone in your cabin as suggested by the gentleman from Hawaii.

Edited January 7, 2014 by freddie

[brian_uk]

I have always used Skype via the ships wifi package even from the middle of the China Seas to change an airline reservation. The signal held good for 20 minutes. I buy a skype package for calls and between the 2 it works OK

 

Brian

[beachchairs2]

thank you for all the advice...

 

my mom is 90, no computer...so cant use skype....will use our usual method of using google phone from our netbook to her phone...will get an unlimited internet package and figure out how to share that with 4 other couples...it is our first with O, so we have not gotten to the free internet level...we do have that with celebrity....

[LHT28]

it is our first with O, so we have not gotten to the free internet level...we do have that with celebrity....

 

The only free internet level is if it is offer on a specific sailing ...it is not a loyalty perk

[ChatKat in Ca.]

Another very good and fairly inexpensive option is to use your own cell phone to make the call directly. Oceania participates in the Cellular at Sea program. All of the major US mobile phone carriers also participate, as well as some of the Canadian carriers, including Telus Canada. The charge for using our AT&T cell phones is about $2.00 per minute, thus pretty much the same as using the VOIP approach that ChatKat described above. You can get more info at http://wmsatsea.com/roaming-partners.html. There are links on the WMS at Sea website to determine whether your mobile carrier participates, as well as to find out the per minute cost. Generally, this option is dramatically less expensive than using the phone in your cabin as suggested by the gentleman from Hawaii.

 

The $1.99 Wifi Connect at sea was less expensive than using the cell via my cell carrier. It gave you a permanent phone number and app to use. Using my own cell to call home was $2.99 a minute on Verizon with international plan PLUS roaming charges. I believe skype was blocked onboard.

[brian_uk]

thank you for all the advice...

 

my mom is 90, no computer...so cant use skype....will use our usual method of using google phone from our netbook to her phone...will get an unlimited internet package and figure out how to share that with 4 other couples...it is our first with O, so we have not gotten to the free internet level...we do have that with celebrity....

 

We use our Skype to make regular phone calls to any landline or cell anywhere in the world at a very low cost.

 

Brian

[greenamber]

I too make a daily call to my 88 year old Mum and use Skype credits to call to her land line, she does not have internet access. I call via wifi from my ipad or cell phone and the cost is minimal. Probably worth giving it a go. Good luck.

[JimandStan]

I too make a daily call to my 88 year old Mum and use Skype credits to call to her land line, she does not have internet access. I call via wifi from my ipad or cell phone and the cost is minimal. Probably worth giving it a go. Good luck.

 

I believe that the official word on Skype is that it is supposed to be "blocked at the base" and not usable via the onboard Internet.

 

While I'm sure that there have been those who have used it successfully despite the Policy (technology reinvents itself so rapidly, these days), I would never count on it as my primary means of contact for important calls.

 

Better to use the ship sponsored technology-

[beachchairs2]

The only free internet level is if it is offer on a specific sailing ...it is not a loyalty perk

 

ah, I see....but I think some levels have discounts...

[LHT28]

ah, I see....but I think some levels have discounts...

 

Yes of course you are right

I think Concierge cabins & above get a discount as well

 

When you reach 5 cruises you get 20% off a package & once you reach a higher lever it goes up to a better discount level ;)

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/oceaniaclublogin.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2foceaniaclub%2fdefault.aspx

Edited January 8, 2014 by LHT28

[beachchairs2]

well we will continue to use the google call option....it is free in north america and 10 dollars a year for anywhere else in the world..but of course we are dependent upon the internet on board...

 

seems the unlimited package for internet is the way to go...

 

dont want to spend all that money for a package only to use it for 5 min a day....so dividing it is a good idea...just have to figure out how to do that for 4 couples...

 

has anyone shared a package before?

[LHT28]

well we will continue to use the google call option....it is free in north america and 10 dollars a year for anywhere else in the world..but of course we are dependent upon the internet on board...

 

seems the unlimited package for internet is the way to go...

 

 

You could always just buy the 200 min package for $160

[beachchairs2]

we are doing a 16 day transatlantic and with wait times, I hope 200 min will be enough...but it is a good idea...thank you...

[rallydave]

we are doing a 16 day transatlantic and with wait times, I hope 200 min will be enough...but it is a good idea...thank you...

 

Really don't think O will allow you to share your minutes with 3 or 4 other couples. If you are planning on phone calls every day plus other internet and e-mail activity, don't believe 160 minutes with all of your dropped calls sure to occur will be near enough, after all that is only 12.5 minutes per day.

 

For an additional $130 or so you could have unlimited and if you do take the $160 plan and go over, you would be over the unlimited with an additional $160. For as much as you are spending on the full vacation, this is a minor nit on the big picture and you will be happy you have unlimited when the internet is extremely slow and when your phone calls, if available get dropped and they will.

 

Why don't you wait until you board and ask the internet person if skype or google is blocked or not and then make your final decision.

[beachchairs2]

excellent advice...thank you dave...

[ohmark]

If Comcast is your home phone/internet provider, you can install the Xfinity Connect Voice2go App on your smartphone, and call and receive calls to/from the U.S. for free (using the onboard wifi, which of course, you pay for--unless you received a promo).

[ohmark]

If Comcast is your home phone/internet provider, you can install the Xfinity Connect Voice2go App on your smartphone, and call and receive calls to/from the U.S. for free (using the onboard wifi, which of course, you pay for--unless you received a promo).

I should add that in order to receive a call using the Voice2go app, the caller places the call to user's home phone number--which then rings on the Voice2go app on the user's cell phone. Similarly, when dialing out using the Voice2go app on the cell phone, the call will ring on the other end as if it originated on the user's home phone (for caller ID purposes).

[rallydave]

I should add that in order to receive a call using the Voice2go app, the caller places the call to user's home phone number--which then rings on the Voice2go app on the user's cell phone. Similarly, when dialing out using the Voice2go app on the cell phone, the call will ring on the other end as if it originated on the user's home phone (for caller ID purposes).

 

Just need to remind all of those planning to use apps thru the wifi to make phone calls that there is the distinct possibility that the ship will be blocking those apps as they are bandwidth hogs and, even if not blocked, because of the bandwidth they require, when many people are using the internet, it will be likely that your app either won't work, won't connect, or even if it connects it is likely that you will have a bad connection or the call will drop out and not allow a vert long or coherent call.

 

And for those who are able to use Skype, the person you are calling does not need to have Skype installed on their computer. Just as easy to call another cell phone or land line and the cost is extremely reasonable in the $02/minute and they only require you to deposit $10 on your account. Not free however a lot cheaper than phoning.