[cgjerde]

Hi all, First post. New addict. Looking to see in anyone has advice for keeping costs down when going out of country.

I'm going on a cruise to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cozumel in a while. woohoo! I talked to a verizon customer support person. Sounds like it's around 1.50 to 2.50 per minute there, if it works at all. Then another 2.50 or so per megabyte for the data.

Do you have any advice? I have NO experience roaming. I was thinking of just putting the battery "in" when needed to make a call, because I didn't want to rack up megabyte charges. Was mostly going to use my pearl as a phone during this period. However, I was guessing that email probably doesn't really suck up the megabytes.

Have you gone outside the country? How did you handle it, and how much did VZW ding you for? Thanks for any advice!

[akaprls20]

I just got back from a cruise yesterday and did not use the phone, but got all my text, IM's and emails. I'm trying find out if there are any fees for this. I actually didn't reply to anything out of fear! I have unlimited data on my phone. For the most part you won't have any service. Let me know if you find out anything. PS - I went to Grand Cayman and Mexico. The weather was divine! Have a great trip.

[cgjerde]

I'd be interested to hear how much that set you back! I've tried texting "#min" which I thought is supposed to send me back information on how many minutes I've used. Thought maybe it would give me an idea on how much data I've used too. But I get no reply, maybe that's just for regular cell phones.

I'm also interested in turning the pearl phone and data off during flights so my little rascal can watch movies on the plane. I see this thread which would work, but not on the pearl. I can't post urls yet: /f33/how-disable-phone-international-email-use-only-13748/

Anybody know how to turn off the data/voice to allow movie watching on an airplane?

Anybody know how to check data usage?

akaprls20: that's where I'm going too! I'm daydreaming at work! Thanks.

[John Yester]

Options< Mobile Network<Off.

[boss4life#AC]

My advice is to contact verizon customer service and have them temporarily block all data to/from your device while you are travelling. An unlimited data plan doesn't cover anything while you are international. Even dialing your voicemail can incur charges of $1.50-$2.50. As someone who has been around the globe your bill could be $1000.00 or more if you are not careful.

If you decide to get an international plan that doesn't cover all the charges either. You should also keep an international plan a minimum of 90 days after you return. Some countries will not bill your provider for 2-3 months after your usage. If the bill is submitted to your carrier after the international plan is removed from your phone you will not be covered for the charges. YIKES!

My advice is to grill your customer service on exactly what the charges are for international use. Then call your international customer service and verify, verify, verify what you were told. Good luck and enjoy your trip

[cgjerde]

Found on the pearl:
Main screen -> Manage Applications -> Uncheck "Mobile Network"
Or "Turn All Connections Off"

Hoping that's all I have to do to use this safely on the plane.

Also, on same screen and elsewhere "Mobile Network Options" allows me to turn off data.

#data on the phone (not sms) tells me no kb have been used (yeah, right) I guess because I'm currently on unlimited.

[akaprls20]

Well, I just got off the phone with Verizon. Here's the deal. Apparently when you are roaming on a cruise ship you are on that cruise's network. The cruise will notify Verizon of any usage on their network. Bottom line...to receive a text/email it is 5 cents for each message. To send a text/email it is 50 cents per message. To make a phone call, it is 2.49 per minute. Not bad. Of course I was on Carnival Inspiration. You may want to check with Verizon because the CSR asked me what cruise line and ship I was on before he came back on the line to give me the charges.

Have fun on your trip!

[Blacklatino]

You try to save money on your trip and end up spending it on your berry.

[bravo]

Has anyone used an 8830 in Jamaica?
I'm wondering if I'll need a SIM card or not and how much everything will cost.

I suppose I'll call customer service but I thought I would ask any way.

[CrackBlack]

WHY DO YOU NEED A PHONE ON A VACATION????? it's a vacation, more so a Cruise. Give the Phone a vacation also, and go have fun!!!!!
PS ... vacation means leaving the day to day issues back home till you return.

[CrackBlack]

Oh, BTW take along a CAMERA instead of your Phone!

[pammee]

I'd be interested to hear how much that set you back! I've tried texting "#min" which I thought is supposed to send me back information on how many minutes I've used. Thought maybe it would give me an idea on how much data I've used too. But I get no reply, maybe that's just for regular cell phones.

I'm also interested in turning the pearl phone and data off during flights so my little rascal can watch movies on the plane. I see this thread which would work, but not on the pearl. I can't post urls yet: /f33/how-disable-phone-international-email-use-only-13748/

Anybody know how to turn off the data/voice to allow movie watching on an airplane?

Anybody know how to check data usage?

akaprls20: that's where I'm going too! I'm daydreaming at work! Thanks.

check your kb usage by dialing #3282 (data on standard phone) will send you 3 text msgs, one for txt one for pix one for kb

[Berryman]

Has anyone used an 8830 in Jamaica?
I'm wondering if I'll need a SIM card or not and how much everything will cost.

I suppose I'll call customer service but I thought I would ask any way.

Jamaica's phone networks are all GSM based, not CDMA, so you are going to need a SIM card. Your 8830 will connect over the GSM 900 and 1800 MHz networks. There are two main carriers in Jamaica, Cable & Wireless Jamaica and Digicel Jamaica.

You will only be able to connect to Digicel. Digitel operates on 900/1800 MHz, Jamaica C & W operates on 1900MHz.

Costs? Contact your provider.

[Oj467]

I can only comment on out of country phone usage having just used my old vzw samsung phone in Seoul, S.Korea. I was originally told by vzw .69 per only to get a $382 bill at 1.29 per minute. They did adjust it to the .69 rate after I called - but make sure beforehand.

Bill

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[walkercm80]

I'm going to the Bahamas in a few weeks.... Does anyone have any experience with using Manage Connections --> Mobile Network Options --> Data Services Off to disable data connections? Does this work to avoid kb usage out of the country? (Yes, could call Verizon but you guys are nicer and generally more helpful...)

[johndfffff]

Here is my suggestion for saving money while traveling abroad, take an unlocked phone with you. When you get to Jamaica, Dominican Republic, China, India, anywhere, buy a sim card there. It takes just a few minutes to set up an account, you insert their sim card, and call anywhere in the world. I travel 4 times a year all over Asia, and this is what I do. In fact, I carry two phones, my Pearl to receive all my emails. And an old BB 7105T, in which I insert a "foreign" sim card. Last time I was in China, I spent $40 on a sim card and called back to the USA for almost 2 hours!

Best of Luck!

John

[Grumpy Old Tom]

Well, I'll pop the 2+ year-old thread up and see what may have changed.

I'm probably going to Uruguay at the end of the month (from my home country the USA). I only expect to be there 2 or 3 days for test work. I have a Storm 9530 from my (small) company, I'm sure there is no international calling plan.

The post above talks about an "unlocked" phone and a "sim card" that I would (presumably) buy in Uruguay. Is this the way to go, still? I think I know where the sim card is in my phone, but are the Verizon Storms "unlocked"?

Is there anything else to know about receiving e-mail and so on? I checked the Mobile Network options, and the "Network Technology" is set to "Global", and I see where I can turn the data services off if I find they are expensive...

(Yes, I'll be good and go search "unlocking your Storm, or some such!)

Thanks for your help!

[Super_Mario]

Well, I'll pop the 2+ year-old thread up and see what may have changed.

I'm probably going to Uruguay at the end of the month (from my home country the USA). I only expect to be there 2 or 3 days for test work. I have a Storm 9530 from my (small) company, I'm sure there is no international calling plan.

The post above talks about an "unlocked" phone and a "sim card" that I would (presumably) buy in Uruguay. Is this the way to go, still? I think I know where the sim card is in my phone, but are the Verizon Storms "unlocked"?

Is there anything else to know about receiving e-mail and so on? I checked the Mobile Network options, and the "Network Technology" is set to "Global", and I see where I can turn the data services off if I find they are expensive...

(Yes, I'll be good and go search "unlocking your Storm, or some such!)

Thanks for your help!

You can still have your phone unlocked thru VZW for free as long as you meet these requirements (call Global Services at 1-800-711-8300)

-Current account
-Have an active account for at least 60 days
-No hotlines or non-pay suspends in past 60 days

Just keep in mind that your data plan would be through the other carrier unless your going to swap SIM's.
And setting "Network Technology" to GSM is also ok.

[slipperman]

Options< Mobile Network<Off.

agreed. try to go without it if you can. you're going on vacation! leave the crack alone!

[cmtime]

You can turn it off.

If all you want is data and not calls. Just call Verizon and get Internationale data for $60 a month. They will pro rate it so turn it on the day you go and shut it off the day you get back.

The sim card way is good if you need to make calls. The problem I have ran into with the sim card way is I have to call RIM to swap the account. I am not sure why but now the system will turn my US account off when I am on a UK BIS account and the only way to fix my US account is to call in and have them swap them. BBM will keep working but email stops working.

[Grumpy Old Tom]

Thanks, all. But it's a little confusing. If I unlock my BB (Storm) by calling Verizon, isn't the purpose of doing that so that I can buy a sim card in Uruguay?

Then would I not have a different phone number? I understand that's the cheapest way to go, esp. for my calls back to the states.

As well, I can probably live without data for a couple of days - I should have email in my hotel room.

I really have no idea how this stuff works, but am loathe to call Verizon directly before having some background info. So step by step helps! Note: I do know the difference between the sim card and the 8GB mini SD card!

Tom

[FF22]

You will need to have the phone unlocked. As SuperMario indicated - verizon for free if you meet the conditions or else you can pay a 3rd party for unlocking.

If you change the sim card, you will have a FOREIGN number. So LOCAL calls would be presumably be cheaper but calling the US might not be cheaper and anyone in the US calling you would be calling your new international number (which they would need to know) and then they pay international rates.

For 60/month (prorated for your 3 days, was it?) unlimited data and you keep the same phone number. Unless things have changed or it is different for europe, for another $5/month phone calls are cheaper - $0.99/minute - still pricy - to/from the US and folks in the US calling you are still calling your US number (no international charges). (that was the rate in Europe summer 2009).

No matter what you do - there is no issue calling and getting it unlocked.

[jackmei2]

I was just in Europe for a couple of weeks and I ended up just going with VZW's international data roaming plan for $60/month (which was prorated for the 2 weeks I was there), but I did have my phone unlocked before I left by vzw for free.

If all you want is data, then go with VZW's international data roaming plan, it will be really cheap (since it will be prorated) and easier than buying a prepaid sim card in Uruguay as many others have stated.

If you are actually going to be making calls, then that's when you have to decide to get a prepaid sim card from Uruguay or pay the roaming per minute charge for Uruguay (the per minute varies for each country so I can't tell you what it is off the top of my head). If you are going to be making calls in country then get a prepaid sim card. If you're going to make calls back home, it's cheaper just to get a prepaid calling card and use a landline as long as you don't mind waiting until you have access to a landline. For me it was $1.49 a min to call home, but luckily I never had to use it.

Either way, call ahead and have vzw unlock your phone so you have the option. You also have to have vzw activate your roaming plan before you actually leave if you choose this route (they can't do it after the fact since you have to update your roaming capabilities of your phone before you leave).

[JoeDr]

Hey,

Does anyone know if Sprint allows a free unlock on the Tour the same way VZW does?

What about unlimited Int'l data plans from Sprint do they offer that like VZW?

[FF22]

If I recall, Sprint phones have generally been unlocked when shipped.