Ship-to-Shore Contact Availability?

[tartegnin]

A paranoid mom needs to know!

 

We'll be on a July TA while our daughter will be flying with and then staying with my parents - I'll at the very least want to call to check they got in ok from the transatlantic flight and then, if I can, call in each day to say "hi". Also, can they contact the ship in an emergency? If they can, then I'll rest easy because "no news is good news". Any info much appreciated - I'll rely on email if I have to, but there's no substitute for the phone, sometimes!

[mufi]

Cell phones won't work at sea of course, so other than e mail your only other means of contact will be by phone from your cabin. Not sure of the cost but it will be EXPENSIVE.

 

Paranoid? Me, I would leave it for a week at those prices but then I try to never contact shoreside at all when I am at sea. Everything is still there when I get back.

 

David.

[pnhmrk]

Cunard Provide the following in the UK for passengers and those wanting to contact them.

 

Communication Information

 

To connect to QM2 or QE2, please call 877-266-0985, toll free from the US. For calls origination outside the US please dial 732-335-3272, preceded by appropriate international and country codes. These numbers connect to MTN automated voice response where you will be prompted to enter your credit card number and expiration date. Please not that your call will be billed at a rate of $9.50/minute upon connection to the ship. Calls on this network are limited to a maximum of 10 minutes per call.

 

A fax transmission can be sent to Cunard vessels by using IDD codes and the Universal Ocean Region coding. Please note that faxes are transmitted by satellite and are more expensive than phone calls.

 

Guests may also take advantage of the wireless Internet service (802.11b) with their own wireless enabled laptop. Guests sailing on QM2 may send and receive email through the interactive TV system from the comfort of their own stateroom. (A nominal fee per email sent or received will be applied to the guest's folio.)

 

You can be contacted at sea - it's just very expensive - I'd stick to emails if I could - if I couldn't then I'd keep the calls very short.

[mariaemp675@hotmail.com]

Tartegnin-

 

If your Trans Atlantic in on the QM2, you will have Satellite phone service from your cabin. I used it quite often to call my 89 year old Dad. The calls cost $4.95 per minute, but I considered it a small price to pay for the peace of mind it gave me to just say hello and make sure Dad was doing OK.

 

Be aware that there is a time delay in you speaking and the other person hearing what you said and visa versa. Once you get the time delay down it works very well.

 

Maria - who wishes you Safe Seas and Happy Sailing

[tartegnin]

Thank you both! I agree that it's a crazy amount of money, but peace of mind hasn't a price. At the very least, I now know I can call to check that they got in ok from two flights and a long car ride. And I know that they can contact me in an emergency (heaven forbid), so thank you both for that. I may stick to emails in between, though ... I'll send them the contact info you provided, which we don't have yet, and then double check when we get our final documents, which are already enroute (hurray!)

 

Believe me, my only separation anxiety is about my daughter, not work! One of the biggest benefits of this cruise is no mobile, no blackberry!:)

 

Thanks again.