Apps to call home when in Port?

[gritsnc]

We have T-mobile and our phones all use sim cards. When we travel internationally we just remove our sim cards so we get no kind of charges. Most of the time we use wifi at the resort we are at and facetime whoever we want to talk to.

This trip we just want a way to check in with my dad when we get into port. I heard that Grand Cayman has areas where we can connect to wifi for free. My dad doesn't have a cell phone though so we can't facetime him. Are there apps that we can download to make calls over wifi to a landline?

[novicetraveller]

Skype is one app that comes to mind. Does TMobile have an app you can use?

 

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[attitudeda]

You can download the WhatsApp as long as you can connect to wifi you can make calls to people who are using the app.

[thinfool]

Skype comes to mind. There may be a minimal, per minute charge to call a landline number.

 

As for free wifi in GC, we have tried and always found it rather sketchy, tho it certainly might be possible.

 

Our best success has been to walk down to Starbucks for a drink and use theirs.

Edited March 8, 2016 by thinfool

[gritsnc]

Skype is one app that comes to mind. Does TMobile have an app you can use?

 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

I don't know if he would be able to use Skype. I'll have to go over and see if I can teach him. My dad has mild dementia so family members will be checking up on him. I'll check on the t-mobile app. Thanks!

[novicetraveller]

He doesn't need to. You can use Skype to call landlines.

 

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[gritsnc]

He doesn't need to. You can use Skype to call landlines.

 

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Really?! I didn't know that. Awesome! Thank you!

[novicetraveller]

Really?! I didn't know that. Awesome! Thank you!

No problem. :)

 

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[Biker19]

You can also use Google Hangouts to make free calls to landlines.

[LidoBoy]

For those who have Ooma Voip at home you can download the Ooma app and make calls as if you are sitting at home.

[Biker19]

^ that is also true for Vonage.

[impatientlywaiting]

We have T-mobile and our phones all use sim cards. When we travel internationally we just remove our sim cards so we get no kind of charges. Most of the time we use wifi at the resort we are at and facetime whoever we want to talk to.

This trip we just want a way to check in with my dad when we get into port. I heard that Grand Cayman has areas where we can connect to wifi for free. My dad doesn't have a cell phone though so we can't facetime him. Are there apps that we can download to make calls over wifi to a landline?

 

We also have T-Mobile and you don't need to remove your SIM card at all -just turn put your phone in airplane mode (we use our phones as cameras). Everyone on T-Mobile has FREE international data and calls are 20 cents per minute. When we did our trans-Atlantic in 2014, when we were close to land, we turned our phones off airplane mode to check our emails, go on Facebook, etc. We incurred NO CHARGES. When we got off the ship in Copenhagen, I made 1 call and my bill was $1.00.

 

Our daughter-in-law, who was born & raised in Italy and still has her entire family living in Italy, calls her family all the time using Skype and WhatsApp. She calls her grandmas' landlines since they don't have cell phones and never has any problems. We've also just discovered Google Hangouts which also calls landlines!

[sky0000547]

You can load credit onto your Skype account. Then use the Skype app on wifi to call a landline or cell phone number.

 

If you want totally free calls then the person at the other end must have the same app such as Skype, Whatsapp, Viber etc.

Edited March 8, 2016 by sky0000547

[Biker19]

Everyone on T-Mobile has FREE international data and calls are 20 cents per minute.

 

Careful there, that's not true for prepaid accounts.

[looking4info]

You can also use Google Hangouts to make free calls to landlines.

 

Technology challenged at times. Not familiar with hangouts however it is on my phone. Is it as easy as being connected to wifi, opening the app, dialing a number and you are connected? If on a ship quality of call? Thanks but some of these apps are new to me and I have never used them.

 

Also we have Skype on our laptop would the same basic premise apply?

 

Thanks.

[Tony O]

Kakaotalk

[ckergald]

why not just use wifi calling, it looks like TMobile supports this.

https://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-1680

[SonicShip]

We have T-mobile and our phones all use sim cards. When we travel internationally we just remove our sim cards so we get no kind of charges. Most of the time we use wifi at the resort we are at and facetime whoever we want to talk to.

This trip we just want a way to check in with my dad when we get into port. I heard that Grand Cayman has areas where we can connect to wifi for free. My dad doesn't have a cell phone though so we can't facetime him. Are there apps that we can download to make calls over wifi to a landline?

 

I use Viber. You can make calls to landline by adding credit.

[north29]

Skype, most calls under 5 cents a minute. You do have to prepay, we keep about $10 in our Skype account. What ever you chose to use the internet is not free and free connections are used by cruise and others, better visit a internet cafe and pay a little.

[Biker19]

Technology challenged at times. Not familiar with hangouts however it is on my phone. Is it as easy as being connected to wifi, opening the app, dialing a number and you are connected? If on a ship quality of call? Thanks but some of these apps are new to me and I have never used them.

 

Also we have Skype on our laptop would the same basic premise apply?

 

You have it right about Hangouts. Some/most of these Voip services may be blocked on some ships or the quality maybe so bad to make them unusable. The exception would be on ships with Voom Internet.

 

Skype would work the same way, except you have to pay for calls to landlines.

[Biker19]

why not just use wifi calling, it looks like TMobile supports this.

https://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-1680

 

The availability sometimes depends on the phone and/or type of plan the user has.

[looking4info]

You have it right about Hangouts. Some/most of these Voip services may be blocked on some ships or the quality maybe so bad to make them unusable. The exception would be on ships with Voom Internet.

 

Skype would work the same way, except you have to pay for calls to landlines.

 

Thank you

[realtyman95]

As mentioned already, WhatsApp works very well. Another choice that we used recently on Oasis is called MagicApp (by the MagicJack folks.)

 

This app allows unlimited phone calls back home without any additional MagicJack hardware. It is strictly app driven. For $9.99/year (there is also a free option - see below) you get a U.S. phone number, unlimited calls to the US and Canada, unlimited text messages to any US cell phone and more. The best part is that the people you want to communicate with do not need to have any special app installed or account setup.

 

Of course this service will only be as good as the Wi-Fi connection that is available. You can get more info at their site or by simply installing the app for iOS or Android.

 

The free option: You can also use the app completely free to make outgoing calls (no $9.99/year fee for an assigned number.) You just won't get your own specific phone number and your caller ID will be displayed as some random number. Each new call will display a different caller ID number, but family/friends back home can call you back on that number.

 

Just another option I thought I'd pass along.

Edited March 9, 2016 by realtyman95

[gritsnc]

Careful there, that's not true for prepaid accounts.

 

Thanks for the clarification! We are prepaid (no contract). I always take our sim cards out so we don't have any kind of unexpected charges. Plus I'd aaccidentally turn airplane mode off or something like that.