Can you use cell phone free on alaska cruise?

[cruisinsharilu]

We are leaving in 7 days for Seattle and the Miracle cruise to Alaska. I know on other cruises we could not use our cell phones due to high fees. But we (I think) will be in US and Canada waters....so won't we be able to use the phone as always? Or are we out farther into the sea than I think we will be? Everyone talks about seeing wildlife from the ship so we must to fairly close to shore.

[uncfes]

once your on land use it... any ship phone fee's are going to be high

 

 

Uncle Fester sailing from Las Vegas

 

Married on Monarch of the Sea 07-07-07

Celebrity

Princess

RC

Carnival

NCL

[grobma]

Just because you're within site of land and wildlife, doesn't mean there is cell coverage (bears don't use cell phones much). There is coverage in port cities, but not typically while traveling.

[chengkp75]

Unless you have specifically set your phone to not acquire the closest/strongest tower signal, you will be using the ship's tower (about a football field away at most) even if you can see land. As others have said, there ain't a lot of cell towers in Alaska, it pretty much like the Northern Great Plains states and northern Maine. Coverage is spotty, so likely the ONLY signal you will get is the ship's tower.

[cruisinsharilu]

Thanks for the reply....I figured out how to use this site and put cell phones in Alaska as a search and got a bunch of great advice. Such as keep your phone on Airplane mode while on the ship so your receipt of texts do not come thru and get charged a big fee by the ship for getting it. Only take it off this setting inside the port. It also said the ships turn theirs off after docking because of other people (not even passengers) getting hit with a charge from them on their cells. (this can be contested and taken off the bill, if you are in port and it goes thru the ship.) When you get into port and take it off airplane mode all your texts will download for free. ATT is the main provider in Alaska and that is what I have, so should have no problems using it in ports.

[kGCAL]

once your on land use it... any ship phone fee's are going to be high

 

 

Uncle Fester sailing from Las Vegas

 

Married on Monarch of the Sea 07-07-07

Celebrity

Princess

RC

Carnival

NCL

 

make sure you are not on ship roaming service

[laughing husky]

Most US phones are blocked in Canada....Canada's rules, not ours...

[Arusha]

Most US phones are blocked in Canada....Canada's rules, not ours...

 

That wasn't my experience in Vancouver last May. My ATT phone picked up Rogers wireless service, and I got a warning email from ATT about how much using Rogers roaming service was going to cost. It was a big bill when I got home.

 

Cruisers should be careful using their phones off the ship near/in Canada, especially on excursions into Canada. Those roaming charges are pretty hefty.

[Arusha]

ATT is the main provider in Alaska and that is what I have, so should have no problems using it in ports.

 

Excellent ATT service in Juneau - 5 bars - much better than I have here north of Boston, Massachusetts!

 

Just be careful in/near Canada, per my previous post.

[Coral]

I also used my cell phone in Vancouver and Victoria. I knew I would be paying big time for it but you do what you have to do. This was with Verizon.

[grobma]

Most US phones are blocked in Canada....Canada's rules, not ours...

 

I have traveled to Canada many times since cell phones first came into wide use and using both AT&T and Verizon phones, have never heard of that nor had that happen to me. As a matter of fact, as per subsequent posts, the carriers love it because they make a pretty penny on it.

[TinCan782]

Look into buying a month of Canada roaming from your carrier. I'll be doing that through Sprint...the cost is $2.99/month and the per minute charge drops to $0.20 from $0.59. Doing that "just-in-case"!

[garycarla]

As always with this topic, some "sketchy" advice.

 

Your phone will always show which carrier you are on - ship, Canadian carrier, ATT, etc. You then can make a choice. The ship is SUPPOSED to turn off their tower when in port.

 

If you do leave it on while on the ship, calls are $2.50 per minute. We leave ours on and deal with a few calls. To each their own. Texts are like $.50 one way, and less the other.

 

As to data, just turn off data roaming.

 

Never heard of Canada blocking calls. But, we warned it will be at international rates.

[bearbait]

Back in the old days we'd just wait until we got into port and find a pay phone. Life went on and everyone survived. Why people think they need to be constantly connected is beyond me. If your at sea and something happens they aren't gonna stop the ship and turn around. If it's an emergency it'll still be an emergency when you get to port. If someone dies while you're at sea they'll still be dead when you get to port. Put the phones and computers away. Just go and enjoy it instead of worrying about cell phone signals in the middle of the ocean.

[Coral]

Back in the old days we'd just wait until we got into port and find a pay phone. Life went on and everyone survived. Why people think they need to be constantly connected is beyond me. If your at sea and something happens they aren't gonna stop the ship and turn around. If it's an emergency it'll still be an emergency when you get to port. If someone dies while you're at sea they'll still be dead when you get to port. Put the phones and computers away. Just go and enjoy it instead of worrying about cell phone signals in the middle of the ocean.

 

Honestly, when you are responsible for someone else, such as a parent or child, you do need to be informed when there is an emergency as decisions have to be made, etc.... Probably back in the old days, when you were responsible for someone, you probably didn't go anywhere. Now a days, due to technology, people can travel as long as they can stay in touch with "reality". Some decisions/emergencies can't wait until you get home. If you have ever had this type of responsibility, you would know what I am referring to.

[nana541]

Honestly, when you are responsible for someone else, such as a parent or child, you do need to be informed when there is an emergency as decisions have to be made, etc.... Probably back in the old days, when you were responsible for someone, you probably didn't go anywhere. Now a days, due to technology, people can travel as long as they can stay in touch with "reality". Some decisions/emergencies can't wait until you get home. If you have ever had this type of responsibility, you would know what I am referring to.

 

The answer is No!

 

I use my iPad to check my e-mail once in the morning and once just before going to bed.

 

I provide those family member who need it the "Emergency" number the Cruiseline provides for just this purpose.....so they have 2 easy ways to reach us almost immediately.

 

In the event of a true emergency both e-mail and the emergency contact # works for us!

 

PS I do have an iPhone which I keep turned off and will never use while onboard but have had occasion to use it in an emergency while in port. With Data turned off of course! An $800 phone bill taught be a very very expensive lesson :(

 

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Edited May 16, 2014 by nana541

[WintrHawk]

Back in the old days...

 

Yeah... that argument always ends well...

 

But if you insist on reflecting on the past just remember that as the saying goes, “past performance does not guarantee future results.”

 

The OP was asking about the here and now and whether or not things would be different with regards to the use of cellphones on an Alaskan cruise. I don't recall them asking to be judged about how they lived their lives on or off a ship.

[TinCan782]

BEFORE you accept or reject anything you read here in this forum, please do this: 1) Check with YOUR cellphone/wireless provider and get acquainted with their policy regarding international roaming, cruise ships, etc. 2) Check with your cruise line regarding use of cell phones, etc. while aboard ship

Then, you will be better able to use the information obtained here. My carrier even provides information for my particular phone and suggestions for settings to use for international data and voice roaming to avoid surprises.

 

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[mort&fran]

... when you are responsible for someone else, such as a parent or child, you do need to be informed when there is an emergency as decisions have to be made, etc....

 

If one is truly irreplacably responsible one does not travel far. But if one can travel that usually means that there are others who can share the burden for a limited period.

 

We were on a cruise around South America when my mother-in-law passed away. She had been ill for quite some time, and she and we were aware that that might happen, or that she might have a relapse, which is why we purchased travel insurance. We had made what we felt were necessary decisions and arrangements long before we took that cruise. However, unbeknownst to us she had also made arrangements for immediate cremation and no funeral, so when we received the call - the next morning - there was nothing we could do. And there was nothing to rush home to.

 

5 days later, off Argentina's southern coast, I had a heart attack. (Thank you, Celebrity, for saving my life!) THAT was something for which we had not planned, and the travel insurance eventually proved its worth.

[nana541]

For clarification, in Alaskan ports you can use your cell phone as you are in the US.... At sea however you will pay both the cruise line for using their cell service AND you will also pay the outrageous international roaming rates charged by you cell phone carrier .....

Unless it is the most over the too emergency, forget it as it's cheaper to pick up the phone in your cabin for 5 min than to turn your phone on in international waters and make a call.

 

JMHO

 

 

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Edited May 17, 2014 by nana541

[Coral]

If one is truly irreplacably responsible one does not travel far. But if one can travel that usually means that there are others who can share the burden for a limited period.

 

.

 

Your statement is not always true. It may have been in your case but not everyone else's case.

[nana541]

Your statement is not always true. It may have been in your case but not everyone else's case.

 

 

I think that we have all taken the time to give you some very good information and advice. It's up to you how you use this information. If you feel you need to have your phone with you and turned on the entire time you are onboard then you can do that, however the resulting phone bill will be astronomical (or at the very least HUGE).

 

We found that making arrangements for checking in twice a day by e-mail and making sure family had the cruiseline emergency number for the ship worked when we had real medical issues at home. The ships personnel on two occasions tracked us down and got messages (from the hospital at home) to us.

 

Our only other option was to cancel and family had pushed us not to do this..... Everything turned out fine or as fine as things could be under these kinds of circumstances.

 

Enjoy your cruise, keep your phone off except when off the ship and in the Alaskan Ports. And get update e-mails each evening, make sure they know you will check twice a day!

 

 

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[kennicott]

For clarification, in Alaskan ports you can use your cell phone as you are in the US....JMHO

 

We have ACS here in Alaska, on our cell phones, (meaning, mostly verizon in the rest of the country). Works well, ACS to ACS anywhere in the US. Love it because our family is often split between here and Hawaii and calls back and forth cost no more than those in town in Anchorage.

 

Our phones don't work overseas though, so we keep them turned off on the high seas and other continents. So, having said all that, on one trip, after crossing the pond, and arriving in San Juan, Puerto Rico, we noticed that our cell phones were working. So we made a bunch of calls back home. We are on a cell phone family plan in our daughter's name. While talking to her from Puerto Rico we mentioned it sure was great to be back in the good old USA and have our cell phones activated again.

 

She said, I don't believe Puerto Rico is on the contract. So, then, honey, how come our phones work? Sure enough, Puerto Rico was not on the contract and a heavy bill came later, although not all that bad and we would probably have made the calls anyway, even after being made aware of the charges.

 

Furthermore, for emergency purposes, the ship's phones work fine, on Regent we get more than an hour free anywhere on the globe. We also have excellent reception on Princess and HAL but it cost quite a bit per minute. But, so what, in an emergency communication reliability is the key, not the cost.

[Coral]

I think that we have all taken the time to give you some very good information and advice. It's up to you how you use this information. If you feel you need to have your phone with you and turned on the entire time you are onboard then you can do that, however the resulting phone bill will be astronomical (or at the very least HUGE).

 

 

I wasn't the one looking for advice. I was just stating that not everyone can turn off everything and go on vacation for an extended period of time with out being accessible. Some people have responsibilities that they can not "turn off".

[nana541]

I wasn't the one looking for advice. I was just stating that not everyone can turn off everything and go on vacation for an extended period of time with out being accessible. Some people have responsibilities that they can not "turn off".

 

 

Your right this advise was intended for the OP....

 

 

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