Will my phone roam on a cruise?

Cruise ships have cellular service that you can connect to. However, it's usually considered international roaming and means you'll be charged high rates to access. You likely know that instead of using a cell signal, you can hook your phone up to wi-fi and use the Internet to make calls, send texts, and surf the web.



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For most people, the best piece of advice is to put your phone on airplane mode before your ship sets sail out of port. This prevents your cell from trying to stay connected, thereby eliminating roaming charges. Of course, this also stops you from making and receiving calls and text messages.

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Traveling on cruise ships and ferries One tip to avoid higher charges: We recommend that you turn off roaming while the ship is docked in a U.S. port. Otherwise, your phone may pick up the ship's network and you'll be charged cruise ship roaming charges for any usage.

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Depending on where your ship is at any given moment, you might or might not have a phone signal through your own carrier. When you do have one, it's coming through an at-sea provider (Cellular At Sea for many cruise lines) and is considered a roaming charge by your cell carrier.

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How to prevent roaming charges while at sea
  1. Turn off your phone. The easiest, but by no means the nicest, is to turn off your phone. ...
  2. Use airplane mode. Many of us can't go more than a few hours without our phones, so it's more likely you will opt for these other options such as using airplane mode. ...
  3. Use the ship's wifi.


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To use your cell phone on your cruise, you have two options — either connect to the ship's cellular service or connect to the ship's wi-fi. Both will cost you extra. For traditional cell service, today's modern cruise ships use providers such as “Cellular at Sea” or “Wireless Maritime Services”.

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It's possible to send and receive text messages at sea on a cellular signal, as long as you have a signal through your ship's roaming network. (Just make sure you turn on data roaming in your settings.)

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Can you use WhatsApp on a cruise? Yes, but bear in mind video calling services such as Skype or messaging services like WhatsApp will use your onboard data if you're connected to the cruise ship's Wi-Fi.

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Make sure to put your phone on airplane mode to avoid expensive roaming charges. Cellular rates at sea can sneak up on you, and you can easily rack up a $500 roaming bill. Even if you're not actively on your phone, most are still using data, so make sure to set yours on airplane mode to avoid roaming charges.

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How to prevent roaming charges while at sea
  1. Turn off your phone. The easiest, but by no means the nicest, is to turn off your phone. ...
  2. Use airplane mode. Many of us can't go more than a few hours without our phones, so it's more likely you will opt for these other options such as using airplane mode. ...
  3. Use the ship's wifi.


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Typically charges will appear on the next monthly bill, but depending on your carrier it may occasionally take up to 60 days for charges to appear on your phone bill. Please note that most cell phone carriers do not allow their unlimited rate plans to apply to cellular calls, texts or data used while onboard ships.

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Consider buying a prepaid International SIM card When travelling on a cruise ship, taking full advantage of this highly cost-effective alternative can save a lot of money on roaming, especially high international rates.

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Can You Still Text for Free in the Cruise Line's App if you Bring Your own HotSpot? Yes, of course! As long as you have the app downloaded on your phone and you're on their free wifi, you can use the app to text on a cruise ship for free.

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Even traveling abroad, you can use WhatsApp to text and call others. Of course, you'll need an internet connection and even though there are plenty, one that we recommend is the eSIM. Use WhatsApp internationally with an eSIM!

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Download the cruise line's mobile app Most cruise lines have a mobile app that allows you to talk with people onboard. You may, however, have to pay extra for this service. Norwegian Cruise Line, for instance, charges $9.95 per person for their Phone and Messenger Package.

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The price of Wi-Fi on a cruise ship can range from $15 to $30 and more per device per day. On luxury cruise lines or even some premium lines there is free Wi-Fi included in the cost of the cruise fare.

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