Cell phone coverage

[cruisnfool]

If you buy a international phone plan from your carrier like Sprint can you make calls home both on and off the Shop?

[Clarea]

If you buy a international phone plan from your carrier like Sprint can you make calls home both on and off the Shop?

You would have to check with Sprint. With AT&T, the internaation plan does not cover calls from the cruise ship.

[kmcnamara68]

I have T mobile now. Never had to pay a dime extra on the cruise. Sprint will screw you so you better shut the phone off before you even board. Had Sprint 2 years ago and got an $800 bill when I came home just cuz my phone was on.

[kmcnamara68]

Ps. I used my T Mobile phone to make calls, send emails and post to facebook the whole time we were cruising. All for free.

[Clarea]

Ps. I used my T Mobile phone to make calls, send emails and post to facebook the whole time we were cruising. All for free.

Wow, pretty good deal. Might have to look into T Mobile.

[micruiser2002]

I also have T-Mobile and love it but I do not think it is free on ships. If you have it on Wi-Fi then yes but if not I believe they charge $5.99 per minute to connect to the ship roaming cell service. They do have international free texting and data which is great but that does not cover cruise ships. I have been charged before when sending text messages but I have not tried calling.

 

http://www.t-mobile.com/optional-services/roaming.html

[kmcnamara68]

I also have T-Mobile and love it but I do not think it is free on ships. If you have it on Wi-Fi then yes but if not I believe they charge $5.99 per minute to connect to the ship roaming cell service. They do have international free texting and data which is great but that does not cover cruise ships. I have been charged before when sending text messages but I have not tried calling.

 

 

 

http://www.t-mobile.com/optional-services/roaming.html

 

 

Wrong. We just got back in January and weren't charged anything. If you are roaming off the network there might be a roaming fee. But most of the areas the ships port at are free as well as the ships. You do need to check the registration country of the ship as that will determine the cell phone tower registration that is on the ship. Thus for example if it's a non covered country then you will be paying.

[micruiser2002]

If you check the link above it will show by cruise ship how much they charge. If you connect using their roaming you will get charged, I believe it shows up as Cellular at Sea? If you are only using it when you are in port by land that is different you are then connecting to whatever service is available in that country and yes then in most cases it is free with T-Mobile. As I have said I have been charged for text messages before while on the ship and connecting to their cellular network.

Edited November 4, 2014 by micruiser2002

[kmcnamara68]

If you check the link above it will show by cruise ship how much they charge. If you connect using their roaming you will get charged, I believe it shows up as Cellular at Sea? If you are only using it when you are in port by land that is different you are then connecting to whatever service is available in that country and yes then in most cases it is free with T-Mobile. As I have said I have been charged for text messages before while on the ship and connecting to their cellular network.

 

 

Then you need to demand a refund. I placed many calls on our last cruise while in the middle of the Atlantic and wasn't charged anything. We had a family emergency back home and for 3 days I was making a million calls and sending emails like a made man(over cellular net work not the wifi). And I wasn't charged anything extra other than when we were in Belize which we were charged $6.99 (Belize is NOT an included FREE country and this was a roam charge)

[kmcnamara68]

You need to have the simple choice plan to get the 140 country's free. So our plan is $50 and then $20 more for unlimited with 140 country's.

[kmcnamara68]

Bottom line.... Know your plan and you'll know what you'll be charged.

[micruiser2002]

I travel around the world for work, just returned from 3 weeks in Asia and I have the simple choice plan. I am very familiar with it and I have never been charged when in a country that is covered. I have been charged on a ship just like it shows on their website. Why would they show the charges if there weren't any? It even says that Simple Choice plans get these rates automatically others have to enroll, it does not say anything about Simple choice not being included in these charges. I think you might have been very lucky not to be charged and I would not count on there not being charges if you are connected to cellular at sea.

[kmcnamara68]

I travel around the world for work, just returned from 3 weeks in Asia and I have the simple choice plan. I am very familiar with it and I have never been charged when in a country that is covered. I have been charged on a ship just like it shows on their website. Why would they show the charges if there weren't any? It even says that Simple Choice plans get these rates automatically others have to enroll, it does not say anything about Simple choice not being included in these charges. I think you might have been very lucky not to be charged and I would not count on there not being charges if you are connected to cellular at sea.

 

 

Perhaps it is just a Royal Caribbean specific charge. Haven't been on them in a long time. But I'm telling ya that on Carnival, Costa and NCL I've never been charged.

[reallyitsmema]

Wrong. We just got back in January and weren't charged anything. If you are roaming off the network there might be a roaming fee. But most of the areas the ships port at are free as well as the ships. You do need to check the registration country of the ship as that will determine the cell phone tower registration that is on the ship. Thus for example if it's a non covered country then you will be paying.

 

Your information is incorrect. Cell phone calls are typically $2.49/min using cellular at sea though can be as high as $5.99/min with some carriers. The "areas the ships port at" are only free if you have a US cell plan and it is a US territory.

 

To the OP, you need to contact your cell phone provider for accurate information. Either call them or go to their website. The websites can be accessed from this link.

 

http://www.wmsatsea.com/roaming-partners.html

[kmcnamara68]

Your information is incorrect. Cell phone calls are typically $2.49/min using cellular at sea though can be as high as $5.99/min with some carriers. The "areas the ships port at" are only free if you have a US cell plan and it is a US territory.

 

 

 

To the OP, you need to contact your cell phone provider for accurate information. Either call them or go to their website. The websites can be accessed from this link.

 

 

 

http://www.wmsatsea.com/roaming-partners.html

 

 

Thanks for chiming in. But my information spoke to my experiences with my cell phone plan and my last 3 cruises. So you can't say My information is incorrect because you don't pay my bill darling.

[cruisnfool]

Would it be cheaper to buy international phone cards and just call from islands

[reallyitsmema]

Thanks for chiming in. But my information spoke to my experiences with my cell phone plan and my last 3 cruises. So you can't say My information is incorrect because you don't pay my bill darling.

 

Check your sarcasm at the door.

 

The OP is asking about Sprint. Your experience with Sprint was your own mistake, not Sprint's. The OP can use their phone on their cruise and not spend $800 if they educate themselves about their plan and turn off data roaming if they have a smart phone.

 

As far as your experiences with TMobile, if your signature is correct, you would have only had TMobile for your Celebrity cruise and calls from the ship are $5.99/min.

[reallyitsmema]

Would it be cheaper to buy international phone cards and just call from islands

 

You need to talk to Sprint or go to their website. Only you know what type of phone you have, what plan you currently have and what ports you are visiting. They will be able to tell you exactly what it will cost you.

 

http://shop.sprint.com/mysprint/services_solutions/category.jsp?catId=service_international&catName=International%20Services&ECID=vanity:international

[loubetti]

Ps. I used my T Mobile phone to make calls, send emails and post to facebook the whole time we were cruising. All for free.

 

That's why I been with T Mobile before they were T Mobile!

[blackshirt]

Thanks for chiming in. But my information spoke to my experiences with my cell phone plan and my last 3 cruises. So you can't say My information is incorrect because you don't pay my bill darling.

 

Well, T-Mobile's web site says they do charge $5.99/minute for Carnival, NCL and Costa also. I think you need to consider yourself lucky to not have been charged. I seriously doubt every T-Mobile customer gets free service on cruise ships.

[kmcnamara68]

Well, T-Mobile's web site says they do charge $5.99/minute for Carnival, NCL and Costa also. I think you need to consider yourself lucky to not have been charged. I seriously doubt every T-Mobile customer gets free service on cruise ships.

 

 

I know what the website says. And I know what I have been billed. Leaving in 69 days on the NCL GEM. Will let you know what I am billed as I plan to use my phone the whole time we are traveling.

[setsail]

"First, this new plan does NOT apply when using the cruise ship’s cell phone towers. Using the service provided by the cruise ship continues to cost $5.99 per minute for phone calls with free incoming text messages (if you have texting on your plan) and outgoing texts costing .50 each. Data is also at the over-inflated price of $15 per mb. The moment you step on the ship until the moment you step off your phone should have “data roaming” turned off.

 

Anytime you turn data roaming off on your phone, make sure that you are connected to a cell phone tower on land and not the ship.

 

In order to take advantage of free data, you must be on the Simple Choice Plan. Prepaid accounts and accounts on the old value plans are not eligible. If you are on one of the old value plans, switching over to the Simple Choice Plans is really easy and the prices are virtually the same

-"

Edited November 4, 2014 by setsail

[ehfl]

Click on the following link and select Cruise Ship Roaming as the country. You can see the rates for each ship, as well as which technology is used (CDMA, GSM, etc.)

 

http://internationalroaming.sprint.com/IntlCoverage/SearchCountry.do?ECID=vanity:sww

[NEPAcruzer]

AT&T does offer cruise packages. We purchased one last year and I just called and got a plan today for our cruise leaving Saturday. The offer 3 levels. I chose $60 for 50 minutes and 100 texts. They do have a less expensive plan and also another plan with data for $120.

[airmanship]

Okay, so back to the topic.

 

I have Verizon and they have a "cruise" package with call and text.

No need to do the international plan if on a cruise because we get the cruise plan.

 

However, 21 y/o son is in Europe for study Abroad this semester. We have added the international call and text to our plan for these next 6 months.

 

All my previous experience has been ... I can text and call in ports but not so easy on sea days.

 

Read your plan. All carriers have some sort of cruise and international plan. It is just what works for you.

Edited November 5, 2014 by airmanship