Cell phone coverage on an ocean liner
Dec 10, 2007 | 9:19 am
#61
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 1
It's a rip-off sanctioned by the Cruise Line: "WMS provides an opportunity for you [Cruise Line] to increase your revenue by competing directly against the on-shore roaming by your passengers".
They could choose less expensive service, but they don't because they want a cut -- and they know that at times you just have to be on the phone (family emergency, work issues, etc.) so you'll end up using it even if you're planning not to.
Just stay away from cruising.
Source: http://www.cellularatsea.com/cruiselines.htm
They could choose less expensive service, but they don't because they want a cut -- and they know that at times you just have to be on the phone (family emergency, work issues, etc.) so you'll end up using it even if you're planning not to.
Just stay away from cruising.
Source: http://www.cellularatsea.com/cruiselines.htm
Actually the cell phone company sets the rates, not WMS. This is why some carriers charge $2/min and some charge $5/min. WMS just install equipment on the ship that enables the phones to work while at sea.
"Charges, Billing, and Customer Service
Rates for roaming on cruise ships are determined by your home carrier. Please note that calls to 800, 888, 866, and 877 numbers are not toll free. You will be billed by your home carrier for your international roaming usage on your regular mobile phone bill. Typically charges will appear on the next monthly bill, but depending on your carrier it may occasionally take up to 60 days for charges to appear on your phone bill. For more information, please contact your home carrier customer service.*"
Source: http://www.cellularatsea.com/endusers.htm
For a listing of the ships that currently have cell phone service try this page:
http://www.cellularatsea.com/shipsinservice.htm
It's a great optional service that allows people to stay connected. And from what I've seen, the cost is usually much less than calling from your cabin!
-CruiseWiz
Dec 19, 2007 | 2:44 pm
#62
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 138
I should have read this before going on an Alaskan cruise in Aug. We left from SEattle. When I saw SEA on my phone, I thought it somehow meant Seattle. After a few days, I found out it was international roaming. I had used my phone quite a bit. Fortunately I had told my cell provider a couple years ago to set my phone to not allow roaming. Because of that record, they removed all the charges. They had set the phone to no roaming, but it was automatically reversed about a month later. Saved me a couple hundred dollars.
Dec 23, 2007 | 12:33 pm
#63
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sweden (but CPH is closest int'l airport)
Programs: AmXP… lost most of the others as we don’t travel as much any more!
Posts: 133
Not really helpful for the OP, but along the lines of others posting experiences...
I just returned yesterday from 2 weeks at sea in the Indian Ocean. Our cell phones worked pretty much everywhere we were -- although often the satelite service resulted in quite long delays, it reminded me of international phone calls from 15 years ago! My husband and I live in Europe so both have GSM/3G phones (provided by our employer, so we will never see the bills!), and the provider listed usually just said USA -- presumably the cruise line had a connection through the US (US-based line) that we picked up. Wasn't a problem to use, but presumably expensive...
Someone asked about Skype...it would probably work, but we found our wireless internet connection in our cabin (and the wired connection on the ship's PCs in the Library) were VERY slow...not sure the impact that would have on VOIP.
I just returned yesterday from 2 weeks at sea in the Indian Ocean. Our cell phones worked pretty much everywhere we were -- although often the satelite service resulted in quite long delays, it reminded me of international phone calls from 15 years ago! My husband and I live in Europe so both have GSM/3G phones (provided by our employer, so we will never see the bills!), and the provider listed usually just said USA -- presumably the cruise line had a connection through the US (US-based line) that we picked up. Wasn't a problem to use, but presumably expensive...
Someone asked about Skype...it would probably work, but we found our wireless internet connection in our cabin (and the wired connection on the ship's PCs in the Library) were VERY slow...not sure the impact that would have on VOIP.
Dec 25, 2007 | 4:22 pm
#64
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: TPA
Programs: UA Global Services 3MM, Hyatt Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 2,948
Greetings from onboard the Norwegian Pearl...the wireless connection onboard presents a constant 5 bar signal, and according to Cingular/ATT or whatever they are calling themselves now, the cost is 2.49US/min. I consider that moderately competitive with some of the roaming rates that I have encountered internationally...
Dec 26, 2007 | 7:54 am
#65
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: 60137
Posts: 10,499
Dec 26, 2007 | 9:37 am
#66
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Princeton, MO/Tonopah, AZ
Posts: 687
To the best of my knowledge, only certain cell companies work with the ship towers to make phone calls. And there are NO prepaid companies signed up to interact with the ship towers. It would be almost impossible for WMS to correctly bill a prepaid SIM card. There are just too many sellers and providers of prepaid SIM cards-some tied into big cell companies and some "resellers" of the big companies' cell minutes.
If you figure out how to make phone calls FROM a ship in the middle of the ocean for less than the cheapest price of $2.95 per minute, please post.
Jun 2, 2010 | 6:23 pm
#67
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: MA
Programs: DL DM/2MM Marriott Platinum, HH Diamond,
Posts: 8,917
Update
OK, here's the question: Going on a 10 day Baltic cruise. I have an unlocked Motorola Razr quad-band GSM phone which was used several years back in the UK on a pre-paid SIM card.
As I will be in CPH several days before the cruise leaves, is there a prepaid SIM card that I can obtain that will allow relatively inexpensive calls back to the USA as well as cheap (or free) incoming calls from the USA? I am talking mostly when we are in port rather than using any cell service unique to the ship.
Ports include Stockholm, Helsinki, Talinn, Gdansk, Germant and St Petersburg.
I will also have my USA ATT phone which were roam, but you all know what that will cost!
As I will be in CPH several days before the cruise leaves, is there a prepaid SIM card that I can obtain that will allow relatively inexpensive calls back to the USA as well as cheap (or free) incoming calls from the USA? I am talking mostly when we are in port rather than using any cell service unique to the ship.
Ports include Stockholm, Helsinki, Talinn, Gdansk, Germant and St Petersburg.
I will also have my USA ATT phone which were roam, but you all know what that will cost!
Jun 3, 2010 | 10:39 am
#68
In Memoriam
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Easton, CT, USA
Programs: ua prem exec, Former hilton diamond
Posts: 31,801
OK, here's the question: Going on a 10 day Baltic cruise. I have an unlocked Motorola Razr quad-band GSM phone which was used several years back in the UK on a pre-paid SIM card.
As I will be in CPH several days before the cruise leaves, is there a prepaid SIM card that I can obtain that will allow relatively inexpensive calls back to the USA as well as cheap (or free) incoming calls from the USA? I am talking mostly when we are in port rather than using any cell service unique to the ship.
Ports include Stockholm, Helsinki, Talinn, Gdansk, Germant and St Petersburg.
I will also have my USA ATT phone which were roam, but you all know what that will cost!
As I will be in CPH several days before the cruise leaves, is there a prepaid SIM card that I can obtain that will allow relatively inexpensive calls back to the USA as well as cheap (or free) incoming calls from the USA? I am talking mostly when we are in port rather than using any cell service unique to the ship.
Ports include Stockholm, Helsinki, Talinn, Gdansk, Germant and St Petersburg.
I will also have my USA ATT phone which were roam, but you all know what that will cost!
I use the prepaid Sims from Telestial.com (they remarket the ekit sims). They offer several, I use the Passport because I like the rates. It has an incoming number in the UK, which I forward a personal 800 number to should somebody call me so they don't have to call overseas. In everywhere but Russia, incoming calls would be free, and outgoing would be 49 cents per minute, in Russia it would be 1.29 and 1.49 per minute.
There are probably less expensive options out there, but it's worked for me for years.