Do you have T-Mobile I just got off the phone with T-Mobile customer care and if you use a BB device you can have unlimited international Texts, Data and calls (assuming you are on an unlimited plan already) for an additional 19.99 per month. This is by far the best deal I have heard of from any of the major carriers. Last time when I was in Mexico my AT&T bill was fairly substantial from texting. Oh. This includes MMS too. Pretty cool for 20 bucks.
We have Verizon & we usually just switch our plan to the international plan before we go which makes calls pretty cheap per min (texting can still get expensive tho) then when we get back we cancel it & they prorate what we didnt use for the month. Jess
Take back everything I said Just got a call from a T-Mobile supervisor who told me their representative lied about what I would receive for my 20 bucks. All I would have gotten for 19.99 is unlimited e-mail. I am trying to run away from my email so this is NOT A BENEFIT. I guess it was nice that they called and admitted their mistake. still sucks though.
We just back and I LOVE the method we used. I signed up for the North America Skype plan for $7.99/Mo. (which can be canceled when you return) which lets you place calls between Mexico, Canada and the US. Next I installed the Skype app on my smartphone (Android in my case) and tested before I departed for Cancun. While in Cancun I purchased the 24 hour WiFi passes twice for $15 US. It actually worked about 36 hours as I purchased it around 10 AM and it was not turned off until the next day at 11:59 PM. So for $30 I had 72 hours of internet. In addition, I would have purchased WiFi regardless of Skype. Now, once there I opened the Skype app and was able to call unlimited during my WiFi hours and use my phone just like a normal call. The calls were clear and convenient. Very cool and will do it again!
can you help me understand the North American Skype plan? Why do you need that? Would it be useful on my IPhone? Right now, I have the Skype app on my Iphone, but do I need a service to use Skype from Mexico to the US? I dont mind paying the $15/day for wireless internet (spotty as it may be) to be able to Skpye home to talk to the kids. Thanks
Is the internet available in most of the rooms? Even at $15 a day that may be cheaper than Verizon. I'd probably use the internet anyway for keeping up with my office. Yeah, I know, I'm on vacation and shouldn't worry about the office, but it kind of comes with the territory.
You don't need the North America Plan, but otherwise you will need a credit in your Skype account unless you are calling other Skype accounts. The North America Plan provides you unlimited minutes within North America for $7.99/Mo, however their per minute charge is rather low too. Either way... it's a great way to keep in touch and you can use your phone as you normally would.
We really like to skype home with our 5 year old (she will be 6 then). Being able to see her and her see us is so helpful, especially since we will be there for almost 9 days this time (longer than usual). It is $15 per 24 hours, so we try to call and night and then again the next day before the 24 hour time limit is up. We just set it up to call them at certain times and if we miss then we email them. She really likes that she can see us. If you have kids - I recommend forking over the extra money for internet & skype - plus Jeff likes to cruise internet while I am getting ready (quite the time consumer! LOL). We can also log into Sirius for music. :angel2: Most of the time they don't even charge us the full (correct) amount. We usually get a couple of days free. With that said, there have been times where their internet was down and we couldn't skype home at all...but not a huge deal to us. Last thing - we leave our laptop in a suitcase and on occasion forgot to put it away. NEVER had a problem with a housekeeper or anyone 'removing' it from our room. cwins:
good to hear! i've been wondering if there was any places with free wi-fi around. Gives me an excuse to go exploring this time!:clappyinghappy:cwins:
