phones in cozumel ?

[DandyDon]

* Data Sent or Received While in Mexico: $0.005/KB ($5.12/MB)
* Picture/Video Messaging while in Mexico is $0.25/message sent (per recipient) or received, plus $0.005/KB.

For Verizon users. I'm spending 2 wks in Cozumel in May so called them up. Here is the info provided.
1. Switch plan to Nationwide plus Mexico Single-Line. Makes MX the same calling area as the US - no roaming charges. Cost $54.99 per month vice my current plan of $39.99. So additional cost of $15 per month. Can switch back once back home.
2. Get 450 anytime mins and 1000 mins nights and weekends per month. Verizon to Verizon calls count against your mins.
3. Sending a text cost $.50 and receiving cost $.005 per text.
4. Calls while in Cozumel are direct no need to dial country code.
5. If you want no cost for texts that plan cost $74.99 for the above.
Of course there are plans with higher mins but cost more.

Here is the plan description online: https://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/splash/mexicoplusplan.jsp

I called them to ask for confirmation that I could use it within the 450/1000 to call while in Mexico to other numbers in Mexico and/or to the US without additional charges and she affirmed that - but the wording on the site still bothers me, and I know how things go when a big bill comes in: I complain, they explain whey I'm wrong, pay or else.

I an on a Family shared plan so I'd have to change everyone for the month, or separate mine for a month. Looks like I'd end up paying at least $45 more for the month on one phone plus taxes to have 450/1000 minutes for the month. I don't want to mess up the others so I'd just change mine, if I get the courage to try this. Eh, really - having free Skype calls home from the room works well for me, much more than I had in the 1990s and early this century, and I like being unavailable the rest of the time, so I probly won't.

Here is one part that bothers me: No Domestic Roaming Charges. Unlimited Long Distance to the U.S. and Mexico.
Coverage not available everywhere. Airtime charges apply. Why do airtime charges vary?

So are you going to try it, then let us know about your experiences including bills? I remember from when I did it on Alltel, if you misdial - the recording is in Spanish! Seems like I had to dial one way if calling Cancun while in Cancun, another way if from Coz to Cancun.

 

[Brules]

Can any tech heads confirm if the Wifi Calling feature of blackberry/droid type phones will work in Cozumel?

 

[tridacna]

Can any tech heads confirm if the Wifi Calling feature of blackberry/droid type phones will work in Cozumel?

Droid or iOS - no problem. Switch off data and connect thru WiFi. Voila.

Blackberry is a bitch.

Depending on the phone even if you have WiFi on and are connected to a WiFi network, if you don't have a valid data plan and it's connected, you cannot access the net. Bummer.

If you have a cooperative phone and carrier, you will have to reconfigure the phone so that it will do so. (You can Google your way through this). Here's where to start.

Will Wifi work on Blackberry without Data Plan? - BlackBerry Forums at CrackBerry.com

It's a major pain in the butt and I don't know what will happen when you're in range of a foreign carrier. Beware - this could cost you major bucks. This is one of the reasons that I will never use a RIM device.

 

[Brules]

Droid or iOS - no problem. Switch off data and connect thru WiFi. Voila.

Blackberry is a bitch.

Depending on the phone even if you have WiFi on and are connected to a WiFi network, if you don't have a valid data plan and it's connected, you cannot access the net. Bummer.

If you have a cooperative phone and carrier, you will have to reconfigure the phone so that it will do so. (You can Google your way through this). Here's where to start.

Will Wifi work on Blackberry without Data Plan? - BlackBerry Forums at CrackBerry.com

It's a major pain in the butt and I don't know what will happen when you're in range of a foreign carrier. Beware - this could cost you major bucks. This is one of the reasons that I will never use a RIM device.

With my old blackberry I could go into the menus and disable all the signals except Wifi. I had wifi calling on my plan and it worked like a charm at my house (where I got 0 signal other than my wifi).

Thanks for confirming on the Droid/wifi calling. I can drag my laptop and cell down and in case of an emergency set up office wherever I can find good wifi!

 

[tridacna]

* Data Sent or Received While in Mexico: $0.005/KB ($5.12/MB)
* Picture/Video Messaging while in Mexico is $0.25/message sent (per recipient) or received, plus $0.005/KB.

That is so pornographically expensive, it's insane. Over $5 per Mb!! That's $5,000 per Gig.

Send a few pictures to a buddy back home. Make sure that they're RAW files. Hilarity will ensue when you get your next phone bill.

 

[gbray]

Thanks for all the input. My head is really spinning now. My carrier is verizon and I will be staying at hotel Cozumel. Hopefully they will have free phones in the rooms. I have an older phone with no wifi, email or texting. I have a family issue I will need to be available for while in Mexico so hopefully no one will need to call me while I am away.
My Spanish vocabulary consist of about 3 words so I don't know if it will be worth trying to get a local cell phone once there. Guess I'll play it by ear once I get there.

Thanks again.

 

[DandyDon]

Here is the plan description online: https://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/splash/mexicoplusplan.jsp

Now the banner at the top of the page says it is applicable if you travel there, so maybe I am unwarranted with my fears...?

click for larger​

That is so pornographically expensive, it's insane. Over $5 per Mb!! That's $5,000 per Gig.

Send a few pictures to a buddy back home. Make sure that they're RAW files. Hilarity will ensue when you get your next phone bill.

Did you see above that the main player in this game is the richest man in the world?

Take a card reader and send data from a lobby or cafe computer by email.

Thanks for all the input. My head is really spinning now. My carrier is verizon and I will be staying at hotel Cozumel. Hopefully they will have free phones in the rooms. I have an older phone with no wifi, email or texting. I have a family issue I will need to be available for while in Mexico so hopefully no one will need to call me while I am away.
My Spanish vocabulary consist of about 3 words so I don't know if it will be worth trying to get a local cell phone once there. Guess I'll play it by ear once I get there.

Thanks again.

It looks like changing to the Verizon plan will work ok. Keep in mind that you'd need to change plans at the start of the billing cycle when you are traveling, change back at the end of the cycle, to get the full 450/1000 and that the 1000 N&WE minutes are after 9pm - probly Cozumel time. If you will need more than 450 minutes for the entire month including at home, go larger.

Better would be headsets and a crash course in Skype. I think the lobby and cafe computers would have the program or you can add it; just be sure to log off each time. They can call your hotel or you can call their home or cell phone for 2.3c/minute.

Our German student with us for the year just emails his parents to tell them when he will be online and they talk for free Skype to Skype on Sundays. He'll call them from New Mexico this week on our way to the Grand Canyon.

 

[Mossman]

Thanks for all the input. My head is really spinning now. My carrier is verizon and I will be staying at hotel Cozumel. Hopefully they will have free phones in the rooms. I have an older phone with no wifi, email or texting. I have a family issue I will need to be available for while in Mexico so hopefully no one will need to call me while I am away.
My Spanish vocabulary consist of about 3 words so I don't know if it will be worth trying to get a local cell phone once there. Guess I'll play it by ear once I get there.

I doubt Hotel Cozumel has free calls to the U.S. as its website says nothing other than "direct-dial telephones". If there were free calls, it would most likely highlight that on the website as it's a good selling point.

However, you definitely don't have to worry about lack of Spanish if you decide to get a local cell phone. Cozumel merchants wouldn't do very well with the cruise-ship hordes and other tourists if they only spoke Spanish. Like practically any other tourist area in the world, you'll be able to get by just fine in English.

 

[DandyDon]

Here's a nice, brief article about things to turn off before boarding the plane: I Got Hit for $450 in Phone Data Roaming Charges: What I Learned - AOL Travel News - lots of things to turn off. I think I would play it safe and call my provider to have ALL DATA related products blocked for the trip.