Anyone got any hints?

[springyzone]

I guess I could google but thought I'd gather any recommendations here.

I'm off on a short cruise to Sth Pacific in a few weeks and I'm interested in any cost saving ideas as far as phones and messages go. I know international roaming is expensive. 

So what alternatives can people suggest? I'm sure I have heard of something that is cheaper but can't recall names.

Also travel insurance. Can any seniors here recommend any that are good for a person with pre existing conditions?

In fact, any suggestions at all would be appreciated. Been a while since I travelled, last time was China 2018. Not sure what things will be like post covid.

[domino-710]

Springy - check out the ship's WiFi - daily carges.

Have you - Zoom or Messenger.

Interesting read here.

Cruise internet tip: Use airplane mode to avoid unwanted charges

Whether or not you’re purchasing a Wi-Fi plan on a cruise ship, I have one very strong piece of advice: Put your phone in airplane mode the moment you step on board the vessel and leave it that way for the duration of the sailing.

This is the safest way to avoid unwanted data charges, which can be enormous. (Remember the story of a family that recently racked up $14,000 in data charges on a cruise?)

If you insist on leaving your cellular service on during a cruise, you should at least disable any apps running in the background (as they’ll be eating up data, and running up your bill) and disable email auto-check.

Personally, I find it easier to just hit the airplane mode button. Once in airplane mode, I reactivate the Wi-Fi feature on my phone to access the cruise Wi-Fi, and sign up for a shipboard plan that will let me stay in touch by email or a VoIP service like WhatsApp.

Lucky you. 

[springyzone]

Thanks, Domino, that's a really interesting read.

I don't know about lucky! My daughter wanted to go on this cruise and we needed school holiday time (as she teaches). It's only a few weeks away and the cruise she was watching went down in price from about 1500 to 849 per adult (kids less). Time to book, so she did. Because it is only a few weeks away, the $1 deposit did not apply and she had to pay in full on the spot.

I agreed to go but that evening was the first I had heard about it. Later on, I was checking my emails and noticed I had one from P&O, mentioning a sale for past passengers. Out of curiosity, I looked it up. I could have bought it for $350 per adult, $150 per child.😣

It is what it is, can't do anything about it now. 

I hadn't realised those email prices were cheaper than the prices on their web pages. I'll pay more attention in future!

PS No, I don't want to be up for $14,000 in data charges either!

[domino-710]

Good grief - that's one heck of a difference.

[springyzone]

Yes, I know.😣

In future I will pay more attention to those email offers.

Not that I plan on sailing away too often & I am sort of bound up with looking after grandkids during term times, so I am limited in what I can consider anyway.

I have been mainly worried about the phone. I'm sure someone once told me years back of some way to get in touch cheaply. From what I can gather from your tip, it seems the phone can work fairly normally in airplane mode? That may be the way to go.

[domino-710]

Springy - what the article is saying is - turn on airplane mode when not in use.

You would have to turn off airplane mode to contact.

Have you ' Messenger ' on your phone.??

[papermoon.lady]

Not the same, springy, but I am also annoyed when for example I go to Woolworths and realize that I forgot to check the Everyday Rewards offers - because I actually only check them if I have to buy something.

You know when you realize you missed out on 5000 points or so. Not huge, but still annoying.

[springyzone]

I do have facebook messenger on my phone.

I worry about all this because I mainly use my phone for facebook, messenger, candy crush and occasionally using the internet. I rarely use it for actual phone calls although i do send phone messages.

But I am not an expert on my phone, I don't know how to do things with it the way I do on a computer. I am scared of running up a big bill by accident without using it.

Tonight I have been fretting over getting onto mygov, which I did no problem on my computer and I have saved an internation vaccination certificate which I can print off but no idea how to just show it on my phone. I'll have to get my daughter to help me.

[springyzone]

Very annoying for you.

I have an everyday rewards card plus flybuys but it has been a while since we picked up anything from the latter and I don't think I've ever managed to get anything from the Woolies card.

My sister now, she's a wonder, she has had several international trips where the flight was paid for with frequent flyer points.  I think she and her husband actually upgraded to business class on a trip to Europe and I have a hazy recollection she used points or something towards that. I do know she was able to fly to USA totally on points.

This was pre covid. It helps that her husband has his own business so all his supplies that he buys go towards accumulating more points.

Me-I sometimes manage a few cents back with cashrewards.😂

[papermoon.lady]

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@springyzone wrote:

Me-I sometimes manage a few cents back with cashrewards.😂

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Me too... 🙂 I made almost $270 to date, but it is now unavailable for eBay, and on the other site starting with E it is available, but not if you apply a coupon that is not listed on the site, and many sellers send me coupons (without an expiry date, contrary to the eBay offers), so my balance has now been stagnant for quite a while. I used to buy more from iHerb, but since COVID many items are unavailable or out of stock, and prices have gone up too... 😞