Lack of cell use an issue for anyone?

[Spotthecat]

I think on land it's the expectation that you can text your friends a photo of you at DW, with Mickey, etc. Having it cut in and out is frustrating if you were directly communicating with someone, say, while waiting in line. On the cruise knowing beforehand that the phone won't work, it's easier to unplug. It's like losing a watch. FIrst couple of days you go nuts NEEDING to know the time. After those days, you're like, eh, whatever.

 

[grantclaire]

I have no problem, but my teen Daughter sure did! I bought an small amount of onboard internet to help her stay connected with her friends.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

I look forward for my one week a year not connected to the phone, computer, and the university (I'm working on my doctorate degree in civil engineering).
For one week you should should try disconnecting your daughter from your credit card. Once you get back home, it's all back to "normal".

 

[Winston Wolf]

Between data plans for onboard as well as inexpensive international day passes for cell carriers she should be able to be covered.

I love how everyone gets all judgey of people who don’t want to disconnect.

 

[Stefani P.]

I think you need to be up front with her and ask her thoughts. If not having cell service is going to be a deal breaker, then she stays and will miss a great time. I have been trying to cut back on screen time, since we unplugged in Dec for the cruise. It was great to use the phone as a camera. We called the parents/grandparents on the drive to the port (we sailed over Christmas Day), and then the phones went to airplane mode with everything off as we were getting ready to sail away. It was FANTASTIC.

Let it be her choice and be willing to go with or without her.

Sounds like a good idea!

 

[Stefani P.]

Between data plans for onboard as well as inexpensive international day passes for cell carriers she should be able to be covered.

I love how everyone gets all judgey of people who don’t want to disconnect.

I was just Googling. Doesn't seem too expensive for her to buy a package.

 

[Shanti]

I just came back from DW with my 23 yo daughter.
She flipped out anytime she didn't have cell service.
We are booked on a cruise next year. I'm worrying that taking her may be a bad idea now.
Anyone have kids that are upset about not using phones?

A cruise is a great vacation from phone calls, from texts, from email, etc. A person who "flipped out" at having to endure a vacation instead of living at the beck and call of a mechanical device is not someone I'd want to cruise with.

 

[missyp]

Before the app came out we used to lock our cell phones in the safe for the entire trip and only communicate with each other via wave phone with no communication to anyone not traveling with us. We all enjoyed that including my teens. Now the app tends to make us all use our cell phones and we end up communicating with the outside world. I don’t like it as much. I would rather leave reality behind.

 

[lorenni]

I was fortunate enough to be able to turn on data roaming when in port and not worry about expense - because my job requires that I check in and monitor everything at least once in a while.

I’d bet that most of us who love unplugging are of a certain age such that we did not have cell phones (or internet, FB, instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter, etc.) as kids/young adults. I can imagine that disconnecting from something you’ve had all along is a bigger struggle. Plenty of sociological comments/observations to be made there.

If your daughter needs to be connected for work reasons, she should check with her employer in advance as to what amount of international data roaming (if any) they’ll cover. Many business plans include really good international add ons. If it’s personal use, I second the various posters who have recommended a small data plan on the ship. But she’ll need to be very careful about turning off apps that suck up data in the background. In port you can generally find free WiFi if you look for it.

Good luck!

 

[lizzyb]

I frankly think it's a good thing. Being able to disconnect is something everyone should learn. I would think a great trip on a cruise would more than make up for it.

I agree 100%.

We use the cruise as a chance for the family to reconnect so not having cell's allows us to do that.

 

[cyclenut]

I totally get your concerns. We have kids about the same age. There are a few options that could help.
1) Contact the cell provider and discuss a global coverage plan and the data roaming charges. Be informed. It is never cheap, but it can be made less expensive if you buy a package from your carrier.
2) I'm on Verizon and was able to pay $10 per day while in port for global data roaming. The data use would be taken off my domestic data plan for the $10 fee. That also includes talk and text, but I'm guessing that data use is the real concern.
3) You can buy the WiFi package on the ship, but be very wary of how fast data is used. Before buying the plan, get help on configuring the phone to use less data when connected. I turned off the automatic backup feature for pictures while on board, turned off email auto-sync and turned off the feature that automatically downloads attachments in e-mail when connected to WiFi. Phones assume that when you are connected to WiFi, bandwidth is good and it's free. Automatic updates to apps should also be turned off. I even deleted by social media apps. I used the Facebook web site when I wanted to check in, which uses less data than the app, because the app automatically downloads images and posts and the web site only loads what you are looking at.
4) Be mindful that streaming videos like Facebook Live are going to use a lot of data as compared to an instragram or snapchat image.
5) Battery life may be diminished, depending on how the phone is used. Have one of those external batteries handy for charging.

Cell phones are complicated computer devices so managing costs while on vacation is something you should really take the time to look into. What works for one person won't always work for another. It depends on the carrier, the type and age of the device (Android vs. iOS), the apps on the device and how the device is to be used. There are ways to make this work, but there will be a cost. The cost can be managed, but it requires conscious and attentive use.

 

[ludari]

I understand that some people find it difficult to remove themselves from their phones and in some cases I such as family at home, critical work stuff, etc., I understand why you might need to stay connected, but as a solo cruiser with no kids I have no problems turning off my phone once I board the ship and not using it at all. I don't even use my phone with the DCL app as other might for activities around the ship, although I do hear it's very helpful I choose to use the standard paper Navigators to learn about goings-on around the ship.

 

[Evil Queen 2]

Our cell phones are turned off and go in the safe as soon as we get to our stateroom. We don't take them out again until the morning we have to get off the ship.

My husband loves that his office can't call him on vacation. Since we were on the 14 day Panama Canal cruise he did use the WiFi to check his company email twice but since he has told them he is retiring in 2 years figures they need to learn how to live without him.

 

[cyclenut]

Our cell phones are turned off and go in the safe as soon as we get to our stateroom. We don't take them out again until the morning we have to get off the ship.

My husband loves that his office can't call him on vacation. Since we were on the 14 day Panama Canal cruise he did use the WiFi to check his company email twice but since he has told them he is retiring in 2 years figures they need to learn how to live without him.

I am fortunate in that I have a separate cell phone for work. I used to think that was a burden, but I'm finding it to be especially helpful in separating the two. My work cell was shut off and in the safe for the entire two weeks. What I did though was give my team a special email address that I was checking that doesn't usually get much mail. If they needed anything urgent, they were to send to that email address. I used the 50Mb of free WiFi to check that inbox daily. I also used it for family and for the friend of mine who was tending to our house while we were gone. He would send updates letting us know things were OK.

I used my personal cell phone for a lot of things on the trip. Taking pictures, checking the Disney Cruise app, keeping track of activities organized by the cruise group and when I did have data connectivity, providing vacation updates on FB.

 

[mousefan73]

I just came back from DW with my 23 yo daughter.
She flipped out anytime she didn't have cell service.
We are booked on a cruise next year. I'm worrying that taking her may be a bad idea now.
Anyone have kids that are upset about not using phones?

Sorry but I would be livid if my kids are not able to enjoy a family vacation, much less a cruise becacuse of a darn phone. I’d tell my kids to stay home and make very clear that their addiction to social media taking a fromt seat to “my time” doesnt float. My kids, still young would be bummed about lack of on demand youtube. But I would make clear that the point of our vacation is not to watch youtube or send snapchats

 

[85glht]

I just came back from DW with my 23 yo daughter.
She flipped out anytime she didn't have cell service.
We are booked on a cruise next year. I'm worrying that taking her may be a bad idea now.
Anyone have kids that are upset about not using phones?

Keep her home then.... sorry

 

[cyclenut]

Keep her home then.... sorry

Don't say sorry unless you really mean it. I don't believe your comment was fair or helpful to the original poster. Please be respectful of the different ways that people like to enjoy their vacations. Some wish to remain connected and share their experiences with others, real time.

 

[85glht]

Don't say sorry unless you really mean it. I don't believe your comment was fair or helpful to the original poster. Please be respectful of the different ways that people like to enjoy their vacations. Some wish to remain connected and share their experiences with others, real time.

I do mean it... her daughter is 23 yrs old and an adult. If the daughter is gonna have a fit due to no cell service and it would impact the OP vacation (ie; the one paying for said vacation) then keep her home. Enough said

 

[Stefani P.]

Keep her home then.... sorry

This rude comment is absolutely unhelpful.

 

[Stefani P.]

I do mean it... her daughter is 23 yrs old and an adult. If the daughter is gonna have a fit due to no cell service and it would impact the OP vacation (ie; the one paying for said vacation) then keep her home. Enough said

I understand what you are saying but since my daughter is an adult I don't see her often enough. I'd like a suggested solution, not a "leave her home".