cell phone reception

[bobsuzla]

I am assuming that there is none (reception) on board?!?!? I find this a wonderful thought, no annoying people walking around ignoring thier children whilst talking away (loudly) on the phone. All though, it would be fun to call and drive my co-workers nuts with the day to day details!!! But I can give up the momentary harrassment for a blissfully cell-phone less environement for 1 whole week!!!! can you hear me now? GOOD!!!

 

[BethC1952]

While there is little, if any reception (depending on your provider), those two-way radio things do work, so you do have people shouting into them. Plus, you can hear BOTH sides of the conversation if you're unlucky enough to be near someone using them!

Beth

 

[Princess Tink]

Our phones worked when we were on our Veranda's in Key West and Cozumel, without any extra cost either. These are the only places we tried them, as I wanted to let my mom know how beautiful the sunset was in Key West and then called my dad to see what kind of Tequila he wanted when we were in Cozumel.

 

[two-foxes]

Oh, no. You'll never get away from the cell phones, although there are much less of them! Pretty much you'll see them out in port and close to islands that may have signals. I was the mean one who called my parents from St Thomas and as we were pulling away from Antigua and bragged! But you won't see a cell phone at all during sea days....signals are non existent. Something you'll be happy about! As much as I should take a vacation from my cell phone, it is a hard habit to break!

 

[KyCruisinSusan]

Our cell phones worked just fine in St Thomas. I called my mom to say hi and found out that someone had broken into our house while we were away, and stolen our television. It put a damper on the rest of the week. Guess we should have just left well enough alone til we got home. LOL

 

[burma]

would be nice to know what carriers you have that have worked

 

[two-foxes]

would be nice to know what carriers you have that have worked

AT&T/Cingular is what we used. Although Antigua was charged as an "international" call, the rate was still good. St. Thomas was in their regular coverage area. One word of advice....who ever is your carrier, just make sure you double check your plan with them before leaving. I was supposed to be one the nationwide plan (free roaming/long distance anywhere in the US), but they billed me on the local plan (pay out the rear for roaming). That meant I came home with a $500 cell phone bill after our vacation. We were on the phone lots with hurricane Jeanne changes during the week before our cruises. Of course At&t reibursed me for the charges....only after taking it out of my checking account even when they knew it was wrong

 

[whithouston]

What about Verizon coverage at Nassau or Castaway Cay?

 

[cruisenewbie2004]

there's always satellite phone. I saw making a satellite phone call on my December 04 Magic cruise. I was walking part Paolos and he was there alone out of the wind. I think he was a lawyer. I could hear some of what he said as I walked by. By the way, I know it was a satellite call because he was using an old Iridium sat phone.

 

[tecdavidt]

Verizon works in: Key West(still in the states at this port), St. Thomas, and San Juan. Just remember that cell phones require towers and if no towers then no coverage. The rule of thumb is if it isn't an US port it most likely will not work.Just try it to see if it works. Now if you have a sat. phone, that is another story. Kathy

 

[budwmn]

Verizon doesn't work in Nassau.

 

[whithouston]

Verizon doesn't work in Nassau.

Darn it! Thanks anyway!

 

[bobsuzla]

My husband and I have the Nextel 2-way radios but we take them off of speaker and talk to them in private mode if we are ever in a public setting, They are annoying, I have to admit. As for using two way on the ship, where are you going to get lost to? Eventually you can all meet up at the cabin or other designated area, it's not like being in a vast amusement park where there might be potential danger etc. I'm most looking forward to no annoying person with their cell phone at dinner, very loudly conducting a "million dollar deal" (like I care or your kids care either Buddy,put the phone down and pay a little attention to the kiddies, they just put mashed potatoes in my hair!)

 

[Prncssdc5]

Does anyone know if Verizon works in CC? I have no plans on using my cell any other time but the day we will be there is the 1st anniversary of my mothers passing and I wanted to be able to call my Dad and make sure he is alright. If they don't I will just have to use the ship phones.

 

[cjsmith]

Sprint works in Grand Cayman, the keys of course, ST Thomas, San Juan and Cozumel. It didn't work at CC. I don't think that anyone's will work here as there isn't a tower close enough.

 

[LakeAriel]

Don't you get charged for incoming calls even if they only leave a message? I'm wondering because I don't want my daughter to get 20 calls while in Nassau and we pay $10 for each message. How does that work? Anyone (most) less technologically impaired then I?

 

[cjsmith]

Don't you get charged for incoming calls even if they only leave a message? I'm wondering because I don't want my daughter to get 20 calls while in Nassau and we pay $10 for each message. How does that work? Anyone (most) less technologically impaired then I?

I would call you cell phone carrier and see where they have coverage and what their rates are with your particular plan. On ours, we won't get charged long distance at some places in the Caribbean if we receive the call but we will if we make it. Nassau is a tricky place, depending on who you have as a carrier will depend on whether or not you can actually use your service, we couldn't.

We used our phone while on our DCL cruise to check on an ill family memeber and while on our southern Caribbean Princess cruise to check home with the kids. We only allowed our daughter to use her phone while in Key West otherwise it was off limits.

 

[Rence]

We called our carrier a week before we left. We had a list of ports and just went down the list.

They were able to tell us whether service was available in each port and whether or not the calls would be included in our plan.

The information can vary from carrier to carrier and even vary between different plans within a given carrier. The information is changing all the time, so calling the carrier gets you the best information.

Also, be aware that sometimes new service requires updates to the phones in order to work. When we called, we learned that there was new service on one of the islands but it required an update to the software on the phone, they were able to perform the upgrade over the phone. Our phones worked on the island, but my sister who had the same carrier, but had not updated her phone, had no service. So this is yet another difference, if you have an older phone with a carrier, you may not get service, while someone with a newer or updated phone from the same carrier would get service.

If using your cell phone on the trip is important, I really recommend calling your carrier a week or two before traveling and getting the latest and greatest info.