Need experienced advice about cell phones please

[Lois R]

:) Good morning.....and I hope this is NOT a topic I will get flamed for...but I need to know......

I am one of these people who just recently got her first cell phone..yes I know, I am behind the times;) ....

Ok...do most of you bring your phone with you? And if so, do you bring the adapter? I don't want to be rude and use it on the ship but since its the "hurricane season"....not wishing anything bad to happen of course...but IF for example, an emergency came up and I needed to reach my Dad...does the phone work from the ship?

How do most of you handle the "cell phone thing"???

Thanks....(I have never had one so I never took it with me on a cruise)!

Your replies are greatly appreciated:)

[michmike]

we always take our cell when we travel so that we have it if there are airport delays etc that we need to work around. And of course bring the charger to keep it charged. Unless it is a satellite phone, you're not going to be able to use it while out at sea (no towers) but it may very well work in the ports esp USVI or Puerto Rico I would think. Best bet would be to call your service provider and ask 2 questions - 1 will you get service on the islands you will visit and 2 (and more important) what will it cost per minute

[Lois R]

thanks for the reply:) I have a Nextel......I will call them about both questions!!

[WindyCity]

Lois,

Don't forget to bring a power strip for the charger, especially if you have to charge batteries for a camera and/or video. This way you will have plenty of plug space.

Have a great cruise!

[Lois R]

hi:) ...I never bring a power strip...I use disposable cameras only. I am not a techy type person---my hair is cut so short I don't use the hairdryer LOL....

 

I have no need for the power strip.....though I realize many folks swear by them.

[kelelmel]

I have taken my cell phone with me in the past for airport use and use in port, however, this will be my first cruise since I've had service with Nextel. I am curious if my fiancee and I will be able to communicate using the 'two-way' (walkie-talkie) feature on the ship? Does anyone know? Thanks!

[Orcrone]

I have taken my cell phone with me in the past for airport use and use in port, however, this will be my first cruise since I've had service with Nextel. I am curious if my fiancee and I will be able to communicate using the 'two-way' (walkie-talkie) feature on the ship? Does anyone know? Thanks!

I'm assuming (note the emphasis on assuming) that the Walkie-Talkie service still requires you to be in contact with a cell tower. Otherwise the service would not work when the users were far apart. So I would not expect to be able to use this service when at sea.

[Esme]

Do you mean you want to use the walkie-talkies on the ship to "find" each other or keep track of each other? If so, then I have seen lots of them being used on the ship - parents looking for their kids and kids looking for their friends. Seemed to work well.

[Stevesan]

:) but IF for example, an emergency came up and I needed to reach my Dad...does the phone work from the ship?

Nextel has a pretty thorough web site that includes coverage areas. Just go to their home web site and and under "services" select "coverage" for a map showing Continental US and Hawaii and parts of Canada. Then select "worldwide" to display international. A brief look turns up Jamaica as the only Caribbean country included ($1.99 p/minute). A more thorough review may turn up more.

 

Your phone will work fine from the ship as long as you're in range of a cell tower. Sometimes the ship's superstructure inhibits signal strength. I usually go topside or to an area with a lot of glass, such as the Crow's Nest.

 

Judging by the web site description, the walkie talkie feature requires a tower:

=====================================

Not Just Faster. Instant.

No phone tag. No busy signals. Every Nextel phone has a special get-right-through button that lets you connect instantly to any Nextel customer in your local coverage area (or across the country with Nationwide Direct ConnectSM.)

• No dialing. No waiting. You can get through to any Nextel customer anywhere in your local coverage area . And when we say instant, we mean now.
  
• More Reliable. It works on a private, secure, all-digital network. Nextel knows walkie-talkie – we introduced the technology.
  
• Save time. Save money. Get things done. A typical walkie-talkie call takes less time than a traditional cell call so you can talk less and do more. Plus, Nextel offers plans that give you unlimited walkie-talkie calls so you save your cell minutes
  

=====================================

http://nextel.com/

[Lois R]

Stevesan, Thank you for that informative post:) .....I wasn't even sure if I should take my phone with me:eek: ......but since I know I won't be using unless the extreme happens, I guess it would be good to have it with me....

(you never know these days:rolleyes: )!

[jhannah]

We take our cell phone when we cruise Alaska or Canada/New England because we're often within range of service. For Europe, however, we don't bother. We could only use it when we stop stateside to change planes ... and rather than haul the phone and charger we'd just as soon find a pay phone. We have a pre-paid phone card, so that let's us make calls (if needed) inexpensively.

[dakrewser]

Do you mean you want to use the walkie-talkies on the ship to "find" each other or keep track of each other? If so, then I have seen lots of them being used on the ship - parents looking for their kids and kids looking for their friends. Seemed to work well.

Those aren 't the same as what kelelmel was asking (a feature of a phone which does require a cell tower, so won't work at sea). And, from what I've heard and observed, the true 'walkie-talkies' don't work very well aboard ship - only in port.

 

-dave

[dakrewser]

We take our cell phone when we cruise Alaska or Canada/New England because we're often within range of service. For Europe, however, we don't bother. We could only use it when we stop stateside to change planes ... and rather than haul the phone and charger we'd just as soon find a pay phone. We have a pre-paid phone card, so that let's us make calls (if needed) inexpensively.

That all depends on a) your phone and b) your service provider. A 2 or 3 band phone (I use a relatively cheap Samsung S-105) and a provider with GSM service (I use T-mobile) and I'm "good to go" in most countries around the world.

 

-dave

[jhannah]

Absolutely. But since Lois was talking about Nextel service, that was the basis of my answer.

[Esme]

Those aren 't the same as what kelelmel was asking (a feature of a phone which does require a cell tower, so won't work at sea). And, from what I've heard and observed, the true 'walkie-talkies' don't work very well aboard ship - only in port.

 

-dave

 

Oh, I thought it was those walkie-talkies that you see the kids using on the ship. My mistake.

[RevNeal]

Ok...do most of you bring your phone with you? And if so, do you bring the adapter? I don't want to be rude and use it on the ship but since its the "hurricane season"....not wishing anything bad to happen of course...but IF for example, an emergency came up and I needed to reach my Dad...does the phone work from the ship?

How do most of you handle the "cell phone thing"???

 

I take my cell phone with me, and my charger so that it can stay charged. I don't use it much, if at all; but, I did phone from the Hawaiian islands a few times. So long as we were in line-of-site with human settlements on the Islands I was able to get a good signal from the ship ... even when we were a little ways out.

 

Hence, you might be well suited to keep your cell phone with you. You should be able to get signal when your in or within close line-of-site to the USVI, PR, or even the Keys.

[Lois R]

Thank you for all the replies:) the phone will go with me...and the adapter too;)

 

I think I will do as you did Rev...and just keep it in the room...charging when needed!

[gliles]

Lois -

 

We have had cell phones for a long time but aren't good cell phone users, I don't even know what my number is! But we do take at least one and if we leave home with a full charge it's still fully charged after a 7-day cruise but you have to turn it off otherwise it spends its cruise frantically looking for a signal and wears down. So we turn it off then when we get back to MIA or SAN or wherever, it still has a charge so I can call home and check on the kids, etc.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I could be way off point, but when all power, phone service, etc., went down during Hurricane Frances, just try to get a cellphone to work. No one could get a signal. Everything dead as a door nail. The only phones that worked at all, and even then you had to get to just the right place, were Verizon. I may just be switching over shortly.

 

I'm only saying that when all H*** breaks loose, don't count on your cellphone to help you. Mine didn't work until we got power. It's still helpful because we're without landline service, but when I wanted to let friends and family know we were okay, it was useless.

 

Lois, you're getting out at the right time. Ivan will be well away from wherever your wonderful ship takes you. So not to worry!!!

[mhshapiro]

We take our cell phones with us. Of course their usefulness depends on the itinerary and the service offered by your provider. Basically, if you are within sight of civilization (not remote outposts) some sort of signal often is available, particularly if you go up to the top decks.

 

Roaming and long distance charges from outside the US (if your phone works on the local system) can be steep. Often calling from a pay phone with a calling card will be cheaper.

 

We have found that the cheapest way to keep in contact from the ship is to use email as long as you don't need "instantaneous" communication.

[arzz]

In my experience this summer while on a sail boat yacht charter the cell phones worked fine in the USVI's (Sprint: part of our long distance network so calls were free just like at home -- you can really impress friends and business associates if you say you are calling from, say, St. Thomas) -- but did not work at all in the BVI's -- sail boat captain said that BOATFONE or BOATPHONE not sure of the spelling has a monopoly on cell phone service in the BVI's. It was clear that we had a strong signal while in the BVI's, but our service was jammed and unusable. Considered Boatphone, but their service would have been very expensive -- not worth the expense. Problem is that land based phone service from places like Pussar's Landing (BVI) to the US seldom works. If you really have to call buy a local phone card and use a hard wire while in the BVI's. This usually, but not always works. Otherwise contacting home from the BVI's is difficult.

[borfaloo]

Hi there,

 

Your Nextel phones will probably not work in say for instance Puerto Rico as Nextel do not currently have an agreement with the service provider in that area. You should be able to get coverage within 2-3 miles of mainland USA. Especially near ports or tourist areas ( high population centers thus high $$$ earnings for cell phone companies)

The phones direct connect 'walkie talkie' feature does as someone quite rightly stated require a cell site. If you switch on your phone and the display changes from reading please wait to please wait connecting ..it found a cell site. Please wait to no service means no cell site.(generally speaking).

 

Also be aware that cell phones only make the first part of the connection via cell towers ..once it hits a tower then the call is carried via landlines to its destination (on some occasions a final hop to another cell tower then cellular to the recipents phone)Which means often no landline = no cellphone unless you pick up on a tower out of the effected area.

 

The recent weather situation has hampered the ability of all cell phone companies to provide service, and the land lines / towers are being repaired two or three times each as another weather wave rolls in.

 

In short do not depend on ANY carriers cell phones to make urgent contact with loved ones in extreme weather or any other emergency that disables regular phone service. Best thing to do if you want to try a call is to power cycle your phone ( switch off,switch on)after a few attempts at making a call, that way your phone may find another tower that just came back online.

 

I can give you this advice with a level of confidence as I am employed by your wireless carrier and have previously worked for two other carriers. Hope this at least gives you an answer... maybe not the one you would want to hear but it is the most realistic one and therefore one you can plan around.

 

Sean

[kelelmel]

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info. I am not disappointed that, more likely than not, my cell phone won't work. As a matter of fact, I won't miss it a bit. I will bring it solely for a pre/post cruise emergency.