Sim Card recommendation for Sea Days

[KDance]

Has anyone found any sim cards that provide coverage during sea days in the Caribbean?

 

Recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

[Biker19]

It makes no real diff what SIM you have in the phone - they all go through the ships' cell tower on sea days and typically at the same price. You have to determine your usage to see if using the ships' tower is more cost effective a than VOOM internet package.

[papaflamingo]

We have AT&T and our kids have Verizon. Both offer "wifi calling." It's a setting in your phone, it's free. All you have to do is turn it on in your phone. We have an Iphone, but I understand that Androids also have the function. It's a "wonderful thing." If your phone is connected to the internet, you can place it in "airplane" mode, turn on your wifi, and it will bias to "wifi calling." It will also do this if the wifi signal is stronger than a cell signal, but to guarantee it, put it in "airplane" mode. You can tell it's on "wifi calling" if you look at where the carrier is noted, upper left on an Iphone, and if it says "ATTwifi" or "VZWwifi" you are on "wifi calling" and not on the cell towers. We used it on our Oasis cruise a few weeks ago as we were all in suites that included free VOOM per person. It works FANTASTIC! You can make calls, send texts, etc. for free to a domestic number. The number you call doesn't need to be in the U.S., it only has to be a domestic number. We used it all week on board to keep in touch. If you go ashore and log into a wifi you can again use it. It works anywhere when your phone is on wifi. I have used it throughout Europe as well as the Caribbean, and on 3 cruises this year. One in Norway, one in the Baltics, and on our last Oasis cruise. Check it out. Full service for price of the internet, and you still have full internet.

[Charles4515]

Has anyone found any sim cards that provide coverage during sea days in the Caribbean?

 

Recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

 

All cell coverage on sea days is thru Cellular at Sea. Only major cell carrier plans have agrrements to roam on Cellular at Sea. You won't be able to buy a sim card that will roam on Cellular at Sea.

 

The best way to get coverage during sea days is buying a ships wifi plan and using WiFi calling if your carrier has it and your phone can do it.

[blackshirt]

All cell coverage on sea days is thru Cellular at Sea. Only major cell carrier plans have agrrements to roam on Cellular at Sea. You won't be able to buy a sim card that will roam on Cellular at Sea.

 

The best way to get coverage during sea days is buying a ships wifi plan and using WiFi calling if your carrier has it and your phone can do it.

Just to add to the above, there are no prepaid services that will work on Cellular at Sea. Only major cell carriers and postpaid service with that carrier.

[KDance]

Thank you very much :)

[jamesr3939]

We did the same as "papaflamingo" and it worked great as he posted. Just to add, ATT includes Mexico in their plans so any cel service when in a Mexican port is include in the ATT plan.

 

I used ships WiFi while at sea and Nassau (didn't get off). I used ATT 4G in port at Cozumel and Costa Maya.

[BirdTravels]

You have to pay the rates that YOUR cellular carrier charges. Our carrier has a package for RCCL ships. Not cheap, but better than charging by the minute.

[SRF]

FYI, T-mobile also supports wifi calling. And has a much better international plan for port days. :)

 

Also, you need to activate wifi calling the first while you have a cellular signal. Once it has been activated, you do not need cell service. So do this BEFORE the cruise.

[jamesr3939]

You have to pay the rates that YOUR cellular carrier charges. Our carrier has a package for RCCL ships. Not cheap, but better than charging by the minute.

 

ATT has that "cruise ship" package also. But you only get charged for it if you use cellular. If you just connect to the ship's WiFi then it's whatever the ship charges. We had a suite so our WiFi was "free" and I could do anything I normally do with my IPhone phone on WiFi. I could text (on/off ship), voice call, FaceTime, and send photos/videos.

[jamesr3939]

Also, you need to activate wifi calling the first while you have a cellular signal. Once it has been activated, you do not need cell service. So do this BEFORE the cruise.

 

Didn't know that, I activated mine when I got my first IPhone that supported it while still at home.

Edited November 4, 2017 by jamesr3939

[Ned11]

We have AT&T and our kids have Verizon. Both offer "wifi calling." It's a setting in your phone, it's free. All you have to do is turn it on in your phone. We have an Iphone, but I understand that Androids also have the function. It's a "wonderful thing." If your phone is connected to the internet, you can place it in "airplane" mode, turn on your wifi, and it will bias to "wifi calling." It will also do this if the wifi signal is stronger than a cell signal, but to guarantee it, put it in "airplane" mode. You can tell it's on "wifi calling" if you look at where the carrier is noted, upper left on an Iphone, and if it says "ATTwifi" or "VZWwifi" you are on "wifi calling" and not on the cell towers. We used it on our Oasis cruise a few weeks ago as we were all in suites that included free VOOM per person. It works FANTASTIC! You can make calls, send texts, etc. for free to a domestic number. The number you call doesn't need to be in the U.S., it only has to be a domestic number. We used it all week on board to keep in touch. If you go ashore and log into a wifi you can again use it. It works anywhere when your phone is on wifi. I have used it throughout Europe as well as the Caribbean, and on 3 cruises this year. One in Norway, one in the Baltics, and on our last Oasis cruise. Check it out. Full service for price of the internet, and you still have full internet.

 

 

 

That is so useful. Thanks for the info.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[papaflamingo]

That is so useful. Thanks for the info.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You're more than welcome.

[KDance]

I went for the on board WIFI, I have T-Mobile too with International so think I'm all set :)

[pomgo]

We have AT&T and our kids have Verizon. Both offer "wifi calling." It's a setting in your phone, it's free. All you have to do is turn it on in your phone. We have an Iphone, but I understand that Androids also have the function. It's a "wonderful thing." If your phone is connected to the internet, you can place it in "airplane" mode, turn on your wifi, and it will bias to "wifi calling." It will also do this if the wifi signal is stronger than a cell signal, but to guarantee it, put it in "airplane" mode. You can tell it's on "wifi calling" if you look at where the carrier is noted, upper left on an Iphone, and if it says "ATTwifi" or "VZWwifi" you are on "wifi calling" and not on the cell towers. We used it on our Oasis cruise a few weeks ago as we were all in suites that included free VOOM per person. It works FANTASTIC! You can make calls, send texts, etc. for free to a domestic number. The number you call doesn't need to be in the U.S., it only has to be a domestic number. We used it all week on board to keep in touch. If you go ashore and log into a wifi you can again use it. It works anywhere when your phone is on wifi. I have used it throughout Europe as well as the Caribbean, and on 3 cruises this year. One in Norway, one in the Baltics, and on our last Oasis cruise. Check it out. Full service for price of the internet, and you still have full internet.

Thanks for so much info going to try on Ovation Nov 23rd. However, didn't know what is meant by Domestic No.? We are from Australia and will be getting free internet while on board. Regards

[Charles4515]

Thanks for so much info going to try on Ovation Nov 23rd. However, didn't know what is meant by Domestic No.? We are from Australia and will be getting free internet while on board. Regards

 

 

With WiFi Calling you are on your home plan over the internet. So whatever plan you have at home you have over Wi-Fi when on the ships Wi-Fi or any Wi-Fi hot spot. So domestics number would be whatever is included in your home plan. Your data allowed would be whatever it is on your home plan. Ditto texts. All the major US carriers support it on capable phones. Recent phones support it. So your Australian carrier would have to support it. They probably do if you have a phone that can be set up for it.

Edited November 6, 2017 by Charles4515

[uksimonusa]

Thanks for so much info going to try on Ovation Nov 23rd. However, didn't know what is meant by Domestic No.? We are from Australia and will be getting free internet while on board. Regards

 

US cell service that offer wifi calling, allows you to call domestic (US) numbers at the same price as if calling FROM the US, wherever you have wifi, so all calls home using the ships wifi are included in your normal monthly plan, most of which in the US include unlimited minutes, also works for SMS messages. So on a ship, if all the family has wifi calling they can call each other for free when connected to the Royal Wifi.

 

Don't know how the Australian mobile phone plans work