ATT/Verizon data vs internet ; Int'l phone calls/data roaming no-no? Help, please

[forgotmyCCname]

I am experiencing some confusion DESPITE using the "search" function of CC.

We are traveling on Epic Western Med. Two of us have ATT, three have Verizon. Both providers offer international plans that are $10/day per device, with the charge occurring only on days that the phone is used.

 

How does this work on the ship? Can we text each other while at sea,call the US while at sea or does the plan only refer to calls that are made while in port ? The reps for both companies gave me conflicting answers or non-answers. Does NCL have cellular at sea, and is that covered by these plans?

 

What I am asking is- can I use one of our cell phones to make a call or send a text ( NOT using iConcierge) while at sea? Does anyone have experience with either company?

 

We do not mind the daily charge and don't want to go get new sim cards for the 11 days we will be away (4 days travel-Rome pre cruise-travel home , 7 on the ship)

 

Internet- if we only want to check and send emails - on our phones-can we do this with either of these international plans? I know we can get ship internet with our 250 free minutes, what about using data ?

 

We will have internet on the ship for our ipad and research -crazy teens; but what about just using my phone to check on my basset hounds at doggie camp via a quick text to the sitter?

 

One last thing- do these plans cover roaming data or is that a no-no? A CC member "GaryCarla" once explained why phones should NEVER have roaming data on and it has has stuck in my head for years to always have data roaming off.

 

FWIW, we have no interest in the Instachats /Snapgram /Bookface /Tweeter sites. We need to be able to text each other, text a family member in the States and access email. The ability to receive calls from the US (if an emergency occurs) would be great as well.

 

Is there someone who has used either of these carriers that can give me the low down?

 

Thank you so much!

[Baseball fan]

I have AT&T. I used the $10 per 24 hour plan in Europe last year. I turned my phone on around 1pm on Friday and shut it off around noon on Sunday. I paid $20.

 

It uses your data plan, phone and texting plan.

 

Getting off the ship will be a bit different, though. If you turn your phone on when you arrive in port, it will cost $10 per day. Even if you don’t use it for 24 hours.

 

You use your phone on land just as you would at home. Make sure data is off when you are on the ship. I generally have my phone off on the ship as the costs are much higher.

 

Yes, it is cheaper to have an unlocked phone and a local SIM card is cheaper but I liked the convenience of my phone number in case of emergencies.

 

Hopefully this helps....

Dena

 

 

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[smplybcause]

The Verizon plan only lists countries and as a cruise ship is not a country the $10/ day does not work on it. I honestly am not sure what the cost would be to use it on the ship as I know it would be way more than I want to pay - but I'm comfortable knowing that if my family really needed me they'd call the ship emergency line or whatever it is. If you want to communicate with others on the ship paying the fee in the ncl app for the text and talk function is probably the way to go.

 

Fwiw the Verizon one is 24 hours and one fee per time even if you're in two different countries.

 

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[kitkat343]

I had the Verizon plan, and when I went to Norway last year it was great since they'd send a free text telling you your 24 hours were nearly up, so you'd know how much time you have left until you incur another fee. You can check online at https://www.verizonwireless.com/solutions-and-services/international-travel/ to ensure the countries you visit are covered.

 

Just make sure you are not on the ship network, since this isn't covered by the ten dollar fee. On a cruise ship with Verizon, you pay .50 cents each to send and receive texts, and $2.99 per minute for voice calls. Please just note that the ship service is a little spotty, and sometimes I wouldn't get texts for five or six hours after they were sent, so its a nice thing to try but don't depend on it as your primary form of communication.

[BirdTravels]

AT&T does not include ships in its $10 package. For NCL ships, you pay AT&T international rates

 

$2.50 / minute for calls

 

$8.19/MB ($819.00 per gigabyte) for data that would include iMessage

 

$0.50 per SMS text message

 

$1.30 per SMS message with photo or video

[dexddd]

NCL doesn't offer the plan, they offer just a cell tower on the ship (except POA).

 

VZW used to sell various cell at sea packages with text, voice, data but no longer. They have gone ala carte and you'll pay whatever their prevailing rates are with, IMO, are crazy high. Texting would be cheapest route and they used to have different rates for incoming/outgoing texts.

 

Hopefully MKing will come along as he is very knowledgeable about these things.

[sanger727]

To my knowledge, cellular at sea is not covered by any of these types of international plans.

 

You can certainly use your phones to call and text while at sea but will pay additional roaming charges per text and per minute.

 

I believe those day passes will let you use data when you are in covered areas (ie, in port but not at sea). If you have 250 free internet minutes I would try to stick to using those at sea because data gets charged at $2 a megabyte (for comparison, if I go over my data limit at home, a megabyte costs $0.02)

 

As long as you connect to the ships WiFi vs using data on the ship, you can text the sitter and check on the dogs. I do believe that only one person per room can be logged in at a time so you’ll have to coordinate it. And people have to remember to log out of the internet or it will run constantly and be used up 250 minutes into your first night of the cruise.

 

Again, roaming data not covered by international plans is CRAZY expensive. Check the terms of your international plan but you should be able to use it in port. Though you may have to turn roaming on. You will not want to use it on the ship outside of an emergency. On iPhones at least, you can turn data and cellular roaming off separately. So on the ship can have data roaming off but cellular roaming on. This will allow texts and calls to come through. You will be charged per incoming text though.

 

 

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[LrgPizza]

You are going to want to use the ship's app while at sea to communicate with each other. Save the cell phone usage for port stops. Give your carrier the dates you will be in which countries, ignoring the at sea time because that won't be included. When I do this with Verizon, I use the webchat feature, because they I can print out a copy of the conversation to have a history of exactly what I was told, in case my subsequent charges don't match up with what I was quoted or what I signed up for.

[mking8288]

OP, first of all ... CC really isn't the definite place, even the NCL board here, for getting the most accurate & tech-specific answers on how much it will cost & whether it will work 95% of the time as planned on a cruise ship, and, in foreign ports ... and, not knowing what specific smartphone or devices you are using (frequencies/bands/networks on roaming carriers abroad ... less of a concern on ship's satellite tower signal)

 

Does your devices function and work as a hotspot (as in tethering) or MiFi router (repeater) to share data (cellular & WiFi) or it is blocked, extra fees or included at no extra charge (as an unlimited plan, perhaps grandfathered with your own carrier's bundled package) ... ? Confused enough, if not ...let's continue. But, please share a little more.

 

Oh, between VZW and AT&, odds are that they offered and have about 49+ plan combo's, you need to review & see what you have, exactly, what is NOT covered on your specific ship (Epic) and in foreign ports.

 

As a general rule, almost all US cellular plan do NOT cover data use (not "paid" ship WiFi and not satellite-relayed cellular) on the ship ... only when it's docked in ports, thus - you are then really pinging land tower's signal or local "open & unsecured" WiFi.

 

To supplement whatever plans you will need to add/turn on abroad, you probably should consider using NCL's "free" 250 minutes (data) plan, good for basic email, texting & WiFi (VoIP) calling on Skype, Hangouts/GV/Duo, Ooma, FaceTime audio calls, etc. - that, it can, be shared among all 5 users - carefully, one device and live connection at a time, depending on how much usage you think are needed.

 

For AT&T and VZW, these 2 links is a starting point - call 611 and speak to their global/international support desk for a better & more accurate answers about your options, choices and what's extra. (VZW does NOT offer any data plan package at sea, not all all = $$$$$)

https://www.att.com/offers/international-plans/cruise-ship-list.html

https://www.verizonwireless.com/solutions-and-services/international-travel/

 

Since you are staying in Europe pre/post and cruising the Meds - getting a prepaid local sim that roam at no charge in most countries being visited. might be a better option, and in keeping costs down.

 

Please have a quick look under my SIGNature for generalized info about NCL's internet & data for an "orientation" about ship usage and options.

 

I will come back & post more suggestions, once we have more info - also, how soon are you sailing ?? Meanwhile, how does $10 per GB of 4G/LTE data in 170 countries sound to you, exclude cruise ships - sharing is free. Look up Google's Project Fi - use it for voice, text & & data on Android but also on iOS for its unique add-on data.

 

The solution isn't simple nor easy but for the past several years, we typically spend under $10 for a 7 day cruise coupled with 250 to 600+ "free" NCL airtime/data minutes by managing our gadgets ... and, do not use open & free "WiFi" (think "Facebook" & data breach.) - it can be done smartly with a little planning & learning.

[xitappers2bx]

I am experiencing some confusion DESPITE using the "search" function of CC.

We are traveling on Epic Western Med. Two of us have ATT, three have Verizon. Both providers offer international plans that are $10/day per device, with the charge occurring only on days that the phone is used.

 

How does this work on the ship? Can we text each other while at sea,call the US while at sea or does the plan only refer to calls that are made while in port ? The reps for both companies gave me conflicting answers or non-answers. Does NCL have cellular at sea, and is that covered by these plans?

 

I would highly advise not using your phone plan while on board, it's extremely expensive and will be in addition to the $10 per day. You can use the NCL app for much cheaper and it works fairly well.

 

What I am asking is- can I use one of our cell phones to make a call or send a text ( NOT using iConcierge) while at sea? Does anyone have experience with either company?

 

You'd pay for the data at some absurd rate like $19 a mb and $1 a text.

 

We do not mind the daily charge and don't want to go get new sim cards for the 11 days we will be away (4 days travel-Rome pre cruise-travel home , 7 on the ship)

 

We spent last summer in Paris, my daughter and I (she's 13) had no problems using our American phones, we had unlimited data and texting, and were able to use wifi calling instead of voice calls to avoid additional charges. It was much better than getting a sim card. In Rome though, the internet was absurdly slow. On board... we were on the Epic R/T from Rome, and even in port turning off the wifi (to get off the Epic's service) made the Internet pretty unusable. The only port I had any luck in was Barcelona. Otherwise, I had to actually get off the ship to use my laptop on my phone's tethering. Texting using my own plan while on the ship in port was equally maddening, sometimes texts went through and sometimes not. I work from my laptop and phone, so it was slightly frustrating, but I ended up just doing a lot less work than I thought I would, so ultimately it worked out well for me.

 

Internet- if we only want to check and send emails - on our phones-can we do this with either of these international plans? I know we can get ship internet with our 250 free minutes, what about using data ?

 

Each international plan will have their own nuances... we have t-mobile which offers unlimited data and text internationally so we were able to. Read the fine print, a handful of years ago I was KILLED with a phone bill that I thought had international that covered data and several hundred dollars later, lesson learned.

 

We will have internet on the ship for our ipad and research -crazy teens; but what about just using my phone to check on my basset hounds at doggie camp via a quick text to the sitter?

 

Not sure about this, trying to use my own phone and plan to text while on the ship was a cluster. I did not buy on-ship internet but from what I can see online it looks like that you can send a text but don't quote me on that.

 

One last thing- do these plans cover roaming data or is that a no-no? A CC member "GaryCarla" once explained why phones should NEVER have roaming data on and it has has stuck in my head for years to always have data roaming off.

 

They wouldn't cover roaming data on the ship, but they would cover roaming data on land as per whatever amount of data you bought, that's why you're getting an international plan.

 

FWIW, we have no interest in the Instachats /Snapgram /Bookface /Tweeter sites. We need to be able to text each other, text a family member in the States and access email. The ability to receive calls from the US (if an emergency occurs) would be great as well.

 

Is there someone who has used either of these carriers that can give me the low down?

 

Thank you so much!

 

With the Med cruise, you're in a port everyday (almost) so I really wouldn't worry too much about texting others while on board and leaving out that risk. The time difference can make communication slow, but by the time you're back on board it's at least midday in the states so you'd have a good chunk of time to communicate in real time. Before moving to t-mobile we had AT&T and I thought their international plans were BS for what I needed (unlimited data and tethering, the ability to text ), which is why we went to t-mobile and I haven't regretted it. Obviously, changing phone carriers for a single trip is totally not worth it, so make sure you read and understand all of the fine print, write the important stuff on an index card to take with you, and keep really close tabs on teenagers with data if it's not unlimited. While wifi is available almost everywhere in Europe (at least everywhere we went) it's also much slower and we used about twice as much data as we normally do in a month (before counting in Netflix on the iPad).

[pbenjamin]

So Verizon offers Pay as You Go with the 2.99 rate on the ship. It also offers TravelPass, which is the $5/day for Canada and Mexico, $10/day for other countries deal. As above, cruise ships are not covered in the TravelPass plan. Ideally I would like Pay as You Go for the ship and TravelPass for Canada (Alaska Cruise) but the two plans appear to be mutually exclusive.

[forgotmyCCname]

Thank you all!

We don’t need texting to each other on board. We basically want to receive a call if need be .

The shore to ship calling is a bit confusing to my mom- you have to go through several different steps, give a cc number, get connected and then finally put through to the cabin.

 

None of the kids does social media when we are on vacation as they simply dont care .

If they NEED to tell someone something cool, they Can email.

 

I really appreciate all your help!

 

Have a sparkling evening!

 

 

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[Cyclops32]

For me I always use the Wi-Fi calling that Verizon and AT&T offer. I do get the unlimited plan for the ships internet package but then my phone acts exactly the same as if I am at home with no other charges. I can make and receive calls and txt for free just like at home, and my data is not used since it uses the unlimited on the ship.

 

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[HowardK]

Hello, I am going on the Escape the week after next and have Verizon- I was going to get the TravelPass and activate for Wednesday-Friday while in Bermuda. Once docked, would there be a way to confirm I am not on the ship's tower while on the ship?

Also, once on TravelPass do I need to be concerned about being on a secure network for ocassional email and facebook? Or am i better getting a NCL data plan and skipping the phone.

THanks

[BirdTravels]

Hello, I am going on the Escape the week after next and have Verizon- I was going to get the TravelPass and activate for Wednesday-Friday while in Bermuda. Once docked, would there be a way to confirm I am not on the ship's tower while on the ship? Also, once on TravelPass do I need to be concerned about being on a secure network for ocassional email and facebook? Or am i better getting a NCL data plan and skipping the phone.

THanks

 

Once the ship is near shore, they turn off their cell tower. The celluar at sea company names will be replaced with some Bermuda cell company. But don't forget to turn your phone off before you leave dock on Friday.

 

Do you use your cellphone at home to access the occasional email or facebook? It is the same, just using a Bermudian phone company. The phone system in Bermuda is no less secure that the phone system at home,,,, which is totally unsecure.

[smplybcause]

If you click through your settings you can actually see what towers you're connected to. My rule of thumb is to turn it off while I can still see land. Though for me it's been more when I can still delineate the buildings, I've never tried to wait super long before I go back to airplane mode.

 

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[VideoTech]

Here's a simple rule: Using your cell phone as a cell phone (as opposed to an internet device, which is different) while on the ship, while at sea will ALWAYS go through the ship's Cellular at Sea service and will always incur expensive charges from the Cellular at Sea company as well as any charges for roaming from your own cell service provider. So, if you do not want to pay those extra charges, put your phone in Airplane mode whenever you are on the ship at sea.

 

(Edited to answer your specific question about texting each other on the ship: No, you will not be able to do that, because when you text with a cell phone you are using the cell phone data .See above. BUT...see below re the internet and FB Messenger for a work around on this problem)

 

On land it's a different story. Your cell service company may have special rate international plans that you can sign up for. You should check this out before you cruise, and sign up before you cruise. Otherwise, if you just turn your cell phone on when you walk on shore, you will likely be able to make calls, but you will be paying whatever roaming rates your company charges, plus whatever you are charged by the local cell provider in that port. On land your phone functions just as it normally does and you will be able to text each other and all your friends and family at home.

 

If you want to use your phone as an internet device while on the ship, you will put the phone in airplane mode and then turn on JUST the wifi connection on your phone. You will need to sign up for a package of internet minutes. On most NCL ships, there are various packages ranging from pay-by-the minute to unlimited. Once you have purchased internet minutes and signed on your device (one device only, at a time, but you can share the minutes), you can do almost anything you would normally be able to do over the internet with your phone. You can use programs like Facebook Messenger to text your FB friends and family on the ship and on shore. If your phone will do wifi calling you may be able to do that. If you bought a higher value internet package you will be able to stream videos. Of course you can send and receive emails. However, just remember that you must always be connected to the NCL wifi internet for any of this to work. Unless you buy the unlimited package of internet, you will not be able to stay connected all the time.

 

Hope that all helps the confusion!

 

I am experiencing some confusion DESPITE using the "search" function of CC.

We are traveling on Epic Western Med. Two of us have ATT, three have Verizon. Both providers offer international plans that are $10/day per device, with the charge occurring only on days that the phone is used.

 

How does this work on the ship? Can we text each other while at sea,call the US while at sea or does the plan only refer to calls that are made while in port ? The reps for both companies gave me conflicting answers or non-answers. Does NCL have cellular at sea, and is that covered by these plans?

 

What I am asking is- can I use one of our cell phones to make a call or send a text ( NOT using iConcierge) while at sea? Does anyone have experience with either company?

 

We do not mind the daily charge and don't want to go get new sim cards for the 11 days we will be away (4 days travel-Rome pre cruise-travel home , 7 on the ship)

 

Internet- if we only want to check and send emails - on our phones-can we do this with either of these international plans? I know we can get ship internet with our 250 free minutes, what about using data ?

 

We will have internet on the ship for our ipad and research -crazy teens; but what about just using my phone to check on my basset hounds at doggie camp via a quick text to the sitter?

 

One last thing- do these plans cover roaming data or is that a no-no? A CC member "GaryCarla" once explained why phones should NEVER have roaming data on and it has has stuck in my head for years to always have data roaming off.

 

FWIW, we have no interest in the Instachats /Snapgram /Bookface /Tweeter sites. We need to be able to text each other, text a family member in the States and access email. The ability to receive calls from the US (if an emergency occurs) would be great as well.

 

Is there someone who has used either of these carriers that can give me the low down?

 

Thank you so much!

Edited May 12, 2018 by VideoTech

[thinfool]

I love my sprint plan. Unlimited everything (voice, data, text, hulu) no roaming charges domestic and international. Three lines Android grand total of $110 a month. Phones included.

 

Make cellular voice calls on a ship, then come back and tell us about it.

[Cyclops32]

Here's a simple rule: Using your cell phone as a cell phone (as opposed to an internet device, which is different) while on the ship, while at sea will ALWAYS go through the ship's Cellular at Sea service and will always incur expensive charges from the Cellular at Sea company as well as any charges for roaming from your own cell service provider. So, if you do not want to pay those extra charges, put your phone in Airplane mode whenever you are on the ship at sea.

 

(Edited to answer your specific question about texting each other on the ship: No, you will not be able to do that, because when you text with a cell phone you are using the cell phone data .See above. BUT...see below re the internet and FB Messenger for a work around on this problem)

 

On land it's a different story. Your cell service company may have special rate international plans that you can sign up for. You should check this out before you cruise, and sign up before you cruise. Otherwise, if you just turn your cell phone on when you walk on shore, you will likely be able to make calls, but you will be paying whatever roaming rates your company charges, plus whatever you are charged by the local cell provider in that port. On land your phone functions just as it normally does and you will be able to text each other and all your friends and family at home.

 

If you want to use your phone as an internet device while on the ship, you will put the phone in airplane mode and then turn on JUST the wifi connection on your phone. You will need to sign up for a package of internet minutes. On most NCL ships, there are various packages ranging from pay-by-the minute to unlimited. Once you have purchased internet minutes and signed on your device (one device only, at a time, but you can share the minutes), you can do almost anything you would normally be able to do over the internet with your phone. You can use programs like Facebook Messenger to text your FB friends and family on the ship and on shore. If your phone will do wifi calling you may be able to do that. If you bought a higher value internet package you will be able to stream videos. Of course you can send and receive emails. However, just remember that you must always be connected to the NCL wifi internet for any of this to work. Unless you buy the unlimited package of internet, you will not be able to stay connected all the time.

 

Hope that all helps the confusion!

For me I just use my phone on the ship. Turn on wifi calling and have a ship internet package and then I can use my phone as I normally would at home at no additional costs. Can talk, text and browse the web all I want since I usually get the unlimited package on the ship

 

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[Meanee]

There is no cell phone company that will include cellular communication (voice, text, data not on WiFi) on board the ship into their international package. Satellite time is expensive.

 

With Princess ships, I had luck with WiFi calling. Not sure how NCL will work.

[BaWBarmy]

You should put your phone into Airplane mode whilst on board. Once you have done this you can turn WiFi on and log in to your 250 free minutes and also iConcierge. Airplane mode will automatically turn off mobile data thus stopping your phone connecting to the very expensive Maritime network.

 

With regard to data roaming, I'm not sure how the US carriers operate but I have a plan that allows me to use my data etc. in the US & Canada as well as the EU, at no extra charge BUT I must have data roaming enabled on my phone for it to work. Roaming enables your phone to pick up networks other than your home network. Your carrier will have agreements with carriers abroad to use their signal. So obviously AT&T, Verizon, Sprint etc. don't have signals in the EU but you can pick them up using EE, O2 and various other carriers. So you either need to turn data roaming on or just use WiFi where available. This should be included for in your international plan.