Mobile phone coverage in the South Pacific?

[Esilef]

Cruising to Fiji can we get mobile phone coverage? Is it worth taking our iPhones to call home?

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Cruising to Fiji can we get mobile phone coverage? Is it worth taking our iPhones to call home?

 

I would check with your mobile phone provider, as it might cost you a bit of money to phone from there from there depending on your provider.

 

In way off mobile phone coverage, you might be ok in Fiji, but depending on where you go, there will be little or no mobile phone coverage in some places.

 

if it wont cost you a lot of money to phone from there, then I would take your phone, and just have a try up there and see how you get on :)

 

Let us know how you get on!

[Aus Traveller]

Someone suggested to me that texting is the way to go. There is just a flat charge. Although I think this would only apply if you were using a land-based phone operator and not the satellite system on the ship when it is at sea.

 

We were pleasantly surprised in NZ to find that our Kindle accessed the local 3G network.

[Esilef]

Optus has new $10 flat rate overseas plans for unlimited calls & text messages. Wondering if it is worth the $100 it would cost me for the 10 night cruise to Fiji?

[Wastegirl]

Are you aware of the issues with using iPhones overseas, they are tricky. Unless you turn off the right things, mainly Data Roaming, you can be up for a really big bill. Its a well known problem and I know personally people that have racked up bills in the many thousands of dollars without making many calls at all.

 

Firstly check with your provider and what they have to offer. When I travel OS with my iPhone I keep it turned off unless I have an emergency call to make, then turn it on making sure your Data Roaming is off. If you can get your hands on a basic phone that just makes calls and put your sim in it temporarily it is much better if you feel you must make phone calls.

 

Personally I am on holiday and if my work and family can't get hold of me, all the better :) They have the ship contact details in an emergency.

 

But I can understand if you have commitments at home and need to contact them to make sure everything is okay. Then just keep it simple:

• Data Roaming Off
  
• Cellular Data Off
  
• Phone off or in airplane mode when not in use
  
• When you make calls, keep it short
  

 

Doing this hopefully your bill will not be too big.

[Esilef]

Totally agree. The best way to ensure no large data charges is to have your service provider turn data off from their end. Apps running data can run in the background taking up data & costing big$$$

[bazzaw]

Totally agree. The best way to ensure no large data charges is to have your service provider turn data off from their end. Apps running data can run in the background taking up data & costing big$$$

 

If you turn DATA OFF in your smartphone, then the phone (or it's Apps) cannot use any data via the mobile network. It can use data if you happen to find a free wifi service somewhere (even with mobile data turned off).

 

Barry

[rabbit1971]

Cruising to Fiji can we get mobile phone coverage? Is it worth taking our iPhones to call home?

 

 

Hi Esilef, we were in Fiji in october and I had no issues with telstra post paid coverage, my mum had tesltra pre paid coverage and had very poor service, in fact almost none at all which really annoyed her as she had pre paid an $80 package for overseas. I had telstra turn off our data roaming on our ( mine and my daughters) phone so we wouldn't end up with a huge bill, and just used free wifi where I could find it, we mainly used texts to keep track of everyone.

I hope you and your family enjoy the south pacific, we had a wonderful time ( 10 yo in a wheel chair with cerebal palsy) so much so we are trying to decide if we go again this october or next !

Cheers maree:)

[Esilef]

Hi Esilef, we were in Fiji in october and I had no issues with telstra post paid coverage, my mum had tesltra pre paid coverage and had very poor service, in fact almost none at all which really annoyed her as she had pre paid an $80 package for overseas. I had telstra turn off our data roaming on our ( mine and my daughters) phone so we wouldn't end up with a huge bill, and just used free wifi where I could find it, we mainly used texts to keep track of everyone.

I hope you and your family enjoy the south pacific, we had a wonderful time ( 10 yo in a wheel chair with cerebal palsy) so much so we are trying to decide if we go again this october or next !

Cheers maree:)

 

Thanks Maree! I think you need to go back this october & next! Or Fiji 1 year & Great Barrier Reef the next. Glad your son had a brilliant time. Hoping my autistic 4 year old also does!

[OzKiwiJJ]

If you turn DATA OFF in your smartphone, then the phone (or it's Apps) cannot use any data via the mobile network. It can use data if you happen to find a free wifi service somewhere (even with mobile data turned off).

 

Barry

 

You may need to turn off two things. On my Samsung Galaxy4 they are called "Data Roaming" and "Mobile Data".

 

I went to Singapore late last year and turned "Data Roaming" off - actually it's always off - but didn't turn "Mobile Data" off. I got hit with about $20 of data roaming charges. When I queried this with Optus they explained that apps will use data even if you have roaming off. I never had this problem with my Galaxy 2 so maybe it's something new with the later model.

 

I haven't had a chance to test the phone overseas with both data things turned off. Optus did say that to be on the safe side I should contact them to have it turned off at their end.

[rabbit1971]

Thanks Maree! I think you need to go back this october & next! Or Fiji 1 year & Great Barrier Reef the next. Glad your son had a brilliant time. Hoping my autistic 4 year old also does!

 

Hi Esilef,

already ahead on that one, family decided we will try the Legend next october ( would love to do this october but finances wont allow) We missed out on swimming with the turtles off mystery island and want to go back and do it again, plus see some of the different pacific islands, we are defintely hooked.

i am sure your family will have a ball. Did you book and accesible cabin for your hubby? We didnt and found it was a bit of a tight squeeze getting the manual chair in the door- but we managed.

Cheers maree

[Esilef]

Hi Esilef,

already ahead on that one, family decided we will try the Legend next october ( would love to do this october but finances wont allow) We missed out on swimming with the turtles off mystery island and want to go back and do it again, plus see some of the different pacific islands, we are defintely hooked.

i am sure your family will have a ball. Did you book and accesible cabin for your hubby? We didnt and found it was a bit of a tight squeeze getting the manual chair in the door- but we managed.

Cheers maree

 

The legend is meant to be amazing. I think you have the cruise bug!

 

Hubby can walk short distances so we have a standard balcony cabin but it's a corner aft so we get the very larger balcony. Purchased a folding mobility scooter that can stay on the balcony.

 

You'll have to keep us updated with you travel plans.