Where the telephone roams
Do you get messages similar to this when on the North Shore or out at sea?
We finally decided to get some roaming details, at least from our carrier, AT&T.
A phone call connected through a number of carriers, including CCT Boatphone, Cable & Wireless and Digicel will cost you about $3.50 per minute. Sign up for AT&T’s “world traveler” plan, and it will be $1.50 per minute.
A text message is 50 cents. Send a photo and it’s $1.30, no special plan discount.
It’s the surfing that gets really expensive. GPRS data usage is almost $20 per MB, so wait until you’re back in friendlier waters before Googling the name of that mega-yacht you just saw.
January 21st, 2010 08:23
so what is the deal with those messages? they just warn you that you are roaming, is that it? I got a bunch of those last time but no additional charges so I figured they were letting me know if I were to use the phone right then I’d be charged. Is that it?
January 21st, 2010 08:45
Yes, we have seen these messages. Experience tells us it is all true… good advice you offer.
January 21st, 2010 10:08
With Sprint, when you get to Hawksnest, you get a text welcoming you to the British Virgin Islands! Sprint coverage is great in town, up Jacob’s ladder and most of STT.
When I had Verizon from the US, and arrived in the VI, it didn’t work at all. I would get notification that I had voice mails, but I could not retrieve them. I couldn’t call out or get any incoming. Verizon insisted with a special code programmed in it would work. Put in the special code and no it didn’t! That got me out of my contract.
January 21st, 2010 10:17
you can also purchase the international package when traveling for the time you need it for. That is if you are going to be using it alot. Its not that expensive, but I have done it cause of work. Then when you get back home, cancel that add on.
January 21st, 2010 18:13
thanks for checking this out! my question is when in those areas if it says at&t on the phone (not digicel) then extra charges apply?
January 21st, 2010 19:01
On two different trips on STJ i had my ATT phone connect with the Tortola tower and charge me very expensive roaming charges. ATT gave me a hard time about removing the charges but after switching me to a variety of departments they removed the charges, but then they said that they will never do it again!
January 21st, 2010 19:39
Here’s an easy way to save yourself from all those roaming charges and extra fees when in the islands:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU_J8YzN4Co
January 21st, 2010 19:46
I had heard about this before traveling to St. John last year and called ATT in advanced and made them register my notice that I was only going to use my phone on St. John. And while on the island, rum drink in hand, I called them AGAIN and told them that I’d just received the message. The assured me that there would be no charges.
No problems, but I’m sure there would have been if I hadn’t been proactive.
January 23rd, 2010 18:32
We DIDN”T get those messages from ATT a couple years ago when we spent 2 weeks at Cinammon and Maho, but we came home to a $500 phone bill! Turns out our cell phone was synching up with Tortola instead of St John, so we were paying interantional roaming fees. Luckily when I called and insisted we were definitely within their covered area in the USVI, they took all the charges off. Next time I’ll try calling in advance. If they’re supposed to have coverage on STJ it’s their problem if it synchs To tortola, not ours!