Phone Calls (AT&T) and Internet Questions

[Quincella]

For the first time ever, I need to be able to make and receive phone calls while at sea and while in port. I will also need to purchase an internet plan, again for the first time ever while at sea.

 

I have an AT&T iPhone, as does the person who I will be calling / will be calling me.

 

I believe that the charge will be $2.50 per minute while at sea, or whatever the international roaming rate is while connected to an international tower and not the ship's Cellular at Sea tower. We'll be sailing to St. Thomas (where all charges are the same as domestic), St. Martin, and Nassau.

 

My first question: Has anyone actually used their AT&T phone to make and receive calls while at sea? If so, is the $2.50/min accurate? And did you purchase and international roaming plan to cover those times when on shore?

 

My second question: Did you just turn off international data roaming, and leave everything else on?

 

My third question: Regarding internet, can someone tell me about any of the package rates? I'll be purchasing it on Day 1. And I realize it's pretty slow, but should I reasonably expect to be able to check Facebook in 5 minutes or less? FB messaging is the other way I'll be keeping in touch, using my iPhone.

 

Anything else I need to know?

[Tricialy]

I don't know about your AT&T service- but as for the internet, you should be able to connect to Facebook that quickly - we purchased it on our Baltic Cruise (we were selling a house, so had to be able to hear from the agent) - and it wasn't as slow as I expected - just make sure you "log off" at the end of the session, or your timer will still count your usage. Also, I'm not sure, but you might be able to compose messages through the FB messenger APP without actually being online. Might save you some time.

[Baseball fan]

I have AT&T. I shut off data roaming but I can use it when I find free wifi. Data charges are expensive. You pay the minute it starts searching for your incoming mail, etc.

 

I do generally buy the international plan when traveling so I get a discount on the per minute cost of a call. I tend to use my phones for emergencies only when traveling but I don't leave it on all of the time. I am not sure if this changed, but you will pay for an incoming call also when your phone is on....and if you don't answer it, you will pay for the message they leave (also when the phone is on). The charge is the same as an outgoing call.

 

Dena

[garycarla]

Calls are $2.50 per minute. Does not matter if the other person has ATT, land line ,or whatever. No other charges, just the $2.50 per minute. Works fine. We do it on most cruises.

 

Getaway is working on a data volume plan vs a per minute. Either way, you get internet.

 

To avoid high ATT data charges, just turn off data roaming.

 

We have not used intl data/phone plans. They are not that great.

[Quincella]

Perfect. Thanks.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[QuiGonJohn]

I was looking into AT&T info, use on NCL. Someone listed that you will get charged $1 per incoming call and $1 per voicemail, even if you do not answer or check the VM. That does not seem correct. What if you leave the phone off entirely while on the ship, then just check VM and make any callbacks when off the ship in port. We are doing Alaska cruise next week, so almost all ports are in the US. Except Vancouver at the end of the cruise.

Edited September 3, 2014 by QuiGonJohn

[Baseball fan]

I was looking into AT&T info, use on NCL. Someone listed that you will get charged $1 per incoming call and $1 per voicemail, even if you do not answer or check the VM. That does not seem correct. What if you leave the phone off entirely while on the ship, then just check VM and make any callbacks when off the ship in port. We are doing Alaska cruise next week, so almost all ports are in the US. Except Vancouver at the end of the cruise.

 

 

If the phone is off, you do not pay for the call.

 

Only if it is on, whether you answer it or let it go to voicemail. Then the cost is the same as if you called someone or answered the phone.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[garycarla]

I was looking into AT&T info, use on NCL. Someone listed that you will get charged $1 per incoming call and $1 per voicemail, even if you do not answer or check the VM. That does not seem correct. ...

 

You are 100% correct. Where was it posted about the $1 fee? Never, ever heard of that.

[QuiGonJohn]

I don't really remember. I had done a google search on "cellular at sea at&t NCL" and it was one of the results, some other forum post somewhere.

 

I found it in my history:

 

http://texags.com/forums/30/topics/2276818

 

Post made by AgProgrammer at 11:16am, look down the page, his para #4. And it was 1 min charge, not $1, my mistake on that.

Edited September 3, 2014 by QuiGonJohn

[garycarla]

that link has so much bad information, it is actually sad or funny?