Help - Cell service on board and in Alaska

We are sailing on the Golden in a few weeks and have some questions on how the cell service works. I have an IPhone with service from Verizon and my friend has a smartphone with Tmobile. Will we be able to use the phone/wifi on the ship or only in port? I have heard some horror stories about charges. When we arrive in a port (Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway) will we be able to use the phone while on the ship for normal charges? If anyone has used these companies recently in Alaska can you tell me if service was available in these port cities. Thanks for the help, want to make sure we don't have any surprise bills when we get home.

The ship has a cell tower on board when in international waters. Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and Tmobile cell phones all work with the tower. You will be billed by your home carrier for any use while at sea. Most charge $2.49/minute for voice calls sent or received and $.50/text message sent. Verizon and maybe Tmobile charges $.05/text message received while AT&T does not charge. Data rates are quite high so stay away from them. If you leave your smart phone on, it will automatically download messages and text and receive phone calls. Put you smart phone on airplane mode to stop data transfers or return to a huge bill from your carrier.

Coverage in AK is included in your service plan for the amount you selected. When the ship is within 12 miles of the port, it is supposed to shut its cell tower down but I have heard stories where it did not. If your phone says "cellular at sea" or "cell at sea", you are on the ship's cell tower and paying!

Verizon is my carrier. I had iPhone service through Verizon at the ports and at the Princess lodges at Denali, McKinley and Copper River; at least I had no roaming or extra charges. I do not even try to use my cell phone at sea.

We are sailing on the Golden in a few weeks and have some questions on how the cell service works. I have an IPhone with service from Verizon and my friend has a smartphone with Tmobile. Will we be able to use the phone/wifi on the ship or only in port? I have heard some horror stories about charges. When we arrive in a port (Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway) will we be able to use the phone while on the ship for normal charges? If anyone has used these companies recently in Alaska can you tell me if service was available in these port cities. Thanks for the help, want to make sure we don't have any surprise bills when we get home.

A quick search found numerous threads on cell phones in Alaska...

Here is one....

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2035837&highlight=alaska+cell+service

I too was on an Alaskan cruise last summer and I have Verizon. All US ports work with their plans. Both Data and cell service. I had no trouble getting them. Sometimes on the ship I could get Verizon as well, just depended if there were towers around. Just check your notification bar on your phone to see if you are roaming. If roaming you have no service, if no roaming talk freely. I worked really well up there!

We were the only ones in our party of 19 that has Sprint cell phone service. We were also the ONLY ONES that NEVER had coverage in Alaska while in port. Everyone else did. Lesson learned. We need to get a new provider.

Remember that the Canadian carrier, Rogers I believe, is probably not included in your service plan although it will come up with lots of bars of strength on your phone. While in Victoria or Vancouver beaware!!!