Are you able to talk on your cell on a cruise?

Question

i am going on a cruise in july and want to know if we will be allowed to use our cell phones on the boat. and also what about lap tops? is there wireless internet on the boat?

Answer 1

most ships these days are cell friendly. You will want to check with your service provider for costs. Some charge as much as 4.99 per min. ATT charges 2.99 per min for internatinal roaming. Texting may be a good option, or if you must use your phone you can look into an international calling plan.

Hope this helps, you can also look for more info at this great yahoo group.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cruiseaddi...

Answer 2

ummm i went to da cruise and  sumttime it does like one day i couldnt talk to noone bnut then i tried agin and it did  sooo i think yu could but sumtimes it really doesnt !!=[

Answer 3

If you are going into St. Thomas or San Juan your US cell phone will work as local call.

Answer 4

They have a internet connection of the ship but becareful they charge for the airtime and it can really add up fast.  The cell phones do not work in all areas.  Minde did not work in Europe.  It did work on the cruise ship off the coast off Baja.

Answer 5

Yes, if the ship is close to shore. but once it gets far away, the reception will be weak or not available.

Answer 6

My cell worked at several ports in Hawaii while we were on a Princess cruise, only satellite phones will work at sea. Princess has "pay by the minute" wi-fi, I think it was 50 cents a minute with your own computer, and you had to go to certain places on the ship to use it. It was worthless as it was so slow it made dial-up look like high-speed.

Answer 7

On Princess cruises you can use it on the ship, but I'm not sure if it is wireless, or wifi or what. I just know I have seen many people use there laptop in certain places. Also on Princess, they have a Internet cafe with a whole bunch of computers to use. There is a per minute charge unless you are like us and get it free because we have had 8 cruises with Princess. Our cell phone does not work way out in the ocean, but does when you get to a port. Some cruises, you are never far away from ports, but all the ones I have been on, it only worked when we got near a port.

Answer 8

it all depends...

if you go on international waters, then more than likely you won't be able to unless you change your service to a specific international plan that your service provider has.

there usually is wireless internet on the boat...but i wouldn't depend on it, it is usually EXTREMELY slow, and the charges are outrageous

Answer 9

Many people use their cell phones on cruises. Your best bet is to check with your carrier and also ask about any possible roaming charges. Laptops will work. As Ms Time Traveler stated there is a charge per minute to use the on board computers. If you can not find the cost on line call the cruise line for exact amount.

Answer 10

You can use your cell phone while on ships but it depends in part on who your carrier is and also upon the ship.  You can certainly use your phone while on ship in a US port but once you depart the signal will fade and then depending upon the ship, you may be able to go through the ship's cell tower.  BUT caution, as going through the ship's system is very very expensive since international roaming charges will apply, plus the minutes used.

When you arrive in a port stop you may be able to use your phone without going through the ship's system provided your carrier has service in that country.

Most cruise ships these days do have internet service and some have WiFi service from various spots on ship.  I have not found it to be universally available all over the ship.  But here again, caution.  Internet service on ships is very expensive, generally in the neighborhood of $1.00 per minute.  Ships generally have packages deal that may reduce that to $.50 to $.60 cents a minute but that's still very expensive vs home internet service.  In addition, I have found that internet service while the ship is moving is generally very slow and poor.   I always advise cruiser to just wait for a port stop and find an internet cafe where you can usually get the internet for about $5 to $5 an hour.  Ask your cabin steward or wait staff, or vendors on the pier where the internet cafe is, they generally know.

Answer 11

it really depends on the boat.

my cell worked on Carnival Glory last year.

your cell might not work on some of the older ships.

Check with your travel agent, if you don't have I'd recommend Sweet Vacations

Answer 12

Sure... but it may cost you $15 a minute to use it.