Cruise communications

[CoteClan]

Please share with me your experience on the costs and convienance (or not) to using the ship's available phone service and/or internet service.

 

Thank you in advance!

[jleq]

Ship-to-shore phone service is about $9/minute. From what I understand, charges begin when the phone starts ringing. Not when a person answers. CCL internet about the same speed as dial-up. With the exception of the Liberty/Valor, wireless [which you also pay for] only in vicinity of 'Net Cafe. Further details:

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/FAQs/On_Board_Internet_Cafes.aspx

 

Most ports have 'Net cafes near the port itself. Cost usually a fraction of CCL's cost. In addition, you can buy relatively inexpensve "phone cards" at each port. Before you debark, ask somebody from the ship's staff for assistance on the latter two options

[billsrobb]

Do you have to buy the internet cafe block minutes? I will probably only want to use to computer to get my boarding pass from Southwest Airlines for my return flight home? I really don't have any other reason to use the computer. I would think that 1/2 hr is all I will need if that much.

Robb

[jleq]

]Do you have to buy the internet cafe block minutes?

You don't. You can pay the 75 cent rate for each minute you use

[SunRae]

from $9.50 a minute to $6.50 a minute. (I still say ouch!) They had a notice in the capers last week.

 

Sorry, but I can't remember too much about the Internet charges...we wound up not getting near a computer while we were on the cruise....:p

[afrikaa]

Yes, OUCH

I remember making an important call and was on for only a minute and a half and it cost me almost $16.

[Wennfred]

Please share with me your experience on the costs and convienance (or not) to using the ship's available phone service and/or internet service.

 

Thank you in advance!

 

Call your Cell phone provider and get an international plan just for this cruise, then update your phones roaming program, they will show you how to do it. Then where ever your ship ports, you can call from there.

 

My phone stays locked up in the Safe.

[IrishDolphin]

i was sooo excited when my cell phone worked in Freeport, my mom is very sick, and i don't remember how long I talked to her for, buttt I got the bill and it was for $80 in international charges - whoaaaa, lesson learned on my part (thought I had set up no roaming calls allowed - may end up getting $20 off for a$$ kissing customer service) :eek:

[gymbrat33]

I used the phone on the Fascination this past weekend. It is $6.99 per minute. I called home. I live in Miami. I spoke less than a minute and was charged for 2. When I asked the front desk about the charge I was told that the company that they work with charges as soon as you pick up the phone and start dialing. My mother spoke for 2 minutes and was charged for 3 minutes.

 

When I've used the phones on the newer ships, (Valor, Glory, and Liberty) I was never charged more than $6.99.

[CoteClan]

I asked the front desk about the charge I was told that the company that they work with charges as soon as you pick up the phone and start dialing.

 

So is the charge the same on incoming calls? Or can we even receive incoming calls on board? What about messages?

 

I'd just like to have the ability for my in-laws to contact us if there is an emergency with our sons while they are in their care for the week DH and I are gone on the cruise - I'm going to worry to much if I can't contact them or feel they can't contact us when they need to hear from us.

 

Thank you everyone for your advice so far! This board is great!!

[gymbrat33]

I'm not sure if the rate is the same for incoming calls. I have the brochure in front of me since I'm leaving on another cruise in 3 weeks. Your friends and family can contact you via Maritime Telecommunications Network's shore-to-ship telephone service by calling 1-877-CCLSHIP

[wercruzin]

That's staggering..

[lawgator]

I just called Carnival yesterday because I want to leave an emergency contact number for my family. They said the ship to shore charge (and vice versa) is $9.50 per minute and the number to leave the family to contact us is 1-877-225-7447. I'm just going to try and use internet cafe in ports. Also, if you have a Sam's Club prepaid calling card, you can use that internationally from pay phones if you obtain the country access codes ahead of time. I've used that in Britain before, but will have to check and see if they have numbers for our Western Caribbean cruise.

[jleq]

I'm not sure if the rate is the same for incoming calls.

The price was quoted the post before this. A credit card is required

[dad2ccc03]

Thank you everyone!

[bakechef]

just a note, verizon wireless has just announced .69 flat rate international roaming from most countries with compatible phone systems, if they are your provider, just call and activate international roaming, their website has the countries listed, also a couple of ships transmit cell phone signals you can use, with verizon the rate is 2.49 per minute. If you have GSM service (t-mobile, cingular, etc.) there will be a wider range of places where you can roam, but I don't know their rates.

 

happy cruising!