Cell Phone Charges.. Advice for the NEWBIES

[uppitycats]

I have an AT&T cell phone. Charges are $2.49/minute for voice calls, $.50/text message, $1.30/picture and video message and $.0195/KB for data.

That's all well and good -- on land. But using the phone while on the ship incurs a whole host of additional charges, as you're going through the ship's communication system..

 

which is why this original post is so important.

[comoxvalley21]

Warning:

Travelling home on the ship from Alaska I thought it would be fun to call my sister on Vancouver Island as we neared her house....we chatted about nothing for a few minutes thinking that my cellphone wouldn't even be long distance( we live in the same city). Imagine my surprise when I received my bill @4.95 a minute. The reason was that the calls were rerouted through the Bahamas where the ship was registered(I guess). So my goofy phone call turned out to be not so funny.

Another lesson learned.

[pattikakes]

Let me ask a question about internet on the ship. Has anyone used this and how does it work? I understand they have computers in a room which you can use and they charge by the minute or have packages. Is that so? Also, is it hard getting on the computer or are there usually computers available? Also, someone has said they're really slow. So, does that burn up a lot of your minutes? Thanks for the info.

[trvlrs]

Can someone please explain to me once again the "ship satellite charge". I called my cellphone provider and I called the cruise line and they don't seem to know much about it.

My cellphone provider told me that it would cost me .35cent per text mssg. The cruise line insists they do not charge anything above what our cellphone provider charges.

 

Where can I find more about the so called "ship satellite charge"?

 

Thanks

[reallyitsmema]

Can someone please explain to me once again the "ship satellite charge". I called my cellphone provider and I called the cruise line and they don't seem to know much about it.

My cellphone provider told me that it would cost me .35cent per text mssg. The cruise line insists they do not charge anything above what our cellphone provider charges.

 

Where can I find more about the so called "ship satellite charge"?

 

Thanks

There is no "ship satellite charge". The only charge for texts will be what you have been told by your provider.

[Born Cruiser 2]

I know my wife will want to say goodbye one more time before the ship gets underway. Does the cell phone still pickup a cell tower or does it go thru the ship's satellite? How about in Nassau and Freeport?:confused:

 

 

We were in Vancouver for an Alaska repo cruise. Used our cell phone

while waiting to board and "surprise", the calls went thru the ship's tower. This was during the Hurricane Ike period so we also used our cell phone to call home from various ports in the US and Alaska. Again, too close to the ship and again it went thru the ship's tower.

 

Received the cell phone bill after we came home: $600+. After many calls and discussions with our cell provider, finally got a reduced charge of 1/2 of the bill. Better than nothing, but we learned an expensive lesson.

 

TURN THE PHONE OFF WHILE ON BOARD SHIP AND DON'T USE IT TOO CLOSE TO THE SHIP. Check the phone to determine how the it is connected: "roaming", "At Sea", Internat'l roam, etc. BEFORE you dial.

 

Since we had this experience, every time I see someone using "their" cell phone on-board a ship, I share my experience with them. Usually they hang up very quickly and thank me for the information. Most people (like us) think that because the phone works, it is going through their normal phone system. NOT SO!

 

Good luck and be very careful.

[Travelcat2]

Several people are trying to get the same message across and people reading it think that their phone company knows better. If you call AT&T, Verizon, or any other cellular phone company and ask them about ships charges, the odds are 99% that they won't have a clue and the information they give you will be incorrect. They are stating what they will charge you when going through regular satellites, etc. Ships have very sophisticated satellite systems.

 

Please trust the people who are trying to warn you about hidden charges imposed by the cruise lines if you use your cell phone or text. If you need to be in contact with anyone, pay to use the internet. Some cruise lines charge $7.50 per minute if you access their signal.

[pamouselover]

My husband said that At&T, shows on their web site the charges. You can even pick your ship. Our phones will be off.

[Travelcat2]

My husband said that At&T, shows on their web site the charges. You can even pick your ship. Our phones will be off.

 

AT&T knows what they will charge you, but not what the ship will charge. Glad to hear that your phones will be off:)

[Crew News]

The ships turn off their satellite towers in US ports.

 

I connect my cell phone to my laptop and check all of my email for free when in US ports.

 

If your cell phone is left ON, it updates the internal time periodically and for that you will also be charged for using the ships tower.

 

There are two tactics I call "C or B" with "C" being a chuckle at those really running up their cell bill and "B" being benevolent enough to warn all you see with a phone to their ears.

[trvlrs]

Let me clear the cell phone issue once and for all. Every cell phone company works differently but somehow they are similar. Please check with your cell co. for rates. Here's the lowdown for "Orange" service:

I had to leave my cell phone on the entire time because of family emergencies.

Most important is to disable your voicemail before leaving home. If your phone rings and you don't answer it, you inccur no charges. The high charges (and they are steep) happen when your voicemail comes on, because it's the same as answering the phone.

Texting was free for incoming mssgs and .35cent for outgoing mssgs whether we were at sea or at port.

 

To recap, if you must use your phone, turn off your voicemail and txt rather than call.

[kmvand1]

Can you just suspend service for the duration of the cruise? We have IPhones and I know everyone will still want to listen to their music while on the cruise, I just don't want to run the risk of having the phones on as well.

[felixdrylock]

I plan to just take the SIM card out of my iPhone so I can still use the video/still camera, iPod, and have access to any documents I have on my phone.

[mistergq]

I plan to just take the SIM card out of my iPhone so I can still use the video/still camera, iPod, and have access to any documents I have on my phone.

you don't need to take the sim card out. I put my iphone in airplane mode as well turned off international data roaming. The only charges I received was when I turned on the phone in Mexico to make a call to my office because of the February snow storms, and those charges were from ATT using a Mexican provider, not the ship's tower.

[NMLady]

Let me clear the cell phone issue once and for all. Every cell phone company works differently but somehow they are similar. Please check with your cell co. for rates. Here's the lowdown for "Orange" service:

I had to leave my cell phone on the entire time because of family emergencies.

Most important is to disable your voicemail before leaving home. If your phone rings and you don't answer it, you inccur no charges. The high charges (and they are steep) happen when your voicemail comes on, because it's the same as answering the phone.

Texting was free for incoming mssgs and .35cent for outgoing mssgs whether we were at sea or at port.

 

To recap, if you must use your phone, turn off your voicemail and txt rather than call.

 

We have Verizon and if our phones are turned off and someone leaves a voice mail there is NO CHARGE so long as we are in a US port or territory (we don't have international calling) and wait until the ship is docked to pick up the message. The only time there is a charge for voice mail is if we are using the ship's tower when we pick up the message.

So, we leave our phones off and wait until we've been docked for at least 30 minutes, to make sure the ship's tower is off. Then we pick up our messages.

 

So, to newbies I say: Check with YOUR carrier to find out what is true for you.

[KAYEF]

Well..................we have a pre-paid cell 'phone...........the one you see advertised the most.

On a TA cruise the Captain came on and said the ship's towers had been activated and people could make calls. We called all the way across the sea for ONLY our regular per-minute cost. Because it's a pre-paid program, it covers whatever tower it accesses.

We've used our 'phones in port in Canada and many countries and often on the ships. There's never an "extra" charge...............might be worth trying if you HAVE to have 'phone contact while on a cruise.;)

[GlendaleCruiser]

Be sure and check with your provider and take good notes. Rates are different in Mexico, Caribbean, Europe, etc and you want to have the best information depending upon where you will be when you make calls.

 

I use a Verizon plan that lets me make calls in most countries for around $1.119 to $1.49 a minute, depending upon the country, and $2.49 on the ship. I can text out for $.50 and receive a text for $.05

 

I usually keep it with me when I'm out on a tour and turned off so that in case of emergency I could turn it on and call, but I always text, "we've arrived in _____and all is well". Then someone at home texts back, "all is well here, too" and we are good to go!

[Mineu]

Based on all of this information-what is the most cost efficient method to contact family back home? I am taking an 11 day Med. cruise with friends and won't be able to go 15 days without checking in with my children and hubby (having never been gone for more than 2-3 days and starting to feel guilty). Anyway, I have an iphone that I was planning on keeping on airplane mode while on the ship-should I pay to use the ship's internet or try to make quick calls while I am off the ship? Thanks!

[GlendaleCruiser]

Based on all of this information-what is the most cost efficient method to contact family back home? I am taking an 11 day Med. cruise with friends and won't be able to go 15 days without checking in with my children and hubby (having never been gone for more than 2-3 days and starting to feel guilty). Anyway, I have an iphone that I was planning on keeping on airplane mode while on the ship-should I pay to use the ship's internet or try to make quick calls while I am off the ship? Thanks!

 

 

The plan I got through Verizon was such that I paid $5.99 for 30-days for a Global Plan. I paid $9.95 for shipping of a phone both ways (usage of the phone was free). My own phone is not an international phone. I received one call in Rome and talked for 3-4 minutes at most. I sent text messages on that phone for 50 cents each and received them for a nickel each. I just sent "We are in Barcelona and we are fine" texts. I was able to get on Facebook at the hotel in Rome as I got 30 minutes free usage. Just enough to say what we were up to and check on my peeps. Once we got to other Med ports I would send and receive texts. I only spent about $12 for usage the whole time I was gone.

 

Next year when I go back to the Med I will take advantage of the internet usage on the ship but I won't bring my own laptop (I hate carrying that thing around). I will probably just use Facebook then, too. as I don't want to check email and waste my minutes on "cutesy" emails that many people send me along with all the other junk I normally get. Most countries charged under $1.50 a minute, but texting was so cheap that's all I did.

[grrl2grrl]

First, I work for a cell provider in the US.

2nd, use airplane mode and you can use your music, alarm & camera on your phone just fine w/o fees.

If you are outside your local coverage area (if you are in the ocean - you are outside your coverage area - check your providers map on their website) then you will be charged both roaming & long distance charges to place a call.

Roaming: Using a tower to connect other than your companies tower. (For example the ship's connection) Roaming charges are not designated by your carrier, but instead by the carrier whose signal you are using.

Long Distance: If you are outside your calling area & placing a call anywhere. These charges are usually fixed by your carrier, and vary by country, and rate plan.

If you turn your phone from off to on, or even airplane to on at any time during your cruise your phone will pick up any available signal. When doing so, every voicemail & text message you received during the duration your phone was off will be sent to your phone. Because your cell carrier had to use roaming towers to deliver this information to your phone, you will be charged roaming charges for every incoming bit of information. So you can incur charges without even actually using the phone, just by leaving or turning it on.

These fees may not be waiting for you on your bill when you get home. Roaming towers can take sometimes up to 2 months to bill your carrier, and then your carrier places the charges on your bill.

The best thing you can do is be informed. Do not take the advice of anyone on this or any board, as no one here is going to offer up to pay the cell phone bill you receive. Go to your providers website, research the information yourself, and see it in print!

I recommend using the ships internet cafe & keeping in touch with your family via e-mail. The internet charge will show up on the ship account, which you pay before you debark - no surprises.

If you must use your phone, use it in the country with the least amount of roaming/long distance fees charged by your provider. Turn it on & off as quickly as you can, and just be ready to pay the fees.

I have been on the end of viewing some sad account, where the cruiser didn't think there would be additional charges because the island they cruised to was a US territory. It happens more than anyone knows, and the provider is simply passing on the fees from a tower someone else owns. Do yourself a favor & leave the phone off, or at least be well informed. & don't take that guy at the kiosk's word for it, (in theory) because he makes minimum wage, and quite possibly has never been out of the country trying to make a phone call in the middle of the ocean. (Maybe he has, but I'm gonna bet the odds are against it.) On the website for your provider it will be in print.

Sorry this is so long, but there is a lot of advise on this thread that applies to specific carriers, regions, or rate plans. Do not trust it as you do not know it will apply to you. Do your homework if you must use the phone.

[angyl]

Great post Dana, thanks. I was telling people the horror stories about using an Iphone and they all politely discounted what I said. One merely can google this and see there are websites devoted to disgruntled customers with megahuge cell bills!

 

I am cruising to Alaska and understand when in Juneau, Ketchikan or Skagway, I am in the US but may hit a cellular at sea tower from a different ship than mine who may still be out at sea.

 

I have an iphone and will have data roaming off and will keep the phone either in airplane mode or off untill arriving in port.

 

Would I be informed I was not hitting an AT&T tower in port and actually hitting cellular at sea ? I was told Alaska is having a problem with ships hovering near the port towns bombarding their coast with ship signals and even Alaska residents are weary about using their phones.

 

What do you think?

[Janet Foster]

Great post Dana, thanks. I was telling people the horror stories about using an Iphone and they all politely discounted what I said. One merely can google this and see there are websites devoted to disgruntled customers with megahuge cell bills!

 

I am cruising to Alaska and understand when in Juneau, Ketchikan or Skagway, I am in the US but may hit a cellular at sea tower from a different ship than mine who may still be out at sea.

 

I have an iphone and will have data roaming off and will keep the phone either in airplane mode or off untill arriving in port.

 

Would I be informed I was not hitting an AT&T tower in port and actually hitting cellular at sea ? I was told Alaska is having a problem with ships hovering near the port towns bombarding their coast with ship signals and even Alaska residents are weary about using their phones.

 

What do you think?

Whoa.. that is something to think about. WE are planning on going to Alaska also... so I will keep all that in mind. Celluar at sea tower = very frightening to say the least!!!

 

Even checking my messages here and there while on our last cruise I really got the raised up eyebrow from my husband when the bill came in the mail the following month.. LOL I thought I was doing so good!!!

[grrl2grrl]

Great post Dana, thanks. I was telling people the horror stories about using an Iphone and they all politely discounted what I said. One merely can google this and see there are websites devoted to disgruntled customers with megahuge cell bills!

 

I am cruising to Alaska and understand when in Juneau, Ketchikan or Skagway, I am in the US but may hit a cellular at sea tower from a different ship than mine who may still be out at sea.

 

I have an iphone and will have data roaming off and will keep the phone either in airplane mode or off untill arriving in port.

 

Would I be informed I was not hitting an AT&T tower in port and actually hitting cellular at sea ? I was told Alaska is having a problem with ships hovering near the port towns bombarding their coast with ship signals and even Alaska residents are weary about using their phones.

 

What do you think?

 

I don't work on this end of the business, but what I do know is there are 2 companies that provide Cell business in Alaska, Alaska Communication Systems (ACS) and GCI. So none of our lower 48 companies are direct in Alaska.

What this means to you...

If you turn your phone on you will be roaming, no matter what cell provider you have. Your phone will automatically pick up the closest, or most powerful signal. If that happens to be the ship, welcome to the fees. You will see "cellular at sea" on the screen of your phone, but by that time (As I assume your phone has been off while on the ship) you will inevitably have received your voice mail messages downloaded to your phone through their more expensive signal.

If you happen to pick up ACS or GCI, and they are a roaming partner for your network, you will be fine as long as you have Nationwide rate plan. So it's kinda like russian roulette...

You can set your phone to no roaming... but then you won't pick up any signal at all, as your "lower 48" carrier is not in Alaska...

When I was on my cruise to the Caribbean last year, I looked up all the maps with my provider & found the cheapest rates out of all the ports I was visiting. Mexico was my cheapest port, and I weighed my consequences, turned the phone on while I was in port. I sent one text to my family back home in the states, and waited the 10 minutes or so it took them to respond. All was well, but I ended up getting about 10 notifications of voicemail, and several other texts incoming. All in all my charges were under $10, but I knew the risk going in. (Texts are usually always cheaper than a phone call.) Even if I had picked up Cellular at sea, and had the high roaming charges, with my phone on that once, and for minimal time, I was prepared to pay the bill. It's a Risk vs. Reward issue that you will need to weigh for yourself. I would recommend you assume you will be picking up "Cellular at Sea" when you turn your phone on. If the reward is worth that risk for you, then go for it & save your dollars to pay the bill.

Go to the internet & google using your iphone in Alaska. Many say the phone will not work for any of the data capabilities unless you are in a WiFi Hotspot. Things change in the cellular world every day, so good luck!

I am also going to Alaska in May. When do you go? I will most likely turn my phone on to send that one SMS to my family back home, just like last time, & if I go before you I can let you know my experiences on the Alaska Network vs Cellular at Sea.

[griffy116]

We always use our cellphone(s). When we are on an island, we go in different directons. We always like to be able to get in touch with our teenagers too, and we tell them to keep the cell phone turned on. When we see "Cellular at Sea" we don't use the cell phone (unless it were to be an emergency). We have a plan that allows us to use the phones w/o roaming on almost every island we've visited. Just check your phone to see if it says roaming. We've called home to check on the dogs, family, etc. and never had a problem. We would probably have enormous charges if we were texting and calling while at sea. We use the internet coupons and e-mail if we need to check while at sea.

[angyl]

Dana I am on the Golden on the 22nd. I appreciate all your info and help. My only concern is....no matter when I turn my iphone on, even back home, I will be charged for missed calls, voice mails, and texts????????

 

My only consolation is I rarely get texts... but I will be careful for sure.