Verizon Wireless Coverage in Alaska

I like to know is there Verizon coverage in Juneau, Skagway or Ketchikan with no addt'l fee charge? I know we are on vacation but I need to check emails when I am in port to make sure nothing urgent at work.

I've been looking into this on Sprint, and based on the info I have it appears that both Sprint and Verizon will show as roaming in Alaska, but should have 3G data coverage. Verizon calls this "Extended coverage" on their site, but it looks like there should be no additional roaming fees.

I like to know is there Verizon coverage in Juneau, Skagway or Ketchikan with no addt'l fee charge? I know we are on vacation but I need to check emails when I am in port to make sure nothing urgent at work.

Wouldn't you be better off asking your provider than random strangers?

Wouldn't you be better off asking your provider than random strangers?

My first thought too.

But for info - before a 2013 Alaska cruise I checked with Verizon and ensured that AK "counts" as within the USA: according to their Website coverage information, it did.

We kept our phones off whenever the ship was not docked, but ashore or aboard while in port we had Verizon service and paid no additional charges.

My first thought too.

 

But for info - before a 2013 Alaska cruise I checked with Verizon and ensured that AK "counts" as within the USA: according to their Website coverage information, it did.

 

We kept our phones off whenever the ship was not docked, but ashore or aboard while in port we had Verizon service and paid no additional charges.

We have been to Alaska 3 times on Princess and we have Verizon. In each of the 5 ports we visited, we had "free" cell coverage. If I remember correctly and this was nearly a decade ago, the only problem we had was in Skagway when we were out in the wild. Otherwise all was good.

Wouldn't you be better off asking your provider than random strangers?

Yeah, sink into a morass of phone menus or who-knows-what links, and then query coverage city by city (if you can even get to that point without throwing something), hope that the information is correct,

or...

Briefly ask a forum composed of thousands of travelers with first-hand experience.

You did the right thing.

I like to know is there Verizon coverage in Juneau, Skagway or Ketchikan with no addt'l fee charge? I know we are on vacation but I need to check emails when I am in port to make sure nothing urgent at work.

A quick search with the keyword Verizon brought up a few threads with the same subject.

Here is one....

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2081238&highlight=verizon

Thank everyone. Sometime when you asked your carrier, two people will tell you two different things. I will double check with Verizon.

Thank everyone. Sometime when you asked your carrier, two people will tell you two different things.

Wow! Thats sounds alot like some other place I know! :eek:

Y

Briefly ask a forum composed of thousands of travelers with first-hand experience.

Each one of which may give you a right answer, a wrong answer,

an obsolete answer, an answer for a different carrier, an

answer for a different location, etc.

That is the beauty here -- just pick the answer you like!

We have been to Alaska several times and have had Verizon Wireless. Never had an issue at any of the ports and didn't do anything special. Just used the phone for voice and texts just like if we were in the lower 48. No additional charges of any kind.

I just returned from a b2b2b in Alaska in May. That meant Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan twice. I had service (cell and data) at each port. Out of curiosity, I stopped by a mobile phone store in Juneau and she reassured me that "extended service" was covered by Verizon by the local phone service towers. Didn't have any trouble getting connected.

Keep in mind that Vancouver is considered international and you will not receive service except from a Tim Horton's or Starbucks.

I go to Verizon Wireless site and found this Coverage Locator link:

http://www.verizonwireless.com/wcms/consumer/explore/why-verizon.html#btnCvg

Look like I am covered.

We were there in June. I had Verizon coverage in Seward, Anchorage, Talkeetna, Skagway (NOT over the border in Canada), Juneau and Ketchikan. Did NOT have 4G or LTE service in the majority of places, but enough signal to send/receive texts and check emails. I had NO roaming charges. When I say I had "Verizon" coverage, I mean that the signal was from whatever local cell service was there. It is my understanding that Verizon will be upgrading their cell/data service in the next year.

We've done two cruise tours to Alaska and had good Verizon service in ports and during the land portion of the cruise tour--no additional charges for roaming. We were able to text, check email and make phone calls without a problem. I did verify coverage with Verizon before we left home. I had similar service in Hawaii.

We've done two cruise tours to Alaska and had good Verizon service in ports and during the land portion of the cruise tour--no additional charges for roaming. We were able to text, check email and make phone calls without a problem. I did verify coverage with Verizon before we left home. I had similar service in Hawaii.

Verizon is a major carrier in Hawaii. You will get great reception in most places. (There are a few dead spots near and around Kilauea Volcano NP and Haleakala NP and other less populated areas.)

Displaced Local Girl

Wouldn't you be better off asking your provider than random strangers?

You'd hope that the carrier employees would know, but that's not the case. I was investigating various providers and stopped by a T-Mobile store to ask about coverage in Alaska. The representative told me that I'd need to buy a European SIM card. I explained that Alaska was part of the US. She still insisted that I'd need a foreign phone plan for my vacation. I went to another T-Mobile store and was grateful that the employees there did know to what country Alaska belongs and that phone service was available at no roaming charges.

Jackie

Used Verizon all over the cities in Alaska no problems. no overages

We Turn it off if not in the "city limits" especially the side trip into possible Canada cell tower range. Remember if you take a wale watch or other boat or train you maybe in range of a Canadian cell tower.

Learned this the hard way out of Seattle on a whale watch boat bounced off a Canadian tower.

I like to know is there Verizon coverage in Juneau, Skagway or Ketchikan with no addt'l fee charge? I know we are on vacation but I need to check emails when I am in port to make sure nothing urgent at work.

I was in all those ports last month and my Verizon iPhone worked just fine. The 3G was spotty, but did work most of the time. I had very little problems reading and sending emails. No fees.

Thank everyone. Sometime when you asked your carrier, two people will tell you two different things. I will double check with Verizon.

Apparently the Princess customer service reps are moonlighting at Verizon.

My hubby had Verizon reception in each of the ports at no extra charge. Verizon is soon officially launching in Alaska, making it even better.

Alaska was included as part of our normal Verizon cell package, but now that we have a smart phone, phone service would not work in any of the ports. However, people with other providers could use their phones to make and receive calls. We were told that verizon just does not have much coverage in Alaska. However, the internet manager (who could not use his phone either) said something about smart phones requiring more power or charge or whatever, and if we had still had our old cheap phone, it would have worked in Alaska ports. This was the first two weeks of this month.

This random stranger has used Verizon at no additional cost on my Princess Cruises to Alaska. I will say that I have a nationwide plan. Both Alaska and Hawaii have always been covered with no additional fees.

Alaska was included as part of our normal Verizon cell package, but now that we have a smart phone, phone service would not work in any of the ports. However, people with other providers could use their phones to make and receive calls. We were told that verizon just does not have much coverage in Alaska. However, the internet manager (who could not use his phone either) said something about smart phones requiring more power or charge or whatever, and if we had still had our old cheap phone, it would have worked in Alaska ports. This was the first two weeks of this month.

Strange. I was in and out of Alaska ports from the Aug 11th to the 19th and my Verizon Smart phone (Razr Droid M) worked fine. We called home from Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan, and used email. Not on the ship, of course but had 4G data in the ports and phone reception all over town.

dz

Apparently the Princess customer service reps are moonlighting at Verizon.

Any problem with extra charges from hitting cell towers in Canada