Will my Cell Phone Work in San Juan, Puerto Rico? | Royal Caribbean Cruises (2024)

FAQs

Will my Cell Phone Work in San Juan, Puerto Rico? | Royal Caribbean Cruises? ›

Will my phone work in San Juan, Puerto Rico? U.S. phone plans work in Puerto Rico. You'll also find Wi-Fi available at most hotels around the island. What currency and official language is used in San Juan, Puerto Rico?

You can then use your cell phone on a cruise just as you would on land, with calls, texts and data transmitted via satellite. Cellular at Sea remains available to travelers while in international waters, with international roaming charges applied.

To avoid unwanted charges, your safest bet onboard your cruise ship is to switch to airplane mode, reactivate your wireless feature and log in to the ship's Wi-Fi network. (Note: Switching to airplane mode will turn off wireless until you manually reactivate it.)

Advantages of US Mobile's Network in Puerto Rico

US Mobile's network blankets Puerto Rico, providing comprehensive coverage across urban areas, rural communities, and even remote regions. Whether you're exploring El Yunque National Forest or relaxing on the beautiful beaches of Culebra, US Mobile keeps you connected.

Cellular at Sea service is available once the cruise ship reaches international waters. While at sea, your phone will say “Cellular at Sea” or “901” to indicate service is available (be sure “Airplane Mode” is OFF). Use your phone as normal to make and receive calls, texts, and use data services.

Make sure to put your phone on airplane mode to avoid expensive roaming charges. Cellular rates at sea can sneak up on you, and you can easily rack up a $500 roaming bill. Even if you're not actively on your phone, most are still using data, so make sure to put yours on airplane mode to avoid roaming charges.

When the ship is sailing on international waters, you will be able to text (SMS). Once in port, you can connect to local roaming networks as permitted by your home carrier.

Do cell phones work on cruise ships? It's a common question with varying answers. Guests are free to utilize their cellular data or connect to our onboard Wi-Fi on any ship. But, please be aware that cellular data used on the ship or in certain ports of call will result in charges from your cell phone provider.

It is strongly recommended to turn off cellular data and roaming while cruising, and instead use local Wi-Fi in your port of call.

To avoid unwanted charges, keep your device in airplane mode when you're not using voice, messaging or data services. You can still connect to Wi-Fi (either via the ship's connection or via free Wi-Fi connections in ports of call), but you won't have to worry about accidentally making a pricey five-minute pocket-dial.

Will I get charged for using my phone in Puerto Rico? ›

While most major service providers no longer have roaming charges for travel within the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, roaming fees still apply when traveling abroad. To avoid bill shock, check with your service provider before you travel to see what options are available.

Puerto Rico is considered domestic for Verizon services. It will be just like using your phone in any other state as far as no roaming charges.

International charges apply when you talk, text, and use data outside the U.S., Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands. You can save if you have AT&T Passport^®, AT&T International Day Pass^®, for international travel.

Please note that most cell phone carriers do not allow their unlimited rate plans to apply to cellular calls, texts or data used while onboard ships. Please contact your own carrier to confirm this and your specific pricing details. Service is provided by Wireless Maritime Services.

There aren't any cruises that'll give you unlimited Wi-Fi for free, but some do provide limited complimentary services. Because cruise lines are already operating Wi-Fi networks, it can make sense to create in-house systems to allow guests to communicate with each other.

Before ships provided Wi-Fi and apps, cruisers connected the old-school way — with walkie-talkies, whiteboards and sticky notes. These techniques are the best ways to communicate on a cruise ship in case the Wi-Fi is spotty or you leave your phone in your stateroom.

Will I get phone signal on a cruise? The truth is that phone signal is intermittent on a cruise. When you do receive signal, this will be from an at-sea provider operated by the company you're sailing with.

Before ships provided Wi-Fi and apps, cruisers connected the old-school way — with walkie-talkies, whiteboards and sticky notes. These techniques are the best ways to communicate on a cruise ship in case the Wi-Fi is spotty or you leave your phone in your stateroom.

Yes, you can use the Wi-Fi connectivity on your mobile phone to connect to your cruise ship's internet. Make sure you're in airplane mode, though, or you might end up being charged for data by your phone carrier.