Cell Phone Usage?

[tabcourt]

Unfortunately, am going to need to be in touch with folks back home. Have got a Sprint cell phone. Will it work? If not, what have others done in this situation? Can I rent something?

Mark

[Texed]

Where are you going?

[Mike2131]

Hi!

We had the need to keep in touch during our Panama Canal cruise in December. Coverage was hit-and-miss and depended on the port. As a courtesy to other passengers, we called only from the balcony of our stateroom. Obviously there is no signal while at sea.

 

Good luck!

[dkjretired]

It is going to depend on your carrier and plan as to whether you have coverage and the costs associated with roaming, long distance etc. Some islands have coverage, others don't. For example, I have verizon and incurred no charges in St. Thomas and San Juan. Check with your carrier but be cautious as some have reported on these boards that customer service told them certain islands are not covered when in fact they were.

 

Don

[Bryon]

You are fortunate in that Sprint is actually one of the best around for international service.

 

Your phone should work on a few U.S. posessions (under "North American Roaming) such as Puerto Rico and some of the USVI.

 

For other islands you will need to set up an international roaming plan and may need to get a PIN from Sprint (some systems will need a PIN, some places you could roam without). Their international roaming customer service is 888-226-7222.

 

The fly in the ointment is that a lot depends on your phone type. The carribean has a number of different networks (in part dependent on which country an island is a protectorate of--the network tends to be the same type as the mother country).

 

If you have one of the brand new tri-band GSM phones you will be fine as these work with anything that is not Japan.

 

If you have one of the dual-band phones you should be okay, but there may be few networks that you can't access.

 

If you have an older phone (and I don't know if Sprint even sells non-dual band phones these days) then you could have difficulty.

 

I've found the international roaming customer service very helpful in the past, so give them a call and tell them where you are going (specific islands) and they can work with you.

[AFT_LOVER]

I believe this is what he is talking about. Havn't used them, so don't know but expect to leave plenty to pay for them when you see the Net rates. SO contact Sprint, let them know where you will be cruising & that you will need coverage during the time period for the cruise. Also check if you will have contact only on land or at sea since there are no towers in the ocean, as yet....

[SeaGams]

As others pointed out, it depends on your destination, your provider, and the type of phone you have. I have a Nokia tri band GSM phone and AT&T wireless service with international roaming. I have used my phone to call the US from France, Italy, Mexico and the Caribbean with no problems. I would contact Sprint and tell them where you will be traveling, and let them tell you what equipment and service you will need Good luck!!:)

[Elsea]

We are missing you on the Roll Call board - please come back.

 

Elsea

[Maria&Don]

Mark & Sue - It's Maria from your "home" cruise roll call - we've been discussing ports, our flying-in times, the Caribbean weather, our first night "party" and all sorts of stuff since you last visited our Roll Call. We also have several new folks...

 

Now that it sounds like you got some good answers to your "Phone Home" dilemma, come on back and join us again! By the way, how bad is the blizzard where you guys live?

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=2821041#post2821041