Cell Phone Service Onboard The Ship

[linswi]

I tried to call Sprint to ask about rates and got 3 different answers, all different. Silly little Sprint Reps...

The following is a reply to an email I sent asking about cell phone use(voice and texting) while on the ship:

 

Sorry for any cross information on our Cruise Ship Pricing. Customers are

charged $2.99 per minute for voice calls to all countries while in international

waters. Calls to satellite phones are blocked. Mobile-to-Mobile calls are

charged $2.99 per minute (even if the calls are between customers on the same

ship).

 

International text messaging is charged at a rate of $0.15 per message.

 

The only plan to reduce rates is our International Long Distance, which does not

effect international roaming or cruise ship rates.

 

For more information on our cruise ship coverage, or to find out rates, please

call 1-800-974-2221.

 

Before you travel, contact the Sprint PCS International Support Team at

1-888-226-7212. To activate Sprint Worldwide capability for your Sprint PCS

phone or to get the phone and service required for travel outside of the

country.

 

Hope this helps anyone with Sprint!

[vjmatty]

For those of you with PDA's and PPC's who use Verizon, your data plan to hook up to the internet under the international roaming service will cost a half cent per minute. You have to sign up for the international roaming and if you receive any calls it will still be the 2.49 per minute, but the internet usage will save you from having to pay the ships internet fees.

[dallasailor]

We have cingular, and we can now get service in Mexico. The border is only about 1 and 1/2 hours from SPI. I make sure I shut my phone off, because, I can talk to my friends and family at home, for free!!!

 

When we cruise, the phone "does" say cingular at sea, and again, high prices for connections. Besides, we can tell everyone at home, when we get home.

 

I truly think the only reason I'd want a cell at sea would be if we were expecting another grandchild while we were sailing.

 

Just got back from the Rhapsody 3/11/07, and my phone had 3 voice mails that were picked up at sea while my phone was shut off. There should be no charge for those connections. At least I hope not, especially now that there are a lot of telemarketers getting into the cell numbers (don't know how).

[Rancher Dave]

For those of you with PDA's and PPC's who use Verizon, your data plan to hook up to the internet under the international roaming service will cost a half cent per minute. You have to sign up for the international roaming and if you receive any calls it will still be the 2.49 per minute, but the internet usage will save you from having to pay the ships internet fees.

 

Did you hear if the broadband access is at the half cent rates as well? Wow, that would be one heck of a deal!!!

[AndrewFM]

I have T-Mobile and it didnt work at sea...not in Nassau either

[PINEVIEW01]

I just called verizon and had international calling added to our phone to make it work on the cruise ship it takes 24-48hrs to happen

 

Thanks

I have verizon and did not add international calling before going and my phone worked. So now I have to remember to turn it off so no one calls:p

[gr82cruz]

If you have verizon make sure you do an update on programming Before you leave. you enter *228 send then option 2. Verizon rep told me to do it in each port, they were wrong, if you don't do it before you board, your phone won't work. you don't need the international calling plan unless you are going to call international #'s. If you are just calling and receiving US #'s there is no need.

[BradnerBoy]

We experienced high relative winds up to 58mph last week. It was so windy, it was difficult to walk outside on the pool and upper decks.

 

I actually saw a guy call someone on his cell phone inside the ship and say, "hey, check out the sound of the wind" and walked outside with his phone held high so his buddy could "hear" the sound of the roaring wind.

 

I gotta say, unless it's an emergency or a call of significant importance, who the hell do you need to talk to when you're on vacation, let alone at several dollars per minute in the middle of the Atlantic ocean???

 

I was astounded by the number of people I saw talking on the their cell phones while at sea and when we were in port. This was the ONE thing I was looking forward to on this cruise - NO CELL PHONES. But alas, that dream was shattered pretty fast.

 

Maybe it's just my cynical self, but I figure many of these people either have over-inflated feeling of self-importance or a sheer ignorance of the cost of using their cell phones in such cases (or just don't care what it costs).

[dh01498]

When I last talked to Verizon they told me that Verizon Broadband (wireless internet connection) would not work at sea. Has that changed? Has anyone tried it? I sure hope so because I cannot connect with their wireless service on board

[OHCruisin]

Cell phones at sea. Ugh. I take mine with me, but only used it once last time I cruised. Long story about why, but after that I turned it off. I'm on vacation. The last thing I want to hear are cell phones ringing.

[ccletzgo]

When I last talked to Verizon they told me that Verizon Broadband (wireless internet connection) would not work at sea. Has that changed? Has anyone tried it? I sure hope so because I cannot connect with their wireless service on board

 

NO your wireless broadband will not work. I used the cyber cabin hook up for $100 unlimited use. Worked great for what I needed to do..

[play311]

Hi all,

 

I have verified that my Verizon phone will work on the ship I will be taking next month. But, can anyone please tell me with 100% certainty if the cell phone will work out in the middle of the Atlantic?? Let me be clear, I am not talking about the Caribbean. I will be 6 days at sea going to Spain. Verizon reps do not seem to know for sure. I know how most of you feel about cell phones on ships, but I have no choice considering that I could lose my business if I don't stay in touch.

 

If anyone here knows for sure, I would be very grateful for your response. Thank you.

[blueyes66]

I have Nextel and would like to use it to keep in touch with 16 yr old on board. Does anyone know if my direct connect will work or text messages? Last time we went he was 14 and phones didn't work, so it was hard to keep checking in, except during meal times. Has anyone used the walkie-talkies on board?

We are leaving on 4/22 on Freedom. 25 days and counting!! :D

 

Kristine

IL

[billhelm]

Sprint users can also use their phones on an "in network" basis in St. Thomas, which is a part of the U.S. Last year (and in years past) I have had great signal there and was even able to use my Vision (internet) service last year with no problems! It's great to be able to call people back home for no more than it would cost to call if I was indeed back home!

 

It also works "in network" in Puerto Rico, as well as St Croix and St John. A pleasant surprise on our last cruise.

[Fam_Cruise]

I have verified that my Verizon phone will work on the ship I will be taking next month. But, can anyone please tell me with 100% certainty if the cell phone will work out in the middle of the Atlantic??

Yes. But Verizon mobile phones will not work when you are in port or near land in Europe. If you plan on doing international travel outside of North America then you would be better served switching to a GSM phone/service like cingular or T-mobile that works in almost every country in the world with the exception of Japan. Sprint and Verizon CDMA service is limited to North America for the most part. They also work in a few other places like Brazil, Guam, India, Israel, Macau, New Zealand, Peru, S. Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and Venezuela but that's about it.

[Iamthesea]

I tried to call Sprint to ask about rates and got 3 different answers, all different. Silly little Sprint Reps...

The following is a reply to an email I sent asking about cell phone use(voice and texting) while on the ship:

 

Sorry for any cross information on our Cruise Ship Pricing. Customers are

charged $2.99 per minute for voice calls to all countries while in international

waters. Calls to satellite phones are blocked. Mobile-to-Mobile calls are

charged $2.99 per minute (even if the calls are between customers on the same

ship).

 

International text messaging is charged at a rate of $0.15 per message.

 

The only plan to reduce rates is our International Long Distance, which does not

effect international roaming or cruise ship rates.

 

For more information on our cruise ship coverage, or to find out rates, please

call 1-800-974-2221.

 

Before you travel, contact the Sprint PCS International Support Team at

1-888-226-7212. To activate Sprint Worldwide capability for your Sprint PCS

phone or to get the phone and service required for travel outside of the

country.

 

Hope this helps anyone with Sprint!

Before my daughter left for a Carnival cruise for her spring break, I warned her not to use her cell phone on the ship. She called me and her boyfriend while the ship was starting to pull away from port (even though I told her not to use it once the ship left the pier.) Hopefully, we will not have any Sprint-at-Sea charges for those few minutes.

 

So, because I told her not to use her cell phone, she instead used the ship phone to call me when she had an "accident!" :eek: I had warned her about the ships phones also, but was more concerned about her cell phone use. I told her that I was sorry she hurt herself, but the call was costing her $7.95 a minute and to hang up and email me. Oh, and I did ask why she didn't use the cell to call me, and she replied "because you told me not to use it!" Good girl, although the call would have been less! :D In the course of our emailing, I discovered that she also used the ships phone to call her boyfriend. Total ship phone charges were almost $70. :eek:

 

Thanks to a knowledgeable man on the Carnival board, he advised me to tell my daughter to ask the purser to remove the charges because she made the calls in an emergency. Unbelievably, they did remove the charges off her bill!:cool: