Pre, Post cruise, what do you all do with Internet, Data SIM phone service?

[LoveAtomy]

We will be going to a cruise and stay in Europe (Italy and Switzerland) 1 more week after the cruise.

How do you all get Internet or Data service while in Europe?

Is there a SIM that we can buy with a service for a week?

 

Also during the cruise, for those who need to be connected to Internet, how do you get connected? Do you buy the ship provided Internet package?

Thank you.

[Tommy3putts]

There are many previous threads on the issue on cc. I recommend you use the search function to locate them.

 

Here is a thread in this forum that is fairly current.

 

Buying cell and data SIMS in Italy

 

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?share_type=t&share_fid=24703&share_tid=1925022&url=http%3A%2F%2Fboards%2Ecruisecritic%2Ecom%2Fshowthread%2Ephp%3Ft%3D1925022

 

 

There is also a great wiki page on the use of SIM cards in EU.

 

http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/European_Union

 

This one is specific to Italy.

 

http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/Italy

 

Google is a wonderful thing. Good luck

 

Cheers

Tom

Edited May 11, 2017 by Tommy3putts

[Bobocasey]

I would recommend talking to your cell phone company before you go. They might have a cheap plan. Also talk to them about turning off your roaming. Which will run up your bill.

[Tommy3putts]

I would recommend talking to your cell phone company before you go. They might have a cheap plan. Also talk to them about turning off your roaming. Which will run up your bill.

 

 

 

Agreed. For example AT&T now has a good short term daily rate option. For longer stays local SIMs still may be the best bet, but maybe not.

[Hlitner]

If your cell provider is T-Mobile you are in good shape. Nearly all their regular plans work in Europe...for no extra data or text fees. Phone calls can cost 20 cents a minute in some countries...but this includes calls to nearly anywhere in the world including home.

And your phone will ring if anyone calls your number back home...unlike when you get a European SIM. By the way, if you are planning to get SIMS in Europe...make sure your phone is "unlocked." and works on the GSM standard (as opposed to the CDMA still used by a few US providers) with multi-freq capability.

We have also been told (by others) that Verizon has a pretty good deal for travelers...although you do need to add it to your plan and pay a small monthly fee.

 

Hank

[cruisinsc1]

I recently used my T-Mobile plan in Italy and it worked just fine. Cell Service for calls and texting worked great. I did find that data was not always available, but if I selected the Wind network it would then work. I also found that every restaurant I stopped in had free wi-fi available.

[LoveAtomy]

Thank you Tom for the links! I will look them up.

I did run the search here but didn't see the information I was looking for. I was hoping to hear from someone who did the travel in the 2 specific countries I mentioned :) Maybe there is a SIM or data service that work for both countries since they are neighboring a border, I don't know.

 

There are many previous threads on the issue on cc. I recommend you use the search function to locate them.

 

Here is a thread in this forum that is fairly current.

 

Buying cell and data SIMS in Italy

 

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?share_type=t&share_fid=24703&share_tid=1925022&url=http%3A%2F%2Fboards%2Ecruisecritic%2Ecom%2Fshowthread%2Ephp%3Ft%3D1925022

 

 

There is also a great wiki page on the use of SIM cards in EU.

 

http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/European_Union

 

This one is specific to Italy.

 

http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/Italy

 

Google is a wonderful thing. Good luck

 

Cheers

Tom

[Tommy3putts]

The links provided do have info on multiple country travel in the EU. Hank is a fan of TMobile as discussed above. That may be what you need. In the first link I reference "Knowroaming," which I used last fall. I liked it and is another option. It's not as complicated as it sounds. See the first link and the last four posts.

 

The EU was supposed to ban roaming charges effective in June 2017 (I believe). So in theory you could roam on one SIM in another EU country. I' m not upto date on the most recent news so you may need to do some additional searching. But those two wikia links are a good start.

 

Tom

Edited May 12, 2017 by Tommy3putts

[Tommy3putts]

Here is a BBC article from a few days ago. The ban on fees starts June 15.

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-39856384

[slidergirl]

I'm a T-Mo person also. BUT, My iPad Mini is on ATT (it's old and before T-Mo offered it and I've just never changed). When I took it to Italy, I would get a SIM card from TIM. I'd just hit up the store the first morning and get it set up. They have a couple of tourist packages, one of them is good for Europe. I just got the Italy one, 20EU for the SIM and a lot of 4G data time.

[trophy_23]

We are in Canada but when we did our trip last year (Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France) and this year (UK, France, Ireland) we just got a cheap travel plan with our local carrier. They are all considered 'zone 1' by our carrier so there was one flat monthly fee that got us minutes, texts and some data. When the data was up it just stopped working, so no worries about over charging. Most places had wifi so we didn't need that much data. Check with your local carrier.

 

 

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[C Cruise Dude]

We will be going to a cruise and stay in Europe (Italy and Switzerland) 1 more week after the cruise.

How do you all get Internet or Data service while in Europe?

Is there a SIM that we can buy with a service for a week?

 

Also during the cruise, for those who need to be connected to Internet, how do you get connected? Do you buy the ship provided Internet package?

Thank you.

 

Last fall in Barcelona I used Knowroaming. It worked great when I arrived in Europe (switched to the Knowroaming card ) I had a problem after the first day but it was because I didn't check my email before leaving and download an important update. I plan to use it again in Rome next Fall. https://www.knowroaming.com

[Cindy]

We just got back from a three week land/cruise trip that included Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Malta, Greece, and Montenegro. We used the new AT&T international plan for one phone...for $10/day we could use the phone just as we would at home for voice, text, and data. It worked great! I wouldn't want to use it for too much longer than we did, but for our purposes it was the easiest thing to do. I did need to make several calls, send texts, etc. as well as use data. I was only charged the $10/day, so it worked as advertised.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[phillygirl2400]

Sprint also has a free international texting and data plan. Calls are $.20 per minute. We used it on our unlocked iPhone in Spain. Check out Sprint's website for details.

 

 

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[cruisequeen4ever]

We just got back from a three week land/cruise trip that included Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Malta, Greece, and Montenegro. We used the new AT&T international plan for one phone...for $10/day we could use the phone just as we would at home for voice, text, and data. It worked great! I wouldn't want to use it for too much longer than we did, but for our purposes it was the easiest thing to do. I did need to make several calls, send texts, etc. as well as use data. I was only charged the $10/day, so it worked as advertised.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

 

We are planning on using that, too. Does it utilize your existing plan, whatever you have? Like if you have 15 GB of data at home, that's what you can use in Europe? And did you just leave yourself connected on the ship, too, or just while in port?

 

 

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[Clarea]

We are planning on using that, too. Does it utilize your existing plan, whatever you have? Like if you have 15 GB of data at home, that's what you can use in Europe? And did you just leave yourself connected on the ship, too, or just while in port?

The AT&T International Plan does not include Cellular at Sea (cruise ship) coverage.

 

AT&T cruise ship plans: https://www.att.com/offers/international-plans/cruise-packages.html

[Cindy]

We are planning on using that, too. Does it utilize your existing plan, whatever you have? Like if you have 15 GB of data at home, that's what you can use in Europe? And did you just leave yourself connected on the ship, too, or just while in port?

 

 

 

The AT&T International Plan does not include Cellular at Sea (cruise ship) coverage.

 

 

The AT&T International plan uses your existing plan and makes it portable. I used voice, text, and data, and was never charged anything above the daily $10 fee. I liked that you only paid for the days you used, so on our sea day there was no charge.

 

Bob is right...it doesn't cover the ship. I put my phone on airplane mode as soon as we got on the ship each day, and was careful to use only the ship's wifi.

 

 

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[cruisequeen4ever]

Perfect; thank you, guys!

 

 

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[AnnetteSC]

I read all the replies here but still have some questions...

I have Verizon for my iPhone and, when I called them, they offered the $10 per day plan that can be used only when off the ship. If you're in Europe for a couple of weeks or more, that could add up.

I have my email and cell number listed with the tour company we booked our excursions with and would like to be able to check email in addition to making/receiving calls and texts to family both back home (US) and in Europe.

For people who have Verizon and have had a similar dilemma, what would you recommend? Thanks!

PS- Will using iMessage, Facetime and whatsapp in a free WiFi zone result in roaming charges despite the fact they are free services?

[Tommy3putts]

I read all the replies here but still have some questions...

I have Verizon for my iPhone and, when I called them, they offered the $10 per day plan that can be used only when off the ship. If you're in Europe for a couple of weeks or more, that could add up.

I have my email and cell number listed with the tour company we booked our excursions with and would like to be able to check email in addition to making/receiving calls and texts to family both back home (US) and in Europe.

For people who have Verizon and have had a similar dilemma, what would you recommend? Thanks!

PS- Will using iMessage, Facetime and whatsapp in a free WiFi zone result in roaming charges despite the fact they are free services?

 

 

Hi Anneette

 

If your Verizon iPhone is less than 3 or 4 years old and unlocked and you will be in Europe for more than a week or two, buying a local SIM card may be your cheapest option given what you ask. There are some downsides, (like you'll have a local number associated with the SIM card in whatever country your in). But there are easy call forwarding work arounds.

 

Take a look at the links I provided above about SIM cards. Several good options. In Italy I like TIM or Vodafone.

 

Also free WIFI is plentiful almost everywhere in Europe.

 

Happy travels

 

Cheers!

 

Tom

Edited June 5, 2017 by Tommy3putts

[AnnetteSC]

Hi Anneette

 

If your Verizon iPhone is less than 3 or 4 years old and unlocked and you will be in Europe for more than a week or two, buying a local SIM card may be your cheapest option given what you ask. There are some downsides, (like you'll have a local number associated with the SIM card in whatever country your in). But there are easy call forwarding work arounds.

 

Take a look at the links I provided above about SIM cards. Several good options. In Italy I like TIM or Vodafone.

 

Also free WIFI is plentiful almost everywhere in Europe.

 

Happy travels

 

Cheers!

 

Tom

Thank you so much, Tom!

[AnnetteSC]

I'm sorry to bother you again, Tom, but you seem very knowledgeable in this field.

My iPhone is indeed unlocked so it should not be a problem getting a European SIM card for it. I'll try to get one as soon as we get to Europe (we land in Nice) and, hopefully, the airport will have a shop where I can get one.

I want to get a card that can be used to call back home in the US; can be used in multiple European countries (for our Mediterranean cruise), and has a data plan for emails, etc.

Now, for my questions, will I still be able to send and receive iMessages for free in a WiFi zone? Or use whatsapp? Will my contacts remain on my phone or will they be temporarily unavailable?

I apologize for my ignorance on this subject. I even tried googling but ended up more confused...

Thanks!

[Tommy3putts]

I'm sorry to bother you again, Tom, but you seem very knowledgeable in this field.

My iPhone is indeed unlocked so it should not be a problem getting a European SIM card for it. I'll try to get one as soon as we get to Europe (we land in Nice) and, hopefully, the airport will have a shop where I can get one.

I want to get a card that can be used to call back home in the US; can be used in multiple European countries (for our Mediterranean cruise), and has a data plan for emails, etc.

Now, for my questions, will I still be able to send and receive iMessages for free in a WiFi zone? Or use whatsapp? Will my contacts remain on my phone or will they be temporarily unavailable?

I apologize for my ignorance on this subject. I even tried googling but ended up more confused...

Thanks!

 

Hi Annette

 

See answers.

 

Now, for my questions, will I still be able to send and receive iMessages for free in a WiFi zone?

 

Yes

 

Or use whatsapp?

 

Yes if you want. WhatsApp is just like iMessages, only it is an App that 1) can be used across all smartphone platforms. 2) uses your data from your data plan. 3) assuming those on the other end have the app also.

 

Will my contacts remain on my phone or will they be temporarily unavailable?

 

1. Yes 2. No you can access all your contacts. But your cell phone number will be different. You must make sure family and friends know this.

 

 

I apologize for my ignorance on this subject. I even tried googling but ended up more confused...

 

 

Not a problem. Happy to help. I recommend checking the links I shared earlier. All of this is covered in detail. There are also tons of helpful internet pages with international travel tips for cell phone use, so keep googling.

 

The most important thing to know is you are using mostly DATA now with your iMessage, WhatsApp or FB messenger. SMS texts and charges for calls are not as big a deal as they once were. The amount of data on any plan is what is important. 3 or 4 GB for a month should be plenty, especially if you use free wifi when available.

 

Also get familiar with your FaceTime app (same for WhatsApp). It's not just video calling. You can make audio only calls just using Data.

 

As of June 15, 2017, you "should" be able to use a SIM card purchased in France in other European countries with no roaming fees. Roaming fees are supposed to be banned as if this date. You'll need to do a bit of research before you travel to see what is your best option for starting in France. I'm not as familiar with their providers. Post a question in the France port of call. CC forum.

 

I'd check out Vodafone as a starting point. The are all over Europe. Also don't buy the SIM at the airport. You'll get a better deal at a local store. They are everywhere.

 

It is not as hard as it sounds. Read those links I shared and do some more surfing on the internet.

 

Here is a 2016 NYT article. It's a bit dated now as to AT&T and Verizon plans, but still Good discussion on the issue of using local SIMs.

 

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/26/technology/personaltech/a-travelers-guide-to-taking-a-smartphone-abroad.html

 

Good luck

 

Tom

Edited June 6, 2017 by Tommy3putts

[AnnetteSC]

Thanks again for all your help, Tom!

[AnnetteSC]

Just when I thought I finally understood this whole concept, I have one more question that I had forgotten to ask....

How does the new European Sim card affect the Apple watch associated with that iPhone?

If anyone knows, I'd really appreciate your help. Thanks!