international calling cards

[dmpcruise]

We will be cruising East & West Mediterranean in May-June. Any recommendations for an international phone calling card (with reasonable rates and easy access codes) that we can buy on-line before we set sail, with reasonable rates to Canada & U.S., from a variety of countries?

[cb at sea]

No, you don't want to buy it until you get to where you'll use it. The cards you buy here, in the States, are good for calling FROM the States to afar. You want a card that will let you call FROM afar back TO the States!!! Just wait until you arrive at a port, and buy a card there.

[frugaltravel]

No, you don't want to buy it until you get to where you'll use it. The cards you buy here, in the States, are good for calling FROM the States to afar. You want a card that will let you call FROM afar back TO the States!!! Just wait until you arrive at a port, and buy a card there.

 

Not true. I use http://www.onesuite.com. Can call from many countries overseas, even toll-free from many. Great rates too. Can even call between two foreign countries at a reasonable cost.

 

I know there are other similar cards and services. Also companies like ATT have calling cards (usually postpaid or charged to a credit card).

[cruzdeeva]

My husband and I have done transatlantic and Med. cruises. I found that each port seemed to have a different system for cheap phone calls. In Gibraltar we asked an employee in a perfume store and she sent us to Western Union, which was incredibly economical. In Alicante, Spain, there are companies with many booths. I think we may have had to pre-pay the cashier before entering the assigned booth. At any rate, it was very cheap. In Rome we purchased international calling cards from the type of convenience shops that also sell cigarettes.

 

We asked for advise from salespeople, tourist info, or backpackers. It almost always worked. We weren't successful in Venice, though. Someone directed us to one of those pay phones where you have to give your credit card number before making the call. Never do that! The rates are usurious. We found that out the hard way when we used such a payphone at our hotel on the Caribbean island of St. Martin.

[eandj]

The staff on the ships are a wealth of info re phoning out of the country! They will tell you what kind of card to buy and where to get it. Also where the quiet phones in unbusy areas are.

[TrqoisWtrs]

The cards you buy here, in the States, are good for calling FROM the States to afar. You want a card that will let you call FROM afar back TO the States!!!

 

Nope, we traveled to Fiji last year and I bought an AT&T card here first. Just buy online and print out. Had no problems calling back to Illinois.

http://www.consumer.att.com/prepaidcard/