You can Tweet by sending texts to your Twitter account, which — depending on your Twitter habits — may be cheaper than a data plan. Once finished, you can text your Tweet to the short code, and it will post to your Twitter account, no Internet needed. Facebook has a similar feature, allowing you to text your updates to a short code.
But the app allows for ship-to-shore, shore-to-ship, and onboard calling and texting. If you want to be accessible at all times, download this app to your Apple or Android device. Thank you for subscribing! On the flip side, you have no control over incoming text messages, so if you receive any while you are using your phone via the ship's signal, you will be charged.
Note: Internet is not required to send and receive text messages. Data use onboard is ridiculously expensive, especially because it tends to add up quickly. Always remember to put your phone in airplane mode or turn off data roaming before you head out to sea. Even in port, the rates get pretty high.
Most carriers, however, offer special plans or travel passes for an additional fee that allow you to use your domestic plan allowances while in port. Most T-Mobile plans include unlimited texting and data at up to 2G speeds in plus countries. Bear in mind that there also might be a limit to how much data you can use, per day, while in port, and you'll be charged an overage fee each time you exceed it.
If your plan doesn't include international data and you don't want to purchase a travel pass, you can always look for Wi-Fi at a local restaurant or bar. If you do wish to access the internet while onboard, you can connect to the ship's Wi-Fi. Note that most ships charge for Wi-Fi usage, so you'll need to compare data roaming prices against the ship's internet charges to see which is a better deal. To ensure you are not charged by your phone company, you have two choices: turn off your phone as soon as your cruise ship leaves port, or, if you want to use offline applications, put your phone into airplane mode.
You won't pay extra for using any app that does not require data or is not connected to the internet. Apps such as games, food diaries and music players that have music already downloaded onto the phone can be used while your phone is in airplane mode without racking up any charges.
You also can use your phone as an alarm clock, but you'll have to manually set the time if the time onboard changes. You can use your phone to take pictures, but they won't be backed up to the cloud. Any apps that must be connected to the internet to work -- such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Spotify and Pandora -- won't work without data or Wi-Fi, and if they're connected to data, they will quickly rack up charges you don't want to pay.
She also is the author of two guidebooks. How to Call Mexico Cheap. How to Make Calls on a Cruise Ship. Travel Tips. How to Call a Room on a Cruise Ship. Tip Consider text messages or e-mail to stay in touch.
If you do make a call, set a time limit beforehand so you don't run up unexpected charges. Tip Don't forget that charges like taxes and fees will be assessed and added to your bill on top of any international calling charges. Using the ship's Internet can yield different results, depending on the time of day, how many people are connected, how close the ship is to land or even where you are on the ship.
Cruise ships rely on satellites to connect to the Internet, and they aren't as reliable as the cable and fiber-optic-based infrastructure that powers your broadband connection.
As your cruise traverses between oceans and ports, the ship's antennae have to reestablish their connections with the transmission satellites. Ships in mountainous or remote locales might experience weaker or blocked satellite signals. What does all of this mean to you? Internet on cruise ships can be slow or nonexistent. You'll also be sharing the ship's network with other cruisers, so anticipate some congestion during peak hours and on sea days when everyone is on the ship. Make a point to log in during off hours or on port days when the network is less busy; you'll get a faster connection.
As an example of how Internet can work, on a Viking Ocean Cruises sailing in the Mediterranean, we experienced stable connections that allowed us to email, upload pictures to social media and video conference, but we saw some pixilation and latency when video calling and heard some reports of inconsistent connection speeds.
Also keep in mind that your streaming subscriptions might not be accessible from non-U. IP addresses. Verify international restrictions before you set your heart on an evening filled with Netflix and room service. Learn more about the quirks of Internet at sea. Cruise lines are becoming more responsive to passengers' demand to keep in touch with travel companions and loved ones at home.
Many cruise lines are offering messaging apps and services to allow for easy communication with fellow passengers on a cruise. Or check out third-party apps for communicating with friends and family. Video calling services like Skype, VoIP apps like Viber and text messengers like WhatsApp can connect via Wi-Fi without incurring roaming charges provided you remain in airplane mode.
However they will eat up your onboard data plan, and some lines restrict access to data-heavy video conferencing services, just as they do with streaming services. Make sure you understand the details of your roaming plan roaming data, voice and text messaging to avoid any unpleasant surprises in port. If you did your homework, you'll know in which of the countries on your cruise itinerary you can switch off airplane mode.
0コメント