How to overide Celluar at Sea?

[travelplus]

As we are sailing in the English Channel how can I get the Orange or Vodaphone signal as Tmobile offers roaming on these networks. Is there some way to add a program to block Cellular at Sea unless I request it?

 

Also between Tampa and the last point of being in the US can I use Tmobile and their partner in the Gulf Of Mexico?

 

I think its illegal for the cruiseline to force you onto their satellite network when another carrier is available.

 

I guess manial network selection is the best workaround.

 

 

The English Channel is not that wide so I should be able to pick up UK or French networks and UK and Irish networkd near Ireland. Am I right?

 

 

Thanks

[FLACRUISER99]

It's always been my experience that the ship turns off it's tower if you can get a land signal.

[Capt_BJ]

turn off roaming

[travelplus]

Sounds good! Thanks

[blackshirt]

turn off roaming

Not an option on my iPhone. I can turn off data roaming but not roaming. Besides, how would that fix the OP’s issue? You still have to roam to connect to O2.

[blackshirt]

Ships are supposed to turn Cellular at Sea off within a certain distance of land. That distance should be such that connecting to a land based cell tower is unlikely. Use manual network selection but don’t count on having anything to chose from. If Cellular at Sea is on, you are likely beyond the range of any land based towers.

[thinfool]

As we are sailing in the English Channel how can I get the Orange or Vodaphone signal as Tmobile offers roaming on these networks. Is there some way to add a program to block Cellular at Sea unless I request it?

 

Also between Tampa and the last point of being in the US can I use Tmobile and their partner in the Gulf Of Mexico?

I can't answer the English Channel stuff (tho I seriously doubt it) but out of Tampa the ships sail at least 12 miles offshore, likely more, so local cell service is not going to happen.

 

I think its illegal for the cruiseline to force you onto their satellite network when another carrier is available.

 

I guess manial network selection is the best workaround.

 

 

The English Channel is not that wide so I should be able to pick up UK or French networks and UK and Irish networkd near Ireland. Am I right?

 

 

Thanks

[Valiamo]

I think its illegal for the cruise line to force you onto their satellite network when another carrier is available.

 

Thanks

 

Cell towers typically have a 22-mile range, and beyond that, you have zero ability to get any cell signal unless you have a closer cell tower to you. The ships provide this tower (via a satellite service), and you are stuck paying their going rate. Nothing illegal about that, it's just called supply and demand.

 

Going between England and France (Dover to Calais), you "might" have a chance of hooking onto a land-based tower, but in most cases, you will be much further than the needed 22 miles away from a landbased tower (distance in the English Channel ranges between 150 miles and 20 miles).

[klfrodo]

Put phone in airplane mode

Connect to WiFi

Enable WiFi calling on phone

Make phone call

[cb at sea]

Once you're away from shore, you will have NO reception, unless you go thru the ship's towers. Sorry!

[Biker19]

I guess manual network selection is the best workaround.

True.

[papaflamingo]

Put phone in airplane mode

Connect to WiFi

Enable WiFi calling on phone

Make phone call

What klfrodo said. Easiest and cheapest way to stay connected.

[BirdTravels]

Cell towers typically have a 22-mile range, and beyond that, you have zero ability to get any cell signal unless you have a closer cell tower to you. The ships provide this tower (via a satellite service), and you are stuck paying their going rate. Nothing illegal about that, it's just called supply and demand.

 

Going between England and France (Dover to Calais), you "might" have a chance of hooking onto a land-based tower, but in most cases, you will be much further than the needed 22 miles away from a landbased tower (distance in the English Channel ranges between 150 miles and 20 miles).

 

Many inaccuracies. The ship can (but does not) have its cell tower up until you are away from land. Your phone, and you control what cellular service to connect to if you are roaming off your home network. The ship is not forcing you on to their network. You and your phone chose to connect to the ship network. If you can see a shore-based network, you and your phone can connect to it.

 

You do NOT pay the ship for the service. YOUR cellular carrier charges you their rates for international calls. We have AT&T and they charge the same if we are on land or at sea. Most carriers offer packages for land. Only a few offer packages for ships. But it is YOUR cellular carrier, not the ship, that set the rates and they are normally the same for land and sea.

[Valiamo]

Many inaccuracies. The ship can (but does not) have its cell tower up until you are away from land. Your phone, and you control what cellular service to connect to if you are roaming off your home network. The ship is not forcing you on to their network. You and your phone chose to connect to the ship network. If you can see a shore-based network, you and your phone can connect to it.

 

You do NOT pay the ship for the service. YOUR cellular carrier charges you their rates for international calls. We have AT&T and they charge the same if we are on land or at sea. Most carriers offer packages for land. Only a few offer packages for ships. But it is YOUR cellular carrier, not the ship, that set the rates and they are normally the same for land and sea.

 

At least point out my inaccuracies.. While I do agree, it is your phone/provider connects to the best signal that is available, the most common user would not have the knowledge nor ability to connect to a different service/tower to gain lower charges. Most will just blindly use their phones oblivious that they are being charged a load of $$ to use that service.

 

The service provider on most ships is still Celleur at Sea, and they have fees that they pass to your Telco, who then pass them it onto you (at an extra charge). AT&T is no different from any other service provider, they will still charge you for the service, last I saw with no plan was $2.50 a minute, plus data, plus .50 for texts.

 

I would suspect that you probably have an International or Cruise ship package with AT&T, and you still pay extra for that service, AT&T just does not pass those charges onto you (as you have in essence already paid for it).

[steve20832]

Put phone in airplane mode

Connect to WiFi

Enable WiFi calling on phone

Make phone call

That is what I do. Free calls and texting over wifi

[SRF]

Put phone in airplane mode

Connect to WiFi

Enable WiFi calling on phone

Make phone call

 

This sequence will not work.

 

You need to enable wifi calling, for the first time, while connected to your cellular service.

 

Once you have done that once, you can do what you state. Or just leave wifi calling turned On at all times.

[SRF]

You do NOT pay the ship for the service. YOUR cellular carrier charges you their rates for international calls. We have AT&T and they charge the same if we are on land or at sea. Most carriers offer packages for land. Only a few offer packages for ships. But it is YOUR cellular carrier, not the ship, that set the rates and they are normally the same for land and sea.

 

No, there is a different rate for Cellular at Sea. I have T-mobile, with unlimited testing, calling, and data in most countries, CaS still costs extra, a LOT extra.

 

Some (I think ATT does), have a cruising package for reduced rate Cellular at Sea service.

[blackshirt]

No, there is a different rate for Cellular at Sea. I have T-mobile, with unlimited testing, calling, and data in most countries, CaS still costs extra, a LOT extra.

 

Some (I think ATT does), have a cruising package for reduced rate Cellular at Sea service.

Correct. No carrier includes Cellular at Sea in their international packages. ATT has 2 cruise packages, one talk and text, the other talk, text and data.