Cell Phones at Sea

[Hobie1976]

Has anybody recently used a Verizon Global package recently.

Looks like they changed their plans, so only high pay as you go rates while on board.

 

I prepurchased Vroom, but wanted a back up plan, just in case issues with the cell service onboard.

 

Thanks

[reallyitsmema]

Has anybody recently used a Verizon Global package recently.

Looks like they changed their plans, so only high pay as you go rates while on board.

 

I prepurchased Vroom, but wanted a back up plan, just in case issues with the cell service onboard.

 

Thanks

 

If you are buying wifi for the ship, why not just use wifi calling if you are making calls from the ship? No need to pay the pay as you go rates for cellular calling if you have Voom.

[easyboy]

Has anybody recently used a Verizon Global package recently.

Looks like they changed their plans, so only high pay as you go rates while on board.

 

I prepurchased Vroom, but wanted a back up plan, just in case issues with the cell service onboard.

Thanks

What do you mean by issues? Cell service of Verizon?

[FloatMe]

If you have phone that supports WiFi calling than you should have zero issues callin and texting while on board the ship. If you wanted to include a verizon international plan to ensure coverage while on land in port?? Cost would still be pretty steep if you were to utilize the ships cellular service. I have verizon''s travel pass which is $2/day in Mexico & Canada, and $10/day in a large list of other countries, charged only on days that it is used.

[Biker19]

If you have phone that supports WiFi calling than you should have zero issues callin and texting while on board the ship.

 

You can't really say that - WiFi is fairly good but nowhere as reliable as typical cell service on land. A simple sat outage could cut off all internet.

Edited November 24, 2016 by Biker19

[FloatMe]

You can't really say that - WiFi is fairly good but nowhere as reliable as typical cell service on land. A simple sat outage could cut off all internet.

Agreed, however speaking solely about the cell service on the ships Not on land), it is far less stable than the voom wifi on RC ships. cellular at sea It is cdma at best GSM at worst and also reliant on satellite. It has extremely inconsistent coverage throughout the various areas of the ship (or non available in state rooms).

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[nevin-deb]

Verizon's International options no longer provide any allowance on any cruise ship.

 

All usage under the cruise ship's cellular system is billed at Pay as You Go rates. $1.79/Min, 50 Cents to send a plain text, 5 cents to receive, data is billed at $2.05/MB (440MB = $1,000)

 

TravelPass will work when you are in port and the ship's cellular service is turned off. If the country is one of the covered ones.

 

PS: I know a lot about the international offerings of VZW, as I deal with it daily.

[Patsfan3]

Forgive me for being old, what do you mean by use wifi calling?

[Clarea]

Forgive me for being old, what do you mean by use wifi calling?

It's a relatively new option whereby you get full cell phone functionality over WiFi, without connecting to the cell network.

 

You have to have the right phone, right operating system version, and right carrier.

[Patsfan3]

It may be to complicated for us.

[reallyitsmema]

Forgive me for being old, what do you mean by use wifi calling?

 

Wifi calling allows you to make calls while connected to wifi as opposed to using a cellular signal. Verizon charges $1.79 per minute for calls while on the ship. The OP already purchased Voom to surf the internet. They can put their phone in airplane mode to turn off cellular and enable wifi calls and all of their calls to the US will be free.

[Patsfan3]

We have iphone 6 and 6s, can we do this? I have already pre-purchased wifi. Can we call each other and text each other?

[reallyitsmema]

We have iphone 6 and 6s, can we do this? I have already pre-purchased wifi. Can we call each other and text each other?

 

Yes, if you each have a Voom package. If you only have a one device package, you would have to leave one phone on cellular and incur those charges. I would set up wifi calling before you leave for your cruise as you have a few steps to go through, including putting in an address for 911 calling. You will see wifi calling under settings>phone>wifi calling. I set it up prior to our cruise and then turned it off until I was on the ship. Once on the ship, I put my phone in airplane mode, enabled wifi and then turned on wifi calling.

[Clarea]

We have iphone 6 and 6s, can we do this? I have already pre-purchased wifi. Can we call each other and text each other?

Check with your carrier, you may have to upgrade your IOS.

[north29]

I was in South Africa, and for $40 I had 100 minutes of talk/text/some data. It was great. I was leaving for Greece/Europe and signed up for the same thing, NOT, they or some how it was changed to another plan, which cost $10 a day. Since I left my phone on(other plan) I had a much larger bill. Went to the Verizon store and thought they took care of it, but apparently not.

[Snit13]

Very good posts with valuable information. So nice to read thread with no nasty remarks.

 

I guess this means my "push here dummy" phone won't work on the ship under any of these plans. Somehow I/we will survive and enjoy Oasis.

 

Thanks for the great, understandable help.

[cruise47]

Thanks for sharing this thread and posts. This is some awesome information and advice.

[Hobie1976]

Has anyone paid the 7.95 to stay connected with those on board?

It advertises better connection for land calls, but didn't mention the price. Thanks

[martyap]

I know you can set up your iPhone for wifi calling but how would it work if you were calling a landline? I use Viber which is a wifi calling app. If I call another cellphone that has Viber the call is free. In addition, I have a Viber account which I pre loaded with funds, usually $10. If I call a non Viber phone, cell or landline, my account is charged usually a few cents per call. It is rather easy and straightforward and as long as I am wifi connected it works great.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Edited November 26, 2016 by martyap

[FloatMe]

I know you can set up your iPhone for wifi calling but how would it work if you were calling a landline? I use Viber which is a wifi calling app. If I call another cellphone that has Viber the call is free. In addition, I have a Viber account which I pre loaded with funds, usually $10. If I call a non Viber phone, cell or landline, my account is charged usually a few cents per call. It is rather easy and straightforward and as long as I am wifi connected it works great.

 

 

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WiFi enabled devices work just like any other phone with ability to call any #. No 3rd party app required. I was just on Allure and my Samsung S6/ verizon worked flawlessly! Incidentally I also work at a facility that gets terrible mobile network coverage & and most of my daily business is conducted using WiFi calling.

 

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk

[Frick_&_Frack]

I used to buy the Verizon coverage (and I did on my last cruise for the land days); however, I used Skype - voice only - for wifi calling (Motorola Droid Turbo). It was fine (though, on NCL, internet was way, way spotty). But, as is always the case, there was a massive emergency and I needed to be on the phone at sea. It did work.

 

Just wish Verizon would go back to the plan they used to offer though. :(

[Clarea]

I know you can set up your iPhone for wifi calling but how would it work if you were calling a landline? I use Viber which is a wifi calling app. If I call another cellphone that has Viber the call is free. In addition, I have a Viber account which I pre loaded with funds, usually $10. If I call a non Viber phone, cell or landline, my account is charged usually a few cents per call. It is rather easy and straightforward and as long as I am wifi connected it works great.

WiFi calling would be like making a call from your home area. No matter where you are in the world, if you make a call that would be free from your home area, it's free using WiFi calling. Likewise, if you are calling a number that would cost extra from home, it will cost extra using WiFi calling.

[blackshirt]

I know you can set up your iPhone for wifi calling but how would it work if you were calling a landline? I use Viber which is a wifi calling app. If I call another cellphone that has Viber the call is free. In addition, I have a Viber account which I pre loaded with funds, usually $10. If I call a non Viber phone, cell or landline, my account is charged usually a few cents per call. It is rather easy and straightforward and as long as I am wifi connected it works great.

Don't confuse "wifi calling" with calling over wifi. "Wifi calling" is a carrier feature that allows your phone to connect to your carrier's cellular network over wifi instead of through a cell tower. Any call made is treated exactly the same as if you were connected to a cell tower. Apps like Viber have nothing to do with your carrier.

[martyap]

Don't confuse "wifi calling" with calling over wifi. "Wifi calling" is a carrier feature that allows your phone to connect to your carrier's cellular network over wifi instead of through a cell tower. Any call made is treated exactly the same as if you were connected to a cell tower. Apps like Viber have nothing to do with your carrier.

I'm a little closer to understanding. Instead of using my separate Viber app I could use wi-fi calling with my iphone via verizon. Are these steps correct?

1. Go to Settings>Phone>WiFi Calling.......tap wi-fi calling On

2. Enable wi-fi calling and enter an emergency address

 

Do I then.......put the phone in airplane mode and connect to the ship's wi-fi? Is that it?????

[FloatMe]

I'm a little closer to understanding. Instead of using my separate Viber app I could use wi-fi calling with my iphone via verizon. Are these steps correct?

1. Go to Settings>Phone>WiFi Calling.......tap wi-fi calling On

2. Enable wi-fi calling and enter an emergency address

 

Do I then.......put the phone in airplane mode and connect to the ship's wi-fi? Is that it?????

Correct

 

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