Cruise Phone Plans: Everything You Need to Know AT&T Wireless
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Prices are not set in stone, but vary between around $15-25 a day.
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You can purchase different buckets of megabytes, or you can use a pay as you go plan. If you buy a package, you cannot get a refund for unused minutes. A package of 100 MB costs $19, 300 MB costs $39 and for $89, you can purchase 1000 MB.
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Since you are traveling within the United States, that means your cell phone plan likely offers some service while in port. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as using your phone as you would at home. Due to regulations, the WMSatSea network only works when the ship is at sea at least 12 nautical miles from shore (2 nautical miles in the European Union).
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During an emergency, cruise ships offered onboard phones that you could use to make a call for several dollars a minute (by the way, they still exist). For more routine check-ins, cruisers would wait until their next port of call and whip out an international calling card (what?!) to use a pay phone on shore. Generally speaking, most cell phone carriers do not allow their unlimited rate plans to apply to calls, texts or data used while roaming on international waters. International roaming charges will be conveniently billed to you by your home mobile carrier.
Airplane mode disables the phone's ability to communicate with cell phone towers and will ensure you can use your phone without incurring charges. Tech-savvy travelers might score the best deals with a local SIM card for their phones but that entails knowing how to install the card and dealing with foreign cell phone companies to setup service. And you can't install a SIM card on an iPhone without voiding your warranty. Now, almost everyone walks around with a smartphone, allowing us to not only talk to anyone but giving us access to texting, email, social media and the Internet. For that reason, we suggest turning your phone into airplane mode while you are aboard the ship (wi-fi will still work when the phone is in airplane mode).
Nothing would be worse than having your personal data or identity snatched while you are trying to access the Web. And even if you're in a friendly-looking cafe, there are still steps you should take to stay safe when using an open Wi-Fi network. Don’t waste time and money downloading apps, games or software you need for your trip from your stateroom — do that before leaving.
You will still be able to take photos and use the Calendar, Clock, Camera, Notes, etc because they don’t need to be connected to the internet. Some cruise lines, like Costa, have a really useful feature on their Apps that allows you to message other people onboard for free. You might want to message friends and family via text, Whatsapp or Messenger whilst at sea.
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You do not need to do anything special to connect to the service. You will only be able to call and text message to certain countries. Note the difference between SMS (text only, up to 160 characters long) and MMS (a message that contains media including photos, videos and audio files). Luckily, there is a cheaper way to use your cell phone on the ship — wi-fi. On AT&T’s $60 plan, it includes only 100 minutes of phone calls, and a $1 per minute overage cost. Below, we’ve outlined what you need to know about using your phone to call, text, and browse the web.
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When out of range of land-based cell towers, you can still use your phone if needed, but it will be through service provided on the cruise ship. In addition, your coverage is going to depend on your cell service provider. According to their coverage maps, each major company offers service in the Alaskan ports. You can see, however, that coverage definitely varies, with AT&T seeming to offer the widest service.
Because the internet connection comes via satellite, passengers cannot rely on the same high-speed access as land-based, wired providers offer. Activities like video conferencing, high-definition streaming and online gaming are going to be more of a challenge on your phone at sea. Once you're in port, double-check whether your phone is connecting via the ship or the local land-based cell tower. Cruise versus land-based roaming charges differ, with land-based reception often the less-expensive option. If you plan on using your phone at sea, some service providers have cruise-specific plans available for when you're at sea. These plans charge a premium for use through the ship's satellite connection.
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. First, your regular cell phone carrier may offer service on land.
Coverage may still be restricted to major ports and coastal areas even if a cruise company has an agreement with a carrier supporting eSIMs. Since eSIMs utilize local networks, they are restricted in the same ways that regular SIM cards are while traveling internationally. There has been a rise in the use of eSIMs (embedded SIM cards) to replace physical SIM cards. Users can switch carriers without having to swap out conventional SIM cards thanks to eSIMs, which are built into compatible smartphones. The availability of partner networks and agreements determines, however, whether they can be used on a cruise ship while at sea.
For instance, AT&T offers a $100 plan that gives you 200MB of data and unlimited talk and text on most cruise ships. You’ll want to get in touch with your provider for more details of their specific plan. The good news is that cell phone companies seem to be adding service in Canada and Mexico to some plans for no extra charge.
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