Ahoy there, Sarah! I just uncorked a message in a bottle from you here at planDisney, and looks like you're looking to be sure you won't have to resort to a carrier pigeon, message in a bottle, or semaphore to contact anyone shoreside!
Personally, one of my favorite parts of sailing on the
Disney Cruise Line ships is turning on airplane...er...ship mode on my cell phone and being inaccessible to everyone from the mainland. Well, everyone except my fellow cruisers through the
Disney Cruise Line Navigator app chat feature, that is. That said, I understand there may be a time when you need to make a call, so it's great to plan ahead!
I've got good news! In addition to dedicated locations like your stateroom where you can take advantage of ship-to-shore calling on your stateroom phone (charged per-call), Disney Cruise Line features Cellular at Sea phone service, which allows you to use your cell phone as you would shoreside. Available from most cell phone carriers, this service is currently accessible in staterooms.
As for the Bahamas, I've always been able to connect to a cellular network, but I've only needed to make one call ever while on a Disney Cruise Line vacation. That was a fun story, perhaps another time, though.
It's important to note that charges for calls both internationally and using Cellular at Sea will vary depending on your service provider, and you should contact them before you sail so you are aware of what rates are for calls made when on an international vacation or at sea. I've found that this is also a good time to let your credit card company know you'll be travelling as well so you don't run into any issues with payments while on vacation!
Finally, Wi-Fi aboard Disney Cruise Line is a bit different than you may be used to while ashore or on other vacations. Connect@Sea offers Wi-Fi packages that are charged by the amount of data you use, not by the minute of calling via Wi-Fi. If you know you'll be making calls on your scheduled sea day, and would like to use Wi-Fi instead of Cellular at Sea, you can purchase packages once onboard in the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app. If you have more questions, you can check out the
Internet and Phone Services section of the Disney Cruise Line website.
So whether you're checking in on shoreside family, expecting an important call, or something else entirely, Disney Cruise Line has you covered - no pigeons required! But let's be honest, at sea it would probably end up being a seagull - and if Scuttle is anything to go by, I'd say their messenger abilities are marginal at best...
Thanks again for charting a course with us here at planDisney, Sarah! I hope you have a great vacation here in a few short weeks, and sail on by again for any additional questions that spring up between now and then!
Fair winds and following seas,
Andrew