I phone

[wendyandcliff]

Hi, I am not new to cruising but I am new to my I phone. I want to receive texted messages from my kids incase they need something. What is the best way to do this and not run up a huge cell bill? We will be on the Dream in March.

[Kamloops50]

Hi, I am not new to cruising but I am new to my I phone. I want to receive texted messages from my kids incase they need something. What is the best way to do this and not run up a huge cell bill? We will be on the Dream in March.

Turn off the phone on board. Prices for cell service is out of this world.

Talk to your cell provider as to the best way to do this. It might be cheaper to only use the phone when in port . Depending on how much time you will use. Email might be cheaper and easier.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Hi, I am not new to cruising but I am new to my I phone. I want to receive texted messages from my kids incase they need something. What is the best way to do this and not run up a huge cell bill? We will be on the Dream in March.

 

 

Depends on carrier. With att, you can buy Int'l texting.

 

 

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[6rugrats]

Call your service provider if you can't figure out to do this yourself using their web page.

[wendyandcliff]

My carrier is AT&T. How will texting affect my data usage?

[Danni3ll3]

AT&T is not available on the ship. You would be using their network and you have to pay for it. Think of it like driving your car on the U.S. Highways and now you want to drive it in Europe. You have to pay for the shipping so you can drive it in Europe. Not a perfect example but close enough.

 

 

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[Ashland]

My carrier is AT&T. How will texting affect my data usage?

I also use AT&T and purchase their cruise package..I had no problems texting my kids even when at sea...call AT&T and they will explain how it easily works and what to do.

[BullDawg91]

We have iPhones and used only Facetime voice and video to stay in touch with the parents at home. It required us to buy a wifi package from the ship DCL Dream. We had no charges from AT&T.

 

You can look into third party text apps as well which will require wifi data on the ship but won't use your cell phone's data or require int'l or cruise plans.

[obnurse]

I have ATT, as well. I found it much easier to text back and forth. It was .50 cents per text that I sent and the texts I received were free because my daughter was home. Pictures cost more. I used no data while I was gone. In between texting times I turned my phone off completely. We texted back and forth at least once a day. It turned out to be much cheaper than buying internet minutes and much less frustrating, as we were texting in real time instead of waiting for replies from each other. I think I spent about $25 all together, which was much less than if I had used internet minutes.

[Flatbush Flyer]

My carrier is AT&T. How will texting affect my data usage?

 

 

Voice, text and data (for internet items like e-mail) are three different things. AT&T charges you $X.XX/month for each area as part of a domestic package. Your iphone can do all there things in a foreign country (incl Canada and Mexico). But you will pay a roaming charge (I.e, higher rates) for each item you use in each of those areas. You can reduce those rates by buying an international roaming package for any single or combo of those three items. Of course, like home, you must be by an ATT (or partner) cell tower to connect by voice or text or data (internet and e-mail)) using your roaming plan(s). But, remember that there will still be charges.

 

Without or instead of a tower, you can at least get data (incl. iMessage and Face Time) using paid wifi (ship) or free where you can find it. Of course, "free" wifi in sone foreign countries may come at a very expensive price of hacking. Call AT&T international services for a complete explanation of what can be done and for how much.

Also, remember that buying wifi on a ship comes with limits as well (streaming video will be blocked or too slow to function).

 

 

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[wassup4565]

I rely on cell phone signal only, not cellular data. This allows me to receive texts when there is a cellphone signal available (usually when sailing near an island or the shore of the mainland). I turn "cellular data" off, so I cannot accidentally receive texts using the ship's WIFI (which can be hugely expensive).

 

My cost from my cell provider here in Canada (Telus) is usually $.60 a text (incoming and outgoing). If I send five texts and receive five texts a day, that's six dollars a day - I'm willing to pay that much to stay in touch. Every now and then, the ship is out of range of any cell tower, and I have no signal. However, that doesn't happen often or for long. Works for me.