T-mobile Service on ship while in port - your experience?

[Spike2000]

Hello,

Just hung up with Tmobile rep and I am still a bit concerned about surprise mobile phone charges.

 

My plan will allow me to make calls @ .20 per minute in all of the S. Carib. islands that we will be visiting but the rep did warn me not to make any calls from the ship (even while in port). She said that I should physically leave the ship when I make my calls. (I would prefer not to have to do that since I don't plan to carry my phone with me) She stated that even while docked, the phone could bounce the signal through the ship and I would get charged the excessive $$.

 

Has anyone had any experience with making mobile phone calls, while on the ship? Did your phone link up to the ship link or a tower on the island as it should? There is a substantial difference in price and would like to be assured that I will not be charged the excessive ship price while making a quick call home while in port. Any recommendations of phone settings etc, are greatly appreciated.

[Clarea]

The ship is supposed to turn off it's cellular service when it gets close to land. If your phone is on the ship's cell service, your phone will display "Cellular at Sea".

[Spike2000]

Thank you...I figured that there must be some indication of what I am linking to. That makes me feel at ease. The last thing I want to come back to is a $500 roaming bill!

 

Thanks!:)

[dotcomgirl]

And don't forget that on T Mobile with most plans you get unlimited international texting free of charge in most destinations.

 

http://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans/simple-choice-international-plan-countries.html

Edited January 14, 2015 by dotcomgirl

[jticarruthers]

Used the free texting/web through Tmobile on the last couple of cruises with no issues. Went to airplane mode when on board, took it off when ashore, no charges for anything.

Have not made/received calls though so cant report on that question.

[spookwife]

Hello,

 

Has anyone had any experience with making mobile phone calls, while on the ship? Did your phone link up to the ship link or a tower on the island as it should? There is a substantial difference in price and would like to be assured that I will not be charged the excessive ship price while making a quick call home while in port. Any recommendations of phone settings etc, are greatly appreciated.

 

before dialing, just check the phone to see where the signal is coming form. yes they are supposed to turn off the chip's cell tower/signal, but that doesn't always happen right away.

[impatientlywaiting]

On our trans-Atlantic last April, I was VERY pleased with T-Mobile's international plan. As others have said, make sure when you're on the ship in port your phone doesn't say Cellular at Sea and you will be fine. Many times when we hadn't reached port yet, we'd turn our phones off airplane mode to see when we'd get reception. Once we got reception we'd start checking Facebook, emails, text messages. Many times other passengers would ask how much our cell company charged us for the international plan. They didn't believe us when we said it cost us nothing - just part of T-Mobile's service! As a matter of fact, in one of our ports (I think it was Amsterdam), our phones showed the provider was T-Mobile (Deutsch Telekom is the parent company)!

[Viv0828]

One should compare the cost of T-Mobile phones and monthly charges before making the decision to switch phone providers. I calculated it would cost DH and me each approximately $340 a year to switch from our current family plan with Verizon to T-Mobile. We realized that we do not spend that much on overseas calls, texts and roaming to justify a change. So I would suggest that a person do a comparison before switching. It may be worth it for some folks and not for others.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[impatientlywaiting]

One should compare the cost of T-Mobile phones and monthly charges before making the decision to switch phone providers. I calculated it would cost DH and me each approximately $340 a year to switch from our current family plan with Verizon to T-Mobile. We realized that we do not spend that much on overseas calls, texts and roaming to justify a change. So I would suggest that a person do a comparison before switching. It may be worth it for some folks and not for others.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Our 5 phone family plan with T-Mobile is so much cheaper than all of the cell companies and we all have unlimited data.

[waterbug123]

And don't forget that on T Mobile with most plans you get unlimited international texting free of charge in most destinations.

 

http://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans/simple-choice-international-plan-countries.html

 

Used the free texting/web through Tmobile on the last couple of cruises with no issues. Went to airplane mode when on board, took it off when ashore, no charges for anything.

Have not made/received calls though so cant report on that question.

 

My BF switched to TMobile a year or so ago and has unlimited data, international etc. Unfortunately he's found service outside the US to be very spotty and often can't get reception (even in places they say he should), or he can get reception but data is at a snail's pace, etc. He is strongly considered going back to AT&T

[Garavar]

I have T-Mobile and I was charged $64.50 for a few text messages and a 6 minute phone call on the ship while at port. So becareful!

 

Sent from my SGH-T699 using Forums mobile app

[lakelorain]

We use T-mobile whenever we travel and at home. The most I ever paid was 20 cents in Copenhagen for a 15 minute call. I've called the US from Copenhagen, Barcelona, St. Martin, Bermuda, Norway and a variety of other countries. We have an unlimited everything family plan and it costs us $130 a month(taxes included). We've been very pleased with the coverage.

We've used it on the ship when docked with no problem. We also do a lot of texting while ashore.

Edited January 15, 2015 by lakelorain

[cruisevv]

Just to confirm. I plan to get the ship's unlimited internet package - if I tie it to my phone that means I have to leave the internet capabilities running.

 

If I don't tie it to my phone (instead to my tablet) and have the phone in airplane mode the entire voyage, will that ensure that I won't get any text messages or phone calls while at sea? I mostly want to use the T-mobile plan to call home while in port or on land.

Edited May 18, 2015 by cruisevv

[Clarea]

Just to confirm. I plan to get the ship's unlimited internet package - if I tie it to my phone that's mean I have to leave the internet capabilities running.

 

If I don't tie it to my phone (instead to my tablet) and have the phone in airplane mode the entire voyage, will that ensure that I won't get any text messages or phone calls while at sea? I mostly want to use the T-mobile plan to call home while in port or on land.

If your phone is in airplane mode, you won't get any SMS or MMS messages, or any phone calls.

[cruisevv]

If your phone is in airplane mode, you won't get any SMS or MMS messages, or any phone calls.

 

This is amazing, so glad I know this now. It'll be a relief to call my family from the ship ports and the hotels and stuff. I'll test out the texting portion from the Bahamas this summer to see if I get a bill.

Edited May 18, 2015 by cruisevv

[impatientlywaiting]

This is amazing, so glad I know this now. It'll be a relief to call my family from the ship ports and the hotels and stuff. I'll test out the texting portion from the Bahamas this summer to see if I get a bill.

 

You won't get a bill - texting is FREE. We were in the Caribbean in March and the only place we couldn't get any service was Belize.

[sseuorosal]

I figured that there must be some indication of what I am linking to.

[SPacificbound]

After being an AT&T (and it's previous) since 1992 we switched to TMobile a couple weeks ago.

 

I tried a test run with a separate TMobile account and a cheap phone that I bought at TMobile, and a TMobile plan for just that phone, before our last three cruises, which were South America plus some time in Buenos Aires pre cruise. That sold me! We were out of the U.S. for six weeks. My bill had no extra charges on it.

 

We moved one iPhone 5s, two iPads and I traded in one iPhone 5 for a TMobile iPhone 6. I bought the phone outright, so no additional monthly payment for the new phone.

 

Now here is the fine print: in order to get the unlimited wireless calling in other countries the phone has to be a phone that is set up for TMobile since they are the only major U.S. cell provider who offers the wifi out of country calling on wifi. This wasn't a problem for us since I had planned on buying an iPhone 6 anyway. Both

phones will have unlimited calls, text and data, but the iPhone 6 will be the phone we use for calling home etc. when we are out of the U.S. The the two iPads have unlimited text and 5 Gig cell each which I can increase if I want to.

 

You don't have to buy the phone from TMobile, for example I could have ordered my iPhone 6 from Apple, but- it has to be set up for TMobile which is just part of ordering the phone, they ask who your carrier is.

 

We learned this the hard way with AT&T and 3 1/2 months out of country with phone bills of over $1,000. per

month.

Edited May 18, 2015 by SPacificbound

[R<3M2012]

I Love TMobile's international plan. We have the simply everything family plan the four lines for $100. Never incurred any charges. Have used the service all over the eastern and western Caribbean and always had at least 2G data service. Was able to send group text, picture and video messages, emails back home to friends and family with no problem. The only place where I couldn't send a text or anything data related was ST. Thomas which was weird because it's a U.S. Port and I should have had 4G there.

 

I have never been charge anything extra besides the 20cent a minute for calling while still on the ship when it's docked in port.

 

I noticed someone say they will try to use the service while in the Bahamas .... If I'm not mistaken the last time I looked (last year) at the list of countries Bahamas was not included so you may be billed the normal rates...whatever that is.

[R<3M2012]

Also when you arrive in whichever country t mobile sends out a text message saying welcome to (name of country) and it will state that calls are 20cents and data and text are free...look for that text...that way you know you are connected to TMobile's network and not the cruise ship.

[waterbug123]

 

 

Now here is the fine print: in order to get the unlimited wireless calling in other countries the phone has to be a phone that is set up for TMobile since they are the only major U.S. cell provider who offers the wifi out of country calling on wifi.

 

That's really not "fine print." It's pretty widely understood that international roaming isn't free, unless you have a plan that provides it, i.e. TMobile.

 

Also, what you are getting from TMobile is cellular data, not wifi. Both give access to the internet, but they are not the same thing. Lots of places provide free wifi and it has nothing to do with what cell phone carrier you use. ;)

[lakelorain]

That's really not "fine print." It's pretty widely understood that international roaming isn't free, unless you have a plan that provides it, i.e. TMobile.

 

Also, what you are getting from TMobile is cellular data, not wifi. Both give access to the internet, but they are not the same thing. Lots of places provide free wifi and it has nothing to do with what cell phone carrier you use. ;)

 

You can actually use either cellular data or call through wifi. I use wifi in the ports that have it free because it is often a better signal. T-mobile offers both if you have the right type of phone.

[DebJ14]

You won't get a bill - texting is FREE. We were in the Caribbean in March and the only place we couldn't get any service was Belize.

 

I have T-Mobile and use it extensively out of the country. Unfortunately, Belize, Honduras and the Bahamas are not participating in the great (cheap) international plan.

 

I always go out on my balcony to make calls in port and make sure I am connecting with the foreign cell phone carrier and not cellular at sea. I have never been connected with the cruise line's Cellular at Sea while doing this. I find the signal is better out on the balcony.

 

Don't forget to enter the + 1 before making calls back to the US. I met someone on a cruise who swore her T-Mobile didn't work to make calls. She did not know about putting the + in front of the number.

 

I send lots of pictures via text, make lots of phone calls while in port and download all my e-mails while in the ports. Last month on our cruise the additional charges for the phone calls were only $6.00.

 

Also, in places where I cannot make cheap phone calls (Nassau, Roatan, Belize) I make sure I turn off my data roaming and then find free internet on shore and make my calls for free using WIFI.

 

The list of countries where you get the cheap calls is on their website.

 

DH has ATT and he just leaves his phone at home because their international charges are so high.

[DebJ14]

Just to confirm. I plan to get the ship's unlimited internet package - if I tie it to my phone that means I have to leave the internet capabilities running.

 

If I don't tie it to my phone (instead to my tablet) and have the phone in airplane mode the entire voyage, will that ensure that I won't get any text messages or phone calls while at sea? I mostly want to use the T-mobile plan to call home while in port or on land.

 

Yes. Put the phone in airplane mode while on the ship if you want to use the other features (camera, pinned music etc). Then turn it off when you want to call from a port. It is not the receiving of texts that runs up the bill, but the downloading of data (e-mails), upgrades to apps etc. that run up the bill. You can download data for free in the ports listed on the T-Mobile website.

 

FYI I have the T-mobile unlimited, talk, text and data plan in the US.

[rjrice1]

I have t-mobile and used it in Aruba for a week.

As long as I was in a wifi area.. text and call home all the time.

On our Southern Cruise we were able to do the same.

Cathy