AT&T plan in the Caribbean

[texasgingerbread]

Please correct me if I'm wrong...

If I keep my phone in airplane mode and turn on the wifi I should be able to use the ship's app to connect with family on board.

Once in the port, did you personally feel it was worth the price to pay the AT&T price for the cruise packages of 100MB? It's $120 for 30 days. I definitely need texting in port...not necessarily talk and would enjoy having data. Thoughts on what you realistically used? My husband would need a package too...we are separating in a port and going opposite directions and meeting up.

Any other options I'm not thinking of or that are out there?

Cruise packages
All packages are available per device.
TALK
$30
One-time charge for 30 days
Includes:
50 minutes
Overage: $1.00 per minute



TALK & TEXT
$60
One-time charge for 30 days
Includes:
50 minutes
Overage: $1.00 per minute
100 texts sent*
Overage: $0.50 per message sent
(Text, pictures, video)



TALK, TEXT & DATA
$120
One-time charge for 30 days
Includes:
50 minutes
Overage: $1.00 per minute
100 texts sent*
Overage: $0.50 per message sent
(Text, pictures, video)
100MB
Overage: $10.00 per 10MB

 

[LSUfan4444]

If I keep my phone in airplane mode and turn on the wifi I should be able to use the ship's app to connect with family on board.

So long as they have the app as well, yes.

Once in the port, did you personally feel it was worth the price to pay the AT&T price for the cruise packages

No.

Thoughts on what you realistically used?

I find wi-fi for email, facetime for calls or apps like What's App for texting.

 

[MUN]

In St. Thomas your regular AT&T cell coverage will work w/o any additional charges.

 

[bananabean]

Please correct me if I'm wrong...

If I keep my phone in airplane mode and turn on the wifi I should be able to use the ship's app to connect with family on board.

Once in the port, did you personally feel it was worth the price to pay the AT&T price for the cruise packages of 100MB? It's $120 for 30 days. I definitely need texting in port...not necessarily talk and would enjoy having data. Thoughts on what you realistically used? My husband would need a package too...we are separating in a port and going opposite directions and meeting up.

Any other options I'm not thinking of or that are out there?

Cruise packages
All packages are available per device.
TALK
$30
One-time charge for 30 days
Includes:
50 minutes
Overage: $1.00 per minute



TALK & TEXT
$60
One-time charge for 30 days
Includes:
50 minutes
Overage: $1.00 per minute
100 texts sent*
Overage: $0.50 per message sent
(Text, pictures, video)



TALK, TEXT & DATA
$120
One-time charge for 30 days
Includes:
50 minutes
Overage: $1.00 per minute
100 texts sent*
Overage: $0.50 per message sent
(Text, pictures, video)
100MB
Overage: $10.00 per 10MB

That is really an absurd cost for the amount they give you. For both the initial cost and the overage costs. You would be much better off buying a local SIM card for whatever country you're in or a generic international SIM that covers the countries you will be visiting. There are several websites where you can buy a SIM card ahead of time. It's going to be significantly cheaper to do that.

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

I have used the newer service feature AT&T offers where you pay $10 for 24 hours to use your own data and features internationally. Basically after you elect to have this feature on your account, once you connect to "roaming", your 24 hours starts. I've had no issues doing this the last two times I did it (February and March) and will do this again when we go to Europe this summer. We always try and find the free wifi but when we can't and need to use our phones, it's nice to have it available.

I have never used the "cruise package" offered as I didn't find it of value compared to the other plans they offer.

Of course please make sure you check with AT&T for the proper terms and how it works

Thanks,
Heather

 

[texasgingerbread]

I have used the newer service feature AT&T offers where you pay $10 for 24 hours to use your own data and features internationally. Basically after you elect to have this feature on your account, once you connect to "roaming", your 24 hours starts. I've had no issues doing this the last two times I did it (February and March) and will do this again when we go to Europe this summer. We always try and find the free wifi but when we can't and need to use our phones, it's nice to have it available.

I have never used the "cruise package" offered as I didn't find it of value compared to the other plans they offer.

Of course please make sure you check with AT&T for the proper terms and how it works

Thanks,
Heather

I did this in Mexico 2 weeks ago and it was great! I'll call and find out if it matters if you're in a different country each day. I didn't think of this...thank you.

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

You are so welcome! I'm glad you already had a chance to try it out as I was a little apprehensive the first time I did it but it was easy/peasy and no surprises!

Heather

 

[lucas]

I have used the newer service feature AT&T offers where you pay $10 for 24 hours to use your own data and features internationally. Basically after you elect to have this feature on your account, once you connect to "roaming", your 24 hours starts. I've had no issues doing this the last two times I did it (February and March) and will do this again when we go to Europe this summer. We always try and find the free wifi but when we can't and need to use our phones, it's nice to have it available.

I have never used the "cruise package" offered as I didn't find it of value compared to the other plans they offer.

Of course please make sure you check with AT&T for the proper terms and how it works

Thanks,
Heather

We just had this this feature added to our account but haven't used it yet. Couple of questions...
1. Change setting to "roaming" to use? (Sorry, I've never done that before.)
2. To call home/USA, how do we dial the number? Is there a country code first, or is it just the straight number like, 1-area code-number?

 

[texasgingerbread]

We just had this this feature added to our account but haven't used it yet. Couple of questions...
1. Change setting to "roaming" to use? (Sorry, I've never done that before.)
2. To call home/USA, how do we dial the number? Is there a country code first, or is it just the straight number like, 1-area code-number?

it will automatically be on roaming when you land and it connects. To dial the US you dial plus 1 and the number...the plus is where the zero is on my phone and you have to hold it down until it changes to a plus sign.

 

[texasgingerbread]

Backing up - this is when I was dialing from Mexico. When I was in Europe you would hit 00 plus 1 then area code and number.

 

[havaneselover]

In St. Thomas your regular AT&T cell coverage will work w/o any additional charges.

My Straight Talk which runs on AT&T's towers worked in St. Thomas too. I was thrilled.

 

[AlexandNessa]

This is a recent service offering, and one you may want to consider instead.

https://www.att.com/offers/international-plans/day-pass.html

 

[SuperDry]

That is really an absurd cost for the amount they give you. For both the initial cost and the overage costs. You would be much better off buying a local SIM card for whatever country you're in or a generic international SIM that covers the countries you will be visiting. There are several websites where you can buy a SIM card ahead of time. It's going to be significantly cheaper to do that.

Apples and oranges. What you describe will work on land or near shore in the countries visited. The OP is referring to the AT&T cruise package which will work on the ship's cellular system while at sea. $30 for 50 minutes of talk is actually a good price for usage on the ship.

 

[SuperDry]

Once in the port, did you personally feel it was worth the price to pay the AT&T price for the cruise packages of 100MB? It's $120 for 30 days. I definitely need texting in port...not necessarily talk and would enjoy having data. Thoughts on what you realistically used? My husband would need a package too...we are separating in a port and going opposite directions and meeting up.

How much texting do you need? If that's your main concern, you don't need any package. As long as you have the int'l roaming feature enabled (which is free) and keep roaming data OFF, then you can text: it's free to receive texts (assuming you have a text package at home), and $0.50 each to send. That applies to every country, and even when on the ship at sea. So, unless you have a large amount of texts, it's cheaper to just pay those a la carte prices and not get a package.

 

[lucas]

it will automatically be on roaming when you land and it connects. To dial the US you dial plus 1 and the number...the plus is where the zero is on my phone and you have to hold it down until it changes to a plus sign.

Ok, thanks for the roaming info, I wasn't sure about switching it. But, I guess no worry!

I never heard about holding down the zero for it to change to the plus. For some reason, I thought calling from Mexico was 00-1-area code-the number. (But, that is the way you called from Europe.)

 

[lucas]

Ok, I just found this on the AT&T site about how to call the US:

Make calls and send text messages
To make calls and send text messages while traveling abroad, or from the U.S. to international numbers:

• Dial the plus sign +, followed by the country code and local number.
• The country code for the United States, Canada, and most Caribbean countries is 1.
• To call the U.S. from another country, dial +1, followed by the area code and local number. For example, +1(123)555-6789.
• In most countries, you can dial a local number from your wireless phone just as you would from a landline phone.

Note: The plus sign (+) key appears on most phones if you press and hold down the 0 key. On some BlackBerry devices, press the SYM key, and then press the + key.
Alternatively, dial 011 in place of the + sign when calling from the U.S.

 

[bananabean]

Apples and oranges. What you describe will work on land or near shore in the countries visited. The OP is referring to the AT&T cruise package which will work on the ship's cellular system while at sea. $30 for 50 minutes of talk is actually a good price for usage on the ship.

The OP mentioned that she would be using the ship's app while on board, but was specifically looking for cellular/data access while in port since they would be splitting up.

 

[JW9DVC]

Please correct me if I'm wrong...

If I keep my phone in airplane mode and turn on the wifi I should be able to use the ship's app to connect with family on board.

Once in the port, did you personally feel it was worth the price to pay the AT&T price for the cruise packages of 100MB? It's $120 for 30 days. I definitely need texting in port...not necessarily talk and would enjoy having data. Thoughts on what you realistically used? My husband would need a package too...we are separating in a port and going opposite directions and meeting up.

Any other options I'm not thinking of or that are out there?

Cruise packages
All packages are available per device.
TALK
$30
One-time charge for 30 days
Includes:
50 minutes
Overage: $1.00 per minute



TALK & TEXT
$60
One-time charge for 30 days
Includes:
50 minutes
Overage: $1.00 per minute
100 texts sent*
Overage: $0.50 per message sent
(Text, pictures, video)



TALK, TEXT & DATA
$120
One-time charge for 30 days
Includes:
50 minutes
Overage: $1.00 per minute
100 texts sent*
Overage: $0.50 per message sent
(Text, pictures, video)
100MB
Overage: $10.00 per 10MB

https://www.skyroam.com/

This might do well for you.