phone home from eastern ports?

[mickeyworld]

What's the best- cheapest- way to phone home from St. THomas and St. Marteen? My DD is wanting t "talk" to her boyfirend and I don't plan to buy internet stuff because she'll be on it all day! What's a good way- phone cards????

 

[cramam]

I was able to use my Sprint cellphone in St. Thomas. It was standard free long distance. On St. Marten I bought a 20 minute phone card at the internet cafe at the end of the dock. They had nice phones and chairs to sit in and call. It was $12 I think.

 

[jennat]

I, also, looked into it in St Thomas and t-mobile was free long distance from there also.

 

[macbasset]

We bought pre-paid phone cards the last time we were on the eastern and used them in st. thomas; phones are right at the dock. This time, I found pre-paid phone cards at our dollar store-- so I paid $1 for 20 min. which was good in st. thomas. Will be getting them again.

 

[tvguy]

I have never used the phone cards, but did notice a lot of payphones with signs that said "NO PHONE CARDS" in St. Thomas and St. Martin.
Also, Consumer Reports in October did a sidebar story on phone cards, and noted that some phone carriers use odd ways of calculating how long you were on the phone. Some bill in 8 minute blocks and round up. So any call less than 8 minutes costs you 8 minutes off your card, a call one second over 8 minutes would cost you 16 minutes off your card.
And now there is a big legal battle, the FCC wants to force long distance companies to collect taxes on calling cards........you know, the 911, and Lifeline taxes you pay at home. ATT says that could boost the cost of a call made with a pre-paid phone card by up to 15 cents a minute. So, buyer beware.

 

[CM_Mom]

Cingular Cell phones also work from St. Thomas. I think most of the national phone plans count St. Thomas as part of their plan minutes.