Cellphone service in Alaska

[Outhaul]

Wondering about availability and breadth of cellphone and broadband service from any cruisers with recent Alaska experience.

We're planning our first CruiseTour for next summer.

 

Verizonwireless (our provider) states it has 4G LTE coverage in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau (which we would sort of expect). But it also claims coverage along the entire "Denali" corridor from Fairbanks through Anchorage and on to Whittier, along with Skagway, and Ketchikan, where the cruise portion docks.

 

Relatives and friends are already on our case about "reachability".  We're wondering whether we can depend on our phones to send/receive texts and voicemail; or if we need to sign up for onboard WiFi with whichever carrier we end up using.

 

Any thoughts or comments gratefully received.

[AKStafford]

You'll have some coverage along the Parks Highway between Fairbanks & Anchorage, but there are definitely stretches with no service. Between Anchorage and Whittier... You might hit a dead spot or two. If you go into Denali National Park, you won't have any coverage beyond the Visitor Center.

[Glaciers]

Particularly in Southeast Alaska while on your cruise, you will have cell coverage in the communities you dock at although not much while cruising unless passing by a town along the way that has a tower. For a large part of the cruise you will have no cell service.

[rkacruiser]

As a Consumer Cellular customer, I had very good cell phone service (even with 3G) when I was in the Southeastern part of the State as well as in Anchorage and its environs.  But, during the cruise, I needed to go outside of the ship to make my calls for some reason.  Maybe too much steel around from where I was calling?