Wifi calling using data-only eSIM

[Barwick Cruiser]

Didn’t want to start a new thread so sorry if I’m resurrecting an older one but it’s relevant. I’m traveling to NZ for a month…land trip to visit family, no cruising involved. My iPhone accepts eSIMs. I need both data and the ability to make local calls. Don’t need calling back to Canada or to receive calls from Canada. Can an eSIM do this or do I need to just connect with a local provider in NZ for this? Previously I’ve installed a NZ company physical sim (on arrival at the airport) with a monthly plan that included data, calls and texting. Trying to save money by using the eSIM and setting it up prior to travelling.  Thanks for any help! 

[Fouremco]

I'm not sure that a service provider will have different pricing for SIM and eSIM customers. If you recall the NZ provider that you used previously, why not contact them to see what they say.

[gnome12]

@Barwick Cruiser deleted.

Edited December 11, 2023 by gnome12
I found what I was about to write not necessarily true

[CDNPolar]

11 hours ago, Barwick Cruiser said:

Didn’t want to start a new thread so sorry if I’m resurrecting an older one but it’s relevant. I’m traveling to NZ for a month…land trip to visit family, no cruising involved. My iPhone accepts eSIMs. I need both data and the ability to make local calls. Don’t need calling back to Canada or to receive calls from Canada. Can an eSIM do this or do I need to just connect with a local provider in NZ for this? Previously I’ve installed a NZ company physical sim (on arrival at the airport) with a monthly plan that included data, calls and texting. Trying to save money by using the eSIM and setting it up prior to travelling.  Thanks for any help! 

 

If I am reading you correctly you don't need calling to or from Canada, but you do want to call locally in NZ?

 

There are some eSIM companies that offer voice and data, so that you can make local calls, but that entails having a new number from your current.

 

If WhatsApp calling would suffice there are other eSIM providers that only give you data, and you could make WhatsApp calls.

 

Airalo is the company I am about to try for our upcoming trip, but they only do data with their Regional eSIMs that I am looking at.

 

Airalo also has Global eSIMs that have Data/Calls/Texts that you can buy too.  Calling looks expensive - their top plan is 200 calling minutes and that is US $89.00

 

I think that it might be good to know how much calling you are going to need.  I think that eSIMs are limited on the calling feature.

 

If you want to be able to talk daily back and forth with friends or relatives, you might be better with the local provider.

[gnome12]

Try looking here

https://traveltomtom.net/destinations/oceania/new-zealand/best-esim-cards-for-new-zealand

[bookbabe]

FYI, the Airalo plans that give you voice calls as well as data can have phone numbers from different countries than you may be traveling to, so you may need to give people a head’s up so they don’t think you’re a spammer.  For example, our Global plan has an Austrian phone number, so we had to warn family that if they got a call from Austria it might be us, even if we were in Norway at the time. 

[Barwick Cruiser]

Thanks for all the helpful responses. Since I will need local calling I think I’m better off using a physical SIM card and activating it once we land in Auckland as have done previously. 

[gnome12]

49 minutes ago, Barwick Cruiser said:

Thanks for all the helpful responses. Since I will need local calling I think I’m better off using a physical SIM card and activating it once we land in Auckland as have done previously. 

There are eSIMs that have both data and calls. Check out traveltomtom. Things have changed a lot in the last few years. 

[bellaship]

Thank you everyone for the great tips.  Been using an eSim for quite some time with "hit or miss".  Last was a big miss because I didn't follow some of the settings.  Had great success in US and zero Rogers roaming.

 

I've bought all my eSims here (they also sell virtual Sims if you need a local number):

https://www.getnomad.app/en

The installation is pretty simple.  Either print off the GR code or send to someone to scan off their phone.

 

No need to use this but here's a referral code:  JENN68SC  that gives you $3 off (full disclosure I also get $3 in the process)-- their data super inexpensive $9USD for 3 GB over 30 days for example.

 

Happy, safe travels everyone!  May your 2024 be full of sunsets on the waters, laughter on the high seas and storms only when you are tucked in safe!

[Oboedot]

Be careful with wifi calling.  I used wifi calling I the US - data roaming off and airplane mode, so just using wifi on my iPhone.

 

Got charged a lot anyway. After talking to Rogers, they sent me a document stating that wifi calling ONLY applies when wifi calling from one Canadian phone number to another.  I was charged for every call to a US number!  Got the charges reversed, but was a hassle.

[CDNPolar]

11 hours ago, Oboedot said:

Be careful with wifi calling.  I used wifi calling I the US - data roaming off and airplane mode, so just using wifi on my iPhone.

 

Got charged a lot anyway. After talking to Rogers, they sent me a document stating that wifi calling ONLY applies when wifi calling from one Canadian phone number to another.  I was charged for every call to a US number!  Got the charges reversed, but was a hassle.

 

Did not know this, but I do know that some carriers don't support WiFi calling at all. 

 

We tried to use WiFi calling a cruise or two ago, but it did not work, so guess we were saved the charges and the hassle.

 

There are more and more global e-SIM cards coming out that offer calling as well as data at low cost.  I think that Rogers and others soon will lose their "Roam Like Home" business to these e-SIMS.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

1 hour ago, CDNPolar said:

 

Did not know this, but I do know that some carriers don't support WiFi calling at all. 

 

We tried to use WiFi calling a cruise or two ago, but it did not work, so guess we were saved the charges and the hassle.

 

There are more and more global e-SIM cards coming out that offer calling as well as data at low cost.  I think that Rogers and others soon will lose their "Roam Like Home" business to these e-SIMS.

Sometimes you have wondered how were survived travelling before cellphones and the internet 🤣

[CDNPolar]

1 hour ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Sometimes you have wondered how were survived travelling before cellphones and the internet 🤣

 

OMGoodness - we would be unreachable for 2 weeks!  Never worried, never cared, just enjoyed the moment.  Now the minute those airplane wheels touch the ground we are scrambling for our connection so we can see what happened over the last 7 hours flying.  (Oh, and it was overnight in our home time so basically NOTHING)

[bookbabe]

Look into WhatsApp.  Works on Wi-Fi or data so we use it in combination with an Airalo data plan on shore and ship internet while onboard.  You set up the account with your own cell phone number so family and friends don’t have to learn a new number.  Other WhatsApp users can call or text you for free, plus it allows video and audio messages to be sent back and forth in addition to regular phone calls and texts.  Easy enough that both our elderly moms have figured it out.

 

The only negative is that you can only contact other WhatsApp users, it doesn’t work for calling landlines, etc.  But for calling family back home, it can’t be beat.

Edited February 8 by bookbabe

[CDNPolar]

13 hours ago, bookbabe said:

Look into WhatsApp.  Works on Wi-Fi or data so we use it in combination with an Airalo data plan on shore and ship internet while onboard.  You set up the account with your own cell phone number so family and friends don’t have to learn a new number.  Other WhatsApp users can call or text you for free, plus it allows video and audio messages to be sent back and forth in addition to regular phone calls and texts.  Easy enough that both our elderly moms have figured it out.

 

The only negative is that you can only contact other WhatsApp users, it doesn’t work for calling landlines, etc.  But for calling family back home, it can’t be beat.

 

I am sort of amazed at how WhatsApp is such a large part of many countries and populations but not in North America.

 

I work in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa, Philippines, and UK and WhatsApp is one of the main means of communication both for business and personal.  Some of the countries that I work with do all their client communication on WhatsApp.

 

I have pushed my family members, and some friends, that I want to keep in touch with onto WhatsApp, and that solves all my travel communication woes and saves me so much money.

 

My boss and I communicate 99% of the time using what I call WhatsApp "voice notes" and that is record your voice message and send.  It is a tool that I could never be without now.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

30 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

 

I am sort of amazed at how WhatsApp is such a large part of many countries and populations but not in North America.

 

I work in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa, Philippines, and UK and WhatsApp is one of the main means of communication both for business and personal.  Some of the countries that I work with do all their client communication on WhatsApp.

 

I have pushed my family members, and some friends, that I want to keep in touch with onto WhatsApp, and that solves all my travel communication woes and saves me so much money.

 

My boss and I communicate 99% of the time using what I call WhatsApp "voice notes" and that is record your voice message and send.  It is a tool that I could never be without now.

Messager appears to be more popular in NA with connecting with friends 

Meta is working on connecting Messager and WhatsApp together 

[CDNPolar]

1 hour ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Messager appears to be more popular in NA with connecting with friends 

Meta is working on connecting Messager and WhatsApp together 

 

Yeah, and no one that I know or communicate with uses Messenger....  One day perhaps we will have one global communication platform and when you are born you will have a chip implanted that will drive all your communications.

[bookbabe]

2 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

I am sort of amazed at how WhatsApp is such a large part of many countries and populations but not in North America.

 

I work in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa, Philippines, and UK and WhatsApp is one of the main means of communication both for business and personal.  Some of the countries that I work with do all their client communication on WhatsApp.

 

I have pushed my family members, and some friends, that I want to keep in touch with onto WhatsApp, and that solves all my travel communication woes and saves me so much money.

 

My boss and I communicate 99% of the time using what I call WhatsApp "voice notes" and that is record your voice message and send.  It is a tool that I could never be without now.

We were clueless about WhatsApp until we moved to the Caribbean.  It’s the most common means of communication here, and we’ve gotten used to using it as option one to contact anyone.  It’s so weird that Canada and the US haven’t really picked up on it.

[Messybill]

10 hours ago, bookbabe said:

We were clueless about WhatsApp until we moved to the Caribbean.  It’s the most common means of communication here, and we’ve gotten used to using it as option one to contact anyone.  It’s so weird that Canada and the US haven’t really picked up on it.

It's really not about picking up on the concept. There are and continue to be many alternatives.  All are privately owned and whatsapp is owned by a certain corporation that many of us choose never to deal with.  (with apologies to WSC).

[Ex-Airbalancer]

3 minutes ago, Messybill said:

It's really not about picking up on the concept. There are and continue to be many alternatives.  All are privately owned and whatsapp is owned by a certain corporation that many of us choose never to deal with.  (with apologies to WSC).

Many of who ? 
and what is WSC ? 

[bookbabe]

16 minutes ago, Messybill said:

It's really not about picking up on the concept. There are and continue to be many alternatives.  All are privately owned and whatsapp is owned by a certain corporation that many of us choose never to deal with.  (with apologies to WSC).

Everyone I know back home is on FB, the social media site that corporation runs, as am I, but they’ve never heard of WhatsApp.  Those with iPhones will sometimes use iMessage, but most people either use Messenger (owned by the same company as WhatsApp) or just text via their cell provider.  From my experience, it’s not a conscious moral/ethical choice, they have just never heard of WhatsApp.  YMMV, just stating my experience.  It’s a good app no matter who owns it.

[CDNPolar]

USA Stats based on 91M users.

 

In 2021, 79.6 mobile users spent time on WhatsApp, which is up from 75.1 million in 2020. In the third quarter of 2020, 50% of U.S. consumers used it daily, 78% used it weekly, and 91% used it monthly. It seems to be most popular among the 26-35 age group not only in the U.S. but other countries worldwide.

 

You don't see China on here because they use WeChat over WhatsApp.

 

And I guess that Canada is just low usage that did not make the list.  We have a smaller population than the smallest user on this list.

 

 

Edited February 10 by CDNPolar

[darren42]

I have found that keepgo https://keepgo.refr.cc/seaestax and flexiroam http://roam.my/TU6624DF are they best and the cheapest. You can get global data for use anywhere that is valid for 360 days, useful if you cruise multiple times a year to the Caribbean and Europe or Asia. 

 

They both have regional data plans but if you wait for a sale you can get the global package for only $30

[Microfiche62]

Wow - thanks SOOO much @Messybill!

I have been struggling with getting at least ONE roaming charge through Rogers on every trip, usually because we sent a text accidentally without switching the carrier, or I forgot to turn roaming off BEFORE taking off! Changing the setting to prevent automatic network connection should fix it!

We used to get physical SIMs, but too many friends couldn't wrap their heads around us having a foreign phone number, so last trip we got an Airalo SIM and it was great. We have travelled a lot to Mexico, so are already used to using WhatsApp, but I have never used it to call without our home SIM connected. We are 100% going to try this in a few weeks!
Now all I have to confirm is whether my Pixel 7 can have 3 eSIMs installed (but only 2 active) - as I can't find an eSIM that covers both countries we are going to (Maldives and Thailand), and we are using eSIMs for Rogers. I wasted almost an hour of my life chatting with Google "support" who never could wrap their head around the question. 🙄