Mobile Phones

[iflyrc5]

The following is copied from the HAL website. Does anyone have any experience with this system and costs involved? Another family traveling with us wants to stay in touch with other family members at home via texting. A representative at Verizon told them this would be free. That does not sound correct to me so trying to get some first hand experience from our HAL forum. When you go to the link they give it takes you to AT&T and there is nothing about Verizon.

 

Mobile Phone Service

 

Holland America, through an agreement with Wireless Maritime Service, proudly offers an advanced roaming network onboard all Holland America ships allowing you to make and receive calls, send and receive text messages and access emails and surf the web while at sea using your own mobile phone and telephone number.

 

The Wireless Maritime Service system is available for use when the ship is in international waters. When user’s phones pick the shipboard signal, their phone will usually display “cellular at sea”, “Ship Roam”or “901-18”. Depending on the handset and the carrier the user may be required to select “Roam” on the handset.

 

For frequently asked questions about cell phone service on board, please go to http://www.wmsatsea.com.

For questions about your service or about billing, please contact your home network customer service.

[DeckLife]

Texting via Verizon costs 50 cents to send, 5 cents to receive. See this web site: http://www.verizonwireless.com/wcms/global/plans-and-pricing.html

[xlxo]

I think the key thing is the service is available.... but it's not free.

 

@iflyrc5: Where are you cruising too? Some itineries are near land and you can force it to pick up a land signal instead of the ship signal.

[Mtn2Sea]

A little over a year ago, I tried to use the cellular at sea program for data, using my Verizon system. I gave up pretty fast and bought the ship's data plan. HAL has since changed to a different satellite provider, so I don't know if that has made a difference. I never tried to send a text, which might be better than trying to use the Internet. Also, I found I got more accurate information from Verizon's toll free customer service number than asking a rep at a local store.

[Globaliser]

The following is copied from the HAL website. Does anyone have any experience with this system and costs involved? Another family traveling with us wants to stay in touch with other family members at home via texting.

The system is fine for texting, and my phone is now normally on but silent throughout the cruise so I can check it once or twice a day for texts. It's really no different from roaming anywhere else.

[thinfool]

Verizon, ATT, et al may say it is free...and it may well be as far as their systems are concerned....however

 

onboard ship you are not connecting to Verizon, ATT or others, you are connecting to "cellular at sea". This is a company that has a contract for cell service onboard the ship. They own and maintain the equipment on the ship.

 

They also will charge you to use it. The charges for text messages seem somewhat reasonable, but reports of use for regular voice phone calls indicate that you will pay as much as $2.49/minute for their service. You can decide if this is reasonable or not.

 

Ship communications are rapidly changing, though, and may well see lower rates in the future. Carnival lowered, some months ago, their legacy ship-to-shore telephone (in cabin) rates to $1.99/min from the long standing $6.99/min that prevailed for many years.

[Folk Singer]

Texting via Verizon costs 50 cents to send, 5 cents to receive. See this web site: http://www.verizonwireless.com/wcms/global/plans-and-pricing.html

 

 

Thank you for that. We normally leave our phones at home. Figure we are on Holiday and turn off the electronics. If it is life shattering they can contact the ship and have us call home. "ET. Call Home"

[2ptu/000]

I just got a cell phone with the ability to text. My provider is Verizon. I really don't want to make calls from the ship but it would be nice to be able to receive text. What settings do I use on my phone so I don't get charged a lot?

[DeckLife]

Just turn off your data to avoid charges. Also, texts should go to individuals, and be plain text (i.e., no pix). If you try to text two people at once, for example, some phones regard this as a multimedia message, and that requires data services. If you have data turned off, then the message won't go. And, by the way, you can't accidentally use the ship's data service, as that requires signing up with room number.

 

You should be able to block phone calls, or just don't answer them.

[POA1]

I just got a cell phone with the ability to text. My provider is Verizon. I really don't want to make calls from the ship but it would be nice to be able to receive text. What settings do I use on my phone so I don't get charged a lot?

In order to send / recv texts, your phone has to be on and connected to the ship's cellular network - at least at sea. The cost to send & receive texts is negotiated between the cell carriers and the ship's provider. The best place to check is your carrier's website.

 

For example, we can receive texts on the HAL ships for free. We can send texts at 50 cents each. Calls however, are $5.99 per minute. Since our phones have to be on to text, there's always a risk that we'll get some of those $6 wrong numbers if we leave our phones on.

 

We're on T-Mobile. Most international texting is free, and calls are 20 cents per minute. On cruise ships, the negotiated rate is dismal though.

 

You should be able to find your rates under international roaming. (Not international calling. That's different.) Most big carriers have a cruise ship rates section under International Roaming.

Edited January 20, 2015 by POA1

[DeckLife]

If you have Verizon, the price to text is 50 cents, to receive texts is 5 cents each. See the page linked above and look at the cruise section. There's a link there to a page listing the cruise lines covered by this. Holland is listed.

 

Which carrier provides for free receiving of texts?

[POA1]

If you have Verizon, the price to text is 50 cents, to receive texts is 5 cents each. See the page linked above and look at the cruise section. There's a link there to a page listing the cruise lines covered by this. Holland is listed.

 

Which carrier provides for free receiving of texts?

T-Mobile allows free receipt of texts on the HAL ships (and most others.) Sending is $0.50 from the ship. On land, in most countries texts are free in both directions.

[Vict0riann]

My DH only turned on his phone on the veranda in port and usually was able to text using a local network. We never used the ship's network. When there are a lot of ports, this seemed the easiest way to go.

[DeckLife]

With Verizon, even if you had used the ship's network, the texting cost would have been the same.

[2ptu/000]

Thanks everyone. I think I even figured out how to turn off data. Now to figure out what airplane mode is.

[Salve]

If you have Verizon, the price to text is 50 cents, to receive texts is 5 cents each. See the page linked above and look at the cruise section. There's a link there to a page listing the cruise lines covered by this. Holland is listed.

 

Which carrier provides for free receiving of texts?

 

AT&T - Receive texts for free

[xlxo]

Thanks everyone. I think I even figured out how to turn off data. Now to figure out what airplane mode is.

Airplane mode turns off all wireless functions.

• turns off voice
  
• turns off data
  
• turns off wifi
  
• turns off location services
  
• great way to extend battery life!
  

[2ptu/000]

Airplane mode turns off all wireless functions.

• turns off voice
  
• turns off data
  
• turns off wifi
  
• turns off location services
  
• great way to extend battery life!
  

Thanks Can you still receive text messates

[xlxo]

Nope.... all wireless functions are disabled. Basically your phone can only be used for calendar, notes and games.

Edited January 20, 2015 by xlxo

[2ptu/000]

Thanks everyone for the phone help. My 8 yo granddaughter is my usual source of information!

[wannarun]

I use What's App (free texting) and Skype to stay in touch. Works great when on wireless. We are new to HAL but on Oceania my phone automatically connected at sea to their wireless and was not charged. Someone on our last cruise told me I would be charged. They scared me so I went to look at the bill and all was good. Any advise for this time onboard HAL Norrdam?

[Crew News]

I use What's App (free texting) and Skype to stay in touch. Works great when on wireless. We are new to HAL but on Oceania my phone automatically connected at sea to their wireless and was not charged. Someone on our last cruise told me I would be charged. They scared me so I went to look at the bill and all was good. Any advise for this time onboard HAL Norrdam?

 

The last time I forgot to turn off my cell phone in Alaska when leaving port, a $43 charge appeared on my AT&T bill. I discovered my error the next morning. I neither made nor received any calls/texts. Just the phone updating the GPS caused the charges.

[Typhoon1]

Save yourself some money. Turn the phone off, lock it in your safe. Use it when you are in port, if necessary.

[Dobermangal]

There's also a "turn off data roaming" setting.

[Folk Singer]

Save yourself some money. Turn the phone off, lock it in your safe. Use it when you are in port, if necessary.

 

 

Good advice.