Making low-cost phone calls on-board

[BETEP]

Having been on 12 day and longer cruises, I was determined to find a way to make inexpensive calls while on-board the ship at sea. This is especially relevant when you celebrate New Year’s during the cruise and want to call your friends and family. So – I tested this during last cruise -and it works like a charm. Here is what you need:

1.iPhone or Blackberry (I used iPhone) – load a free app called truphone (http://www.truphone.com/) . They give you free $1.00 worth of phone calls – u get about 20 minutes of talk time, buy more if needed. If using BB – make sure you have a WiFi enabled model.

2.Sign up for Royal Caribbean internet account in the internet cafe

3.Collect Royal Caribbean coupon books from your friends and family – take the promotional “free” internet certificates to the guest relations desk and have them apply all to you account. BTW- I advise you to setup and share a single internet account, regardless whether you are going to use it for regular internet access or making phone calls.

4.If you are going to use it a lot, consider purchasing an Internet plan (they offer a few)

5.Connect your iPhone via WiFi to RCCL network

6.Use Truphone to make a phone call. Quality was surprisingly good as long as you have good WiFi reception. Check WiFi coverage map.

It’s that simple. The one gotcha to be aware of – be sure to log off RCCL’s WiFi once you are done – otherwise you will use up your minutes whether using device or not.

I would also suggest using your trusty mobile device to send and receive an email. You can compose emails while off-line and the send and receive using only seconds of precious internet time.

Cheers

[imsulin]

Geez - I just press one button to turn my cell phone OFF for the duration of the cruise, and still manage to have a great time! Must be something wring with me.....:)

[aurelius180]

I just use my work BB. :p

[catnt2]

Having been on 12 day and longer cruises, I was determined to find a way to make inexpensive calls while on-board the ship at sea. This is especially relevant when you celebrate New Year’s during the cruise and want to call your friends and family. So – I tested this during last cruise -and it works like a charm. Here is what you need:

1.iPhone or Blackberry (I used iPhone) – load a free app called truphone (http://www.truphone.com/) . They give you free $1.00 worth of phone calls – u get about 20 minutes of talk time, buy more if needed. If using BB – make sure you have a WiFi enabled model.

2.Sign up for Royal Caribbean internet account in the internet cafe

3.Collect Royal Caribbean coupon books from your friends and family – take the promotional “free” internet certificates to the guest relations desk and have them apply all to you account. BTW- I advise you to setup and share a single internet account, regardless whether you are going to use it for regular internet access or making phone calls.

4.If you are going to use it a lot, consider purchasing an Internet plan (they offer a few)

5.Connect your iPhone via WiFi to RCCL network

6.Use Truphone to make a phone call. Quality was surprisingly good as long as you have good WiFi reception. Check WiFi coverage map.

It’s that simple. The one gotcha to be aware of – be sure to log off RCCL’s WiFi once you are done – otherwise you will use up your minutes whether using device or not.

I would also suggest using your trusty mobile device to send and receive an email. You can compose emails while off-line and the send and receive using only seconds of precious internet time.

Cheers

 

Thank you for posting this.......I am leaving for B2B on Radiance. I have 2 new barn helpers and need to check in with them. This will really help me out. Hope it works good in Mexico.

[BETEP]

I just use my work BB. :p

 

I am not sure why, but during my last cruise on the explorer my Blackberry no longer had data connection using Cellular at Sea service. I could make and receive phone calls (ATT charges $2.49/min) but not data. Could just be a glitch.

 

According to ATT, data service should be available at $.0195/KB. This is not included in your unlimited or any other data plan.

 

Rate are here:

http://www.cellularatsea.com/guest_services.htm

[aurelius180]

I am not sure why, but during my last cruise on the explorer my Blackberry no longer had data connection using Cellular at Sea service. I could make and receive phone calls (ATT charges $2.49/min) but not data. Could just be a glitch.

 

According to ATT, data service should be available at $.0195/KB. This is not included in your unlimited or any other data plan.

 

Rate are here:

http://www.cellularatsea.com/guest_services.htm

 

 

Often I find my BB won't always connect to the correct data network when moving through networks so I either power it down and turn it back on or manually choose the network.

 

It happened last time in Nassau when we were off the ship. We traveled around for most of the day only receiving one e-mail first thing in the morning while on the ship. As we were in line to embark I powered it down, turned it on and all my e-mails started flowing in.

[critterchick]

3.Collect Royal Caribbean coupon books from your friends and family – take the promotional “free” internet certificates to the guest relations desk and have them apply all to you account. BTW- I advise you to setup and share a single internet account, regardless whether you are going to use it for regular internet access or making phone calls.

 

I have the Truphone app but have never used it - I'll have to give it a try! I'm surprised that Guest Services let you apply more than your own coupons to your seapass, but that's good to know. My friends use their coupons, though, so it won't do me any good, LOL.

 

Geez - I just press one button to turn my cell phone OFF for the duration of the cruise, and still manage to have a great time! Must be something wring with me.....:)

 

Only that you're being a bit snarky:p. Not everybody can or wishes to disconnect for a week. Lucky you that you can!:)

[JanineM]

3.Collect Royal Caribbean coupon books from your friends and family – take the promotional “free” internet certificates to the guest relations desk and have them apply all to you account. BTW- I advise you to setup and share a single internet account, regardless whether you are going to use it for regular internet access or making phone calls.

 

Just a caution here --- depending on the how busy they are at Guest Relations they will limit you to one coupon per Seapass card. So I wouldn't count on this as a surefire system. (And I now wonder if an RCI lurker won't see there here and advise Guest Services to crack down :confused: )

[nutzo]

Shouldn't need this if you have T-mobile and a phone that supports UMA

I have T-mobile and a Blackberry 8900 that supports UMA. UMA is support for calls over WIFI

 

For $10 extra per month I have the "Unlimited HotSpot Calling". This allows me UNLIMITED free calling over WIFI. Makes all my calls from the office and at home free. Only problem is I now don't even com close to using up my plan minutes.

 

I might have to test this when I'm on the ship to see how well it works. :)

[nutzo]

Simple Question on Coupon books:

 

If someone gives me a Diamond Plus Coupon Book, and I'm NOT Diamond Plus (or even a Crown and Anchor member since it's my first cruise),

can I still use the coupons? Or will the ship check to see if I'm qualified to use the coupons?

[JanineM]

Simple Question on Coupon books:

 

If someone gives me a Diamond Plus Coupon Book, and I'm NOT Diamond Plus (or even a Crown and Anchor member since it's my first cruise),

can I still use the coupons? Or will the ship check to see if I'm qualified to use the coupons?

 

Sometimes they check, sometimes they don't. Chances are good that they'll check your card to see if you're a C&A member - and at the right level. If you were a Diamond Plus member it would say that on your card, but your card won't have any notation. That's a bit of a red flag, but it wouldn't hurt to try. You're really only qualified for the ONE coupon that is given to you personally - not to yours and your cabin mate's, or your cousin's ... you get my drift. Last week I had to fill in the internet coupon, but I didn't have to complete the ones for the slot pull in the casino.

[telecruiser]

I just now put it on my ipod touch 3.1 and it seems to work great with a couple test calls.

 

Dumb question here... When I use this in Europe, I guess I just dial my US numbers the regular way? 1-XXX-XXXX, yes?

[alexkrn46]

Where is this fast wifi on board? Where I connect it is so slow. Skype is free if you have a fast connection, could never connect on board.

[Kellie Poodle]

I have a netbook with Skype. The problem with the ship WiFi is that there is a lot of lag time with the satellite ISP system they use. It does work, but email works better.

[BETEP]

Where is this fast wifi on board? Where I connect it is so slow. Skype is free if you have a fast connection, could never connect on board.

Ask guest relations for a WiFi map - hotspots vary from ship to ship. I had pretty good reception on Explorer.

[BETEP]

I just now put it on my ipod touch 3.1 and it seems to work great with a couple test calls.

 

Dumb question here... When I use this in Europe, I guess I just dial my US numbers the regular way? 1-XXX-XXXX, yes?

Yes, you are correct. Just dial as usual. The app connects to truphone servers in US over the net, so location makes no difference. I guess Skype should work the same way.

Cheers

[e27insc]

I have skype going to have to try it on Freedom on Oct 4

[CanuckCruizer]

We have been trying to find a solution to keeping in touch while at sea for about five years now. We're Canadian and our cell company charges $7.00/minute compared to most American companies where it is $2.49/minute on your cell at sea. We have tried Skype and on every ship we have been on (several different cruiselines) it has been "blocked" and we were told that they block it because it requires too much bandwidth to run. So, how on earth are you able to make a phone call using "truphone" which is "VOIP" which is the same as "Skype"?

 

Canuck