Filed under: Wireless, Odds and ends, Internet, iPhone, iPod touch
Troy's email got me thinking about how to make cheaper phone calls on cruises, since I'll be on two cruise ships next year. Since last August, we've seen Skype for iPhone / iPod touch [App Store] appear, and for US$2.95 a month you can make unlimited calls to the USA and Canada over a Wi-Fi connection. That's great, but you're going to need to pay anywhere from $0.30 to $0.75 per minute for that Wi-Fi! And another big dead fly is floating in that soup -- the bandwidth on cruise ships is so incredibly low that your calls may not even go through using Skype or another VoIP app.
Unfortunately, things haven't improved much in this realm since last year. My recommendation? Buy the biggest onboard Wi-Fi account you can afford (more minutes = cheaper per minute) and use it with your iPhone or iPod touch for emails, Tweeting your friends, using IM, and checking TUAW. If you want to send voice messages to your pals, record them in the new iPhone OS 3.0 voice memos app or (if you have a 3GS) with video, and then email the messages over Wi-Fi. Your friends can respond the same way.
If you absolutely must have a two-way conversation, your cheapest alternative is going to be to wait until you're in a port, then use one of AT&T's international calling plans (or another carrier's plan if you're not in the US) or see if you can use Skype at a portside bar with free Wi-Fi. You probably don't want to use the ship's on-board satellite phone service at the US$6.99 to US$10.99 per minute rate!
Do you have any other hints for cheap communications afloat, other than sending postcards from ports? Let us know in the comments.
Thanks to Troy for reminding us about cruise ships and iPhones
TUAWiPhones ahoy! Making calls on cruise ships, updated originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Troy TUAW readers an e-mail the other day that he” d found one of our join? ge of last August to be very helpful. In Use your iPhone on a cruise ship , which we represent? talked about Cellular At Sea and get your iPhone to send and receive calls from many expensive cruise ships. How expensive are they? Over the past year, with about U.S. $ 0.79 per minute. This year, they cost about the same. e-mail me that Troy has over how to cheaper phone calls on cruises, because I am on two cruise ships in the n? next year. Since August of last year, we have seen Skype f? r the iPhone / iPod touch [App Store] is displayed, and f? r US-$ 2.95 per month k? can you unlimited calls to the U.S. and Canada over a Wi-Fi connection. That's great, but you will pay m? ssen? berall of $ 0.30 to $ 0.75 per minute f? r the Wi-Fi! And another big he is dead fly floating in the soup – the band on cruise ships is so incredibly low that your calls under circumstances? nd not even through the use of Skype or other VoIP App. Unfortunately, the situation has not improved much in this area since last year. My recommendation? Get on board the biggest Wi-Fi account, which you can afford k? can (more minutes = cheaper per minute) and use it with your iPhone or iPod touch f? r e-mails, Tweeting your friends, chat, and control TUAW. If you would like, send voice messages to your friends who are in the new iPhone OS 3.0 or voice memos about (if you have a 3GS ) with video, and then the e-mail messages over Wi-Fi. your friends k? can react the same way. If you are absolutely a two-way conversation? ch your cheapest alternative is to wait until you're in a port, then use one of the AT & T international prices (or another Tr? ger the plan if you're not in the U.S.) or see if You can Skype on a portside bar with free Wi-Fi. You probably do not want to use the ship on board the satellite phone service on the US-$ 6.99 to U.S. $ 10.99 per minute! Do you have any other tips f? r inexpensive communications afloat, other than sending postcards from H? fen? Let us know in the comments. Thanks f? r Troy reminds us about cruise ships and iPhones 
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TUAW reader Troy sent an email the other day stating that he'd found one of our posts from last August to be very helpful. In Using your iPhone on a cruise ship we talked about Cellular At Sea and getting your iPhone to send and receive pricey calls from many cruise ships. How expensive are they? Last year, they were running about US$0.79 per minute. This year, they cost about the same.Troy's email got me thinking about how to make cheaper phone calls on cruises, since I'll be on two cruise ships next year. Since last August, we've seen Skype for iPhone / iPod touch [App Store] appear, and for US$2.95 a month you can make unlimited calls to the USA and Canada over a Wi-Fi connection. That's great, but you're going to need to pay anywhere from $0.30 to $0.75 per minute for that Wi-Fi! And another big dead fly is floating in that soup — the bandwidth on cruise ships is so incredibly low that your calls may not even go through using Skype or another VoIP app.Unfortunately, things haven't improved much in this realm since last year. My recommendation? Buy the biggest onboard Wi-Fi account you can afford (more minutes = cheaper per minute) and use it with your iPhone or iPod touch for emails, Tweeting your friends, using IM, and checking TUAW. If you want to send voice messages to your pals, record them in the new iPhone OS 3.0 voice memos app or (if you have a 3GS) with video, and then email the messages over Wi-Fi. Your friends can respond the same way.If you absolutely must have a two-way conversation, your cheapest alternative is going to be to wait until you're in a port, then use one of AT&T's international calling plans (or another carrier's plan if you're not in the US) or see if you can use Skype at a portside bar with free Wi-Fi. You probably don't want to use the ship's on-board satellite phone service at the US$6.99 to US$10.99 per minute rate!Do you have any other hints for cheap communications afloat, other than sending postcards from ports? Let us know in the comments.Thanks to Troy for reminding us about cruise ships and iPhones
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