Using smartphone on Cunard

[new2crooz]

I will have to remain in touch by mobile/text during my Cunard trip. Will my smartphone automatically transfer to the MCP or 90112 screen the moment I am on the ship, or only once we have set sail and are well away from my normal provider's signal?

 

My Samsung S4 has many different data settings. Which ones should I switch off to ensure that there are no data charges? Is switching off Data Roaming sufficient or do I need to switch off the other Data check boxes I have found in different menus on my phone?

 

Which ISP has the best maritime charges or are they all the same (eg. £3 per minute per phone call, £1.25 per minute to receive calls, 50p per text, free to receive texts)?

 

Thanks for any advice on keeping these costs down.

[milamber]

Ours usually stays on the provider's signal as we sail away and swaps to the maritime network once we are out of range, provided it's turned on by then. We just turn off data roaming and haven't ever had any problems with charges.

 

Can't help with the difference in charges between networks once on the maritime network, it's expensive for calls/texts whoever you are with though.

Edited October 17, 2015 by milamber

[Underwatr]

Switching off data roaming should do the trick. My phone has never attempted data transfer via the ship - is it even possible with Cunard's system?

 

Rates will vary according to your phone service provider. Here in the US I am aware that T-Mobile (US) charges much more per minute for voice calls to from a call phone on a cruise ship than most other carriers - on the order of $6 per minute compared to $3 or so with other carriers. This is with the same onboard system providing connection to one's phone and despite the fact that T-Mobile's land-based international roaming rates are about the cheapest you can find from a US carrier.

[fg_hb]

Turning off data roaming should be sufficient.

For voice calls be sure to not have setup any forwarding for voice calls, because then you have to pay roaming fees for the incoming call to your phone and also the outgoing call to maybe your mailbox. Be sure to turn off the forward for calls which reach your phone if it's busy, you can't pick up the call or your phone is not connected to a network separate.

[robbie_3]

Hi New2crooz, as peeps have said, turning off data roaming is a sure way of avoiding the risk of any large data bills. To help a comparison, if I don't choose a travel package my Vodafone provider on a monthly basic tariff charges me outside Europe £1.65 a minute out, £1.30 a min received, 35p a text, 45p a picture message. Its £3 per megabite data, up to 5 megabites. Thereafter its £15 for every 5 megabites after that.

 

For people a little more brave about smartphone usage, I briefly switch on data roaming on my smart phone just to check my e mails and I turn it off again straight after, I make sure I turn off the apps that use an internet connection i.e u tube, safari, maps, I tunes, most phone settings list the apps you can turn off to restrict data updates.

 

Downloading a daily list of e mails and choosing and checking individual emails use relatively small amounts of data, I get through about 1 megabite every 2 days on QM2, I guess for me that's about 100 e mails. My provider charges £3 per megabite which is pretty standard. I don't open any e mail attachments which costs more, and my phone does not actually download it until I select an attachment. For me its currently the cheapest way of checking my emails on board, that is at least until the new internet connections start rolling out across the Cunard fleet. :)

Edited October 18, 2015 by robbie_3

[new2crooz]

Thanks Robbie_3. Can I assume that can download emails by linking to the ship's internet whilst keeping Data Roaming switched off on the smart phone?

[robbie_3]

Hi new2crooz, we never got to use the smartphone through the ships internet package, (only used 3G for e mails) but assuming you will want to keep your data roaming off, you should be able connect to the ship internet through your smart phone's internet web browser to the internet packages available, that could prove tricky though with such a small screen. I use my 10 inch wifi tablet for connecting to the ship's wifi internet packages through a firefox internet browser so I can use the allocated free minutes that come with my Cunard membership. During ports of call I also use the tablet for free connection at wifi hotspots where I see the ships crew using this.

Edited October 18, 2015 by robbie_3

[Island2Dweller]

All the above are correct but one further detail to check. Does your network have a roaming agreement with the Maritime Satellite service? Not all do. We use O2 (UK network) and they have cancelled their inmarsat roaming agreement, so any phone relying on O2 (which includes “white label” networks such as Tesco and giffgaff) won’t work. We just crossed from New York and deliberately chose to be “off air” for seven days so it was fine for us.

[new2crooz]

Three seem to offer Maritime roaming, at some very hefty prices compared with the quoted Vodafone rates. Will use very, very sparingly and using a small tablet for general browsing (phone has my contacts, not the tablet).

[Island2Dweller]

I should have been more specific. O2 may have a roaming agreement for contract customers but for PAYG customers you won't be able to connect. No roaming possible on giffgaff (who use O2 in the background) either.

[new2crooz]

I should have been more specific. O2 may have a roaming agreement for contract customers but for PAYG customers you won't be able to connect. No roaming possible on giffgaff (who use O2 in the background) either.

 

Thanks for the clarification as did consider taking spare O2 PAYG phone instead of my smartphone.

[robbie_3]

Three seem to offer Maritime roaming, at some very hefty prices compared with the quoted Vodafone rates. Will use very, very sparingly and using a small tablet for general browsing (phone has my contacts, not the tablet).

 

Oh gosh, glad I'm on Vodafone monthly in that case with its ferry,cruise ship, maritime charges. I must also try to remember to turn off my voicemail too.

Edited October 19, 2015 by robbie_3

[electra2008]

If you have an ipad or tablet a 2 hour internet pkt cost $49 and change and you can use it in your suite/ cabin. Possibly phone also don't have a clue on that.

If you are Gold level you get 2 hours each person and higher colours more hours as part of "status" not sure how else to put that😍 Amazing how many people don't use their internet in their suite think they need to go into the bowels to access it

Not the same as phoning but can stiil keep in touch.