Best Way To Stay In Touch...Prepaid Phone?

[helen haywood]

Hey, I did a search but I'm hampered by being totally tech ignorant. My 88 year old Dad is currently in rehab following back surgery. We just completed a cruise on Equinox and my husband purchased an international data/talk package from AT&T for his I-phone. Problem was the one he purchased was the one that connected us onboard ship (full disclosure: we don't get off the ship in the Caribbean.)

 

As we quickly realized, Cellular at Sea is not the carrier all the time the ship is sailing. If passing an island with a tower, X switches to the other provider. So that won't work in the future. I need to be able to receive texts (would like possible talk as well but not necessary if too $$$) every day during a future Caribbean cruise.

 

Has anyone in the same boat (so to speak) needed to keep in touch 24/7 with an I-phone? Should we look into purchasing both the plans that cover us onboard ship and covers other carriers we pass? I see AT&T offers an International Day Pass....so many options for tech challenged people.... I'm going to call AT&T and get a better description of what is offered and what will work best for us....just wondered what others have done. Trust me, I'd love to be able to unplug.....

[Luvcrusn]

Purchase an unlimited WIFI plan for 1 device. You can then put your phone in airplane mode and turn off data in your settings and make and received calls through WIFI. You may want to check with your carrier with specifics of proper way to adjust settings on you particular phone. I'm an android user and know how to do it on my phone so I'm sorry I can't be more specific. Other iPhone users here will be more useful. If you do decide to get off the ship on an island many carriers also have an unlimited daily use option that costs about $10 daily for any day you use it. You can set that up with your carrier ahead of time. You may also have to turn off roaming.

[cruisestitch]

Make sure your phone can do WiFi calling. Not all makes and models can, and not all phone carriers offer it, but if your phone can do it, it’s a great way to keep in touch.

 

Set it up while you are still at home and practice doing it on WiFi before you get on the ship.

[helen haywood]

It can do wifi calling....problem is I need texting also. Thanks for all the help!

[Luvcrusn]

It can do wifi calling....problem is I need texting also. Thanks for all the help!

If it can do WIFI calling it should also do the texting WIFI also. The $10 per day in port deal includes texting as well on Verizon. I'm pretty sure other providers have similar deals.

[JFontaine]

Would a messaging app work for you? If you have the WiFi package it would be free and unlimited to use. They look like text messages, the only difference is that you need to “connect” with a person first. I use both What’s App and BBM (blackberry messenger) which are both available on IPhones. You do get a little icon pop up on your phone to alert you to a new message. It would work with anyone that you hookup in advance with a smartphone, but not a stranger. I’ve used this on nearly all Celebrity ships without problem, and with less hassle than text messages.

[Mystictraveler]

We use AT&T and purchase one of their international plans when out of the U.S. We try to use our cell phones sparingly when not connected to WiFi. I think most of those plans allow for unlimited texts. As mentioned by others, WiFi calling is the way to go as far as phone calls. But make sure the WiFi calling symbol in on so you know you are using that instead of Cellular at Sea or a local carrier. I speak from experience after having made that mistake in New Zealand last year.AT&T also has a Messages app that I have installed on my tablet which I use for texts when we are on the ship's WiFi.