how can you use your cell phone at sea?

[Tallytammy's Mom]

In February, my daughter and I noticed that our cell phones said, "cingular at sea" when we left Port Canaveral so she called her husband at home and he called cingular and had her phone service changed to international calling so they could talk during our trip and it would not be too expensive. I think it was $1.49 per minute for international calling. I used my phone once and it was $2.49 per minute total charge. Next year on the Freedom, I will call cingular before my med. trip and get international calling so I can receive any emergency calls from home.

[keishashadow]

In February' date=' my daughter and I noticed that our cell phones said, "cingular at sea" when we left Port Canaveral so she called her husband at home and he called cingular and had her phone service changed to international calling so they could talk during our trip and it would not be too expensive. I think it was $1.49 per minute for international calling. I used my phone once and it was $2.49 per minute total charge. Next year on the Freedom, I will call cingular before my med. trip and get international calling so I can receive any emergency calls from home.[/quote']

 

I've gotten different answer each time I called Cingular as to switching service to interational while we're on a cruise, then being able to convert it back to regular plan when we return home (i.e. the next month)...anyone know for sure if this is possible?

 

Additionally, does the person placing a call to my cell phone get hit with a large fee too (whether from a land based or their own cell phone???)

 

my elderly mom gets anxious @ home if we don't check in every day;) ; adult kids in charge are glad to hear from us too. They're happy with a few minutes just to be heard. While i'd love to be footloose & fancy free while on vacation, it's not gonna happen anytime soon.:o

 

Therefore, i look @ the charges from calling home all part & parcel of the trip--same as a bottle of wine & couple more mixed drinks every day. Didn't find the prepaid phone cards all that convenient to use last cruise either.

[MrGolf]

Mine worked last week on the Victory in San Juan and St. Thomas thought it didn't work on St. Marteen.

[CyClore]

 

Additionally, does the person placing a call to my cell phone get hit with a large fee too (whether from a land based or their own cell phone???)

 

 

No they don't it is still the same call for them. They are charged as they normally would if they are charged at all. That charge will always be the same becuase of the way the telco's are setup.

[TanIslandGirl]

I have Verizon wireless and have used my cell phone while in port in Halifax, Nova Scotia & also in Jamaica & Grand Cayman. The Canada phone call for some reason cost me nothing, it was put through as a normal everyday call. This past January in GC & Jamaica our calls cost .99 cents per minute and no additional fees for roaming. Go figure????

[rpouls]

I too have a question about cell phones - not to call home, but to communicate with my 13-year old daughter on the ship while we're on our cruise. She's at the age where whe wants to go off on her own, but yet I want to be able to know where she is, and to have her check in with me every so often.

 

Is there some type of plan where we can be able to communicate only between our cell phones while on board?

 

If so, how is the reception when calling someone on a different deck? Thanks in advance,

[luv2cruise5]

When we were in Mexico in October, in port we just dialed 0001 then the number.75 cent a minute. worked on and off the ship. we have verizon. only used it then to check on the kids and kept it off all other times. :)

[cusyl]

I have the Mobal worldwide phone. It works in most countries except the U.S. and is very reasonable. You are never billed unless you use it.

http://www.mobalrental.com/gsm/handsets.asp?source=0046G045N&kw=Mobal

[afdds]

I called Verizon and they switched me to International calling for free. Then I had to install some information on each phone by dialing a number. I'm sorry I can't remember the number. It won't work if you don't update your phone. No roaming charges.

Ship at Sea- 2.49

Grand Cayman 1.29

Cozumel .69

Belize 1.29

Costa Maya .69

Now I just have to figure out how to dial home. :)

[LisaFlyer]

Just a forewarning... I have a cingular 8125 which gets email as well as phone traffic. I wanted to have my phone on because I had a sick horse at home and needed to be able to stay in touch because he is insured for a good amount. I had to be available for insurance purposes. I answered the phone twice for a few minutes at a time, and checked email to make sure I didn't get any email from the hospital, because they have email as my primary communication. When I got home, my bill was $125. The calls were the cheap ones. The expense was mostly from internet, and most of that was stupid jokes from friends. Sooo, I called cingular, and they removed most of the charges. My bill was still $50, but I can live with that because I did keep my phone off most of the time. So, this is what I learned from the experience:

1. if you don't want to get phone calls, leave the phone at home

2. if you have a phone with internet email (blackberry, etc), turn off the internet option before you leave, so you can still have phone service for emergencies, but won't get charged for internet.

3. check your plan- many offer international plans you can turn on for a month at a time for a small fee which will be totally offset by even a one minute call.

4. watch the roaming fees- the cruise line tacks on an extra roaming charge and data charge.

5. keep the phone on "flight mode" if you don't want to have the phone on, but still need to have access to the PDA part.

6. talk to your provider. They will walk you through what your options on. Be specific on "what if" to get the real low down on the costs of everything including data and VM.

7. Watch your billing cycle. I had to turn my internet over on the 2nd, so I got charged for the entire month- had I waited 4 days, I would not have been charged. They dropped the charge (thank you cingular), but ask first- they have to tell you by law....

 

Good luck!

Lisa

[Top-Cat]

I called Verizon and they switched me to International calling for free. Then I had to install some information on each phone by dialing a number. I'm sorry I can't remember the number. It won't work if you don't update your phone. No roaming charges.

Ship at Sea- 2.49

Grand Cayman 1.29

Cozumel .69

Belize 1.29

Costa Maya .69

Now I just have to figure out how to dial home. :)

 

 

I also have Verizon. some of the information here is confusing. If my phone is on and someone calls me and I do NOT answer it, I am charged for what?? However long it takes them to leave a message?? How long the phone is just on?? OR, is it a flat 2.49 a minute, no matter what and if you don't answer your not charged. If you Voice Mail pics up, that is considered and answered call, etc... Still confused, sorry..

[tookiepetie]

I called to get the charges (twice) and this is what I was told:

 

5.99 for international calling plan (monthly)

 

2.49 per minute while on ship

1.69 per minute while in Jamaica

1.69 per minute while in Grand Caymans

0.59 per minute while in Mexico

0.20 per text message anywhere (plus monthly messaging plan charges)

 

without the international calling plan is:

??? while on the ship

1.99 per minute while in Jamaica

1.99 per minute while in Grand Caymans

0.99 per minute while in Mexico

 

They stated that you need to turn your phone off for 20 seconds and then back on at each port so that it can tell which tower it is receiving from. Otherwise you will be charged 2.49 per minute no matter where you are.

 

Also they advised me to keep the international calling plan on my phone for 3 months because by law international countries have 90 days to send the charges to Cingular. That way you dont get a "surprise" bill a couple of months after your cruise.

 

I dont know this to be true as I have not sailed yet but this is what I was told. We will find out in May! Hope this helps!

[jaymay36]

i Still Don't Understand Why People Take Their Cells And Have Them On During Vacation.

the Ship Has A Phone Number, Give Those That May Need To Be In Touch With You That Number In Case Of Emergency And The Ship Personnel Will Page You Over The Loudspeaker If The Cabin Stewart Gets A No Answer From Your State Room.

see, What I Love About The First Day On The Cruise, Is The Part When You Go In Your Stateroom For The Very First Time , And Your Psyched For Your Trip , And Then You Tell The Person Your With , Take Out Your Phone Because The Heck With The Real World For The Next Week Or So.

then On The Morning Of Debarkation Day , You Turn The Phone On To See Who Was Dumb Enough To Call While You Were Away , Cause You Know We All Have Peoples That For Some Reason Still Call Us On Vacation For Absolutely Nothing.

[popcorngal]

I called Verizon and they switched me to International calling for free. Then I had to install some information on each phone by dialing a number. I'm sorry I can't remember the number. It won't work if you don't update your phone. No roaming charges.

Ship at Sea- 2.49

Grand Cayman 1.29

Cozumel .69

Belize 1.29

Costa Maya .69

Now I just have to figure out how to dial home. :)

 

We have Verizon, and called before we left to get the International plan. I had no idea either how to call home from the ship, so just tried calling direct, and it worked! Got some kind of ring back message after the call about dialing something or other, but every time I called, just called direct and although it wasn't always the best reception, it went right through. We were calling home to check on our business and furbabies. Just checked with DH to see if any crazy fees showed up on the bill and he said it all came out to about $20 extra. I was SURE I would have heard something earlier if some outrageous charge had appeared...:eek:

[keishashadow]

i Still Don't Understand Why People Take Their Cells And Have Them On During Vacation.

 

the Ship Has A Phone Number, Give Those That May Need To Be In Touch With You That Number In Case Of Emergency And The Ship Personnel Will Page You Over The Loudspeaker If The Cabin Stewart Gets A No Answer From Your State Room.

 

see, What I Love About The First Day On The Cruise, Is The Part When You Go In Your Stateroom For The Very First Time , And Your Psyched For Your Trip , And Then You Tell The Person Your With , Take Out Your Phone Because The Heck With The Real World For The Next Week Or So.

 

then On The Morning Of Debarkation Day , You Turn The Phone On To See Who Was Dumb Enough To Call While You Were Away , Cause You Know We All Have Peoples That For Some Reason Still Call Us On Vacation For Absolutely Nothing.

 

ummm...see post #27, lots of us in the 'sandwich generation' who consider ourselves lucky to get away from our elderly & 20-something charges for a well-needed breaks; but still have a sense of responsibility for their moral support.:rolleyes: Not a huge sacrifice to keep loved ones happy imo...whatever it takes. Especially since they're kind enough to pet/house sit while we're away.

 

We've had pipes break and a microburst come thru & blow out half the windows in our house; had to coordinate w/insurance agent while on vacation before - no walk in the park...wouldn't expect family to handle that type of situation/negotiation in my absence.

 

QuestionTo Cingular customers who posted - did they mention a charge to switch account back to old plan? Just wondering if you can easily revert...TIA

[Chmie]

Excellent info in this thread.

I would love to leave my cell at home but, as stated previously, family at home may need to get ahold of us and we may need to call them from the ship should an emergency arise. Walkie talkies sound like a great and cheap option for us to communicate on the ship. I will contact our provider ( Telus in Canada ) to check on their rates and suggestions for reducing roaming charges. :cool:

[jaymay36]

ummm...see post #27, lots of us in the 'sandwich generation' who consider ourselves lucky to get away from our elderly & 20-something charges for a well-needed breaks; but still have a sense of responsibility for their moral support.:rolleyes: Not a huge sacrifice to keep loved ones happy imo...whatever it takes. Especially since they're kind enough to pet/house sit while we're away.

 

We've had pipes break and a microburst come thru & blow out half the windows in our house; had to coordinate w/insurance agent while on vacation before - no walk in the park...wouldn't expect family to handle that type of situation/negotiation in my absence.

 

Thats exactly what i stated in my post , unless it was an emergency , KEEP YOUR PHONE OFF , AND IF THERE S AN EMERGENCY then yes you get the call BECAUSE THEY CALLED THE SHIP.

 

now you have the choice of either calling back from the ship , or using your cell to call back.

[keishashadow]

ummm...see post #27, lots of us in the 'sandwich generation' who consider ourselves lucky to get away from our elderly & 20-something charges for a well-needed breaks; but still have a sense of responsibility for their moral support.:rolleyes: Not a huge sacrifice to keep loved ones happy imo...whatever it takes. Especially since they're kind enough to pet/house sit while we're away.

 

We've had pipes break and a microburst come thru & blow out half the windows in our house; had to coordinate w/insurance agent while on vacation before - no walk in the park...wouldn't expect family to handle that type of situation/negotiation in my absence.

 

Thats exactly what i stated in my post , unless it was an emergency , KEEP YOUR PHONE OFF , AND IF THERE S AN EMERGENCY then yes you get the call BECAUSE THEY CALLED THE SHIP.

 

now you have the choice of either calling back from the ship , or using your cell to call back.

 

not exactly...i elect to do a check-in call everyday, emergencies would account for a couple other calls;) when we're on vacation.

 

While i wish i could just walk away from my responsibilities and my family's expectations while on vacation, it's not gonna happen...and i wouldn't be comfortable and couldn't relax unless I could be reached 24-7. All a matter of preference I suppose; but very convenient to have cellphone access for those of us who choose to use it. BTW, i do put my phone on vibrate in public areas.:D

 

enjoy your trip

[lizardhowson]

Folks, here is the down-lo....

 

No matter how many times we tell posters it's $2.49 a minute if your cell phone is turned on while out to sea, some poster will think because he called Cingular, or Verizon or Sprint and signed up for the International plan or whatever plan, he will not have to pay $2.49 a minute !

 

WRONG ! :eek: If you're at sea and the phone is on, you will pay.

 

Enjoy the surprise when your bill arrives a couple of weeks later like the "fool" who ran up $2600 in charges (and I'm being nice using the word fool instead of another word) !

 

While docked or in the ports, the rate varies by plan and carrier !

 

Enjoy !

[nuts4sn00py]

Lizardhowson...did you read the entire post about the $2600 bill???? Obviously this person had to stay in touch with his job or his job wouldn't have paid the $2600 bill!! I could never imagine a bill that high, but some people need to stay in contact with work even though they are on vacation, & e-mail is not alway available. Just felt the need to defend the poster, as I didn't get the impression he was running up his cell phone charges for kicks!:( JMO! Kathy

[sfc]

Crazed.. I got my Cobra walkie talkies at Walmart for 59.99, with a 10 mile range. They come with a charger and they work great.

 

When you say work great, does that mean it was clear most of the time? I have a pair of Cobra that claim a 16 mile range and on land I find that it is not so clear inside of a shopping mall. On a ship, it would seem that the metal walls would cause reception problems. Appreciate more feedback on your Cobra experiences on ship. Thank-you

[aprilvw69]

Called cingular. If you have your phone off and turn it on even for just a minute. For every missed call you will be charged $2.49. So think of all your missed calls you get from people who forget you are on vacation and what they may cost you. Leaving mine in the car.

 

 

Are you serious my husband is on a business plan with cingular and I had called and talked to them about using our phones on the cruise. I was told that we needed to temporarily upgrade to an international plan while away and that we would only be charged a little extra per minute, no roaming or long distance, If we would text or send pictures it would cost a little more also. I have no idea what the deal is with the 2.49 per minute is about they never told me that. They had asked me which druise line and told me that they had a tower that cingular would use. I have to call back anyway so I am going to question them about it again...

[lizardhowson]

Are you serious my husband is on a business plan with cingular and I had called and talked to them about using our phones on the cruise. I was told that we needed to temporarily upgrade to an international plan while away and that we would only be charged a little extra per minute, no roaming or long distance, If we would text or send pictures it would cost a little more also. I have no idea what the deal is with the 2.49 per minute is about they never told me that. They had asked me which druise line and told me that they had a tower that cingular would use. I have to call back anyway so I am going to question them about it again...

 

Hello...

 

Cingular tower ?? There are no cell phone towers at sea !

 

If you use your cell phone on the ship while at sea, you will be using Carnival's system, thus $2.49 a minute.

[imacruzinma]

Parents! Have a discussion with your teens, better yet, take away their phones at boarding (lock them in your safe)! I witnessed a young girl spend her entire day at sea sunning and yapping away on her cell phone...I think her parents are going to freak out when they get the bill. My son made sure he told me that other kids "had bars" (cell service) at sea, so he knew phones would work. I wonder how many of those kids made calls not realizing the expense!

[GotDrums]

I have both Verizon and a pay as you go Virgin Mobile. Virgin Mobile even out of the country is .25 on the first call of the day and then .10 per minute from there on till days end.

Verizon is 2.49 per min.:eek:

Still cheaper than calling from the ship phone which is, what about $50.00 per sec.;)

Tim:cool: