Question about cell use while on a cruise

[AquaGirl]

I know that some of you are former or current cruisers, so I thought I would ask this question since there are many experienced travelers on the forum.

My parents are going on a Holland America cruise through the Panama Canal with stops in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Columbia and Bahamas. They were asking me if they could use their cell phone throughout the trip. They want to be able to receive a call if there is an emergency at home, and be able to make calls. They have cheapie phones, so I doubt they are dual mode, quad band, but I will figure that out for them. If one of their phones doesn't have this capability, getting an international calling plan while they are gone is not useful. Given that different countries have different cellular networks, how does one arrange to be able to have cell coverage. Note that this is for emergencies only - they know roaming costs are sky high.

I have an AT&T international virtual calling card that we take with us when traveling in the BVIs. You have to call Customer Service ahead of time to get the local access number to call, depending upon where you will be. We've never had to use it, but have it for emergencies. I may have them take it with them, and call to get the access numbers for all the countries they will visit. I think they would need to find a phone on land to make a call, unless they find a solution for cell service. The ship has a phone you can use for a very high fee too.

They want to be able to check email as well. They will take their iPad and had planned to find an internet cafe in the various port cities they visit. I strongly recommended leaving the iPad on board the ship and not taking it with them when they are on an excursion. I don't think its a good idea for an elderly tourist to be using an iPad in some of those places. Since there are problems with people yanking them out of your hands in this country, I think there is some risk in those other places. Also, I thought it would be better to just enjoy their on-shore excursions, rather than taking time to track down an internet cafe. They can buy online minutes on the ship - expensive, but easier to check email in the comfort of the ship.

How do you handle being able to make or receive calls when on a cruise going to different countries? Any input is very welcome!

Thank you
B&J

[Lovermont]

Perhaps there's internet (wifi) on the ship? If so, just download Skype on their iPad and they can make calls that way. I'm assuming their cell phones are not smartphones. If they are, then there are all sorts of apps to download, such as Skype, to use for calling using the internet. I have a MagicJack telephone for my home office, and use the MagicJack app on my iPhone when I'm traveling. I can make and receive calls when I have an internet connection, anywhere in the world. If I miss a call, and the caller leaves a voicemail, that voicemail is emailed to me as a voice file attached to an email. I love that feature.
Sorry, but I'm not familiar with international plans that may be useful in the countries they'll be traveling through.

[AquaGirl]

Thanks Lovermont! I forgot about Skype. That should work fine for them, since the ship has wifi (you can buy a package of minutes to use their wifi - $55 for 100 minutes or $100 for 250 minutes). When I see them at Thanksgiving, I will get them set up to use Skype. Their phones are not smart phones, but they are taking their iPad.

[toes in the sand]

I find that Facetime works much better on my iPad than Skype does. If the person they are calling has an apple device, that may be the way to go.

[JJShaw]

Unless they have an international plan..they will be charged..Carnival has Cellular at Sea but its still rather expensive..My son went into the hospital while I was on my last cruise and just a few few minutes on the phone was about 3 or 4 bucks a minute..all in all I ended up with about 60 bucks tacked on to my bill..Texting worked and I didn't have any extra charges for that..so that might be something to think about as well...but my phone worked perfectly..but I wouldn't advise them to use it unless it was an emergency..also...check with their carrier...they might have some advice for them...or possibly they could change their plan for the time they will be gone..

[AquaGirl]

Thanks for the helpful info. They are going to buy wifi minutes, so they can use email for non-emergency communication. They are on Holland America which is "cell phone friendly" provided by SeaMobile. They just need their phones activated for international calling for that timeframe, plus roaming fees apply. I went through all of this with them when I was visiting at Thanksgiving, printed all the info and gave them the task to go to their local AT&T store with the info to find out about the international calling plan.

We didn't tackle Skype or Facetime this trip, but will do so next visit (which is before they leave). I have an Android and my brother has an iPhone, so we'll probably just need to use Skype.

My dad is very concerned about leaving his cat for 2.5 weeks, even though they have a great kitty sitter. He asked me to come down and stay there while they are gone. Its in March/April, which is a nice time to visit Florida, so I might just do it. I think its unnecessary, but it would certainly give him more peace of mind about the cat and the house.

Thanks again!