Cell Phone Charges.. Advice for the NEWBIES

[Janet Foster]

This has been well covered on these boards. If you use your cell phone, or even leave it on, during the cruise, you are gonna rack up loads of charges. There have been dozens of threads about this each month.

 

Everytime your phone rings, even if you don't answer it, you get charged. Depending on phone type, you might get charged everytime the phone notiifes you of a missed call or voicemail.

 

Every outgoing call, incoming call and text message you will get charged.

 

Generally the excess runs between $2.49-$4.99 per minute and for every partial minute.

 

Best thing to do is put it in your safe turned off and leave it there....

 

Don't say you weren't warned....

[Jantoo]

Many thanks!! This is all new to this cruise newbie and I really appreciate all that I'm learning on this wonderful board of such helpful and nice folk!! :D:):D:):D

[kitty9]

Yeah, and watch out with those new iPhones. Boy, have they raised their texting rates. It's insane. And, to those with teenagers and phones on a cruise, remember that you're not only going to be charged for the text itself, but for the use of the ship's cell phone satellites. One text could cost you $3.

[Janet Foster]

Yeah, and watch out with those new iPhones. Boy, have they raised their texting rates. It's insane. And, to those with teenagers and phones on a cruise, remember that you're not only going to be charged for the text itself, but for the use of the ship's cell phone satellites. One text could cost you $3.

This is why we have walkie talkies... if we need to reach someone in our group we have the ability to contact the old fashion way.. with walkie talkies.. Keep the volume low and you won't disturb anyone.

 

To stay in touch back home we do bring our laptop for business related reasons and we will send out an email blast to friends and family. In doing so the best way to do that is first type your email out in a word doc. Then quickly log into your email account, cut and paste the typed word doc into the body of your email and send it out. Logging off quickly also. You can also read your emails quickly. This will save you minutes on your internet account.

[satxdiver]

I have an AT&T cell phone. Charges are $2.49/minute for voice calls, $.50/text message, $1.30/picture and video message and $.0195/KB for data.

[kitty9]

Have you tried to text with a cell phone while at sea? Many have reported that yes, the text costs fifty cents, but then you add on the access charges for the ship's satellites, and that costs a lot more.

[FlCatLover]

But if the phone is on airplane mode you won't get charged and can use the alarm . . . right?

[paul929207]

When I board the airplane on the way to the cruise, I turn off my cell phone and I turn it on when I am getting off the plane arriving home after the cruise.

[tanstaafl_2001]

Check your cell phone service provider web-site to see which islands have your carriers cell phone service. We have AT&T also, and on our last cruise, there were no roaming charges from San Juan or St. Thomas. When we pulled into port, we were able to use our cell phones with no additional roaming charges. Once you leave, and you see 'Cellular at Sea' instead of the normal 'AT&T', you know it's time to shut down the phone until the next port.

 

 

I have an AT&T cell phone. Charges are $2.49/minute for voice calls, $.50/text message, $1.30/picture and video message and $.0195/KB for data.

[kitty9]

Yes, you turn your Data Roaming off and then you can use the rest of the applications on the phone.

[satxdiver]

Check your cell phone service provider web-site to see which islands have your carriers cell phone service. We have AT&T also, and on our last cruise, there were no roaming charges from San Juan or St. Thomas. When we pulled into port, we were able to use our cell phones with no additional roaming charges. Once you leave, and you see 'Cellular at Sea' instead of the normal 'AT&T', you know it's time to shut down the phone until the next port.

 

Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands (St Thomas, etc) are part of AT&T's nationwide plan so all cellphone use on those islands will be charged against your monthly allotment just like here in the lower 48, Alaska and Hawaii.

[Tmrlovesjr]

We have used our cell phone onboard ships for about 1 and half years now. We have only been charged for our calls and texts nothing more. Sprint is 2.49/min. We carry our phones in port, turned on incase something weird happens and we get seperated from each other. It happened 2007 in Mexico, I thought my husband was with me when I left the store, was even talking to him, ended up down the street alone and prego to boot. 1 quick call and he was able to find me. (Hubbie says I can be a little on the airhead side sometimes) LOL i quess it is true but that cell phone kept me from having a panic attack.

[DukeFamily]

Okay - mini hijack! I live in the Dallas area, and I know a Janet Foster. Could you be the same Janet Foster?! The Janet I know got married on the same day I did. Could it be??

[Janet Foster]

Okay - mini hijack! I live in the Dallas area, and I know a Janet Foster. Could you be the same Janet Foster?! The Janet I know got married on the same day I did. Could it be??

Hey Hijacker...

 

are your initals... TS?

[DukeFamily]

Hey Hijacker...

 

are your initals... TS?

 

Nooo....AD. My wedding anniversary is 12/13/86.

[Janet Foster]

Nooo....AD. My wedding anniversary is 12/13/86.

Oh, then you have the wrong Janet Foster. I actually do know someone here in Dallas that was married on the same day I was.. But I got married in 2005.

[DukeFamily]

Well, then, I guess I can say I have TWO friends named Janet Foster now!

[pamouselover]

Thanks!

[txfunmom]

Good info about the cell phone. WOW that could be an ugly bill. Can you tell me do you get a certain amount of internet minutes or do you pay for them? I am going on Carnival Fantasy in 13 days!! THANKS

[reallyitsmema]

We have texted on all of our cruises and have never had more than the $.50 per text charge. No seperate satellite charges. Phone charges have been $2.49/min through cellular at sea while onboard. Each port rate can be found on your carriers website.

 

http://www.cellularatsea.com/roaming.htm

[cruiser_new]

We have texted on all of our cruises and have never had more than the $.50 per text charge. No seperate satellite charges. Phone charges have been $2.49/min through cellular at sea while onboard. Each port rate can be found on your carriers website.

 

http://www.cellularatsea.com/roaming.htm

 

OK, so 50 cents per text. However, if we use texting between family members on the ship, I guess it is actually $1.00 per text (sent on one end, received on the other)?????? Or, if we are on the same plan, is that not true?

[reallyitsmema]

OK, so 50 cents per text. However, if we use texting between family members on the ship, I guess it is actually $1.00 per text (sent on one end, received on the other)?????? Or, if we are on the same plan, is that not true?

It depends on your carrier. All carriers do not charge the same rate for sending and receiving texts. The link I posted for cellular at sea will show you the rates for your carrier. We also had to add international dialing to our phones since we did not have that activated. It was just an easy, free software upgrade to the phone with Verizon.

 

Using cell phones to keep track of your family onboard will get expensive quickly though. We have used post-it notes and cabin voice mail in the past to keep track of our son. We also leave a not saying where we will be too. Any texting we have done has actually been to someone at home.

[satxdiver]

With the four major USA cellphone providers, there are no satellite charges. It is per message sent and sometimes received, voice minutes, data sent/received etc. If you are using it for texting, it is on and anyone in the USA (or world?) can call you at the $2.49/minute rate (or whatever your carrier charges). Would you not just love to hear from the veterinarian calling to remind you fido is up for his rabies shot next month?

 

I was on a Caribbean cruise a few years ago. I saw a group of teenage boys excitedly telling each other that their cellphones worked on the second day which was a day at sea. After that I saw them around the ship always with the cellphone in their hands texting away. I often wondered what kind of a reception they got at home when dad/mom got the cellphone bill!

[replicaprada]

Thanks for your sharingThanks for sharing this useful information. It's great.

 

 

 

 

 

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[Lynden30]

I know my wife will want to say goodbye one more time before the ship gets underway. Does the cell phone still pickup a cell tower or does it go thru the ship's satellite? How about in Nassau and Freeport?:confused: