Calling home from Bonaire

[uncfnp]

Gotcha! You can get a Skype number that she can call, but the easiest would be to set her phone up with a saved Quick Text saying "Call me, ok?" that she can send to you in text. If it's important, tell her to send twice; emergency, 3 or 4 times.

Then save your email addy to her cell phone so she can send the text there. You could leave texting enabled on your Verizon and I think it would work, but it's pricey!

I consider myself somewhat tech savvy but I didn't realize I could do that! I will give it a try. Then if I can get a number she can call as well on Skype or Google Voice, she may not even try to make me feel guilty for going!

There's a place in the small strip Mall immediately north of the traffic circle by Den Laman on the west side called "Chat & Browse". An American, Mike, the owner, is always there and was very helpful to us during our stay for the month of January. He's got sim cards, prepaid cards, and cell phones to rent. Just a good, honest operation.

I have not been in there but I know exactly where you are talking about. A good backup option.

Thanks to everyone for all the help! SBers are the best!

 

[phelana]

If you have a Verizon iPhone, go to Digicel and get a chip. It's around 20 USD a I recall. Or, turn off your data and roaming and use your phone/Skype from wifi.

 

[DandyDon]

If you have a Verizon iPhone, go to Digicel and get a chip. It's around 20 USD a I recall.

I don't know of any Verizon phones that use chips. There may be some models, but none of ours do. We're mostly a Basic phone family with one Droid.

Or, turn off your data and roaming and use your phone/Skype from wifi.

Sounds like a good plan with a Smart phone, if they'll do it? When I take my Basic phone out of country, I have them turn off my texting, but leave my calling possibilities open in case of dire emergency so I could call out if I wanted to - but turn the ringer off and let incoming calls go to voice mail - which I check from Skype. I don't know if they will block data services to a Smart phone as much as they love data sales? I turned my grandson's Droid off completely for a cruise once when he had one.

 

[Heatheroe]

uncfnp, probably your best bet is to get an unlocked phone and buy a digicel or chippie sim card when you are down there. We bought ours at the store downtown. It worked fine for us but standing in line at the Digicel store to get more minutes is a real drag! Michael was out of the cards at his place so we had to get them at the digicel store.

Since it sounds like you visit often, if you get a sim card you can reuse it and have your very own Bonaire ph#. To call the US you need to use the country code of 001 before the area code.

Oh and somehow I racked up $100 in roaming charges while there. I have AT&T with iPhone but it did not work (just there in November). I thought I had turned roaming off but obviously I didn't. Did use my phone's alarm clock night before an early departure so that must have been what did it.