Carnival Cruise Lines Completes Fleetwide Implementation of Cellular Phone Service

[PelicanBill]

I'm with the crowd that says we need the service for some who need to keep in touch at more reasonable rates than before and with the greater ease of using the regular phone number.

 

Just try to be less intrusive and not use it in public areas or walk away to a quieter area.

 

Earlier there was a question about Verizon.... the service on the ships is "GSM" which means most Verizon phones won't work on the ships. There are only a few phones from Verizon that can use GSM systems because Verizon uses a different technology. My Verizon phone did work in many of the ports on recent trips.

[bcs819]

Tim-

I might try that :) At the least, it will probably make them walk away from me ;)

[zoowho01]

Don't you think you people are overeacting? First of all $2.50 a minute + roaming from your carrier at another .70 a minute, would add up pretty quickly. A 10 minute call would be $32. Who ever mentioned phones in the Casino, they are not allowed in any Casino (at the tables)I have ever played in. I think this will not really be an issue. The wind on the Lido deck would make cell phones inaudible. I hope most people would go to their cabins and call grand ma and the kids and make it brief. Surely it is better then the $10 a minute calls from your cabin they previously offered.

 

It seems as if people have a tendency to overreact just a little. And to the young lady responding to the war mom, I would take that call in a minute, her son is in a WAR zone not sitting on a beach somewhere. I have not found to many folks talking on the phone so I am not sure where all these calls are happening. I will respond again when I am back from my Jan7th cruise and let everyone know if there was intolerable cell phone use.

[iluvdoxies]

Gee I am wondering how did the human race survive without cells phones and emails for so long. Personally I dont want to hear your conversation on a cruise ship or any where else and I realize some are important but the other 90% of them are plain fluff. How did we survive :eek:

 

How true Allen.

[WERA]

Just got off Legend a week ago and had no issues at all with the cell phones. Mine worked great, I was able to check in with people when I felt like it and never had a problem with others using them.

 

The little old ladies who were wintering in Boca with their husbands were way louder (albeit funny too).

 

As for the people wanting to hear both sides of a conversation - didn't your parents teach you not to be so nosy? :D

[ShrtSwtDeb]

I just got off the Holiday - cell phones were not an issue. So those of you getting upset about it - anticipating the worst - stop worrying - relax and have a GREAT cruise.

 

I almost posted the following from the ship - to set everyone's mind at ease, my son called me while we were driving to Mobile the day before the cruise...so I didn't have to worry about bothering anyone if my phone rang. However, I still can't imagaine anyone falling asleep on the lido deck by the pool... there's so much going on and soooo noisy - I didn't even find myself there much - was just too loud for my liking anyways.

 

Happy Cruising everyone - time for a nap to recoup from our trip.

 

Deb

[SaintsFan]

Back to a previous poster's question that was not answered as of yet, what about Text Messages? I to am one of the ones that previously loved the fact that cruise ships = NO CELL PHONES, but I can certainly see why it is great for some to be able to have access. I am interested in Text m. though. Not to stay in touch with the "outside" world though, but for the "inside" world. I am getting married in Grand Cayman in May and we have about 70 people coming with us, on the Conquest. Last cruise I was on, the Conquest in 05', we had a group of 8, including my fiance and I, and it was semi-difficult to "keep in touch" through-out the day. Not that we always tried to stay by each others' side, but after we start the day on our own we'd always like to catch up with the rest of the party to see what they were up to and hang out. Being that we are very rarely in our rooms, it became a custom for us to leave notes under each others doors trying to catch up with each other. Now that we are going to have 20+ friends on the boat together (not counting the 'old fobie' family members:D), I can not imagine how hard it'll be to keep in touch throughout the day. We even through out the idea of getting little cheap walky-talkies for all of our guest, mainly per room. Text messaging would make this hassle free, plus would not disturb anyone, since most of the people I associate myself with are very courtious people and would have it on vibrate.

 

So my question is, how much $$ would text messaging be?

[SaintsFan]

"how to delete this, I somehow double-posted"

[Buddyjay16]

------------

How did you survive before the annoyance boxes were invented.

 

 

In my business (Real Estate) we worked at least twice as hard to make the same money before the invention of the computer and cellphone. Really! No joke. But I know you didn't really want an answer. lol!

 

Anyhow BEFORE the time of the computer and cellphones I have to tell you that not as many parents left their kids behind to go on cruises and vacations away without them. I'm not going to go look up statistics for anyone but believe me just as things like this have changed so have our needs for communication.

 

I personally need to check home everyday to speak with my son. To make sure he is alright. To give me piece of mind. If something is terribly wrong? What will I do? Well let's just say I will have to figure that all out should something happen. But I want to know.

 

I understand people don't want others yacking' away at the pool, in the dining rooms, during shows. But I also don't think it is necessary for people who don't like something to pretty much put down everyone else who disagrees with them.

[TimNSam]

On Cingular web site it says that while on the ship the cost of:

 

Send Text Message $0.50 per message sent

Receive Text Message $0.10 per message received

Send Multimedia Message $1.30 per message sent

Received Multimedia Message $0.25 per message received

 

(With a Cinglear MEdia bundle or messaging package, receiving a text message will be applied to your package allowance.)

 

Also for making a regular call you will be charged a roaming fee of $2.49 per minute.

 

In Cayman Islands and Jamaica, the roaming fees range from $1.69-$1.99 per minute. In Mexico, the roaming fees are between $0.59-$0.99 per minute.

 

The texting rates are the same as on the ship.

 

If you are sure that you will have to be making calls on the ship or at ports, I would really explore taking an International plan just for the month you will be traveling.

 

Just thought I would chime in with what Cingulars web site said.

[SaintsFan]

On Cingular web site it says that while on the ship the cost of:

 

Send Text Message $0.50 per message sent

Receive Text Message $0.10 per message received

Send Multimedia Message $1.30 per message sent

Received Multimedia Message $0.25 per message received

 

(With a Cinglear MEdia bundle or messaging package, receiving a text message will be applied to your package allowance.)

 

Also for making a regular call you will be charged a roaming fee of $2.49 per minute.

 

In Cayman Islands and Jamaica, the roaming fees range from $1.69-$1.99 per minute. In Mexico, the roaming fees are between $0.59-$0.99 per minute.

 

The texting rates are the same as on the ship.

 

If you are sure that you will have to be making calls on the ship or at ports, I would really explore taking an International plan just for the month you will be traveling.

 

Just thought I would chime in with what Cingulars web site said.

 

 

Thanks alot.

 

I guess texting is the way to go