cell phones

[megwal86]

What are the charges for using a cell phone while on the ship?We will be on the Eurodam April 18.

[Love the beach]

Check with your carrier to see if they have service aboard ship. Some carriers have a contract with HALto use their Sea Mobile service. I have Verizon and they charge $2.49 per minute thru Sea Mobile.

[rnnyce]

We have Verizon, so it is free to use the phone in St Thomas and San Juan, everywhere else there is a fee.

[Susie51]

If you don't want to pay the extra fees, be sure to turn off your phone while in port. My husband forgot in Dec. and answered his phone. It was a wrong number.

[weelv2cruise]

This weekend I just saw a clip on the news where a man who was sitting in port watched the Bears game on his laptop computer (used one of those devices you connect to the computer that provides internetl service--sorry I didn't catch the tecnical name) then went on a 7 day cruise. When he got back and his cell phone bill came in, it was for over $47,000. He tried to work it out with the cell company which they did agree to lower it to $6,000. Eventually he asked the local TV news station to help out. They were successful in getting it corrected. He provided all the information showing that he was still at port. He said that some how it went through a tower that was considered international. And yes the Bears won that game! :)

[ME Guide]

Information and related story is under "Cruise News" . .I believe you have the right story but some of the information is incorrect.

[4thDAMgeneration]

expensive is right...i have AT&T and just got my bill from last month's cruise...you don't think you're talking long and then all of a sudden your bill goes up by $150. so, in other words...if you aren't sure that it is free, watch your minutes on the phone!:eek:

[innlady1]

expensive is right...i have AT&T and just got my bill from last month's cruise...you don't think you're talking long and then all of a sudden your bill goes up by $150. so, in other words...if you aren't sure that it is free, watch your minutes on the phone!:eek:

 

Oh my....can't wait to get our bill! :eek:

 

Hi Em!

[weelv2cruise]

Information and related story is under "Cruise News" . .I believe you have the right story but some of the information is incorrect.

 

ME Guide, I couldn't find the feature, please post the link so we all have the right information. Thanks.

[pms4104]

ME Guide, I couldn't find the feature, please post the link so we all have the right information. Thanks.

Here's the thread with the story link ... http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=935779&highlight==

[kryos]

What are the charges for using a cell phone while on the ship?We will be on the Eurodam April 18.

Something like $2.95 per minute if you are using the ship's system as opposed to making the calls while in port and using their system. But, don't forget your provider's roaming charges. I got burned on that one during my last cruise. Was sitting in the Ocean Bar yaking with friends at home while we were docked in Honolulu. I knew Honolulu was part of my Nationwide calling plan, and since we were docked I knew the ship's cell system would be turned off. So I figured there would be no extra cost since I had plenty of "anytime minutes" I could use. Imagine my surprise when I saw a $60 "roaming" charge on my next statement. I called Verizon and questioned it ... "thought Honolulu was in the Freedom network?!?!?! Why am I being charged?" Turns out I wasn't being charged a nickle for the use of the minutes, per se. What the charge was for was roaming. Arggggggggg. Won't make that mistake again.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[sizzle_sisters]

Just read that HAL will offer cell phone/text coverage while at sea on your mobile phone. They will charge you roaming charges. When they enter port they will turn off roaming charges. Unless you want huge phone bills, turn off your cell phone when you leave the port area.

[mrcamp]

Also, be aware that some carriers roaming rates at some ports are higher than the $2.49/min that most US carriers charge for using the ships tower.

[MadManOfBethesda]

Something like $2.95 per minute if you are using the ship's system as opposed to making the calls while in port and using their system. But, don't forget your provider's roaming charges. I got burned on that one during my last cruise. Was sitting in the Ocean Bar yaking with friends at home while we were docked in Honolulu. I knew Honolulu was part of my Nationwide calling plan, and since we were docked I knew the ship's cell system would be turned off. So I figured there would be no extra cost since I had plenty of "anytime minutes" I could use. Imagine my surprise when I saw a $60 "roaming" charge on my next statement. I called Verizon and questioned it ... "thought Honolulu was in the Freedom network?!?!?! Why am I being charged?" Turns out I wasn't being charged a nickle for the use of the minutes, per se. What the charge was for was roaming. Arggggggggg. Won't make that mistake again.

 

That's interesting because I, too, have Verizon and had no roaming charges whatsoever for my cell phone use (and my EVDO aircard use for my laptop) for the entire week that we were in Hawaii while on board the Ryndam in January.

[maxsmamma]

I checked my att and we will be charged 2.49 for roaming on the ship. Is that my only per minute charge, or is there an additional HAL charge? Last year I called once to check in from the room phone and paid that rate. I know I will want to call in once on this cruise and trying to figure what would be cheapest. I found out that Aruba roaming would be 1.99, and Costa Rica would be 2.29, so I may just use those times in port to call. Any advice??

[MadManOfBethesda]

I checked my att and we will be charged 2.49 for roaming on the ship. Is that my only per minute charge, or is there an additional HAL charge?

 

There is no additional charge from HAL for this service. The only charges you will have are whatever your carrier imposes.

[Gizmo582]

We also have ATT and so does our son. ATT has a $5 a month overseas program. We are going to sign up so when on land in Mexico we can make and receive calls. When onboard iphone will be used to play music. I keep reading that the music onboard is dreadfully old fashioned.

[mrcamp]

Not a bad idea. The $5/month drops your roaming rate in Mexico from $0.99/min to $0.59/min. As you are probably aware, it does not affect your rate using the ship's tower though, which is $2.49/min. Ouch!

 

 

We also have ATT and so does our son. ATT has a $5 a month overseas program. We are going to sign up so when on land in Mexico we can make and receive calls. When onboard iphone will be used to play music. I keep reading that the music onboard is dreadfully old fashioned.

[maxsmamma]

Not a bad idea. The $5/month drops your roaming rate in Mexico from $0.99/min to $0.59/min. As you are probably aware, it does not affect your rate using the ship's tower though, which is $2.49/min. Ouch!

 

OK, this is what gets me. If I did the $5 too, then I would pay 3.50 per minute? (the .99 plus the 2.49?)

 

Maybe I should just use my phone in ports, then I know I am just paying for the roaming!:)

[MadManOfBethesda]

OK, this is what gets me. If I did the $5 too, then I would pay 3.50 per minute? (the .99 plus the 2.49?)

 

Maybe I should just use my phone in ports, then I know I am just paying for the roaming!:)

 

No, the .99 rate (or .59 as the case may be) was for using your phone while on land in Mexico. The $2.49 rate is the cost per minute to place calls using the ship's cell tower. There is no connection between the two.

[sylteach]

We are going to Alaska on a cruise. I called Verizon and was told as long as I used my cell phone in the ports-US only-I would not be charged extra. Now in Vancouver it may be a different story!!! Has anyone out there had problems with their Verizon cellphones while up in the Alaska area or Canda? Thanks for any info!

[KAYEF]

On our TA cruise, they came on "the horn" and said the cell service had been activated; we were WAY out at sea.

We have a PREPAID service and thought we'd try it. We were in our cabin and dialed friends and IT WORKED! We called our kids and visited with them. Since it's prepaid, there are no other charges. We were amazed.

In Mexico, on another cruise, we couldn't call OUT but I went into a call center and paid fifty cents and called my Mother (97) and she called me back and all was fine. We were able to receive calls all over Mexico. We've made calls from Victora and Vancouver, BC, Canada we well on other cruises.

The prepaid service just subtracts minutes from your account.

Our 'phone is a popular company that advertises; you can buy their 'phones and minutes at most stores and you can add time and minutes online.

This was an accidental discovery on our part but FUN!!:p

[JDinWA]

I'm with T-Mobile, and checked with them recently to find out the rates if we call while in Canada. The rep. walked me through their website to find the information and also pointed out where they list the rates for each cruise line. He cautioned me that people often get their calls placed through the ship's satellite even in US ports and then they have to charge the extra, which can really add up. (On the Amsterdam, it's $4.99 a minute for T-Mobile.)

[traveljule]

This may be a dumb question...but - does texting cost the same as a phone call? In other words will the ship roaming charges apply to texting? I ask this b/c we are sailing in 3 weeks with our 2 teens and thought it would be a great way to track them down!

[taco88]

I can't speak to the price of voice calls, but the last time I was on HAL, I sent quite a few text messages from the ship and was never charged anything extra. I've never seen any official rates on this, but it worked for me.