Can you use prepaid phone cards onboard?

[southtown]

Basically the subject says it all. Just wondering because we are leaving our 1 year old at grandmas this trip and I know my wife will want to call everyday to see how shes doing. I just dont want to pay those heavy rates. If I have to I will I would hope a phone card will work. I remember reading that people give them to cast members as tips,and from what I hear they work everyday for months so its not like they could get off the ship to a payphone. If anyone knows it would be very helpful.

 

[aprilgail2]

you can use them in ports but not on the ship...I believe its 6.95 a minutes onthe ship....I just emailed grandma every day and she emailed me back...and once I caught grams online so we IM'd back adn forth a few minutes....

 

[eoconnor]

I don't know about on board. If you go to nassau you can get a phone card at the dock. I had an AT&T card that would not work in coz. I have checked with AT&T and their cards do not work in MEX or NAS. On some islands your cell phone might work.

 

[Steven]

Hello

Want a reliable company? Check out telesmt on (google or MSN0 and call from over 40 countries worldwide.......

 

[tvguy]

One word of warning, I did notice a lot of pay phones near the docks on the Eastern with big signs that said "No phone cards".

 

[Disneyfan37]

Our phones which our Nextel together with Sprint didn't work at all on our Western Cruise last month.The only way we communicatd back home was with wireless internet.It was the same way on the Eastern cruise last year,except there I saw pay phones.There are no pay phones at Castaway Cay,and we went to Costa Maya(Disney information for them)says no payphone there.I really didn't look to make sure,but I do know our cells didn't work!

Maria

 

[Rence]

If you have a cell phone you might want to call your company to check on coverage in the various ports of call. You will find a real mixed bag of cell phone results in the messages here.

Every cell phone company has different coverage and within a given company there can be different plans, some may provide coverage while others don't. In addition, having an older phone may result in no coverage, while someone with a newer phone with the same company may get coverage.

Get a list of ports and call your cell phone provider. You may find that a small switch in plans may give your coverage in the ports you are visiting. In our case, we found that our phone was older, but they were able to send us an update via the phone, to update our phone's software so that it would work in port. My sister had the same phone, the same company, but she didn't get the update, we had service, she did not.

Cell phone is probably your cheapest method of calling home if you can get coverage. Phone cards used in port are probably next best.

Cheapest communication home from the ship is email. Ship to shore phone the most expensive.

 

[suzadrew]

My cell worked in Key West, Grand Cayman and Costa Maya. I also made a quick call as we were passing Cuba. Strangely CC doesn't have cell towers, so my phone didn't work on the island.

 

[TiggerKing]

Another aspect about cell phones that I found out earlier this year on a European trip. Just because you have a "world phone" or "internation cell phone" doesn't mean it will automatically work outside of the US. With Cingular, I had to actually have them "flip a switch" to activate international roaming in order for my phone to work. Made me mad since I bought the phone the day I was leaving and told them I was flying out that afternoon to Europe, but they didn't turn it on. But, that's another gripe for another day!