wanderingbob
monticeeo, fla
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On a Inland Passage cruise ship ride can I expect my Florida cell phone to work ?
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Crowe
Merrimack, NH
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Call the cruise line and ask. Whether or not it works has nothing to do with the state the phone but whether or not there is access to cell towers along the route, which is unlikely. There is usually the option of renting a satellite phone if you wish to stay in touch with reality.
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be Douglas Adams
RV-less for now but our spirits are still on the open road.
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PA12DRVR
Back in God's Country
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What Crowe said. Keep in mind that there is also the issue of international coverage / charges while in Canada / Canadian waters, depending on the specific route of your ship.
Never done the complete traditional inside passage but have done a good chunk of it in pieces. Although some of those segments were several years ago now, cell towers were pretty few and far between. If staying in touch is important, based on my most recent trip in early 2020 (before the panic set in), I'd recommend a Sat phone.
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Veebyes
Bermuda & Maryland Eastern Shore
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I would not expect any phone to work. Distance from the few cell towers, if the tower serves your network, & mountainous terrain is going to severely limit any service.
You might get service near the ports but don't count on that either.
The good news is that it is actually possible to survive without a cellphone in your pocket. It was done before.
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CA Traveler
The Western States
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Years ago driving I paid $15/mth for Verizon access in Canada, towers were limited. You may/may not have access in the Canadian ports. Actually the same for US ports depending upon your provider so check with them.
Suggest you just enjoy the cruise and leave the phone in the suitcase. Arrange for emergency communication if that is your need. We passed many bus loads of happy cruisers headed to the cruise line resorts without a clue as to what they were missing. Or perhaps they wondered why we missed so much?...
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Bob
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ssthrd
Vancouver Island
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Assuming you leave from Vancouver, BC, there is limited coverage (I use Telus) from there to Prince Rupert unless you are near a settlement which are few and far between on that coast. Can't help with anything north of Rupert.
It's a spectacular trip when the weather is good, so the only thing you will need a phone for is to take pictures with. Enjoy the cruise!
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ssthrd
Vancouver Island
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Check Telus coverage map
Check Rogers coverage map
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SideHillSoup
South Eastern British Columbia
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Nope, well kinda…. sorta…
You will get some cell service between Vancouver and Port Hardy, but about 15 minutes sailing time north of Port Hardy you loose cell service.
You will pick it up sometimes but is is very very spotty.
Now that’s from my BC Ferry, to Bella Coola and from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy plus 4 Cruise’s to Alaska ( and back) plus driving up and down the east side of Vancouver island, experience.
Last trip by boat was in 2019, so things could have changed by then.
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charlestonsouthern
Summerville, SC
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Wandering Bob, which Cruise Line are you sailing? Beach and I have a long standing with Princess. We take our I-pads, lap-tops and I-phones. The ship usually gives me free credits assigned to my cabin or you can buy a package of credits. Both Carnival and Princess are pros at getting you started. We sent messages and pictures back home, and we got responses very quickly. What you don’t want to use the credits for is surfing the web; you will end up using up your credits very fast. Yep, all the modern conveniences. Talk with the cruise line customer service or travel agent handling your reservations.
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valhalla360
No paticular place.
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Check with your provider. Example:
https://www.verizon.com/coverage-map/
Verizon looks pretty sketchy except around towns.
https://www.att.com/maps/wireless-coverage.html
AT&T looks better but take it with a grain of salt as they probably are setting up the map assuming land based users.
If you need it for work, most cruises will have a wifi package you can buy. Don't expect rocket fast service but should get you thru most basic needs.
PS: Ignore the old farts who don't understand that many people are able to work remotely and it allows people to both work and travel unlike in the old days.
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