Purchasing internet access...

One more thing. When off the ship in San Francisco can I turn on my phone and check my email anywhere?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

One more thing. When off the ship in San Francisco can I turn on my phone and check my email anywhere?

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

When off the ship in SF, you should be fine if you have Verizon. I was there last year and the coverage was great. I don't know what plan you have with Verizon, but it wouldn't hurt to ask them to be sure. In other words, if you are visiting here in the US from Europe, I imagine you would need to check your coverage in the US to be sure. I live in the US so SF was good for me.

OK here's the story from Verizon.......attn: MsSoCalCruiser, Detroit 70 and Darlipoo....and whoever else is interested:

Called Verizon international services dept 1-800-711-8300. Told them I was sailing to Bermuda. Told them I was not using the cell phone on the ship, just wanted to use it like at home in port. They added "Travel Pass" to my account which will allow me to use talk/text/data in Bermuda just like at home. There is a list of countries that this Pass works for....its a big list, and it is online. There are specific instructions for obtaining your voice mail messages, not the *86 like at home. It costs $10 per day for each 24 hour period that you use the phone. If you don't use it, you won't be charged. They emailed a detailed list of instructions and other info like contact info for Verizon out of the country. Very helpful and easy to do. It should work out just fine, we will see!

OK here's the story from Verizon.......attn: MsSoCalCruiser, Detroit 70 and Darlipoo....and whoever else is interested:

Called Verizon international services dept 1-800-711-8300. Told them I was sailing to Bermuda. Told them I was not using the cell phone on the ship, just wanted to use it like at home in port. They added "Travel Pass" to my account which will allow me to use talk/text/data in Bermuda just like at home. There is a list of countries that this Pass works for....its a big list, and it is online. There are specific instructions for obtaining your voice mail messages, not the *86 like at home. It costs $10 per day for each 24 hour period that you use the phone. If you don't use it, you won't be charged. They emailed a detailed list of instructions and other info like contact info for Verizon out of the country. Very helpful and easy to do. It should work out just fine, we will see!

 

I have used Travel Pass before and found it acceptable. While you will get a text when the 24 hours are almost up be aware that unless you put your phone in airplane mode before the new session starts you will get hit for another 24 hour charge since your phones apps continually are receiving updates and status, i.e. DATA. So keep your phone on airplane mode until you want to start the 24 hour window and turn it back on when the window is almost closed. Otherwise, even one second into the period, you will be charged for another day.

Most countries are $10 a 24 hour period. Mexico and Canada are $5 a 24 hour period.

 

Dan

Thanks dogo88 for the tip....I will make sure I keep my eyes on the clock and do that!!

Thanks dogo88 for the tip....I will make sure I keep my eyes on the clock and do that!!

 

Here's the link to Verizon FAQs for Travel Pass:

https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/travelpass-faqs/

Thank you!

These prices seem quite high.

 

Of course they are:mad::mad:. Internet is a cash cow for the ship. Especially as smart phones use has risen exponentially over the last decade. Everyone has to keep their Facebook/Instagram/... updated. :eek:

 

Which is why I like my T-Mobile account. Free Data/Messaging world wide as part of my plan. Calling only $0.20/min pretty much everywhere in the world.

 

Simply turn my phone into a hot-spot in port and then away we go on the wife's tablet or my netbook.

 

Cheers,

If you only plan to use a little time there's usually also a $0.75/minute option. By doing email reading/writing off-line, DH can get by on 5 or 6 minutes per day.

 

Curious - how can you read emails offline if they have not been downloaded? Or do you log in briefly just to download? That will work, as long as you can restrain yourself from reading them immediately upon downloading.

Curious - how can you read emails offline if they have not been downloaded? Or do you log in briefly just to download? That will work, as long as you can restrain yourself from reading them immediately upon downloading.

We (actually DH) use an email handler such as Outlook or Windows Live Mail. Usually I/he can log in, download all messages waiting, and get off in 1 or 2 minutes. Then we read, and write replies or new mail off line, and "send" them. They sit in the Outgoing box until we once again connect and everything in the Outgoing goes, and anything new since the last connection downloads.

 

Another thing we do to save time is set up an email account exclusively for cruising, and ask friends/family to use only that account, and not send any large attachments. In port where we can get free or cheap wifi we'll check all other email accounts that collect spam. If that exclusive email account starts getting junk, we'll trash it and set up a new one for the next cruise!

If you have AT&T you can check the Cruise Package. Most of the large HAL ships are compatible and you can also use the phone in most Caribbean ports, Canada and Mexico. They have two packages, one that includes talk/text and one that includes talk/text/data. $50 and $100, respectively, for a 30 day period. The $50 includes 50 minutes of talk, then $2 a minute and unlimited text. The $100 plan includes unlimited talk and text, and 200MB of data before you incur any additional charges.

We (actually DH) use an email handler such as Outlook or Windows Live Mail. Usually I/he can log in, download all messages waiting, and get off in 1 or 2 minutes. Then we read, and write replies or new mail off line, and "send" them. They sit in the Outgoing box until we once again connect and everything in the Outgoing goes, and anything new since the last connection downloads.

 

Another thing we do to save time is set up an email account exclusively for cruising, and ask friends/family to use only that account, and not send any large attachments. In port where we can get free or cheap wifi we'll check all other email accounts that collect spam. If that exclusive email account starts getting junk, we'll trash it and set up a new one for the next cruise!

 

I too use an email client, one of its options is too not download attachments unless requested. So that way I can grab all the emails in a quick download and deal with the attachments later.

 

As not not reading them until after they are downloaded all it takes is a little discipline, just start the downloads and wait from them to complete, then detach from the ship internet. I generally do all my internet activity late at night, when their are fewer folks online.

Lines are moving from a per-minute pricing model to a daily model with tiers based on the types of web services to be accessed. I understand that the daily pricing tiers require upgrades to a ship's satellite data link to permit higher bandwidth for each user. Expect it to roll out ship-by-ship as each ship's satellite system gets the required upgrade.

 

Don't like that direction at all. I prefer to just have a bucket of minutes that I can use as needed. I may not be online at all on some days and use a bunch of minutes on another. All I do is email and light web surfing to check CC/Bank accounts. I don't use Social Media at all and the DW uses it very sparingly and thats only at home.

Don't like that direction at all. I prefer to just have a bucket of minutes that I can use as needed. I may not be online at all on some days and use a bunch of minutes on another. All I do is email and light web surfing to check CC/Bank accounts. I don't use Social Media at all and the DW uses it very sparingly and thats only at home.

 

I'm with you: I don't like the dropping the per minute plan and only giving you the option of expensive daily plans that you must purchase for each day of your cruise. We have a 21 day cruise coming up later in the year & I'm certainly not paying $300+ just to check my email occasionally.

Don't like that direction at all. I prefer to just have a bucket of minutes that I can use as needed.

Agreed. If all I want to do is check e-mail, I shouldn't have to purchase the 2nd most expensive package just to connect to that one site.

 

I hate the idea of coming home to a month's worth of 'junk mail' in my in box (not when I get close to 40/day on average), but that's too much money to pay. I'll find a library in a few of the ports and spend some touring time there.

I use Sprint my plan includes unlimited data, free text messages and .20 a minute calls in several hundred countries. Going to China in three days all is included. Call them before your trip.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I'm with you: I don't like the dropping the per minute plan and only giving you the option of expensive daily plans that you must purchase for each day of your cruise. We have a 21 day cruise coming up later in the year & I'm certainly not paying $300+ just to check my email occasionally.

 

If it's $10 per day like Verizon, could you only check email 2 to 3 times a week during a long cruise to lessen the cost?

It's a thought I guess....

Even when I go on a port intensive 10 day cruise I might pick 3 days to check email/texts .... I will let friends know what days I will be online...total cost $30 which I think is reasonable IMO