AT&T Cell Phone use in the Caribbean?

[ezmofokine]

I am going on the Western Caribbean cruise on Liberty of the Seas leaving on the 30th and I'm wondering what the charges will look like for using my cell phone on board and while in ports. Any advice is appreciated.

[mamajules]

I have AT&T also. I did western Caribbean in 2007 on the Carnival Glory. I called AT&T ahead of time to get rates, and see if i would have service in the ports I was in - here is the information I was given at the time:

 

On board $2.49/minute

Cozumel $0.99/minute

Belize $3.49/minute

Roatan $2.29/minute

Freeport $2.29/minute

 

Not sure which ports you will be in (or what the rates onboard for RCCL are), but this gives you a reference point. I recommend calling AT&T and finding out if you have service in the ports you will visit, and the rates. They were more than helpful with me, plus it put them on notice that I would be out of the country and therefore calls from our ports would not be suspicious.

[Traveler353]

Approx $2.50 a minute will be charged by Carnival while on board. Charges vary on each island. From $2.00 to up to +6.00. If you have international calling Carnival may or not charge you any extra. But, you will still be charged the local rates on top of that. I have At&T international and have not been charged for calls from Mexico. Made 2 calls from the Bahamas the first part of this month and was charged $1.10 per minute by the Bahamas network. I never use the phone (IPhone) on board. Set it to Airplane mode and locked in the safe for the duration.

[sail7seas]

I used my A T & T cell from ashore so was land line..... not ship's.

 

My plan is a huge number of domestic minutes but I don't have international roaming or anything like that.

 

I called from San Juan and from St. Thomas and got no extra charge at all.

 

They are U.S. ports.

[Treven]

I have AT&T, but I intentionally don't have international roaming. I was on a Southern Caribbean cruise last month, and I didn't have a signal from the time I left FLL until I got back to FLL. It was no big deal as I didn't have anyone to call anyway.

[BaumD]

You need to add "international calling" to your plan to use the phone on the ship. There is no cost to add it. Just call AT&T.

[CornellWisconsin]

great information, we're doing AOS in Sept and have AT&T as well, thanks!

[want2cruiseagain]

So putting your phone in airplane mode, it will not roam?

[satxdiver]

I also have AT&T wireless. The RCCL ships use CellularAtSea, a cellular company, that installed their cell towers on RCCL ships. Incidentally CellularAtSea is partially owned by AT&T. The way it works is that CellularAtSea allows you to use their network and bills your wireless carrier (AT&T wireless in this case) who then bills you. The cruise ship has nothing to do with any of it but I would imagine CellularAtSea pays them for the right to be on the ship. For AT&T wireless the cost is $2.49/minute or fraction and $.50 per text message sent. If you have your cell phone active and someone back home calls you or your voicemail calls you, there will be a charge even though you do not answer it.

 

In foreign ports, you cell phone may work if it is a "world" cellphone which means it can use all four frequency bands (two are used in the USA/Canada). If you have not already, you have to tell AT&T to turn on international calling. Your cell phone will work in most of the rest of the world. Costs vary by foreign country. Your AT&T cell phone (and T-Mobile) are GSM cell phones. Sprint and Verizon are CDMA and are not compatabile with GSM cellular towers.

 

You did not ask but Puerto Rico and the USVI (St Thomas, et al) are possession of the USA and included in your nationwide program. Calls from there are covered by your monthly total.

[Travelcat2]

Suggest you search this thread for recent posts regarding use of cell phones, texting, etc. on board cruise ships. You may end up leaving the phone at home. The hidden charges are VERY high. One poster returned home to find a cell phone bill for $2,000 (others have been ever higher).

 

IMO, do not even turn the cell phone on while on board!