How can someone get a phone message to me?

[MiddleAgedBroad]

I have a new Droid and still haven't figured out how to actually turn it off so it doesn't receive data (can anyone help?) because I don't want to be charged for the constant stream of data updates. Is there a land number that someone can call at Carnival if they need to get a message to me? I have two parents in their 80's and a 10-year-old kitty with what may be an ear infection and my housesitter may want to verify whether to take her to the vet while we're away. Hopefully it's nothing worse.

 

Can anyone offer any wise voices of experience on this? Thanks.

[ssatterly]

I am wondering the same thing?

[FloridaGators]

Somewhere in your documents there is a number that folks can reach the ship if there is an emergency.

Turn off the Droid while on the ship........it will cost you a fortune.......at least make sure you are on "airplane mode".

Set up a seperate e-mail account just for these folks to use and if there is a problem they can send you email and you can check it once a day on the ship.

[jetskier]

It would be cheaper to use the onboard internet. Here is the contact number.

 

 

Friends and family may call guests on board via Sea Mobile Shore-to-Ship telephone service. The rate is $9.50 per minute from the United States; additional long distance charges may apply from outside the United States.

 

1-877-CCLSHIP (1-877-225-7447) – from the U.S

1-732-335-3284 - from outside the U.S

 

The caller needs to have available the ship name and the guest's name. The charges will be applied to the caller's credit card: MasterCard; Visa; American Express; The Discover Card; Diner's Club.

[jetskier]

duplicate

[firefly333]

You can call them from your ports, and check in for about 40 cents a minute from internet cafes.

 

I might get flamed, but a housesitter calling about a ear infection update for your kitty isnt a emegency to me ... Carnival does have a number you can call and they will get a message to the purser's desk to contact you. I would think this was for life and death issues though. Not for just "leaving a message" for you to call your housesitter back about your kitty. You need to get a cell phone, get on the internet, be more proactive contacting those you want to stay in contact with.

 

I too have older parents.

[pokergirl34]

We use the ship's wifi and take a laptop. Next time we sail w/o our kids we'll take my iTouch for email (still using the ship's wifi). When we sail w/ our kids, we don't do email but give our parents the emergency number. Really it better be very serious to call us. I don't care if my house collapses etc. If it's something need to get back for (like imminent death of a close loved one) then call us. Otherwise it all can wait until we get back.

 

But as I stated before, if the kids aren't with us, we keep in contact every day by email.

[momof4boys]

At the top of your droid there is a button to push. A message will then display asking if you want the phone off and you touch ok.

 

If you have verizon, call them and ask them to put you on global rates---while you are out of the country.

 

Turn OFF the phone while you are on the ship. Do NOT turn it on while on the ship --even in port--you will encur ship charges. When you get off the ship, you can turn on the phone and call home for very little extra.

 

Be sure to turn that phone off when you get ready to get back on after visiting port. When you get back from your trip, call your carrier and have them change you back to your regular phone plan.

 

We did this in June and it worked great!!

 

Happy Sailing.

[gdisney]

Turn OFF the phone while you are on the ship. Do NOT turn it on while on the ship --even in port--you will encur ship charges. When you get off the ship, you can turn on the phone and call home for very little extra.

 

Actually if you're on the ship close enough to a port of your own country to receive your normal wireless signal, you can use your phone on the ship without extra charges. My phone has a display that tells which service it's accessing; in my case it shows AT&T until we get far enough away from land to switch over to Cellular at Sea.

 

Check with you cell provider to see what your international rates are; you're phone is most likely way cheaper than using the ships phone system, if you need to call and check in.

 

Your phone likely has an airplane mode as others suggested, but it should have a way to also turn off data service so that the phone would still receive emergency calls

[CRZCRAZY]

Many times I've noticed that as long as the ship is tied to the pier or anchored, the Cellular at Sea is off, but the minute we dropped limes from the pier it was turned back on and the phone switched to that system. In port we used to call without having to worry about the ship's system, and in PR, USVI, Catalina, etc it was considered local phone service for us.

[lillian marie]

I made the mistake of calling before the ship was tied to the pier and was charged the cellular at sea charge but it was for only 2 minutes.