Ship to Shore Calling Rates

[beyer4]

Can anyone please tell me the current Ship to Shore calling Rate per minute? I'm particularly interested in the charges on the Spirit, in case they are different from ship to ship. Last year it was $.99 per minute but that may not be accurate anymore. We sail this Saturday and due to illness may need to connect for updates. Thanks in advance

[NurseDave]

"The rates vary according to cellular phone carrier and the pricing /roaming plan which you have established with them directly. The charges incurred will appear on your normal mobile carrier's bill you receive at home. For more information on exact pricing contact your carrier or visit their webpage."

[beyer4]

"The rates vary according to cellular phone carrier and the pricing /roaming plan which you have established with them directly. The charges incurred will appear on your normal mobile carrier's bill you receive at home. For more information on exact pricing contact your carrier or visit their webpage."

 

I'm not planning to use my cell phone, I'm wondering about rates using the phone in my stateroom. Ship to shore prices for using the phone in my room. Sorry for the confusion.

[herdingdogmom]

I'm not planning to use my cell phone, I'm wondering about rates using the phone in my stateroom. Ship to shore prices for using the phone in my room. Sorry for the confusion.

 

It was $4.99 a minute on the Sun last week.

[NurseDave]

It was $4.99 a minute on the Sun last week.

 

I think in this case you should be able to bring a service carrier pigeon on board.

[calmpets]

A few weeks ago we had to place a ship to shore call to my uncle on the Anthem of the Seas (Royal Caribbean). It billed at $7.99 per minute. Not sure what the exact rate is for NCL, but I'd assume it's in that ballpark.

[njhorseman]

A few weeks ago we had to place a ship to shore call to my uncle on the Anthem of the Seas (Royal Caribbean). It billed at $7.99 per minute. Not sure what the exact rate is for NCL, but I'd assume it's in that ballpark.

 

It's not in that ballpark. On all my recent NCL cruises...three in the last 4 months...the price has been $4.99 per minute

[Skoepper]

Best and least expensive option is through the iconcierge app. We used this a few times during our 2014 cruise to check in diabetic numbers for my wife who was pregnant at the time. I may be mistaken, but i think those calls were $0.79 per minute. Much better than room phone rate.

[LrgPizza]

Best and least expensive option is through the iconcierge app. We used this a few times during our 2014 cruise to check in diabetic numbers for my wife who was pregnant at the time. I may be mistaken, but i think those calls were $0.79 per minute. Much better than room phone rate.

 

This is what we did when we needed to call home for an emergency.

[2hearted]

It is $4.99 to call from the ship to land, but it is $7.99 to call from land to a ship's room.

[Skoepper]

Best and least expensive option is through the iconcierge app. We used this a few times during our 2014 cruise to check in diabetic numbers for my wife who was pregnant at the time. I may be mistaken, but i think those calls were $0.79 per minute. Much better than room phone rate.

Confirmed - Just found our OBC detail from the March 2014 cruise on breakaway. We all 3 had iconcierge on our phones so we could be in contact throughout the ship. There is a one time charge (per device) of $7.95 so you have to take that into consideration - but it was worth it for us to be able to keep in touch with our daughter AND each other wherever we were. Once you have the app, calls to landline calls while at sea or in port - on their network - are $0.79 per minute from the convenience of your cell phone. Whether this rate has changed over the past two years, I don't know - but I can definitely now confirm that it WAS only 79 cents/min from the app. Cabin calls would have been 4.99 per minute.

[bbryan5]

Last year it was $.99 per minute

 

Are you sure? I have been cruising NCL for about 5 years, and I don't remember it ever being that cheap.

[NMLady]

Are you sure? I have been cruising NCL for about 5 years, and I don't remember it ever being that cheap.

 

Me too. The cheapest I ever saw was a promotional rate of $1.99 per minute.

But that was a short promotion. Regular cost is usually much more.

 

We have Verizon and in emergency it would be cheaper for us to use our cell phones and pay the $2.49 per minute rate.

[mking8288]

Last year on the Breakaway (March 2015, October & November 2015) - the posted Stateroom to Shore telephone (satellite/maritime) calling rate was $4.99 per minute as seen here - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/64025118/2015%20NCL%20BA/IMG20150322_1553%20%28768x1024%29.jpg

 

iConcierge calling (over ship's WiFi intranet) on airplane mode, cellular data OFF - typically with smartphone - was 55 cents a minute (from other posts here on CC) previously but quoted at 79 cents a minute in 2015 on the Breakaway, with all the NCL disclaimers, yada yada :p ;) - as it's satellite-based over ultra long distance above the earth (extreme weather, clouds & solar storm, etc. could affect the reliability and latency of the services offered ...)

 

OP, post-cruise, please do confirm sharing & come back to post your rates, review of the services, etc. to pass along the wisdom. Meanwhile, we are switching over to Google's Project Fi ourselves (access to both Sprint & T-Mobile's networks, both GSM & CDMA, up to 4G LTE speed) ... and is going to be very interesting.