Cell Phone Calls

[sagiv666]

I see that RCCL has cell phone access on their ships. For those who have used it, can you tell me what the charges are? And is it available for all carriers? I use Verizon, which does not have world wide coverage like other carriers.

Thanks.

 

Last month, my wife and I cruised to Alaska on the Radiance. We took our cell phones, and prior to sailing I was informed by our provider

(T-Mobile) that a cell phone call while on board ship would be $4.99/min. We were in Vancouver Canada for a rew days prior to embarkation, and I was told there calls were $.49 per minute. In Alaska, no extra charges, as it is part of the USA and we paid no extra for roaming charges. My advice: get the full facts from Verizon before you leave. Anyway, we figured that whatever the circumstance, using the cell phone was cheaper than the phone service provided by Royal Caribbean.:)

[1excitedcruiser]

Before I left I bought a prepaid Net 10 cell phone from Walmart. I bought minutes and put them on the phone, enough for the entire cruise. The phone worked everywhere except when we were in port. As soon as we set sail away from those ports it picked back up and I was able to make calls. I talked to my hubby, children and friends the entire time I was on the cruise. It was well worth it. The phone is not that expensive and the minute cards are not either...

[wraithe]

Some cell phone at sea information:

 

1) The ship's are not licensed to broadcast while in port, they turn the equipment on and off approximately one hour out to sea, that's not away from the port, that's out to sea. Pretty much as soon as you can see land, you can connect to land based towers if they are present where you're going.

 

2) Whatever the price on your providers web site says for RCL is what you're going to pay. There is no surcharge for using the ship's cell phone system made by the ship. Maritime Telecommunications Network/Cingular at Sea joined up to create the system used on RCL and they pay the ship a royalty for installing the equipment. Since you have to connect via satellite, it's relatively expensive, so you pay a premium.

 

3) It's entirely possible that once you connect to the ship's phone system, it's entirely possible that you will receive a charge for every time someone tries to call you until you connect to a land based system again. Reason is, your cell phone provider is going to attempt to call you on the ship, even if your phone is off. Since MTN/Cingular is going to have to check over the satellite, someone has to pay for the satellite time even if your phone is off. So just be aware that might happen, don't be surprised. To prevent this from occurring, finish your calls while in port and don't turn your phone on again until you get to the next port.

 

4) Be sure to tell your kids that mobile to mobile or whatever your provider calls it does not work on the ship. If they call you on your cell from their cell over the ship's network, it's going to cost $2.49/min X 2, or $4.99/min X 2, whatever your provider charges. Just because the phone says Cingular at Sea, or AT&T, that does not mean you have 700 free minutes or unlimited night time calls. If they have to talk to their gf/bf for an hour every night, that's pricey at $2.49/min.

 

Before I left I bought a prepaid Net 10 cell phone from Walmart. I bought minutes and put them on the phone, enough for the entire cruise. The phone worked everywhere except when we were in port. As soon as we set sail away from those ports it picked back up and I was able to make calls. I talked to my hubby, children and friends the entire time I was on the cruise. It was well worth it. The phone is not that expensive and the minute cards are not either...

 

That's great info that the Net10 phones work, how many units did they charge you per minute?

[ziggydaddy]

I think if you have unlimited text messaging with ATT all your txt messages on board are FREE.

[sagiv666]

OK I know I'm in the minority here but can't we leave the phones home as much as possible??

 

One of the great things about cruising is the total freedom being "out of touch" can give you, especially if tied to your phone at work. I cringe at the thought of hearing cell phones ringing all over the ship....

 

Hopefully the easy access will not cause an onslaught of cell phone conversations in the public areas of the ship. Would be awful! If lucky the cost will stay high enough to prevent that from happening!!

 

When I go on vacation I too like to hold off from using the telephone the way I might do at home, but it's nice to give someone a number where they can reach you, or that you are able to telephone a loved one or friend who is sick, etc. Sometimes being "out of touch" may not be realistic.

Nevertheless, the "minority" you speak about may not be as small as you think.:rolleyes:

[Gracie115]

sagiv-

 

I can only hope that you are right.

 

I detest seeing cell phones on a ship, this is a convenience that were it restricted to "emergency" use I would have no problem but suspect I will see much more than that on our Mariner cruise this December.

 

Amazing.....how DID we all survive less than a dozen years ago when cell phones were the exception and not the norm....? Now it seems we can't be "out of touch" for even a few days. So sad.

 

RCCL does provide emergency number to contact you shipboard, that's good enough for me. And of course, now we have the internet for contact too so that's enough "access" for me.

[wraithe]

I think if you have unlimited text messaging with ATT all your txt messages on board are FREE.

 

Could be ziggy, but I think they charge 50 cents for outgoing, and incoming come out of your package, if you can find out for sure, I'd love to know since I have ATT now.

[waterbugohio]

So give us the rundown on the internet and the charges on board???

[sagiv666]

sagiv-

 

I can only hope that you are right.

 

I detest seeing cell phones on a ship, this is a convenience that were it restricted to "emergency" use I would have no problem but suspect I will see much more than that on our Mariner cruise this December.

 

Amazing.....how DID we all survive less than a dozen years ago when cell phones were the exception and not the norm....? Now it seems we can't be "out of touch" for even a few days. So sad.

 

RCCL does provide emergency number to contact you shipboard, that's good enough for me. And of course, now we have the internet for contact too so that's enough "access" for me.

 

Yes, Royal Caribbean provides numbers where we can be reached in an emergency, and the internet where we can communicate -- however, we still have to pay for both. If I was assured that being reached in an emergency or using the internet is complimentary, there would be less need for a cell phone -- unless you plan to make a call when you go ashore. Moreover, I do not like bringing up my personal items on a computer which is not mine -- theire are too many cases of identity theft through them -- and I do not do it even in hotels where internet and the use of a computer was complimentary.

When I am on a cruise or another type of vacation, my pleasure, and that of my wife comes first, and conversations with acquaintances can wait. I know often one must be available by virtue of their profession, but outside of an important call that can't and/or shouldn't wait, I consider the cell phone incidental -- perhaps cheaper than what may be offered by the cruise ship, for example, but for the most part incidental.:rolleyes:

[rncruiser]

Just got my Verizon bill today from last month's Bermuda cruise. The charges for our 1-2 phone calls/day over 5 days were about $25. Given that the last time we cruised without kids was 1994 and we called home daily from the ship's phone at $7.95/min, this was a bargain. It was well worth the money to have peace of mind that all was well at home.

 

Just to verify what other posters have already said: Calls from ship while at sea are $2.49/min. Calls from Bermuda were $1.29/min. I added international calling to my plan a couple of weeks prior to sailing at no charge. This was done by calling 611 from my phone. I then had to activate it prior to boarding by dialing *228.

 

There were a couple of glitches. After activating the service, my phone went dead. I had to use my husband's phone to call 611 again to get it fixed. Second, the time on my cell phone was off. As soon as we left Bayonne my clock was an hour behind. When we got to Bermuda it was 2 hours behind. It straightened itself out once we left Bermuda. Also, the night we were docked in Bermuda, I could not get service from inside the ship. It worked fine out on deck however.

[wraithe]

So give us the rundown on the internet and the charges on board???

 

internet wi-fi is 50 cents/min, $25 for 60 minutes, $35 for 90 minutes and $50 for 150 minutes. It's 802.11b, which means little to you except that you have to have 802.11 b or g capability to use it. If you get online early in the morning or late in the evening (or while everyone is ashore, even better) it's pretty quick. If you get online during lunch on a sea day, it's slower than dial up, you'll be lucky to just download your email. To save minutes, log in, download your mail, then log off (and as an extra bit of security, I turn off the radio signal from my computer). Read your email, write replies, etc, then turn on the radio, log in, and send, log back off, and turn off the radio again. There have been people who forgot to log off and got $300 or $400 internet bills. All of RCL's ships have hot spots for internet, usually cyber center, centrum/promenade, library, business center, solarium, and the vicinity of purser's desk, except for Freedom class, they're wi-fi throughout. If you're sailing on a Radiance or Voyager class ship, you can get a dial up account called Cyber Cabin, kits for this are first come, first served and you pay one fee for unlimited dial up for your entire cruise. You can't buy Cyber Cabin for a day, it's the whole cruise, or nothing. Once you buy a wi-fi package, it's yours, if you don't use all the minutes, there are no refunds. Hope that helps.

[sherry7]

Great informative thread....tagging this for future reference.

[crisperjr]

Just got my Verizon bill today from last month's Bermuda cruise. The charges for our 1-2 phone calls/day over 5 days were about $25. Given that the last time we cruised without kids was 1994 and we called home daily from the ship's phone at $7.95/min, this was a bargain. It was well worth the money to have peace of mind that all was well at home.

 

Just to verify what other posters have already said: Calls from ship while at sea are $2.49/min. Calls from Bermuda were $1.29/min. I added international calling to my plan a couple of weeks prior to sailing at no charge. This was done by calling 611 from my phone. I then had to activate it prior to boarding by dialing *228.

 

There were a couple of glitches. After activating the service, my phone went dead. I had to use my husband's phone to call 611 again to get it fixed. Second, the time on my cell phone was off. As soon as we left Bayonne my clock was an hour behind. When we got to Bermuda it was 2 hours behind. It straightened itself out once we left Bermuda. Also, the night we were docked in Bermuda, I could not get service from inside the ship. It worked fine out on deck however.

 

 

Question: While in Bermuda, and you are calling someone in the US, do you need to dial any special codes in front of the US phone number? What if the number you are calling in the US is a cell number?

 

Oliver

[cruiseluv]

That is not a true statement for Verizon. If you use your Verizon cell phone at sea it is $2.49/min. We used it on our cruise in June and there are not "add-on" charges tacked on. To the OP, follow Radio's link for Verizon. Make sure you activate international dialing and use *228 to program your phone before you leave and you will be fine.

 

I have Verizon and have activated the phone to be able to use it while we are in a Transatlantic cruise. Can you, or anybody, tell me how to dial my phone number at home from my cell phone ? Is it only area code plus phone number? Or do I have to first dial 1 and/or 011? The Verizon people have given me 3 different answers!

 

Thanks!

[Darstime]

I have qwest does anyone know about that one. I have sickly parents and their 48th anniversary will be while we are out so I will be calling them.

Darlene

[Radio]

I have Verizon and have activated the phone to be able to use it while we are in a Transatlantic cruise. Can you, or anybody, tell me how to dial my phone number at home from my cell phone ? Is it only area code plus phone number? Or do I have to first dial 1 and/or 011? The Verizon people have given me 3 different answers!

 

Thanks!

 

 

Since you are on a TA, you will be using the ships tower for communication. Just dial your intended number with Area code.

 

You only need to dial an International Code if you are ON LAND in a foreign country.

 

You can click HERE for details. . . .

 

Radio

;) ;)

[goinsoon]

Amen.........I hope cell phones do not become "common" on cruise ships. That said, thank goodness for technology. It allowed us to cruise this past summer knowing the nursing home could get us in an emergency for my 91 year old mother in law. Gave my wife peace of mind also. Ok, really we just wanted to call our kids (adult age) to let them know we were on the balcony enjoying the passing Atlantic ocean!!!!!:D and they could do this in 20 more years! Had no problem making/receiving the very few call we made.

[cocoabean]

I just spoke to Sprint about rates. The website that I was given was www.sprint.com/international this gives all the rates for the differnet areas that ships cruise. The prices that are listed are when you are OFF the ship- you must be at least 5 feet away from the ship otherwise you get charged the rates from the ship $2.99 minute for using the ship towers. Sprint must set up your phone for international calling (free service)- you just call Sprint, tell them you want international calling abilities and they can set your phone up right away. If you are cruising the US coast you will be charged $2.99 minute also.

 

If you are traveling to the US Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico the service is free, just as if you are calling from state to state, but you must dial an area code even if you are calling your own state and yu must be away from the ship.

 

Any calls, if you check your messages, receive calls while you are in port on the ship you will be charged the $2.99 rate. You have to be off the ship to get the lower rates.

 

The phone number for Sprint information is 1-888-226-7212

[cruiseluv]

Hi Radio,

 

 

 

Thank you very much. That makes sense. It was one of Verizon's answers, but they gave me 2 others as well!

[Kaycee1]

Has anyone tried using a prepaid phone on the ship yet, such as the go phone or virgin mobile? I was curious how that might work if at all.

[rudeney]

FYI, I just got my Verizon wireless bill that included our calls on FoS four weeks ago. All calls were listed under “Roaming” and detailed as normal, with the origination location listed as “Rcl Free/ZZ”. The charge was $2.49 per minute, and the total amount was subject to my local, state and federal taxes. I have a discount on my rate plan and this did *not* apply. There were no other charges involved (and thant goodness, because we racked up over $80 worth at this prices!)

[susibell2]

I just spoke to Sprint about rates. The website that I was given was www.sprint.com/international this gives all the rates for the differnet areas that ships cruise. The prices that are listed are when you are OFF the ship- you must be at least 5 feet away from the ship otherwise you get charged the rates from the ship $2.99 minute for using the ship towers. Sprint must set up your phone for international calling (free service)- you just call Sprint, tell them you want international calling abilities and they can set your phone up right away. If you are cruising the US coast you will be charged $2.99 minute also.

 

If you are traveling to the US Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico the service is free, just as if you are calling from state to state, but you must dial an area code even if you are calling your own state and yu must be away from the ship.

 

 

I just spent 45 minutes on the phone to get this info. Just as the lady got on the back on the phone to give it to me I pulled up this post. Just goes to show you check cruise critic first!!!

[Tkaklita]

Last month, my wife and I cruised to Alaska on the Radiance. We took our cell phones, and prior to sailing I was informed by our provider

(T-Mobile) that a cell phone call while on board ship would be $4.99/min. We were in Vancouver Canada for a rew days prior to embarkation, and I was told there calls were $.49 per minute. In Alaska, no extra charges, as it is part of the USA and we paid no extra for roaming charges. My advice: get the full facts from Verizon before you leave. Anyway, we figured that whatever the circumstance, using the cell phone was cheaper than the phone service provided by Royal Caribbean.:)

 

Thank you very much for posting this info regarding the Alaska Cruise of Radiance. I will be on that cruise next June and will still need to be able to check on my elderly mother. This helps alot!!

[sunnysavannah]

Thank you very much for posting this info regarding the Alaska Cruise of Radiance. I will be on that cruise next June and will still need to be able to check on my elderly mother. This helps alot!!

 

Since this thread is so old, the info may have changed. Hopefully someone will be able to confirm this for you.

[Tkaklita]

Yeah, I was trying to search all info specific to cell phones and Radiance before I asked a question since I figured someone must have asked it already. Even though the thread is old, I think it is still pretty accurate. I'll keep checking but thanks again anyway for posting that specific info for that was exactly what I was looking for.