Ahoy there, Patricia! Thanks for sailing our way here at planDisney! It's great to have you alongside as you plan for your Disney Cruise Line vacation this October! It may seem far away now, but in no time, your booking window will open, you'll have plenty of incredible activities to choose from, and next thing you know you'll be stepping aboard
one of the beautiful ships and being announced by the crew as you step into the lobby atrium...what more could you want?
Ah, a way to stay connected? Consider that message received, Patricia!
I've got great news for you: since it sounds like you've got quite the phone plan with international data included, you're going to have no problem connecting while you're in your incredible Ports of Call! I, too, have a plan that keeps me connected when I travel, and it's nice to have peace of mind that your phone can be used just like normal while abroad!
As far as other
internet and phone services are concerned, I'm also happy to report you're under no obligation to get an internet plan! Truth be told, one of the things I like most about a Disney Cruise Line vacation is how disconnected I'm able to be! Even though these days we're all using our devices to access the
Disney Cruise Line Navigator app, generally speaking, once we board, my phone goes on airplane mode as recommended while we're out to sea...Hmmm, they really should think about renaming that setting for us cruisers, don't you think? Haha!
Still, it's important to remember that while your phone plan may include international data, the open ocean is often a completely different beast! While in the middle of your sailing - especially during any sea days - Cellular at Sea phone service may come into play if you choose not to purchase an internet package. Even with international data, Cellular at Sea usually is classified as International Roaming on most plans and those charges can stack up faster than Chip and Dale packing away acorns for the winter! If you plan on using your cellular data connection while in international waters, I HIGHLY suggest contacting your cell phone provider to learn these rates before your cruise - and be sure to take a look at the 25MB WiFi plan currently offered at no cost to you on embarkation day!
Well, Patricia, I hope that helps you chart a course for the right combination of connectivity options while you're sailing away into the sunset! Thank you so much for your question and please sail my way again here at planDisney if any others come to mind as you continue planning! And if messaging and data rates are too high, you can always send me a message by seagull - but try not to ask Scuttle to do it, he's a notoriously unreliable communicator as we've all seen...
SEA ya real soon!
Andrew