Cell phone question (airplane mode)

Will your cell phone provider charge you for data usage if you leave your cellphone in "airplane mode" for the duration of your cruise? I use my cell phone to take pictures and to capture video.

I just went to manage connections and turned all connections off and wasnt charged. I am pretty sure that is the same as airplane mode.

No they won't. I do it every time I board a ship and have never had any roaming or other fees.

Airplane mode is the mode Sprint told DH to put his phone on while at sea, haven't gotten that bill yet so don't know if we were charged but hopefully not. I have a blackberry & just turned my data package off completely.

Did you all enable the data connections when in port off the ship? And if so, did they charge you any differently?

I am going to Alaska next summer, and obviously that is in the US, so I am wondering if my verizon nation-wide calling plan will be treated like I am still in the States, because I am, haha!! I checked the coverage map and it says that it is Verizon coverage at my several ports of call. Just nervous and looking for some help, clarification, and reassurance, LOL!

Did you all enable the data connections when in port off the ship? And if so, did they charge you any differently?

 

I am going to Alaska next summer, and obviously that is in the US, so I am wondering if my verizon nation-wide calling plan will be treated like I am still in the States, because I am, haha!! I checked the coverage map and it says that it is Verizon coverage at my several ports of call. Just nervous and looking for some help, clarification, and reassurance, LOL!

While at sea leave it in airplane mode. However, when we were in PR and Ft. Lauderdale we turned them on and were not charged anything extra since it was a Verizon covered area.

FYI

Just make sure you are OFF the ship not just in port when going out of airplane mode.

Being in port but still on the ship you will hit the cellular at sea and be charged by that.

FYI

Just make sure you are OFF the ship not just in port when going out of airplane mode.

 

Being in port but still on the ship you will hit the cellular at sea and be charged by that.

And remember--as soon as you switch out of airplane mode, the phone will automatically reset to local time and not switch back. We learned that the hard way when we got to Cozumel and the phone reset to local time. We then used it as an alarm clock and forgot that it was an hour behind ship time. Not good when you are trying to make it to an excursion on time!

Ok, so in port on the ship bad.....in port, off the ship, probably away from the dock even, good. Right?

Ok, so in port on the ship bad.....in port, off the ship, probably away from the dock even, good. Right?

I have used my phone in port on the ship and never had any additional charges. I also used my verizon phone in Alaska and Hawaii with no addtional charges since it was in verizon area. That being said, I am not sure just what or how the ship decides to turn ur phone into roaming. Perhaps when you no longer recieve a cell on your network.

Good luck and enjoy Alaska

In January I was on the Victory which does the Southern Caribbean. I did not put my smartphone on Airplane mode but just turned off Data incase of emergencies.

Up where it shows your bars on the phone, it will show you who is your provider at the time.

Some of the places we went were US territories so normal fees applied. That makes me think any place in Alaska is going to be the same, that is if the have reception there.

I too use my as my camera. I was carring around enough stuff :p

I have an iPhone and kept my phone on airplane mode during my cruise this past June. Wasn't charged a penny. I used my phone just for an alarm clock. You should be all set.

Thanks guys!

You will be fine if you leave it in airplane mode:)

You will not incur any charges if you leave your cell phone in airplane mode. My husband and I do that all the time when we want to take pictures on our phones and then upload to the web. The only time you will be charged is if you take the phone out of airplane mode.

I had my T-Mobile smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S) for only a few weeks before I sailed to Hawaii last November. I turned off data. Of course, while I was in the islands, I was on the network and uploaded some photos. I didn't make or receive any calls while at sea.

Are you saying that if I take photos while at sea or in Bermuda in October, I can upload to Facebook without incurring any charges IF the phone is in flight mode?

But that doesn't make sense. You have no network connection while in flight mode and there's no network at sea other than the ship, right? So how could I do that? :confused:

Are you saying that if I take photos while at sea or in Bermuda in October, I can upload to Facebook without incurring any charges IF the phone is in flight mode?

 

But that doesn't make sense. You have no network connection while in flight mode and there's no network at sea other than the ship, right? So how could I do that? :confused:

Pretty sure she meant take the pictures then upload later, the same as you would do with a digital camera.

I had my T-Mobile smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S) for only a few weeks before I sailed to Hawaii last November. I turned off data. Of course, while I was in the islands, I was on the network and uploaded some photos. I didn't make or receive any calls while at sea.

 

Are you saying that if I take photos while at sea or in Bermuda in October, I can upload to Facebook without incurring any charges IF the phone is in flight mode?

 

But that doesn't make sense. You have no network connection while in flight mode and there's no network at sea other than the ship, right? So how could I do that? :confused:

Depending on your carrier they may have a global data plan that works with your phone. If they do you can add it (I know verizon used to pro rate it for the length of your cruise) and upload on the ship using the Ships data plan (and not pay the web fees on the ship)

I did this on my last two cruises with carnival and as long as we had good weather and a satellite connection I was able to post picture on the Lido deck (and in different ports) directly to facebook.

Then everyone on your friends list gets vacation envy. :D

Verizon had a great package that was $14 for a week, unlimited global data, but they just changed it recently.

But check with your carrier and see what they offer.

Will your cell phone provider charge you for data usage if you leave your cellphone in "airplane mode" for the duration of your cruise? I use my cell phone to take pictures and to capture video.

you should be able to disable your phone from receiving texts and emails but just don't answer when your phone rings and you should be fine. We have ours thru Verizion and that is what they told us to do last year and we had no problems with any coming thru and no extra charges on our phone bill.

Did you all enable the data connections when in port off the ship? And if so, did they charge you any differently?

 

I am going to Alaska next summer, and obviously that is in the US, so I am wondering if my verizon nation-wide calling plan will be treated like I am still in the States, because I am, haha!! I checked the coverage map and it says that it is Verizon coverage at my several ports of call. Just nervous and looking for some help, clarification, and reassurance, LOL!

We are AT&T and went to Alaska last summer. We had no problems throughout the entire cruise. We weren't on roaming or anything at any of the ports...just plain, normal service :). Of course we put our iPhones on airplane mode about 35 outside of leaving Vancouver when we hit Cellular at Sea but once we docked every day we turned them back to normal. Hope you love Alaska! We did :D

I did this on my last two cruises with carnival and as long as we had good weather and a satellite connection I was able to post picture on the Lido deck (and in different ports) directly to facebook.

 

But your phone wasnt in airplane mode.

And remember--as soon as you switch out of airplane mode, the phone will automatically reset to local time and not switch back. We learned that the hard way when we got to Cozumel and the phone reset to local time. We then used it as an alarm clock and forgot that it was an hour behind ship time. Not good when you are trying to make it to an excursion on time!

Same thing happened to me. And in Cozumel, too! After figuring it out, I was able to change the phone clock back to US Eastern time (ship time).

I have used my phone in port on the ship and never had any additional charges. I also used my verizon phone in Alaska and Hawaii with no addtional charges since it was in verizon area. That being said, I am not sure just what or how the ship decides to turn ur phone into roaming. Perhaps when you no longer recieve a cell on your network.

Good luck and enjoy Alaska

I believe the ship has to turn off "cellular at sea" while docked in any port. I read that somewhere.

Ok, so in port on the ship bad.....in port, off the ship, probably away from the dock even, good. Right?

I don't know what your service provider or phone is. But with AT&T iphone, as soon as it detects an AT&T signal, it switches to AT&T. When the ship gets close enough to port (not even docked yet) to detect an AT&T signal, it switches to that. It will say what network you're in. I make sure that my data roaming is off just in case. I posted what I usually do with my phone on this thread.

I have used my phone in port on the ship and never had any additional charges. I also used my verizon phone in Alaska and Hawaii with no addtional charges since it was in verizon area. That being said, I am not sure just what or how the ship decides to turn ur phone into roaming. Perhaps when you no longer recieve a cell on your network.

Good luck and enjoy Alaska

I think your phone determines the network. I believe your service provider network has priority. Only when the phone doesn't detect your service provider network or doesn't get enough signal, it will switch to the next available network.

But your phone wasnt in airplane mode.

Nope it wasn't when your phone is in airplane mode there is no incoming or outgoing data service (meaning text & phone calls won't go through and the phone would not be connected to Wi-Fi unless you switched that on). So if you're phone is clearly in airplane mode you should not receive any additional charges. But you will be able to listen to MP3's stored on your phone or games that are downloaded to your phone.