Calling home

[tranquility]

We are taking the Western Carribbean cruise on the Triumph in July. My parents health hasn't been great and I may need to check on them at least once without breaking the bank. I think my AT&T cell phone is off limits. What about an international calling card to use in ports? Any other suggestions?:confused:

[2Cruise4Ever]

If you can't use your cell phone, then the international calling card is your best bet. However, don't buy one here in the US. Most only work from US to other countries. Wait until you get to the port. Then, follow the crew members. They'll be doing the same thing you are: calling home. Get an international calling card in the port and use it there.

[Orange reader]

If your western itinerary includes Key West, you'll be able to use your cell phone with no ld charges.

[cb at sea]

That's true--KW is a great place to call home from!

[cruzlvrri]

We were on a western caribbean cruise on Miracle in March and used our cell phone (sprint) while at sea. Carnival now has the ability to use your cell on the ship-check with Carnival to see if Triumph and with your cell provider. it cost us .69 per minute to use our phone.

[tranquility]

Thanks to all. I did take advantage of the Key West port on a previous cruise. However, all our ports are international this time and I pretty much figured using the cell phone would cost more than an international calling card.

 

Has anyone ever used one from a pay phone in another country? Is there anything I need to know?

[CruisingAlong4Now]

Follow the crew to the internet cafe and use Skype. VOIP may not work on the ship if they have limited bandwidth, but it may be worth a try.

[okgirl]

We are taking the Western Carribbean cruise on the Triumph in July. My parents health hasn't been great and I may need to check on them at least once without breaking the bank. I think my AT&T cell phone is off limits. What about an international calling card to use in ports? Any other suggestions?:confused:

 

Tranquility, Why would you think your AT&T phone is off limits???? I have the optional international calling which is like 4.95 a month (and you can activate it for just a month) and I just got back from an Eastern Caribbean cruise last month my cell phone calls from the ship were $1.69 per minute. If I had texted it would have been .50 per message. All of the ships have cellular at sea with most major carriers and except for rare occasions you'll pay the $1.69

Or if your family has email, go to the internet cafe and keep in touch with them there. You can get 250 minutes or something for around $100

[Lane40]

Just got off the phone with AT&T to place World Traveler Plan onto my iPhone for my upcoming cruise. What a PIA!!! I was on the phone for 36 minutes, could not hear a thing with all the background noise in the AT&T customer service room and had to fight off the continued sales efforts of the customer service person, who I could barely understand.

 

I hope using the phone overseas is not as painful as these past 36 minutes!!

[UlvaZell]

We are taking the Western Carribbean cruise on the Triumph in July. My parents health hasn't been great and I may need to check on them at least once without breaking the bank. I think my AT&T cell phone is off limits. What about an international calling card to use in ports? Any other suggestions?:confused:

 

Ask your waiter, busboy and cabin steward for starters. They most likely have spent much time in each port. They no doubt know the best place in each port to buy the cards and use the phone...

[CGBCruiser]

You do not have to pay any extra to activate international calling on your Sprint/Nextel phone. You do have to pay a per minute fee but it's still cheaper than using the ship phone. Of course an international calling card is also an option.

[sjcruiser]

I communicate via the internet and email. If I do use my phone it's only at the end of the day while returning message to home, but even then I reply via the internet.

[Kudos2Fly]

When we went to Italy we use a calling card. It worked great. I used cloncom.com. They were cheap and I did buy it while still in the US. I still have minutes on it.

 

We have Sprint/Nextel and I did ask about using our phone out side the US.. Unless you have a phone already set up for that. Then that will work, but if you don't then you will have to rent one.. Which cost around $150 a month which doesn't include the minutes.

 

I would say the best in cheapest is the calling card.. But that my opinion. ;)

[Bonnie J.]

Have you thought of texting? Understand this is a lot less $$$. Check with your cell phone company. And, I know someone who got international calling on her local cell. Just depends where there are towers but a lot of ships now have a set up so passengers can use their cell phones. Call the cruise line and ask about the ship you'll be on and the cost.

[Morgsmom]

We are taking the Western Carribbean cruise on the Triumph in July. My parents health hasn't been great and I may need to check on them at least once without breaking the bank. I think my AT&T cell phone is off limits. What about an international calling card to use in ports? Any other suggestions?:confused:

 

I found that there are MANY places in the Western ports of call where you can call back to the US free or very low cost... In Grand Cayman right on the main shopping street there are several touristy stores that offer FREE calls back to the US -- no strings attached. I've tried it and it works. (there are several stores that offer this as as a tourist gimmick as the stores must have Skype or other no charge long distance.)

 

In Roatan there was a store (again, right on the main tourist drag) that offered 1/2 hour of internet for $2 or phone calls really cheaply. Same with Cozumel.

 

Personally I would not bother with changing my phone plans ***unless you needed to be reached and you kept your phone on *** Otherwise, on vacation, I prefer to make the outgoing calls to say hi and check on the cats :p

[4cruizers]

We have AT&T and use the international plan while we are gone, as my husband has a business to check on. We get the plan for the month before we leave and cancel it when we get back. We find the fees are very minimal. The internet on the ship can be very slow. We find the international plan to work the best for us.

[tranquility]

Texting and internet don't help as my parents don't own a computer or cell phone. The reason my ATT cell phone is offlimits is the $1.69 per minute. My mom is southern and you can't rush her conversation.

 

However, Morgsmom, thank you so much for the tips about the free/low cost calls from some of the touristy places. I would have discounted those as having some sort of catch. I think that may be my best bet as you mentioned Cozumel and Grand Caymen, both of which we stop at. We also have a Jamaica port.

 

You all are so great to share info. As has been said before, I just LOVE this site. Cyber-friends rock

[Philip217]

Checking on your dear parents' health isn't worth $1.69 a minute ??????

[satxdiver]

One option not mentioned is with AT&T. You can make a local call to the local AT&T operator who will then connect you to any USA phone for a very fair price. Catch is that you have to have an AT&T calling card and pay for the local connection.

 

Most ships now have cellular service but it is not inexpensive. Beware though of using your cell phone when the ship is near land as you may connect to a land based cell instead of the ship's cell and incur a lot of charges! I was doing work in the Detroit area and had to call the home office. Imagine my surprise when I found out that I had placed an international cell call because I had been connected to a Canadian cell across the river!

[Bonnie J.]

I just looked at a notice we got from NCL while on a NCL ship this winter. It states that if your cell phone company has an agreement with 'Wireless Maritime Services', you can make a cell phone call from any of their ships. There is no charge from NCL. You pay your cell phone company's international roaming charges. It also notes it can take up to 60 days to find it on your bill and toll free niumbers are NOT toll free. Call your company to see if they are participating. And, some prepaid phones won't work. You should check with your ship to see if they have the same service.

[ehfl]

I would leave the phone off....have someone leave a message if there is an emergency. Turn your phone on only to check for messages.

[Bassnote_1]

If your western itinerary includes Key West, you'll be able to use your cell phone with no ld charges.

 

My daughter used my phone while docked in KW to call her husband. We were back on the ship, but I figured we were on the Key West towers since we were still docked, but nope, we were on the ship's towers. 10 minutes= $50!!:eek: And that was with a nationwide plan. Free long distance and his phone is in "my Circle" so that was free, too, it was the RCI's tower charges - similar to an international call.

 

Learned my lesson. They stay shut off and in the safe unless it is a dire emergency! Like I need more money for beer...

 

or something.

[satxdiver]

I agree that there are important times when a cell phone is definitely needed like when you need to call for more BEER :D

 

When you use your cell phone, you really do not know with reasonable accuracy which cell tower you will be using. So be very careful where you use it.

 

When you use your cell phone onboard the ship, your carrier will bill you. However the ship will get a cut since you will be using the cell tower on their ship. Check out the rates before you activate that cell phone or suffer the surprise.