AT&T cruise package v. Carnival internet

[Qchell]

AT&T has started a cruise package so you can use your phone while cruising without incurring all the roaming fees, etc.  I was just pricing it, and it is cheaper than the social media package on Carnival.  Has anyone used the AT&T package yet?  How did it work for you?

[Colorado Beach Bum]

15 minutes ago, Qchell said:

AT&T has started a cruise package so you can use your phone while cruising without incurring all the roaming fees, etc.  I was just pricing it, and it is cheaper than the social media package on Carnival.  Has anyone used the AT&T package yet?  How did it work for you?

It’s not much included data.  The carnival WiFi is unlimited data.  We’ve found the ship WiFi plan allows us to text, FaceTime if needed, and gives us all the data we need.   We then buy the international day plan to make calls in port if it’s at a port that’s not included with AT&T.  For us, that’s the most cost effective way.  
 

If you can communicate only via text for emergencies, the pay per use of 50 cents per message is cheap way too. We did this before buying international day passes. 

[ray98]

The AT&T plan basically does not give you internet, look at it a phone only.  Yes.....they include data but it is a minuscule amount that will be used in a very short time.

[Qchell]

I wouldn't really be using it for phone calls, texts, etc.  Just for posting to FB while onboard.  On another FB group they reminded me of all the other things on the phone that use data...  staying in airplane mode and paying for the social media package is probably my best bet.  Thanks! 

[rizkeeper]

We went on a cruise last Thanksgiving with Royal (doing Mardi Gras this thanksgiving 🙂 ); last year we added the AT&T cruise pkg on all 3 phone lines prior to heading down to Orlando. When at Sea the AT&T cruise plan auto starts and alerts you by text when its first able to access out of the US, and when you are using it. 

 

We stopped at Bonaire, Curacao and Aruba..I was told all 3 stops fall in the cruise plan coverage before leaving.  When we returned there was an additional $375 dollars billed to us on our January bill (2+ months after the cruise).  Customer service confirmed we added the cruise plan, and could never really tell me how and why the charges were added, other than they occurred and there are charges for areas outside the US.  Their explanations made no sense.  I pushed the issue up the ladder with AT&T however they never removed the charges.  After several calls and hours on the phone, I just gave up and ate the $375.  My best guess is there are pockets of cell service (we had roaming off), at sea and near land that catch a cell phone.  This may be where the phone starts to ping and auto download data or search for things.  We will try the plan again this cruise however the phone will be in airplane mode 100% of the time, except when at port, I will also reach out the AT&T daily before leaving port to review any charges in real time.  I will not try to access data while at sea even with roaming off.      

Edited August 10, 2023 by rizkeeper

[Sphilli2]

1 hour ago, rizkeeper said:

We went on a cruise last Thanksgiving with Royal (doing Mardi Gras this thanksgiving 🙂 ); last year we added the AT&T cruise pkg on all 3 phone lines prior to heading down to Orlando. When at Sea the AT&T cruise plan auto starts and alerts you by text when its first able to access out of the US, and when you are using it. 

 

We stopped at Bonaire, Curacao and Aruba..I was told all 3 stops fall in the cruise plan coverage before leaving.  When we returned there was an additional $375 dollars billed to us on our January bill (2+ months after the cruise).  Customer service confirmed we added the cruise plan, and could never really tell me how and why the charges were added, other than they occurred and there are charges for areas outside the US.  Their explanations made no sense.  I pushed the issue up the ladder with AT&T however they never removed the charges.  After several calls and hours on the phone, I just gave up and ate the $375.  My best guess is there are pockets of cell service (we had roaming off), at sea and near land that catch a cell phone.  This may be where the phone starts to ping and auto download data or search for things.  We will try the plan again this cruise however the phone will be in airplane mode 100% of the time, except when at port, I will also reach out the AT&T daily before leaving port to review any charges in real time.  I will not try to access data while at sea even with roaming off.      

The AT&T cruise package only works at sea. I'm sorry someone told you incorrectly! That's why you had extra charges. You need the international day pass for on land. Check out the 'how it works' section https://www.att.com/international/cruise-packages/

[rizkeeper]

20 minutes ago, Sphilli2 said:

The AT&T cruise package only works at sea. I'm sorry someone told you incorrectly! That's why you had extra charges. You need the international day pass for on land. Check out the 'how it works' section https://www.att.com/international/cruise-packages/

I had both plans, sorry for the confusion in my post.

  

[kdr69]

Exactly how would this cruise package work at sea where there is no signal?  

[Lee Cruiser]

8 hours ago, rizkeeper said:

I pushed the issue up the ladder with AT&T however they never removed the charges.  After several calls and hours on the phone, I just gave up and ate the $375.

Their horrible customer service is the reason I switched away from AT&T a few years ago after having them for over 20 years.  Just got tired of having to spend hours on the phone and never getting my problem resolved.

[Cherries Jubilee]

The AT&T plan only worked for us two or three of the times we tried to make phone calls at sea. We were on Royal for 12 days. They also billed us for those phone calls and we had to complain to get them removed.

 

 

Next time we will just get the wifi package.