Spoke with the AT&T rep regarding Alaska...

[TheTonkster]

Hi Everyone! My family and I are about to take our first cruise ever and we are so pumped! My parents are also going and have not been on a cruise in about 30 years. We are going on Princess Crown round trip out of Seattle. My father works remotely so is concerned about his AT&T coverage. I've read a lot on these threads regarding coverage, when you are or are not in roaming, charges, etc. He spoke with an AT&T rep today and here is a recap of what the rep said:

 

"AT&T does not have a special cruise ship package. They suggest turning off the cellular data feature on your phone when you get on the ship so that you do not get charged expensive roaming fees.

 

With the cellular data turned off, you can still get calls when accessing cruise WiFi, but calls are charged at two dollars per minute.

 

When on land in Alaska, your standard ATT domestic package works. Thus, you can turn on cellular data and phone. However, this does not apply until you are actually on land. Thus, if boat is docked in Alaska, still need to keep cellular data off as it is the cruise's system that applies.

 

They said to check with Princess to see if they have any special talk or text plans (other than the Internet package, which allows you to check emails)."

 

So for all you Alaska veterans out there, is this data accurate? I assume that the expensive roaming fees the rep was speaking about was roaming you pick up from the actual ship? Did all of you wait to turn on your phones until you set foot on dry land? Thanks so much!

[Crew News]

Hi Everyone! My family and I are about to take our first cruise ever and we are so pumped! My parents are also going and have not been on a cruise in about 30 years. We are going on Princess Crown round trip out of Seattle. My father works remotely so is concerned about his AT&T coverage. I've read a lot on these threads regarding coverage, when you are or are not in roaming, charges, etc. He spoke with an AT&T rep today and here is a recap of what the rep said:

 

"AT&T does not have a special cruise ship package. They suggest turning off the cellular data feature on your phone when you get on the ship so that you do not get charged expensive roaming fees.

 

With the cellular data turned off, you can still get calls when accessing cruise WiFi, but calls are charged at two dollars per minute.

 

When on land in Alaska, your standard ATT domestic package works. Thus, you can turn on cellular data and phone. However, this does not apply until you are actually on land. Thus, if boat is docked in Alaska, still need to keep cellular data off as it is the cruise's system that applies.

 

They said to check with Princess to see if they have any special talk or text plans (other than the Internet package, which allows you to check emails)."

 

So for all you Alaska veterans out there, is this data accurate? I assume that the expensive roaming fees the rep was speaking about was roaming you pick up from the actual ship? Did all of you wait to turn on your phones until you set foot on dry land? Thanks so much!

 

FWIW there are horror stories here on CC with phone bills exceeding $1000 for phone use in Alaska while cruising away from ports.

 

My AT&T experience in Alaska is that it is best to turn OFF your phone while not in port or the phone will be continuously checking for location and thus using incurring roaming charges (figure $7.99/minute). The ship's cell tower system is turned OFF when nearing the dock. Once in port, and even while aboard ship, your phone will not incur roaming charges. Since AT&T has a faster connection speed than the ship, we turn on our AT&T phones as soon as we are docked to hotspot our laptops.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited July 20, 2016 by Crew News

[CruiserBruce]

Agree. Turn off your phone, unless the ship is tied to the dock. Be aware that in between ports, you will frequently be in remote parts of Alaska that have no cell service anyway. So, other than the ship's cell tower, which will cost a mint, there isn't any service to get anyway.

[2flacruisers]

While we were in Alaska on the ship, docked, we were able to use our cell phones with no roaming charges whatsoever...and we are told that our cell phone company uses the AT&T towers..

Edited July 20, 2016 by 2flacruisers

[Lisichka]

No need to turn off your phone at all. If you do, you cant even take pictures with your phone. Just set it to airplane mode and you are good.

[sherryf]

I have always been able to connect to AT&T when still on the ship when it is docked. You don't have to wait until you are on land. Just check that your phone says ATT and you are fine.

[gpb11]

He spoke with an AT&T rep today and here is a recap of what the rep said:

That's his first mistake. :D Second was believing them.

 

 

"AT&T does not have a special cruise ship package.

Funny, AT&T has a whole web page devoted to that: https://www.att.com/shop/en/wireless/international/roaming.html?tab=4

 

Now they likely don't serve Princess, but still bad info in a general sense.

 

 

With the cellular data turned off, you can still get calls when accessing cruise WiFi, but calls are charged at two dollars per minute.

Never tried that, but we did use AT&T Wifi Calling when in Vancouver using the hotel wifi and there were ZERO additional charges. Yes you'd burn up your Wifi time you paid the ship for, but I'd be surprised for any piggyback AT&T charges for wifi calling.

 

 

When on land in Alaska, your standard ATT domestic package works.

Well, yeah. You're in one of the fifty United States. :D AT&T coverage was pretty good in ports, though Seward was just 4G not LTE if I remember right. Coverage once you get away from port (land or sea) can become limited.

 

 

 

 

Thus, you can turn on cellular data and phone. However, this does not apply until you are actually on land. Thus, if boat is docked in Alaska, still need to keep cellular data off as it is the cruise's system that applies.

100% false for the HAL Noordam seven weeks ago. I can't speak for Princess. We had AT&T domestic coverage from our balcony room as we were approaching and departing each port.

 

 

So for all you Alaska veterans out there, is this data accurate?

See above. No worries, you're just going on the erroneous info you were given by someone who ought to either know better or not give you info they're not positive is true.

 

 

I assume that the expensive roaming fees the rep was speaking about was roaming you pick up from the actual ship?

That'd likely be the Cellular At Sea roaming service. I believe that is turned off once within 12 miles of US shore (on ships so equipped) but may be misremembering.

 

Did all of you wait to turn on your phones until you set foot on dry land?

I just put mine in airplane mode when in Vancouver and until we approached the first port. I never used the shipboard wifi. When approaching port I'd see if I had service and it'd either say No Service or start to pick up AT&T signal. I freely used my cellular data anytime it said AT&T (and it never said different except No Service) from within our room, on deck, etc. It's been nearly two billing cycles so I'm confident there are no surprises.

 

Granted, this was with HAL. Princess may be different. Turn off cellular roaming data, and watch for what it says you're connected to.

Edited July 21, 2016 by gpb11

[gpb11]

BTW, just in case it isn't clear: any frustration sensed in my post is directed at the unnamed AT&T rep and NOT at TheTonkster

[island lady]

Had zero problems using my AT&T phone for calls, emails (nice for sending

pictures home as I take them!) and WIFI while at the ports in Alaska, both on

the ship and on land. Will turn off the phone as usual when we are in Canadian waters.

 

If you are curious what your phone is connected to, simply check the icon

to see what it says. As long as mine had the AT&T icon, I could tell I was

connected to one of their towers. Otherwise I put it in airplane mode as

others have mentioned.

Edited July 21, 2016 by island lady

[alwaysfrantic]

If a phone is on, do you have to accept cellular at sea, or will it automatically connect to the ship network? I am not worried about connecting to a canadian tower instead of an alaskan tower when near the shore; with Verizon I'm covered either way.