AT&T Cruise Ship Packages?

[EMcCruiser]

Does anyone have any experience with the AT&T Cruise Ship Packages for your cell phones? My mother is ill (but doing very well) and I would like to be able to call and check in with her when we are on the Allure in June. The rates seem reasonable at $30 for 50 minutes, $60 for 50 minutes and 100 messages, or $120 for 50 minutes, 100 messages and 100 MB of data. We would probably just get the plan with the minutes as we want to disconnect from everything else. Has anyone used this service recently? Is it reliable, worth the cost, etc.?

 

Thanks for your help!

[Ashland]

Yes...we have done the cruise offered package from AT&T..worked out well for us...just call AT&T give them your cruiseline and dates and they easily set it up ..we actually didn't need to use it much but it was worth it to us and we'll use it again.

[leaveitallbehind]

Worked well for us also. We found the rates and options reasonable and well suited to our planned usage. Used it last on our 3/1/14 Independence cruise and will use it again as needed.

[Baseball fan]

I haven't used their package. If you aren't sure you will use it, I believe the standard rate is about $2.50 a minute. If you will use it, the package price is good.

 

 

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[h20skibum]

That is a good price. Just make sure you have data turned off on your phone. We just used Verizon's and paid 2.59 a minute for calls and 0.50 for out going texts and 0.05 for receiving texts. Boosted our bill by $128 and we only had 21 minutes of calls.

[nascar junkie]

Just talked to ATT about this. Be sure they start your package on the 1st day of your billing prior to your cruise dates. Otherwise, they will prorate your minutes from the date you sign up for it to the end of your billing cycle. For example, my new billing cycle starts on the 2nd but I don't need this until the 13th. If I make it effective on the 13th, not only will they prorate the minutes available until the second of the next month but it will automatically renew for another 30 days unless yoiu have them put an automatic stop as of the end of your billing cycle. I will make mine effective with the 1st date of the billing cycle (2nd) even though I won't use it till the 13th so I get the full 50 minutes to use. Then have it auto stop on the end of that cycle. Hope this isn't too confusing but it gives you the full amount to use and over just 1 billing cycle.:eek:

[EMcCruiser]

Thanks for all of the responses! We are going to call today after work!

 

 

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[Cruiser Nonna]

Have also used it and no problems - except the "Auto Stop" it did not stop and was billed again the following month - did call into ATT and they did credit back - but would in the future just add that to my "To Do Upon Return" and call ATT and make sure it is removed.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

[piner11]

How do you turn off the data on your cellphone? Is this the airplane mode?

[Clarea]

How do you turn off the data on your cellphone? Is this the airplane mode?

Airplane mode turns off all communications. If that's what you want, then that will work for you. If you want to have voice and short text messages, but turn data off, then airplane mode won't work for you. The settings differ by phone. In mine, it's under Settings, General, Network, and it's called "Cellular Data".

Edited May 21, 2014 by clarea

[Justmekaren918]

I would say be really careful with these smartphones and apps. I turned mine on in Mexico to send 1 email and the apps were starved and download so much data. I got hit. Thx's Mom!

 

I have to learn better before, I travel again.

[MisterBill99]

That is a good price. Just make sure you have data turned off on your phone. We just used Verizon's and paid 2.59 a minute for calls and 0.50 for out going texts and 0.05 for receiving texts. Boosted our bill by $128 and we only had 21 minutes of calls.

Verizon also has a $25 package that includes 100mb of data, but phone calls and texts are pay as you go. Without the data package, you'll pay $2 per mb! The Verizon package isn't just for cruise ships, it's their normal International plan but also includes cruise ships. Note it's pro-rated, so if you only turn if on for a week, you'll pay around $7, but you'll also only get 25mb of data. Extra buckets of 100mb are also $25.

 

I thought that AT&T had a similar package where you did not prepay for some number of minutes and texts, but I am not a customer so I'm not sure.

 

I would say be really careful with these smartphones and apps. I turned mine on in Mexico to send 1 email and the apps were starved and download so much data. I got hit. Thx's Mom!

 

I have to learn better before, I travel again.

You need to turn off background data so the apps you're not running can't start downloading when you go out of airplane mode.

Edited May 21, 2014 by MisterBill99

[EMcCruiser]

I called AT&T and just added the $30 package that gets me 50 minutes. The representative I spoke with was very nice and it didn't take much time at all. He told me to make sure to turn my data off (I don't know how to do this, but DH does), and that any text messages I receive are not at cost to me, but if I send any, I will be charged for each one.

 

Hopefully all goes well! Thanks again for all of the replies!

 

 

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[bigeagle12]

Does anybody know about the new Verizon Everything Plan that includes international texting? Wonder how that applies to cruise ships.

 

 

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[kftw]

Would the AT&T plan work for a TA cruise? Somehow I'm thinking no but thought I'd ask.

[Clarea]

Would the AT&T plan work for a TA cruise? Somehow I'm thinking no but thought I'd ask.

The AT&T cruise ship plan covers you while at sea all over the world.

[h20skibum]

Does anybody know about the new Verizon Everything Plan that includes international texting? Wonder how that applies to cruise ships.

 

It doesn't apply to cruise ships. It is 0.50 to send a text and 0.05 to receive. Their international texting plan lets you send from the US to a number of countries, but I do not believe it covers you taking your phone to those countries and texting back to the US.

[MisterBill99]

It doesn't apply to cruise ships. It is 0.50 to send a text and 0.05 to receive. Their international texting plan lets you send from the US to a number of countries, but I do not believe it covers you taking your phone to those countries and texting back to the US.

It doesn't. There was someone on a FB group who kept posting that Verizon had called her about this new plan that included International texting and she was sure that it included texting from outside of the US. I kept telling her that I doubted that was the case and asked for the plan name to look it up. I finally found the plan on my own and sure enough, it didn't.

[MisterBill99]

Would the AT&T plan work for a TA cruise? Somehow I'm thinking no but thought I'd ask.

It's using the ship's cellular service, so where the ship is (near land or in the middle of the Atlantic) makes no difference.

[SPacificbound]

I have used AT&T Cellular At Sea and it worked well, actually too well since I ended up increasing the package to the $120.00 package. :)

[shoelover536]

This is very helpful info. This is a longer cruise so unfortunately we can't stay unplugged the whole time like on a Caribbean cruise.

 

I have a question: If you buy the plan that includes 100MB of data, does this mean you don't have to buy the ship's internet if you are accessing from the device with the plan? Also, how much is 100MB? I would only want to use it to check email. Also - how does that work to disable to apps and let email run? Turn off background data?

 

OK, sorry, that was questions and not question lol. Thx all!

[Clarea]

This is very helpful info. This is a longer cruise so unfortunately we can't stay unplugged the whole time like on a Caribbean cruise.

 

I have a question: If you buy the plan that includes 100MB of data, does this mean you don't have to buy the ship's internet if you are accessing from the device with the plan? Also, how much is 100MB? I would only want to use it to check email. Also - how does that work to disable to apps and let email run? Turn off background data?

 

OK, sorry, that was questions and not question lol. Thx all!

Yes, if you buy the data with the cruise ship plan, then you can get internet access from the phone without using the ship's WiFi. The problem as you suspected are all the apps that want to call home to mommy as soon as you turn on data. There's no way to predict that.

 

However, you can do an experiment before you get on the ship. Every phone has a way to display a data counter. Reset the counter, use the phone for a day only like you intend to on the ship, then look at the counter. That will give you an idea of your data usage.

[blackshirt]

If all you need is data to check email, a cheaper option would be to get one of the global data add-on packages that range from $30 for 120mb to $120 for 800mb. This package would not be for use when at sea through the "cellular at sea" onboard service but would be for when you are in port and able to connect to the local cellular provider. The $30 120mb package is what I am getting for an upcoming Baltic cruise.

[shoelover536]

Yes, if you buy the data with the cruise ship plan, then you can get internet access from the phone without using the ship's WiFi. The problem as you suspected are all the apps that want to call home to mommy as soon as you turn on data. There's no way to predict that.

 

However, you can do an experiment before you get on the ship. Every phone has a way to display a data counter. Reset the counter, use the phone for a day only like you intend to on the ship, then look at the counter. That will give you an idea of your data usage.

 

Great idea thank you! I have a feeling I have some needy apps, lol, judging from how quickly my battery runs down even when I'm not using my phone, especially since the new OS. Looking forward to upgrading the the 6 this fall.

[h20skibum]

This is very helpful info. This is a longer cruise so unfortunately we can't stay unplugged the whole time like on a Caribbean cruise.

 

I have a question: If you buy the plan that includes 100MB of data, does this mean you don't have to buy the ship's internet if you are accessing from the device with the plan? Also, how much is 100MB? I would only want to use it to check email. Also - how does that work to disable to apps and let email run? Turn off background data?

 

OK, sorry, that was questions and not question lol. Thx all!

 

We ended up buying a ship internet plan for email and using the global plan for text and calls on our longer cruise. The ships internet gave us a running total of Mb. In about a week and a half, we used over 600 Mb, and we didn't upload any photos. This just gives an idea how much data usage you may have in typical email.

 

On the phone, we had turned off all cell data, and had disabled all notifications and set emails to manual in case anything wanted to download while on the ship cellular network.

 

Our bottom line was around 100 for the internet plan we purchased, and the cell costs were around an extra 130 for calls and texts. We didn't get dinged for any data use on the phone. Your mileage, of course, may vary.