T-Mobile and Cellular at Sea Info Royal Caribbean International Cruise Critic Community

Table Of Content

• TimeRacer
• View All Cruises from Miami, Florida
• Can I Send or Receive Text Messages? How Much Will It Cost?
• Can you use your cellphone on a cruise?
• Other Options for Staying Connected on a Cruise Ship
• Your voicemail password & charges
• How to Get From the Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) to the Miami Cruise Port

However you decide to stay connected while at sea, make sure you know exactly what you are being charged so you don’t rack up a huge cell phone bill. This plan will be offered on select cruise ships if the ship has data service. They each are a one-time charge with benefits that will last for 30 days. This comparison is for cell phone use on a cruise ship, not when in international cruise ports.

TimeRacer

Texting is included free as is data in any country where a RCCL ship will sail. On the ship there is no service while at sea but also no odd charges that can pop up. Phone calls are about 20 cents per minute while outside of the US. And it's simple enough to get service for a month and use an old unlocked phone or swap sim cards in your regular unlocked phone. I'm currently on Spectrum Mobile that claims to offer international roaming with per MB data charges. Spectrum is cheaper so in theory the lower monthly charges offset any international per MB usage charges when I travel.

View All Cruises from Miami, Florida

We’ll also provide some tips on how to get the best possible coverage on your cruise ship. There are 175 cruise ships that will facilitate the use of AT&T cell phone plans. Usage of these plans still also requires a compatible device with domestic postpaid wireless service. Consider opting for an international SIM card that can keep you connected while in foreign countries and help with budgeting and allotting usage. International SIM cards offer the benefit of choice and variety, with an open market of plans that fit your budget and usage needs.

Can I Send or Receive Text Messages? How Much Will It Cost?

Princess has different types of internet access and packages depending on which of its cruise ships you are sailing. It’s top line offering is MedallionNet Wifi which is offered on a growing number ships. You can find the most current list and the roll-out schedule on the MedallionNet page. MedallionNet provides unlimited wifi access throughout the ship.

This is because cruise ships are often in remote areas where there is less cellular infrastructure. T-Mobile’s coverage on cruise ships varies depending on the cruise line and the ship itself. Some cruise lines have agreements with T-Mobile to provide coverage on their ships, while others do not. And even on ships that do have T-Mobile coverage, the signal strength and data speeds can vary depending on where you are on the ship. There are no data plans available on cruise ships with T-Mobile.

I'm just trying to provide information here and expect everyone that consider doing this to contact T-Mobile yourself to confirm this is how your plan works. Back when I had TMo I tested this theory by leaving my radios on instead of going into airplane mode. To avoid charges, before you leave home, enable Wifi Calling on your phone. First things first, you have to understand that there are no cell towers in the middle of the sea. Meanwhile, even the strongest cell towers with the best range in perfect conditions can only extend about miles. In other words, after the first hour or two of your cruise, you’ll be too far away to pick up any reliable cell signal.

Otherwise, you have plenty of other options, including a 24-hour Super Shuttle van service, taxis, and buses. If you’re going straight to the cruise port from MIA, you can take a taxi to the cruise terminal or take the cruise shuttle bus that you can purchase tickets for through Celebrity Cruises. I have t mobile and use WiFi for calling and texting with no issues.

Your voicemail password & charges

Carnival Cruise Line is returning to Mobile with a larger ship and a longer contract - Biloxi Sun Herald

Carnival Cruise Line is returning to Mobile with a larger ship and a longer contract.

Posted: Thu, 07 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

For an additional fee, you can access a calling and messaging service through the app. This service allows unlimited messaging with other passengers who have the app and group chats. You can also place international calls through the app (to supported countries) for a flat rate of $0.79 per minute. You can also call staterooms and a variety of onship extensions. Nor is there any charge for sending or receiving individual messages. But, you will need access to the cruise ship’s wifi which typically requires some type of paid package.

Verizon offers a $20 per month international plan for use on select cruise ships and airlines. If service is available on your cruise, you will receive an automated pop-up explaining the plan and its charges. T-Mobile’s Magenta and Magenta Max plans come with talk, text and data in 210 countries and onboard some cruise ships. Verify your plan’s coverage before leaving home.AT&T offers a $50 talk and text cruise plan and a $100 plan that includes some data.. Likewise, if you decide to access the internet using a wifi plan sponsored by your cruise ship, you’ll discover key limitations on data usage.

We have been super happy with Google Fi for a number of years now, but we buy the Pixels to make sure we can access all the features. When I had Fi you could only get wifi calling if you used their phone. I would never trust using cellular data at sea (meaning 12+ miles from land). As twangster stated you can check if the ship is covered by the tmobile ship plan.

I have pretty much abandoned trying to use my own carrier for cruise ship service because it so very rarely works. But I’ve travelled with others who had much better luck and were completely satisfied with their carrier’s service and packages. We have T-Mobile - I texted back and forth with them about coverage and this is what I was told (we have the Magenta 1.0 Amplified plan). I was told there is no coverage on the Ship (Allure) but once at our ports - Nassau, St Kitts and St Thomas we will have service -  we are to dial #7663 to turn on international roaming. Social (~$15 per day) — Offers access to social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat and more. However, it doesn’t include access to most of the web, nor does it support in-app calling, streaming services (Netflix, Spotify, YouTube), or Skype.

Carnival Spirit docks in Mobile, ending city’s cruise ship drought - AL.com

Carnival Spirit docks in Mobile, ending city’s cruise ship drought.

Posted: Fri, 06 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

But this is only an option if both parties are using Apple devices. Whatsapp works on any phone which is always a nice backup for us. Since my daughter lives in Germany I sure don’t want to lose my plan! In researching this, I found that people who seem to know said it is based on cellular service and not WiFi. Suggestion was to use more cellular in US since that is what T-Mobile looks at to compare. So now when I am home I sometimes turn off WiFi and use cellular.

Check below to see if your next stop is on the list. As mentioned above, we recommend using the ship’s wi-fi to use your phone. This will allow you to make calls (you may have to use an app like WhatsApp to do so), send messages, email, and browse the web. For cruisers who would rather pay as they go, the cruise ship rates with AT&T are $2.05/MB of use. If you plan on using your phone at sea, some service providers have cruise-specific plans available for when you're at sea.