Cruise plan vs wifi calling/texting

Hey @Linsay000, we're happy to help. 

As the ACE mentioned, "Basic package is $60 and covers talk and text, but very little data. $100 plan has a decent amount of data if you're careful."

For more information about the cruise packages please visit: AT&T Cruise packages.

You will need to add International Day Pass to cover land use: AT&T International Day Pass .

To make sure you don't use any data while travelling, use Airplane mode to make sure there is no cellular network at all.

There are also certain apps that have permission to use your cellular data in the background. These can trigger charges.

If you have made any calls/messages from cellular network, those also count towards charges.

Wi-Fi can be used to ensure the calls are directed solely over a wireless connection, and do not charge to your AT&T account.

Disabling mobile data will not allow any data to be transferred over the wireless network, though Wi-Fi access, voice function, and standard text messaging are still allowed. 

Here’s how to enable/disable the device.

Let us know if this information was helpful, and we hope you have a great day! We hope this helps. 

Thanks for visiting our AT&T Community! 

MatG, AT&T Community Specialist

AT&T has the worst cellular at sea package ever. My bill wa 1800.00 after I purchased the 100.00 cruise WiFi package from AT&T. Save yourself the headache and hassle and buy the WiFi package from the cruise line 

@jasminw2003 

Clearly you haven't looked at what the roaming rates are on cruise ships if you're a Verizon or T-Mobile customer. Neither of them have a plan to reduce the cost.

Both T-Mobile and Verizon charge pay-per-use rates on cruise lines

AT&T does have cruise ship plans which reduce what you pay.

But AT&T limits the amount of data you can use. If you  exceeded the data limit, that's your choice, but you pay for it.  And if you use services in a foreign country without international day pass, you got charged for rates on land, not just on the cruise

And it's not a "Wi-Fi package".  It's a satellite cellular package for the ship only

Hey there @jasminw2003! We hear you, and we want to help you understand this situation better.

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MikeN.

I am still very confused by all of this. If I purchase the $100 cruise plan on the Carnival pride cruise from Baltimore to the Bahamas, should I also purchase the ships internet plan at all? Or is the AT&T plan good enough? Why would someone need both? Also, how good is the AT&T wife on the Carnival Pride? 

I do realize I should still get the off-cruise day package as well. We pay a great deal for AT&T already each month, why is it so expensive to get the cruise package?  

@grviolett 

Did you check the list of covered cruise lines and cruise ships to find out if your carnival Cruise line was covered. In my experience very few carnival cruise ships are covered by AT&T's plan which means you have no choice other than to put your phone in airplane mode, and use ship's Wi-Fi 

AT&T's cruise package is a cellular package that allows you to use the ship's satellite cellular service. It is not the same as the ships Wi-Fi service which is a separate fee paid to the ship, not to AT&T 

The cruise ship cellular packages are expensive because you're using the ships satellite service, And they are paying someone else to make that satellite cellular service function. 

It actually has gotten cheaper in the past 10 years and it may get cheaper still. But currently satellite cellular service is very expensive.