using phones on board

[K1226M]

We are going on our first cruise in March. YEAH!!! Anyways I was going to get a calling card to use on the ship. Will I be able to? Will it still cost a lot of money? I would like to be able to call home once or twice just to check in.

Thanks

Karen

[Pomperaugrr]

Ship phones are very expensive. An international calling card should be fine in most ports. I would suggest just bringing your cell phone, if you will only be checking in. All RCCL ships have Cingular Towers. Check with your carrier for pricing. There was a lengthy thread on cell phone usage on ships and in ports recently. A quick search should bring that right up.

 

edited to add link: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=436728&highlight=cell+phone

 

Eric

[scubapuss]

You cannot use a calling card on the ship. You can in port. You must use your cell phone. My DD's used there's and it cost me $1700.00

[wraithe]

Are you talking about a calling card to use on the ship? If so, then it's worthless, the ship's phones are $7.95/min and a calling card isn't going to change that. If you're talking about using a calling card in port, then it's better to just find the phone station at the pier, they usually will hand you a phone, and you can make all the calls you want for about $0.10/min, then just pay before you leave. Cell phones are usable on the ships now, Cingular mostly, but several others work, except with the noted exception of Verizon, they don't work on anything except Carnival.

[cb at sea]

Don't buy the calling card here in the States--wait until you get to the port where you will make the call! (International cards you buy here are for calling FROM the States TO a foreign place. The card you buy in port will be for calling FROM the foreign port TO the states! It's cheaper that way!) There are plenty of payphones at the docks.

[FunCruiser56]

When we get to each port we head to an internet cafe, usually easy to find. Ask on the ship where the nearest one is. We make our calls from there and use the internet very cheaply. Usually about .95 a minute for the call and $3 for about 1/2hr internet time. We mostly keep in contact with home online, checking our mail each day on the ship- slow conection and high rates...better than 7.95a minute to call though!

We have never been able to use an international calling card we buy in the states and we have also been asked to give our credit card number to the operator- forget that!!!

 

Bev

[TulsaFlyer]

See this website for ships that are equiped with cell towers. Looks like it might be a bit expensive.

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~ecps92/cellular%20at%20sea.htm

 

Mike in Tulsa

[bob c]

We are going on our first cruise in March. YEAH!!! Anyways I was going to get a calling card to use on the ship. Will I be able to? Will it still cost a lot of money? I would like to be able to call home once or twice just to check in.

Thanks

Karen[/quote

 

I have Verizon, and had to call them before my last cruise to have the international calling activated so I could use it in the various ports. My daughter has cingular and could not use it in the Carribean ports. She was told later she should have called Cingular before she left on her cruise.

[Lowcountrygal]

I have T-mobile service. During my Caribbean cruises, I was able to make / receive calls in port for $1.99 per minute. To make / receive calls at sea costs $4.99 per minute. I was able to have continuous service except in Haiti (Labadee) where I had no service.

 

Text messaging is cheaper for short communications and was .35 to send / receive a text message.

 

Internet services are available onboard at Royal Caribbean Online. Email onboard is another option for staying in touch and that is .50 per minute. I'll tell you now that speed is not very good and I find it easier to make a quick call while in port.

 

Call your wireless service provider so that they can add the International Calling feature to your phone, it should be free. Most wireless phones are automatically able to call to Mexico & Canada. Your provider can tell you the price per minute of each call at sea and at each port. They will also verify that your phone is capable of making those calls.

 

Make sure you obtain the International toll-free number to your provider's Customer Service so that if you have any questions, you can call them at no charge!

 

And like other posters have said, remember that you are on International Rates anytime you answer the phone on a cruise (unless you are in Key West!) and it costs way more than when at home! For this reason, I make sure my teens DO NOT have International Service on their cell phones!!!

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Rose

[Jtd724]

Cingular for my Motorola v551 charges 2.49 a minute onboard, cheap compared to $8 dollars using RCCL in room phone.