Mobile phone SIM card with internet package?

G'day and Kia ora!

Can we buy Australian SIMcard? Does it has an internet package for one or two weeks?

Same question for New Zealand.

Would appreciate any info re how to buy and how much is the cost. I'll need those for my Solstice cruise next March. Thank you.

Meantime, may I wish everybody in this forum a Merry Christmas, and hope that all of you will have many happy cruises in the years to come.

We are from Brisbane Australia and we bought a "Woolworths Global Sim Card" from out woolworths Supermarket. It was able to be used on Sun Princess and in New Zealand. All details are on their website.

$29 cost with $10 included credit. We bought credit at Woolies before gonig but can also be topped up online. Valid for 12 months

I too am interested in buying a Sim Card with a data package, primarily for NZ, but we will also be going to New Caledonia and Vanuatu.

We are from Brisbane Australia and we bought a "Woolworths Global Sim Card" from out woolworths Supermarket. It was able to be used on Sun Princess and in New Zealand. All details are on their website.

 

$29 cost with $10 included credit. We bought credit at Woolies before gonig but can also be topped up online. Valid for 12 months

I had a look at the Woolworths website, and this package would be fine for calls and texts in NZ, but the data package is not worth it. It would certainly save on call and text costs in Vanuatu and New Caledonia, although the rates are still very high ($1.17/min to make and $1.52/min to receive calls in Vanuatu) but forget about using it for data roaming ($11.50/MB).

I like the idea of a local data package in NZ, as we are doing our own thing in some ports (like hiring a car) and it would be handy to be able to use google maps.

Can any of our NZ friends suggest a sim card/data package that can be easily purchased over the counter?

(And before the usual suspects start lecturing about "turning the phone off", "you're on holidays" etc., let me say that it would be nice to be in a position to do that. However, we own a business that operates 7 days/week, and while we have an excellent crew of capable staff :), we still need to be in contact on a regular basis.)

Cheers,

Anandaindonesia, I apologise for hijacking your thread somewhat! But I hope this is of some help to you, too. If you have an unlocked phone, this might be a good option for NZ.

I've done a little bit of research (I call it googling ;)) and it looks like NZ Telecom have a pretty good bundle for NZ$19. It gives 60 minutes of talk, unlimited text, and 500MB data. (It expires after 1 month). The details are on the NZ Telecom website here: http://www.telecom.co.nz/mobile/mobile/plansandpricing/prepaid/

Has anyone had any experience with this? Are there any potential problems or issues we would need to be aware of? I am planning on walking into a NZ Telecom shop, buying the SIM and having them set it up then and there, so I know it will work!

Cheers,

@ ceejay3377 This linked page was updated 2/11/2012 . All you need to know in there.

http://www.ausbt.com.au/travel-tech-best-prepaid-sim-cards-for-travel-to-new-zealand

Thank you everyone!

I hope to buy Vodavone prepaid for Sydney and Melbourne. Will it be available near OPT?

For NZ, yes, Telecom prepaid seems to be a good choice. Hope we can buy it in Dunedin or Port Chalmers, our first port stop.

Please advise if anyone has any experience in buying these SIM cards. Thank you.

I've done a little bit of research (I call it googling ;)) and it looks like NZ Telecom have a pretty good bundle for NZ$19. It gives 60 minutes of talk, unlimited text, and 500MB data. (It expires after 1 month). The details are on the NZ Telecom website here: http://www.telecom.co.nz/mobile/mobile/plansandpricing/prepaid/

 

Has anyone had any experience with this? Are there any potential problems or issues we would need to be aware of? I am planning on walking into a NZ Telecom shop, buying the SIM and having them set it up then and there, so I know it will work!

 

Cheers,

Hi- did this two weeks ago, but with Vodafone nz- i chose the $29 data package, that I can top-up later. I think all the carriers have a roughly similar prepaid option.

I found that the unlimited texts doesn't include international texts (eg NZ to Aust number), so any overseas texting comes out of the call credit.

Thank you everyone!

 

I hope to buy Vodavone prepaid for Sydney and Melbourne. Will it be available near OPT?.

Don't get Vodaphone.

It has had a bad rap over here for the last few years..newspaper headine bad rap......culminating in 2010. Their network basically is to small and lacks depth for the number of people using it and calls were dropping out (or people not even getting lines) and data connection speeds very slow or non existent.. It has improved.....through a combination of hemorrhaging subscribers who deserted it to other carriers and some belated admitting the network was not up to scratch and spending some money on it after a lot of bad publicity. Reading other forums it is still very much a work in progress ( its Australia's 3rd and cheapest carrier for a reason therefore).

I have heard similar stories on Vodaphone NZ.

Ultimately it's up to you.

Try and get Optus (much better but still some issues particularly in the countryside) or Telstra.

Don't get Vodaphone...

It has had a bad rap over here for the last few years.. ... ...

Try and get Optus (much better but still some issues particularly in the countryside) or Telstra.

Thank you, 6andy6.

You know better, so I will follow your advise. This is what I'm looking for, a real experience from a user.

Now we need to wait advise from or friends in New Zealand...

You have a choice of the three main prepay mobile providers here, I have given you the links for all three so you can check what coverage and plans would suit you the best. Enjoy your visit to New Zealand :)

http://www.telecom.co.nz/mobile/mobile/plansandpricing/big/

https://www.vodafone.co.nz/prepay-smart/?gclid=CIjO6aCprbQCFQE5pgodf3UArQ

http://www.2degreesmobile.co.nz/prepay/pricing?gclid=CNzB66iprbQCFU8xpgodJiQAhw

Tena Koe, Te Aroha.

Thank you. Very useful info.

I am looking forward to being in your beautiful country.

Michael

You also should check with your home mobile carrier to see what data roaming options are available. My home carrier is Verizon in the US. For $15 USD per month, I can get unlimited global data most anywhere in the world. Earlier. This year, I travelled on business to Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne, and Sydney. The roaming worked great and I was able to make free VOIP calls home using an iPhone app called Talkatone. The Australia roaming carrier was Vodaphone.

I will do the same for my 2013 New Zealand cruise. The roaming package I use is on a phone provided by my employer. I have not seen this plan offered on the Verizon consumer website. So anyone with a work phone might check and see if they have a better deal available. I will be reimbursing my employer for the $15. It's a much better deal than I am seeing using prepaid SIMs.

You also should check with your home mobile carrier to see what data roaming options are available. My home carrier is Verizon in the US. For $15 USD per month, I can get unlimited global data most anywhere in the world. Earlier. This year, I travelled on business to Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne, and Sydney. The roaming worked great and I was able to make free VOIP calls home using an iPhone app called Talkatone. The Australia roaming carrier was Vodaphone.

 

I will do the same for my 2013 New Zealand cruise. The roaming package I use is on a phone provided by my employer. I have not seen this plan offered on the Verizon consumer website. So anyone with a work phone might check and see if they have a better deal available. I will be reimbursing my employer for the $15. It's a much better deal than I am seeing using prepaid SIMs.

Mercruiser ( interesting nick..I assume you own a Merc) as if what you say is true for you ( and I have no doubt it is), that would have to be the deal of the Millenium under the current world wide roaming regime of mobile carriers where even the same company owned networks ( Vodaphone Australia and Vodaphone NZ) charge their customers outrageous amounts for each others customers to roam in each others countries.

My CC nickname comes from my first and favorite cruise ship, Celebrity Mercury, now sailing as Mein Shiff 2.

The global roaming data deal is really good. When I turn on my mobile in a new location I get an SMS message saying something to the effect of "data is unlimited but please use wifi when available".

Hello Friends,

I am moving to Australia the very next month. I have arranged almost everything their that I will be needing at the initial stage. But I am only left with the mobile plans as I am not aware which works best their.

So any suggestions, if anybody can help me out about the best and cheap mobile plans?

The three main providers here are Optus, Telstra and Vodafone. There are others that then run off one of those networks but package themselves. Telstra pretty much has the best covereage, especially in rural areas, but the other two are pretty good now.

I'm with Vodafone and like it due to its excellent roaming options.

Just realised this thread is very old. I wish people would start new threads instead of resurrecting ancient ones. :mad:

no offense ozkiwiJJ but I think this person can post where they want to.

If you're only staying a while, I'd say the best bet is a prepaid plan. As aussiedisneyfan says, there are only 3 main providers. Telstra is the safest bet from a coverage point of view. You're moving here, however, not staying for a while so the fact their rates are a bit higher might be a concern.

https://whatphone.com.au/sim-only-byo-plans/best-prepaid-plans

If you're in a city, ignore what you hear about the Vodafone networks from people. It's fine now. I have a SIM with Kogan Mobile, who use the Vodafone network. Their rates are among the best and coverage is fine for me. I like In Manly, part of Sydney and, as you can imagine, where you live is going to make a difference.

My wife is with Optus and makes a lot of calls home to the UK. I actually think Optus' International Rates are good on their $40 plans.

Kind of hard to offer more advice without knowing where you'll be living, how much data you're looking for, that sort of thing.

If you are happy with your current phone and pre-paid services I can recommend Aldi mobile. They resell Telstra 4G so all the advantages of the broad network with very reasonably priced plans with unlimited calls, unlimited SMSFs and generous data.

My entire extended family has varying levels of these Aldi plans and couldn't be happier. We are in a coverage 'shadow' for both Vodafone and Optus so finally found an alternative.

Aldi are good. Note, they do not resell the entire Telstra network, just a part of it. But they are a very popular choice. Also consider Belong Mobile who have a data vault and also resell Telstra 4G.