Mobal phones and cruise ships

[Andrea A]

I just ordered a mobal GSM phone for upcoming Greek Islands cruise. Does anybody know if the GSM phones work while at sea? I'll be on the Emerald Princess. I know I can use the phone in ports.

Thanks

[dforeigner]

I just ordered a mobal GSM phone for upcoming Greek Islands cruise. Does anybody know if the GSM phones work while at sea? I'll be on the Emerald Princess. I know I can use the phone in ports.

Thanks

 

www.cellularatsea.com Check this WEB site. If you have Cingular, you will have to lowest rates. 2.99 a minute. To use at port, you will have to activate the international roaming plan. Dial 611 to find out.

[phoenix1181]

www.cellularatsea.com Check this WEB site. If you have Cingular, you will have to lowest rates. 2.99 a minute. To use at port, you will have to activate the international roaming plan. Dial 611 to find out.

 

Verizon was "only" :rolleyes: $2.49 a minute in March.

[Happy ks]

I just ordered a mobal GSM phone for upcoming Greek Islands cruise. Does anybody know if the GSM phones work while at sea? I'll be on the Emerald Princess. I know I can use the phone in ports.

Thanks

 

 

 

while I don't know the answer to this question, I certainly would like to find out!

 

Does anyone know if Mobal phones work at sea??? It's not Cingular, it's not Verizon, here's a link:

 

http://www.mobalrental.com/gsm/handsets.asp

 

I read about them first on the Europe board here on CC, perhaps someome over there could answer your question more thoroughly.

[greatam]

Not with any consistency. I have both versions of the Mobal phone. They are absolutely the BEST for overseas travel. Can get very pricey in certain third world countries (Vietnam-$5.95 per minute to the US), but very good for Europe and South America. And no monthly bill, so it evens itself out. You always have a phone and no buying SIM cards and trying to remember which SIM goes for which country and how many minutes you have left on the SIM. Just make sure you take a list of country codes, as you will need them to use the phone for anyplace other than the UK.

 

If you are close enough to land to reach a tower (just like any cell phone), you will be able to use them. But not constantly at sea. Mine worked down the coast of Peru and Chile pretty well. And you should have pretty good service in the Greek Islands, due to the distance from land. The only thing that works constantly at sea is a satellite phone.

[greatam]

Please everyone. Reread the OP's post. It was about MOBAL phones, NOT MOBILE phones.

 

Mobal is a company that distributes a phone that works in 140-160 countries with no SIM cards needed. You pay no monthly bill. You ALWAYS have a phone for travel in most countries.

 

The phones are Nokia GSM phones and may work with the ship cell service. However, I certainly wouldn't want to pay for the ship surcharge IN ADDITION to the Mobal rates. Could be pretty darn expensive. But the Mobal phones work like any cell-if you are close enough to land and a tower to have a signal, you will be able to make calls from the ship.

 

I have successfully used mine on land in Asia, South America, Europe and most of Latin America (doesn't work in Panama). I have also used mine during a repo cruise from the ship down the coast of South America AND in the middle of the Mekong River in Vietnam. I was astounded at the clarity I had while cruising on the Mekong.

 

http://www.mobalrental.com/gsm/handsets.asp

[Happy ks]

greatam, Thank you for your response, I think it was the answer the OP (and I) were looking for.

 

I think I will order one for our Med cruise, we want to be in contact with home on an almost daily basis. Since the cruise we're taking only has 3 sea days, this phone will work great for our purposes.

[joyous337]

I'm sailing on Carnival Victory this coming week. I read that Carnival has cell phone towers on their ships now. Is there a surcharge for use? If so, does anyone know what it is? And how can they even track the use of the tower by each individual? Do you give them your phone number and they give you access?

[cusyl]

I have the $49.00 Mobal phone and it was great in Europe last year. Did not try to use it at sea, only in the ports.It was perfect for getting in touch with hotel and transportation, and I love the feature that you don't get a bill each month if you don't use it.

 

I am going Western Caribbean this year and see that it will only work in one of the ports I am going to, the $99.00 one would probably cover all of them, but it wasn't an issue for me because I use email to keep in touch with the family.

[greatam]

I'm sailing on Carnival Victory this coming week. I read that Carnival has cell phone towers on their ships now. Is there a surcharge for use? If so, does anyone know what it is? And how can they even track the use of the tower by each individual? Do you give them your phone number and they give you access?

 

Average price-about $3.00 per minute for the ship connection ONLY. Cheaper than the ship phone, but still pretty darn expensive except for an emergency.

 

You are billed through your cell company. You MAY be charged the ship surcharge AND international roaming. If you do not subscribe to international roaming and pay the additional international roaming fees, be prepared for a VERY large bill.

 

If its an emergency at home, IMHO, OK. Make sure the people at home have the ship number-it will be faster to contact you than trying to reach through a cell (I know-I had a business emergency and my office tried three different cell numbers. The ship got the message to me immediately).

 

Otherwise, unless you don't care how much the phone calls cost, use the port phones, wait until you are in port to use your cell or get a calling card. Nothing worse than getting home from a lovely vacation only to find out that you have a $500.00 cell phone bill waiting for you.

[Andrea A]

Thanks for the response on the Mobal phone. It sounds like it will likely work shipboard, at least when docked or near the greek Islands as I will be close to land. The internet at sea, at least on Princess, leaves a lot to be desired.

 

For those of you talking about Mobile cell phones, be very sure your phone is equipped for international calls. Last year before I left for an Australia/New Zealand cruise, I called Cingular, paid the $5.99 monthly fee and was prepared to pay the per minute charge quoted by Cingular. My phone never worked during the trip. I complained when I returned and was told it was unfortunate the cingular rep. told me my phone would work overseas as it was not equipped for international ( not the right bands or something) Cingular did right by me and issued a credit for the $5.99 and costs of calls and e-mails I had to send because my phone did not work.

 

For those of you considering the Mobal, just FYI, if you belong to a frequent flyer miles club, you go order from their web site ( if they have skymall) and get miles for you purchase. The cost of the phone is the same as if you ordered direct from Mobal.

 

The Mobal rep. told me that out going text messages are free and incoming are only 80 cents each. Can anybody confirm this?

 

Thanks

Andrea

[joyous337]

Thanks, greatam. I actually have a prepaid phone through Tracfone so I'm not even sure if I would have service. Thanks for the info.

[phoenix1181]

Please everyone. Reread the OP's post. It was about MOBAL phones, NOT MOBILE phones.

 

:o Sorry, I thought it was a typo!