Cruise - Staying in touch with USA

I'm taking a cruise in April to the carribean for 7 nights. I want to be able to stay in touch with family, mostly in case of an emergency. How do people manage this?

Do you get the internet package? Does Verizon charge $$$$ for international calls? Should I get nothing and assume the ship can be reached in case of an emergency?

TIA! First time cruising. I'll prob have more questions. :)

Re: Cruise - Staying in touch with USA

For an emergency, I use roaming. Thankfully never had to.
The data package is so expensive, and we can be off of Facebook for a week.
I either buy a calling card at each port and call home to check in with the elderly parents, or just use Verizon, I think it was $1.99 per minute.

Cruise - Staying in touch with USA

We've only done Disney and you get free Wifi (50mb), so I just use that to keep in touch with family

Re: Cruise - Staying in touch with USA

We recently got back from a week long cruise on NCL and we paid $210 for unlimited wifi for week.

Re: Cruise - Staying in touch with USA

We usually add international calling on to our plan and only call in ports.

Cruise - Staying in touch with USA

I'm pretty sure if you call while you are at sea, no matter who your carrier is, you are connected through cellular at sea and you are charged $$$$$ by your carrier.

Re: Cruise - Staying in touch with USA

I usually sail Carnival. The past 3 cruises I bought an internet package for $5/day that accessed only social media sites. I used FB messenger & whatsapp to stay in touch with my mom back home.

Re: Cruise - Staying in touch with USA

Cruise - Staying in touch with USA

I don't get the internet package and usually cruise on Carnival. When we get to the ports I would usually send a text. When hubby and I cruise kid-free I just call from our room since it's only $1 per minute for a quick chat. Last 2 cruises our children have sailed with us (and our upcoming one this spring) so it will be quick calls to check on my dad. Never spent more than $5 in calls.

Re: Cruise - Staying in touch with USA

I didn't get the internet package on my last cruise- mostly because I wanted to unplug & I didn't want work to reach me. The people l traveled with did & it was very slow.

There is a cruise ship # that your family can call in case of an emergency on their end. I gave my mom that # & then signed up for the Verizon travel pass program in case i needed to call them back. It is $10/day ( $5 in some countries) and you only get charged when you use it, so I left my phone on airplane mode until i needed it.( too expensive for 15 days) & it gives you the same package that you have at home ( phone & data)

I just turned it on 1 day, to text some people the day before Thanksgiving.

It doesn't work on the ship. You have to sign up for the cruise ship service-again you only pay if you use it, but that is a by the minute charge.

Cruise - Staying in touch with USA

Thank you all for your responses. I appreciate all the options you explained we are signed up for a deluxe drink package so I probably will just tack on the internet package for about $10/day. I like knowing I can email my dad at any point since he’ll be alone for 8 days. Thanks again!