SIM Card Questions HELP

Hello,

I just got my phone unlocked by Sprint in Texas (iPhone and Samsung 4) and was wondering what card to buy and where to buy... Since we will be traveling to Venice and getting on a cruise from there. We will be going to Croatia, Greece, and Turkey will I have service there?? I am in a panic since I need to be able to call home because I am leaving my 4 & 9 year old behind. My daughter usually facetimes me and texts me from her ipad and of course she calls all the time so I want to be able to communicate with them. My trip is scheduled for the end of. July so any advice or any other options available will be greatly appreciated!!

Laura

As far as I can tell your Sprint phones will not work in Italy... they are cmda and that won't work there.....

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Unlocked iPhone will work in Italy. There is a very comprehensive post a few posts down from this that is very informative. We are going in December and I plan on unlocking my iPhone.

You can buy the sims in the airport or train station or at a cell store.

Thanks I found post very informative:))

Hello,

 

I just got my phone unlocked by Sprint in Texas (iPhone and Samsung 4) and was wondering what card to buy and where to buy... Since we will be traveling to Venice and getting on a cruise from there. We will be going to Croatia, Greece, and Turkey will I have service there?? I am in a panic since I need to be able to call home because I am leaving my 4 & 9 year old behind. My daughter usually facetimes me and texts me from her ipad and of course she calls all the time so I want to be able to communicate with them. My trip is scheduled for the end of. July so any advice or any other options available will be greatly appreciated!!

 

Laura

You could add an international roaming plan to you Sprint service while in Europe instead of buying sim cards.

You could add an international roaming plan to you Sprint service while in Europe instead of buying sim cards.

Those international plans are not that great and if you go over you have no idea and get hit with a huge bill.

A sim may cost about 30 bucks

Those international plans are not that great and if you go over you have no idea and get hit with a huge bill.

 

 

 

A sim may cost about 30 bucks

They text you when you are going to go over and if you are going to multiple countries the international plans could be less than buying a sim for each country. If your cruise is one country like Italy then a sim may be best. It all depends on your usage. Last year on my Med cruise I did not even come close to using up the plan I bought and buying sims for each country would have cost more in total.

They text you when you are going to go over and if you are going to multiple countries the international plans could be less than buying a sim for each country. If your cruise is one country like Italy then a sim may be best. It all depends on your usage. Last year on my Med cruise I did not even come close to using up the plan I bought and buying sims for each country would have cost more in total.

True about the sims but not always about the texting. We bought a canada plan with sprint and wound up going over and never received a text just a huge bill when I got home. They said it was their mistake but still it does happen.

We are doing a 10 day in December on the Jade and will be in Italy 2 days prior and 6 days after cruise so we will buy an italian sim. Still up in the air about buying one in Greece and turkey.

They text you when you are going to go over and if you are going to multiple countries the international plans could be less than buying a sim for each country. If your cruise is one country like Italy then a sim may be best. It all depends on your usage. Last year on my Med cruise I did not even come close to using up the plan I bought and buying sims for each country would have cost more in total.

How much was the sim you bought and how much did it have on it?

True about the sims but not always about the texting. We bought a canada plan with sprint and wound up going over and never received a text just a huge bill when I got home. They said it was their mistake but still it does happen.

 

 

 

We are doing a 10 day in December on the Jade and will be in Italy 2 days prior and 6 days after cruise so we will buy an italian sim. Still up in the air about buying one in Greece and turkey.

Next October I will do a similar itinerary as you on Reflection. But I will only do one day in Italy before the cruise and one day in Italy during the cruise. The rest is Greece and Turkey. For my trip I don't think it makes sense to buy sims for 3 countries. Plus I would have to spend time in each country buying and setting up the sim. That eats up time. For this trip I will buy an international text plan and a $60 international data plan, 300 MB. That is with AT&T. Combined with free Wifi hotspots and a WiFi package on the ship that's all I need. Don't need voice. I don't call anyone anymore, only text or email. If I were doing 8 days in Italy though like you are doing I would consider buying the TIM sim. There is no one answer that fits all on what to buy at this time.

I found that this gives pretty comprehensive and up to date information on buying pre-paid sims across the world - http://prepaidwithdata.wikia.com

It's just so confusing on what to buy and how much.

Even though we are there for 8 days on Italy i really won't be making phone calls, maybe one or 2 a day. Really want it for data as I need to be checking my business email, use the internet for directions and reviews and and we like to geocache. So more data then anything.

Thoughts.

It's just so confusing on what to buy and how much.

 

 

 

Even though we are there for 8 days on Italy i really won't be making phone calls, maybe one or 2 a day. Really want it for data as I need to be checking my business email, use the internet for directions and reviews and and we like to geocache. So more data then anything.

 

 

 

Thoughts.

I will tell you how I got by on a $30 data package of 120 MB from my carrier AT&T. I bought a $60 data package of 300 MB. on a 15 day cruise with land. I also bought their cheapest global texting package. $10. When I got back I had only used about 90 MB so AT&T went back and reduced my data package to the $30 package. At my pre cruise and post cruise hotels, all had free Wifi so I left the data roaming and cell data off most of the time. Also found free wifi spots. On the ship I bought a wifi package. Otherwise you would be roaming on the ship unless your cell carrier has a cruise package. AT&T does but only on a few ships. When at ports some had free WiFi. I only turned on data roaming and cellular data when I wanted to download email or get directions. Then I turned it off. Just short spurts. Also make sure you have load images turned off to minimize data in email. Some ports were not in my global roaming, Turkey, so in Istanbul 1 day and a half I did without. At Ephesus found some free Wifi at the shops area at the port. By the way I understand it is very difficult for a short time visitor to get a SIM card in Turkey. For directions I would turn the data on for a minute to cache the map of the port area and turn it off. I have an iPhone and the GPS will work with data off and show your location if you have cached the maps. That came in most handy in Venice. That can be a complicated port with all the canals if you venture off. I was one of the few who located the Jewish Ghetto because I used my phone GPS. Yet I used very little data by caching the maps and turning data on and off only in short spurts.

As a bonus some of the private guides if you book private shore tours will create hotspots from their phones. They won't advertise that, you won't know in advance, it's up to guide. I did not ask. They offered it. Had that happen with three different guides over the last 3 years. Course I gave them a nice tip.

Great tips...I think I will just buy the Venice SIM card and see how I fare out! Thanks all for your valuable information;)

For directions I would turn the data on for a minute to cache the map of the port area and turn it off. I have an iPhone and the GPS will work with data off and show your location if you have cached the maps.

If you have Google Maps on your Android phone (sorry no idea if it is the same on an iPhone), you can download maps for specific areas, such as the whole of Venice, at your leisure whilst you are sat at home, and the map will stay on your phone for 30 days.

If you have Google Maps on your Android phone (sorry no idea if it is the same on an iPhone), you can download maps for specific areas, such as the whole of Venice, at your leisure whilst you are sat at home, and the map will stay on your phone for 30 days.

This year I can do that with Google Maps on my iPhone. They have added downloading maps in the last year or so for the iPhone version. Glad you mentioned it. I will download maps of the port cities before my trip.

If you have Google Maps on your Android phone (sorry no idea if it is the same on an iPhone), you can download maps for specific areas, such as the whole of Venice, at your leisure whilst you are sat at home, and the map will stay on your phone for 30 days.

Would you please explain how to do this? Thank you.

Do a little research on the EU roaming that the EU Parliament is implementing. I think it was supposed to be in effect next summer. It has to do with free or very inexpensive roaming if you have an EU SIM…

I don't have the time right now to look it up for you.

Do a little research on the EU roaming that the EU Parliament is implementing. I think it was supposed to be in effect next summer. It has to do with free or very inexpensive roaming if you have an EU SIM…

I don't have the time right now to look it up for you.

I'm not sure if you are making a general post or addressing me. I did know something about this, but we are leaving today. Good thing for the future, though!

I'm not sure if you are making a general post or addressing me. I did know something about this, but we are leaving today. Good thing for the future, though!

It may have actually started this summer…

Have a wonderful vacation!!!

I also need some assistance with purchasing a sim card. I have done this many times, but never for a cruise. I am wondering if I buy an international sim card for my unlocked iphone, can it be used in the ports which are in Italy, France, Spain and Gibraltar? What about on the ship? I just need to be able to text, acess internet. Thanks

I also need some assistance with purchasing a sim card. I have done this many times, but never for a cruise. I am wondering if I buy an international sim card for my unlocked iphone, can it be used in the ports which are in Italy, France, Spain and Gibraltar? What about on the ship? I just need to be able to text, acess internet. Thanks

Things have changed since this thread was started. My cell carriers have International Travel Passes. My carrier is AT&T which has $10 a day passes. This past summer in Europe I used those in the ports. With those passes you have your home voice, data and text plan for each 24 hour period you use the pass. You get to keep your own number rather than having to use a different one if you bought a SIM card. The other carriers like Verizon have plans like that too. On the ship we now use WiFi Calling. I buy a ships WiFi plan and set my phone up for WiFi Calling. You use your home plan over the internet.

Things have changed since this thread was started. My cell carriers have International Travel Passes. My carrier is AT&T which has $10 a day passes. This past summer in Europe I used those in the ports. With those passes you have your home voice, data and text plan for each 24 hour period you use the pass. You get to keep your own number rather than having to use a different one if you bought a SIM card. The other carriers like Verizon have plans like that too. On the ship we now use WiFi Calling. I buy a ships WiFi plan and set my phone up for WiFi Calling. You use your home plan over the internet.

Thanks for the update Charles. I was reading your previous posts and wonder if under this new plan you still do the following:

Thanks for the update Charles. I was reading your previous posts and wonder if under this new plan you still do the following:

Also make sure you have load images turned off to minimize data in email.

For directions I would turn the data on for a minute to cache the map of the port area and turn it off.

Thank you for the information!

 

Jan

 

When I am in a country where I can roam using the International Day Pass, (most in Europe do, but check your carriers country list online) I don't do that because I have plenty of data on that pass, more than I would ever use in 24 hours. I don't stream videos or download huge files. I can do unlimited text and voice, check emai, check Facebook and upload to Facebook use maps without any concerns. Also the 24 hours for a day pass does not start until you do something, use data or voice.

Things have changed since this thread was started. My cell carriers have International Travel Passes. My carrier is AT&T which has $10 a day passes. This past summer in Europe I used those in the ports. With those passes you have your home voice, data and text plan for each 24 hour period you use the pass. You get to keep your own number rather than having to use a different one if you bought a SIM card. The other carriers like Verizon have plans like that too. On the ship we now use WiFi Calling. I buy a ships WiFi plan and set my phone up for WiFi Calling. You use your home plan over the internet.

Would you mind explaining how you do wifi calling on the ship please? Thank you.