Cozumel SIM card

[NudeDiver]

Hey, can anyone pass along some comments about getting a SIM card good for Cozumel, before I leave the US? I'd like to have local phone capability when I touchdown in Cancun. I might get two - so my wife and I could both have our phones with us.

I use prepaid service here in America and the fees for using it from Mexico are fairly prohibitive.

Thanks!
nd

 

[johnnc]

Why not leave the phones home and have some alone time with the wife?

 

[scubawife]

john, not everyone is in a position to be disconnected when they travel. I would love to, but that's just not possible. If DH and I had to wait to go away until we had a week or two with no business or family issues then we'd never get away. Beauty of today is that we can even go to some really out of the way places and they may not have reliable plumbing and electricity but they have cell and/or internet service.

NudeDiver, I have a TelCel Amigo phone (prepaid cell) and I know they sell the SIM cards at the TelCel stores in Cozumel and Playa. I haven't seen anywhere to get one in the Cancun airport. There are a few places that you can order them online though if you want to have your phone operational as soon as you land. If you get a card ask them to set up your phone for the international rates. It will get you the $1/20 minutes for calls to the US. If you don't have that activated then it's around $1/min same as a US phone.

Another option for about the same price as the SIM and prepaid cards is to just rent a cell from Mexitel MEXITEL Cellular The Only Way to travel It's the same thing and they have the international plan activated on their phones. I know a few people who've rented from them and were very happy with it.

If you need to add credits the Amigo cards are available at just about every convenience store.

 

[driftin' by]

Why not leave the phones home and have some alone time with the wife?

 

[NudeDiver]

Why not leave the phones home and have some alone time with the wife?

Um...because if I am in location A and my sweetie is off in location B one party might want to call the other, so we can meet up at location C.

 

[NudeDiver]

john, not everyone is in a position to be disconnected when they travel.

I guess I should have been more clear. I've got no interest in using the cell phone to chat with people from home. That's what e-mail is for. The purpose is so that we can call each other in Cozumel (or PDC I guess) if we are separated for one reason or another, can call the hotel if we are out wherever, or whatever. No interest in calling the U.S. from Mexico. I can probably do THAT with the card I have

There are a few places that you can order them online though if you want to have your phone operational as soon as you land.

Generally that route is at a premium though.

NudeDiver, I have a TelCel Amigo phone (prepaid cell) and I know they sell the SIM cards at the TelCel stores in Cozumel and Playa. I haven't seen anywhere to get one in the Cancun airport.

Arguh.

In the past, in other locations, getting a SIM with a little time on it is like, $10 or less. Is this not the case in Coz??

Thanks!
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[scubawife]

Cheapest I've seen in the stores is $25, but there might be something cheaper. Phone w/ 200 credits start around $30 (or they did a little over a year ago).

As far as why you want a phone, why should anyone care? Not their vacation or time.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

For communications only on the island-- perhaps one set of those cheap 2 way radios would do. We use marine band hand held radios that probably have the same range as the cheapies-- and they reach just about anywhere the cell service does. BTW, cell service peters out south of Mr. Sanchos and about halfway across the island.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[NudeDiver]

For communications only on the island-- perhaps one set of those cheap 2 way radios would do. We use marine band hand held radios that probably have the same range as the cheapies-- and they reach just about anywhere the cell service does. BTW, cell service peters out south of Mr. Sanchos and about halfway across the island.

Hey, thanks Dave.

I've got a friend who has a pair of those - maybe he will let me borrow them for Cozumel.

That's good to know the cell service peters out - I wouldn't have guessed that.

Thanks

 

[NudeDiver]

Cheapest I've seen in the stores is $25, but there might be something cheaper. Phone w/ 200 credits start around $30 (or they did a little over a year ago).

wow - so, pretty expensive. Here you can get a SIM card with phone for only about $8 to $10.

As far as why you want a phone, why should anyone care? Not their vacation or time.

Well, I think they were just trying to be helpful.