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From: Marcia R. on 16 Jun 2010 15:37
Now that I'm flying up to Seattle to meet my niece for our cruise to
Alaska instead of driving up with my fiance, and have some questions.

First of all, I'm not going to staple my pre-printed Princess cruise
luggage tags on my suitcases before checking it through at the airport.
We are staying at a hotel the first night and taking a cab to the
dock, so there are no transfers with the cruise line. My question is,
would it save a bunch of time to take a little stapler with me to do it
before checking in at the pier, or do they quickly staple it there? I'd
rather just do what moves the process along smoother.

I'm also more interested now is using my cell phone to call home. I've
already asked T-Mobile about making calls from Alaska. All they've been
able to tell me is that I won't get charged extra, but they couldn't
tell me anything about coverage. From personal experience with any cell
phone provider...can you usually make cell phone calls from port in
Alaska? We'll be in Ketchikan, Skagway and Juneau. Plus, if we are in
port in Seattle or Alaska, do calls from the ship use towers on land at
that point, or do you still go through the ship? And, I keep hearing it
costs a lot to call from the ship at sea, but how much is a lot? Are we
talking about $3 a call or $30? Thanks.

Marcia
From: Kurt Ullman on 16 Jun 2010 15:57
In article <jK9Sn.99730$0B5.45923(a)newsfe05.iad>,
"Marcia R." <Marcia(a)spamlessinlasvegas.net> wrote:

> Plus, if we are in
> port in Seattle or Alaska, do calls from the ship use towers on land at
> that point, or do you still go through the ship?
If you are in a port, then they usually turn off the ship's towers.
Most likely contract requirements. The easiest thing to do is once you
get into port, turn on the cell. If it is not roaming go ahead, if it
is, then decide based on your roaming costs.

And, I keep hearing it
> costs a lot to call from the ship at sea, but how much is a lot? Are we
> talking about $3 a call or $30? Thanks.

Kinda sorta both. Check in with T-Mobile, but my Sprint is less that
$3.00 a minute. Ship-to-shore is a bunch more.

>
> Marcia

--
I want to find a voracious, small-minded predator
and name it after the IRS.
Robert Bakker, paleontologist
From: Bert Hyman on 16 Jun 2010 15:58
In news:jK9Sn.99730$0B5.45923(a)newsfe05.iad "Marcia R."
<Marcia(a)spamlessinlasvegas.net> wrote:

> I'm also more interested now is using my cell phone to call home. I've
> already asked T-Mobile about making calls from Alaska. All they've been
> able to tell me is that I won't get charged extra, but they couldn't
> tell me anything about coverage

http://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/pcc.aspx?WT.z_unav=mst_global_cvg

--
Bert Hyman St. Paul, MN bert(a)iphouse.com
From: peter on 16 Jun 2010 16:20
X-no-archive: yes On 6/16/10 9:37 PM, in article
jK9Sn.99730$0B5.45923(a)newsfe05.iad, "Marcia R."
<Marcia(a)spamlessinlasvegas.net> wrote:

> My question is,
> would it save a bunch of time to take a little stapler with me to do it
> before checking in at the pier, or do they quickly staple it there? I'd
> rather just do what moves the process along smoother.

Don't know about Princess, but porters for HAL and Celebrity (probably the
same porters) will have blank tags with the ships's name on them and use a
marker to write your cabin number on them. Forget the stapler.
>
>And, I keep hearing it
> costs a lot to call from the ship at sea, but how much is a lot?

Cellularatsea, one of the two companies in this business, has a link on its
site: "what does it cost". Of course, it doesn't tell you; it says you
should call your own provider which is the one that sets the rate. Expect
something about $10 per minute and expect lousy connections. Use them only
in a Titanic type of emergency to say goodbye. They will probably waive the
fee in a case like that.

From: Bert Hyman on 16 Jun 2010 16:25
In news:C83EFEBF.6CBCF%peters25(a)stockton.com peter
<peters25(a)stockton.com> wrote:

> Use them only in a Titanic type of emergency to say goodbye. They
> will probably waive the fee in a case like that.

"All circuits are busy. Please hang up and try again later."

--
Bert Hyman St. Paul, MN bert(a)iphouse.com
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