United-Mobile on Cruise ship

[Bossman]

I agree.

If anything, the prepaid sims such as UM+, yackie, etc. will charge the rates quoted for the home of the network provider. So, for example WMS which provides the network for a lot of ships including the one I was on, RCCL, is US based. So, maybe that's why UM+ charged US rates. If you really want to find out, you may well just ask your sim card provider.

I could have tested it out when I go on my next cruise to the caribbean in March. However, the cruise line I will be going on (princess), just signed an agreement at ehe beginning of the year with a Norway based company MCP, to install the network on their ships. So, it will be very unlikely that it's done before then. Being a Norway based company, one would think the Norway rates will be charge by the prepaid sims...but you never know.

Originally Posted by MrEd

Port/country of registry will have no relevance to what GSM network is on the vessel.

[Stu]

Is Cellular at Sea US?

[Ukap]

http://www.cellularatsea.com/technology.htm

I checked this on their website. I do not understand the technology though.

[andy]

Cellular at sea - AT&T Cingular

CellAtSea - MCP - MCP owned by Telenor

Navitas owned by Jersey Telecom

Geolink Oceancell - SeaMobile - uses Manx

On Waves - Siminn (Iceland)

[prion]

From Gt sim site:


As you may be aware, there are GSM providers, who offer extended network coverage on Cruise Ships and
Ferries around the world, allowing the passengers on these vessels to use their mobile phones whilst at sea.
We, through its own roaming provider, have access to these networks and they are being used regularly, but
this is causing billing problems with you, our Customer. This is because the "GSM Cell" on these vessels is
provided by a GSM Provider who may not be from where the vessel is currently sailing, and this means that
the rate charged for making or receiving a call per minute is likely to be more expensive than expected.
For instance, if you are on a ferry from Spain to Italy and you make a call, the GSM Cell on the ferry could
have a home country number of the USA, and you will be charged accordingly. You are then likely to
complain to us that you have been charged for a call in the USA when you were not in the USA.
From our perspective the system is performing correctly and charging according to the number allocated by
the GSM Cell, in this case, the USA. This in turn also means that we ourselves are being charged the home
country rates by its roaming provider, and as the number of these type of calls continues to grow, we are
unable to sustain a position of absorbing the cost of these calls, whilst being expected to refund our Customers.
If you are on one of these vessels and enjoying the provision of GSM service, you should accept that you
have to pay for the charges.
There are simply too many of these vessels with GSM Cells onboard, sailing around the world, that we
cannot provide you with a list of all the Cruise Ships and Ferries.
Going forward, if you are close to one of these vessels or onboard, you should take the precautions of changing
the network to one of our network partners, turning your phone off or accepting the
charges that will incur.

[MrEd]

As per my previous post...

"Use caution.

You may be charged as if you were in the country the vessels "home" network is.

E.g. If you are in the middle of the Med and the vessel uses a US network and you are out of mobile range but locked on the the vessels network, you may be charged as if you were in the US. Plus any other charges the vessel may like to charge.

Check you balance, make a call over 1 minute long and check your babalnce afterwards to see what the approximate charge is."

Do the same for incoming.

Originally Posted by prion

From Gt sim site:


As you may be aware, there are GSM providers, who offer extended network coverage on Cruise Ships and
Ferries around the world, allowing the passengers on these vessels to use their mobile phones whilst at sea.
We, through its own roaming provider, have access to these networks and they are being used regularly, but
this is causing billing problems with you, our Customer. This is because the "GSM Cell" on these vessels is
provided by a GSM Provider who may not be from where the vessel is currently sailing, and this means that
the rate charged for making or receiving a call per minute is likely to be more expensive than expected.
For instance, if you are on a ferry from Spain to Italy and you make a call, the GSM Cell on the ferry could
have a home country number of the USA, and you will be charged accordingly. You are then likely to
complain to us that you have been charged for a call in the USA when you were not in the USA.
From our perspective the system is performing correctly and charging according to the number allocated by
the GSM Cell, in this case, the USA. This in turn also means that we ourselves are being charged the home
country rates by its roaming provider, and as the number of these type of calls continues to grow, we are
unable to sustain a position of absorbing the cost of these calls, whilst being expected to refund our Customers.
If you are on one of these vessels and enjoying the provision of GSM service, you should accept that you
have to pay for the charges.
There are simply too many of these vessels with GSM Cells onboard, sailing around the world, that we
cannot provide you with a list of all the Cruise Ships and Ferries.
Going forward, if you are close to one of these vessels or onboard, you should take the precautions of changing
the network to one of our network partners, turning your phone off or accepting the
charges that will incur.

[jago25_98]

To exercise caution set network selection to manual and keep an eye on what it's saying.