Want to use your phone on cruise ships? It just got a whole lot easier
AT&T and Verizon have recently announced new phone plans specifically for cruisers.
It’s a well-known fact that using your mobile phone on a cruise ship can be a big – and costly – mistake.
Of course, modern smartphones and satellite internet packages have made it easier to keep in touch while remaining in airplane mode. For example, when I’m cruising solo, I stay in touch with my family by calling through Facebook Messenger, and my phone gives me the ability to make and receive calls via WiFi.
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However, simply leaving your phone connected to the network while on a cruise can be a costly error. Rates for Cellular at Sea plans can vary, but roaming and data charges can be massive.
It’s not uncommon to hear horror stories of first-time cruisers who neglected to put their phones in airplane mode, only to come home to hundreds of dollars (or more) in various charges. And that’s not to mention the costs of using your phone in ports when you aren’t connected to the ship’s Wi-Fi.
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Fortunately, things may be about to change for the better. Two of the largest wireless carriers recently announced new ways to stay connected while at sea. Image source: Shutterstock
Using your phone on a cruise ship could soon be more affordable
Both AT&T and Verizon recently introduced new international calling plans that include access while on cruise ships.
We’ll start with AT&T’s new International Day Pass, which covers as many as 400 cruise ships and over 200 international land destinations and even covers service while on some landlines. Essentially, the pass allows you to use your phone just like you do on a day-to-day basis while you’re on a cruise for $20 per device per day.
You don’t even need to sign up ahead of time. You certainly can, but all you need to do is try to use your phone while on a cruise ship, and your account will be charged automatically.
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Verizon’s offering is similar but is more narrowly targeted at cruise ships. It is known as the Cruise Daily Pass, and just like AT&T’s International Day Pass, it costs $20 per day. While at sea, you’ll get unlimited data, talk, and text – however, once you exceed 0.5GB of data, it will switch from high-speed data to 3G connectivity for the rest of the 24-hour period.
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One big difference is that Verizon’s plan will not be valid when you’re in a foreign port. You’ll pay the carrier’s international rates for whatever country you’re in. Unlike AT&T’s pass, you must add the Cruise Daily Pass manually by texting “CRUISE” to 4004 before your cruise or when you first board the ship.
This could make life easier on board
To be fair, with advances in cruise ship internet packages, most people don’t need a separate phone plan. As I mentioned, if you set up Wi-Fi calling and use different apps, you can call, text, video chat, and use the internet on your phone, even while it’s in airplane mode. This is true on most cruise lines, although with smaller and newer lines, you may want to call and confirm they have Starlink internet before you sail.
On the other hand, there could be some good reasons to get the phone plans – especially in the case of AT&T’s, which works in foreign ports (where your onboard internet plan will do you no good). But in either case, it could be worth $20 per day for the peace of mind that comes with not needing to be in airplane mode at all and simply using your phone as you normally would.
(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.)
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