Cell Phone Question

[Laeno]

I'm going to be going to Roatan next week on the Carnival Conquest. Oddly enough, I have a cousin who lives on the island.

 

My plan is to bring a cell phone (my carrier will lend out a blackberry and set it up for international use) and call him upon arrival, in case of being switched to Coxen Hole rather than the planned Mahogany Bay.

 

So my question is, are there any hick-ups that I'm not expecting that would interfere with this plan? Also, say we miss the port entirely, will I be able to call from the ship and let my cousin know?

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Guest 2000]

Many people use cell phones on the island but the only way I know to be sure YOURS will work is to call the company to find out of they have an agreement with the Honduran company that has towers on the island.

 

As far as working on the ship..again one needs a cell tower to get the phone to work.

 

My Mother took a Satellite phone to Thailand one year... I kid you not... it worked in the middle of the sea and in the hills of nowhere as long as it could see the sky. It is possible your cell provider uses a similar system.

 

Truly I believe you need have a chat with your cell provider.

 

I went both to Honduras and India last year..my cell service was willing to help out but the price was far far more than I was willing to pay. Do check out the prices, don't go into it not knowing the score. :)

[Laeno]

I've checked with my phone company. They said they could give me a loaner phone that is international capable (my current phone is not), and it's $1.49/minute. I've just never done this before, so I was concerned about whether it'd work.

[Guest 2000]

If you told them where you were going and they said it would work then my guess it it will work for $1.49/minute. They prolly have an agreement with one of the cell companies in Honduras.

 

$1.49 a minute is STEEP! whew! :D

[dololie]

You will be hit with roaming charges if you use it on the ship.

[Monkeylala]

Worryng about cell phone and getting a loaner is a lot of work for a few hours. The Island is small, if the ship cannot dock at MB it will be known by many Island wide, Same holds true if it skips the port, If your planning on getting together simply plan a meeting point at both ports, If MB isnt working your cousin cn meet you at the CH meeting place, If the ships misses port then your cousin doesn't go to either

[AtSeaWithChris]

I've checked with my phone company. They said they could give me a loaner phone that is international capable (my current phone is not), and it's $1.49/minute. I've just never done this before, so I was concerned about whether it'd work.

The ship uses Cellular at Sea while not docked. The rates are 2.49 per minute (at least with AT&T) for voice, $20 per megabyte of data, and .50 per text and 1.30 per picture or multImedia message. So if the ship misses Roatan completely, if it gets within 12 miles I think, they will deactivate onboard cell service and you can pick up local service. Otherwise you use onboard cellular service.