According to what I have read AT&T can receive Text messages and you are charged according to your text plan. Sending messages costs $0.50 each. I have unlimited text messaging, can anyone confirm?
This is true
I know this from my own experience on Transatlantic cruise as well as a friend who uses AT&T on iphone also and travelled to Canada for a bit. (which was interesting- because her friend on AT&T who she was visiting/is a resident of canada- could send out to me but got charged if I texted her. So I texted one friend, she'd reply on her friends phone = 0 charges for texts. That's how we roll... bucking the system. LOL)
I just called AT&T, here is what I found out:
Incoming Text Messages: Free (up to your text messaging plan allotment)
Outgoing Text: $0.50
Outgoing Picture Messages: $1.35
Voice Calls: $2.49 per minute
The lady suggest having your calls forwarded to a home number with an answering machine prior to leaving for the port, this way you could get text messages without risking getting a phone call and be charged $2.49 per minute (even if it went to voicemail)
Data: Standard International Data Rates (International Data Packages are available through AT&T) - Using data on the cruise ship is not recommended, as it will be even slower than the ship's internet connection most of the time.
Suggestions (from AT&T):
1. Turn data off before boarding.
2. Put phone in airplane mode when not wanting to check for text messages, even when on deck, to avoid potential charges.
3. Only communicate via text messaging.
This information also coincides with what is posted on their website.
Whatever AT&T.. that's standard information for going international- but all that about turning off data and not using internet and will be even slower than ship's internet connection is not true. When you use your phone on wifi on the ship- it is the same as using wifi on the iphone anywhere else! However fast that wifi is- is how fast it will be on the phone. I took my iphone and a laptop on our last cruise (transatlantic) It was just as fast on wifi on iphone at our apt in Barcelona as it was on the laptop- same for the cruise. There was no difference between the laptop speed or iphone speed when on wifi. Now if you use 3G.... you may not get service at all in some places (that would be at least Barcelona and at sea LOL) or slower speed where you can get it- but if you use wifi it works at the same speed as a laptop, whatever speed the wifi is (which means on the ship when it's slow wifi on the iphone- it's slow wifi on your laptop and on the ship's computers as well. TRUST me on this... 100% positive of it. Whenever I had trouble with my iphone not connecting- I also had trouble with my laptop connecting, I'd also go out and see others wandering around with laptops trying to connect, then go down to PC's and see them not able to connect there either. Every single time. LOL)
On our stay in Barcelona and on the transatlantic cruise I turned on airplane mode, turned off data roaming, and turned off cellular data- and hooked up on wifi only.. if wifi wasn't working- then I wasn't getting online (not on iphone, not on laptop, not on their computers either. Again trust me on this- all worked exactly the same speed/all down at the same time/etc.) and wasn't charged one penny more than we normally are from AT&T.
Think of iphone like a laptop-- it is exactly the same except for it's natural limitations it has everywhere (not just internationallly or on a ship at sea) and except for you just need to turn things off so it's not "attempting" to get data from AT&T instead of thru wifi on the ship/anywhere else you are at the time.
(some of the ports of call you can find free wifi, btw. So techically if you research that ahead of time and only use internet at the free wifi at/near various ports you're going to- you can even avoid paying for internet on the ship)
A thing will pop up attempting to hook you up to "cellular at sea"- to be able to make calls on the ship. It happened to me a few times when I turned off airplane mode to check texts- I declined it each time. I cannot tell you anything about how cellular at sea works since I haven't experienced it. I declined it every time afraid that it would charge me. LOL
What about if the phone is on while you're still sitting in Port Canaveral and you shut it off before the boat leaves? Will you get any extra charges?
(My mom and I did this when we went a couple weeks ago when we were on the Dream).
No.
If you are still within the country on AT&T's 3G/etc for service- you will not be charged. turn it off before you are at sea- no charge. But I would suggest turning it on airplane mode and turning off cellular data even if you're going to turn the phone off because here's the thing- your phone may have apps, emails, etc that will do "push" and "fetch new data" even when you're phone is off and/or if you turn it on for any reason it may immediately do that. I have fetch new data turned off, push notifications off, as well as airplane mode on (except when on wifi) and turn off cellular data and data roaming (so I'll just use wifi) so just do all that stuff under settings before turning it off.
Ps. I read all this on this board before we left for Barcelona and every bit of it was accurate and worked for me.
You don't need to turn off data roaming if you put the iPhone in to airplane mode. In airplane mode you can do anything except for talk, text or use an app that needs internet access.
if you intend on using the ship's wifi, wifi at ports of call or such- you'll need to turn off airplane mode for it to work, and turn off data roaming and cellular data to make SURE you don't end up trying to connect to AT&T while what they consider "international".. because if you connect that way, you'll be charged more.
It sounds confusing but it really isn't. we do the turning off data roaming and data cellular even at home- so we'll only use wifi and so some of our iphones (some aren't on unlimited data) will ONLY use wifi and not go over the 200mb usage (which is only the amount of usage done when not at home on wifi- and ofcourse when not at home have to turn on data cellular again LOL)
In short-
*airplane mode on, data cellular off, data roaming off- if you don't want to use your phone at all. (it's possible that simply airplane mode alone will take care of all this- but I didn't trust it. LOL)
*Airplane mode off- if you want to get texts/calls, but depending on where you are you may have charges (text incoming free, text outgoing charge, calls super mega charge LOL)
*airplane mode off, data cellular off, data roaming off- if you want to only use wifi and not have your phone 'attempting' to connect to whatever AT&T it may be able to connect to at times... because that will incur intl rates.
*airplane mode off, data cellular on, data roaming on if you want to throw caution to the wind and maybe end up with a huge bill when you return. that's up to you...
*and even if you plan on turning your phone off and not turning it on the entire cruise- best to turn it on airplane mode, turn off push notifications, turn off fetch data (so it won't be attempting to download all your emails constantly), turn off data cellular and turn off data roaming--- and then there is no way you can have one penny charged (extra over your normal bill ofcourse. We were gone 3wks and still had to pay the monthly charges ofcourse LOL)
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