Cell phones/Grandeur/Cheasapeake Bay

[BeeSkip]

Hi Recent Grandeur friends,

 

Help

 

I want to verify that we can use our cells phones as the ship is in the Chesapeake Bay using our normal cell towers. I realize once we are away from the towers it reverts to the ships towers which is not covered under one's cell contract.

 

I am thinking I can stay in communications for until the ship gets at the mouth of the bay and then on the return...

 

Thanks

Bee

[cruisecrazybmore]

Yes, I believe you can. Signal strength may be super weak/non-existent at some points though.

[dixieva]

We have Verizon as our provider. If I remember correctly we have service until we sail under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge which is around 2 hours after we leave the port of Baltimore. Once under the bridge we lose our service and phones go into the safe.

 

Not sure if it depends on your provider or not as far as losing service.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

We have Verizon as our provider. If I remember correctly we have service until we sail under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge which is around 2 hours after we leave the port of Baltimore. Once under the bridge we lose our service and phones go into the safe.

 

Not sure if it depends on your provider or not as far as losing service.

 

We have Verizon, also and that is about where we lost it on our Grandeur cruise in July.

[Tony O]

On our August cruise on the Grandeur we had verizon cell service from the entrance of the bay in Norfolk all the way to Baltimore

[Ocean Dancer]

We have also had great luck using an old flip phone about 4 years ago.:D

Edited October 6, 2016 by Ocean Dancer

[cb at sea]

You're never THAT far from shore in the Bay...as you pass by Va. Beach, we can clearly see the ship! Ahoy, Mates!

[Ocean Dancer]

You're never THAT far from shore in the Bay...as you pass by Va. Beach, we can clearly see the ship! Ahoy, Mates!

 

Seeing the ship from land does not mean your cell is signaling from a tower.

 

In many cruiseports, we were docked, and were on cellular at sea. Once on land, we were receiving from towers.

 

Never had a problem from Baltimore or Bayonne.

Edited October 6, 2016 by Ocean Dancer

[setsail]

Your cell always tells you what network you are on when you turn it on. Just look a the screen

[Biker19]

Just look at the screen

 

to see what connection you have, even if within sight of land.

[RSLeesburg]

On our August cruise on the Grandeur we had verizon cell service from the entrance of the bay in Norfolk all the way to Baltimore

 

 

We experienced the same thing last time we were on Grandeur with Verizon.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[bananawindnj]

Just don't expect to get cellular service if in an inside cabin anytime , which is only what we get on the Grandeur. OV or balcony cabins may still work while in the bay.

[BND]

We have sailed out of Baltimore several times and will again in less than 4 weeks. We always leave our phones on and use them between Baltimore and Norfolk (bridge tunnel) and have never incurred any charges (Verizon). The signal does get weak down to 1x sometimes, but we have 4G for quite a bit of it. Others have reported the same experience we have had. I'm pretty sure the ship doesn't even turn on the cell signal until it's several miles off the coast. There is no need to turn it off before Norfolk.

[Biker19]

There is no need to turn it off before Norfolk.

Except you get there in the middle of the night and out to sea soon thereafter - so turn it off before you go to bed.;)

[BND]

Except you get there in the middle of the night and out to sea soon thereafter - so turn it off before you go to bed.;)

 

We usually go over it around midnight. Sorry, if that's past your bedtime.:D

Edited October 6, 2016 by BND