Do you remember standing at a phone booth in some foreign country with a calling card, trying to get a phone call out to someone at home? It wasn’t that long ago. Even though we’re a few decades into cellular phones, those devices weren’t all that functional in foreign countries until the last few years.
Now think ahead to ten years from NOW. Undoubtedly, satellite phones will be in much wider use, making things like global roaming charges and data limitations a nostalgic memory not unlike standing at that phone booth 15 years ago.
Until then, how do you best manage your telecom when abroad? It depends where you’re travelling to, and also what your wireless carrier offers… and there’s a wide disparity here.
Roaming Charges
- Contact your wireless service provider to understand what fees you’ll be subject to based on where you’re going. Sometimes there’s flat fee (often $10/day), and other times you pay by use.
- Some carriers advertise “Global Roaming” for no additional fees. Be really careful here… that is often marketing hype, and loaded with pages of fine print that you usually discover AFTER you’ve assumed it was all free. Global Roaming also usually significantly restricts your data use.
Do I need a SIM card?
- Probably not. A SIM card is the electronic chip you insert into your phone that assigns your mobile number to your device. When people go abroad, they often get a local SIM so they can use their mobile phone like the locals do.
- If you’re only going to a place for a week or two, unless you plan on using a lot of data, or talking on the phone a lot, it’s probably unnecessary. However, SIM cards are cheap, and easy to install (just don’t lose your home SIM card when you make the swap).
What is an E-SIM?
- An electronic SIM is an APP you install on your phone that enables it to behave like you’ve installed a local SIM card when you’re abroad.
- E-SIMs solve the problem of swapping out small (easy to lose) chips on your device, and they are usually more cost effective. I recently used one in Europe that cost about €10 for an entire month of unlimited voice and data. This was much better (and cheaper) than roaming because my data was not restricted.
What about WiFi calling?
- Skype is probably the best-known version of this voice-over-internet-protocol (VOIP) telephone service. It works well and is easy to use (just get the Skype APP or something similar onto your phone). The catch?… you need WiFi.
- If you’re going to Europe, FREE public Wifi is just about everywhere. You can also find a Starbucks or a McDonald’s that will offer it to you.
- This is the cheapest and easiest solution for most people.
How is the WiFi on cruise ships?
- Better than it used to be, still not as good as home.
- The technology continues to improve, but it does depend on the ship, that ship’s location, and how many others are using it at the same time.
- If you’re attempting to upload your vacation videos to Facebook, at the same time 600 others are (as the ship is pulling out of port, before dinner), it’s going to be SLOW, no matter how good the technology is.
Underscoring all of this is the fact that you’re supposed to be on vacation, and being less connected is a GOOD thing for many of us. Don’t assume you’ll need the same level of connectivity when you’re on vacation that you require at home.
Today’s Travel Opportunities:
AMA WATERWAYS
PROVENCE from Arles (Marseilles) to Lyon departing December 12 for 7-nights
- Visit Arles, Avignon, Viviers, Tournon, Vienne, and Lyon.
- Visit Van Gogh’s house, a Truffle Farm, sample local red wine & chocolate, see the Roman ruins, and do a Beaujolais wine tasting at a vineyard.
- $4698 for a Twin Balcony Room with a $150 per person on board credit.
- Optional extensions to Barcelona (3-nights pre), or Paris (3-nights post).
Vineyards of the Rhine & Moselle from Amsterdam to Luxembourg for 7-nights on June 26
- Visit Amsterdam, Cologne, Rudesheim, Mainz, Cochem, Bernkastel, Luxembourg.
- Lots of visits to vineyards, as well as bike rides, and gentle hikes.
- $4898 for a Twin Balcony with a $150 per person on board credit.
AZAMARA SMALL SHIP OCEAN CRUISES
Azamara ships hold only 680 guests, and fares include an open bar, and gratuities. Flash Sale until March 21: the voyages below are $2000 off per stateroom (discount is reflected in the pricing below), and you get up to $1000 in on board credits as well:
Stockholm to London departing August 22 for 12-nights:
- Visit Stockholm, Visby, Gdansk (overnight), Ronne, Warnemunde, Kiel Canal, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Antwerp (overnight), London.
- Verandas from $4536, with a $150 per person on board credit.
Canada / New England from Montreal to Miami departing October 24 for 15-nights:
- Visit Montreal, Quebec City, Sydney, Halifax, Saint John, Portland ME, Boston, Cape Cod, Newport, NYC, Baltimore, Charleston, and Miami.
- Verandas from $4590 with a $500 per person on board credit .
TAUCK LUXURY LAND-CRUISES
Salt Lake City to Denver for 8-days, with 2-days on the rails with Rocky Mountaineer
- Visit Salt Lake City, Park City, Moab, flightseeing over Canyonlands NP, Arches NP, 2 days on board Rocky Mountaineer, and Denver
- Includes all hotels, transfers, Silverleaf PLUS rail car with adjoining Lounge Car, flightseeing, off-road Hummer trip, 16 meals, and gratuities.
- Departures June through October for $7590 per person
Australia & New Zealand for 20-days from Melbourne to Auckland
- Visit Melbourne, Ayers Rock, Queensland (for the Barrier Reef), Sydney, Wellington, Marlborough Sound, Te Anau, Fjordland NP, Milford Sound, Queenstown, Weiheke, Auckland. This trip is busy, but you see an incredible amount of both these countries.
- Departures September 2024 through April 2025 for $14,990 per person. Includes private charter flights (6 of them) for the on-tour portion of the trip.
VIKING PROMOS
Current Client second cruise booking incentive:
- If you have an existing reservation with Viking, they will make it worth your while to book another cruise with them.
- Get up to $1000 off your next Viking cruise, with a 6-month final payment date.
- This offer applies to ANY new Viking booking. Here are two examples:
New Orleans to Memphis with departures May, June and November for 12-days
- Visit New Orleans, Darrow, Baton Rouge, St. Francisville, Natchez, Vicksburg, Greenville, Rosedale, and Memphis
- Experience the French quarter, former plantations, southern mansions, Cajun cooking, Civil War historical sites, and Graceland.
- Veranda Rooms in May from $4499. June from $4999, and November from $5999.
- Includes round-trip air, transfers, the Silver Spirits beverage package, a shore excursion in every port, and wifi on the ship.
Shanghai to Hong Kong (or reverse) for 10-days.
- Experience the urban cultures of Shanghai and Hong Kong with colonial buildings juxtaposed with brand new sky-scrapers, explore the Chinese coastline and fishing villages, visit ancient temples,
- Visit Shanghai (overnight), Zhoushan, Dongtou, Pingtan, Xaimen, Hong Kong (overnight)
- Verandas in September & October from $4499. November from $3999.
- Includes round-trip air, all taxes & fees, transfers, a shore excursion in every port, beer/wine with meals.
- Pre and post land stays available in Shanghai and Hong Kong.
See more here: https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/asia/countries/china/index.html?agenturlid=pamperedcruiser
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If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here or call 800-876-0168 to get in touch today.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sue Bradley
Sue Bradley
