Carribean Mobile phone/SIM

[mobeydick]

Hi All

Is it worthwhile/possible to get a local SIM card for the Carribean (specifically, Guadeloupe and a few islands N/S for three weeks)?
Can you now use a Uk phone and buy a 'global' SIM, or do you have to buy a local phone+minutes?

I am not expecting long chats but local calls/data for weather etc and possibly a few calls back to UK.

Thanks

MD

 

[TQA]

I am a liveaboard cruiser in this area and I use a Digicel phone which is available locally as a PAYG. Sim cards are freely available in each islands Grenada cost is about 10$ US. If you are using your phone a lot then buy a card for each island. I do not know what the break even point is though.

 

[mobeydick]

Thanks

MD

 

[nigelmercier]

You will need an unlocked or SIM free phone. I've just bought a pair of SIM Nokia 105 splash-proof phones for £17 each: one black, one blue/black.

Blue/black: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00DBWUU4U/dolcetto-21
Full black: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00DBWI2E0/dolcetto-21
12V Charger: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00ECYU118/dolcetto-21

As it happens, I don't like them (too small for my hands), but they work well. I may put them on the For Sale forum.

 

[pelicanpete]

I live in the Bahamas but take my unlocked UK PAYG phone with me. One can purchase a SIM card locally for $15 and top-up vouchers from the phone company and some stores for $10, $15, $25, etc. Local calls are 10 cents/min. Overseas; use Skype. I imagine most of the other CARICOM nations have a similar set-up. Whatever you do, I don't recommend using your UK contract, The roaming charges are not nice!

 

[mobeydick]

Thanks. I was thinking about something like

http://www.telestial.com/sim_regional.php?ID=CB

Which works in the relevant Islands. presumably would work with my UK phone.

Has anybody used this company, or similar?

md

 

[TQA]

Thanks. I was thinking about something like

http://www.telestial.com/sim_regional.php?ID=CB

Which works in the relevant Islands. presumably would work with my UK phone.

Has anybody used this company, or similar?

md

No but the per call rate looks pretty high.

Be real sure you understand the data roaming rate. It can be outrageous!.

But you avoid the hassle of buying and swapping sims.

One thing to be aware of in the Caribbean is that outside the French Islands and the US islands VHF Ch 16 may well not be monitored esp at night. It is worth checking in advance and having the relevant phone numbers preprogrammed into your phone before you need them.

For instance in Grenada While channel 16 MAY be monitored the surest way to get help is to raise the police who will in turn task someone to react if they can , + 1 (473) 440-3999

"In addition" to the coast guard, "RESCUE 1" operates out of the Prickly Bay Marina on Ch 16, or their night tel. no. 1 473 418-8151. This is a “free service” but donations are welcome for services provided. Contact them for all emergencies as they liase with coast guard.

 

[Ariadne]

Get an unlocked phone and away you go, Digicel is great around the apart from Trinidad & Tobago; where they use a different Digicel! Something to do with currency and exchange EC$ & TT$ I think?

 

[mobeydick]

No but the per call rate looks pretty high.

Yes, that was just an example - Gosim is somewhat better.

My phones are unlocked, so the suggestion is to by a local Digicel SIM? I was looking at that, but was not sure of charges between islands of different 'nationalities'. I see I can use Vodafone 'European Traveller' in the French Islands (£3 per day and then use free contract minutes), so maybe swap to Digicell SIM when in Antigua, Dominica etc?

MD

 

[TQA]

Like I said in post 2 buy a Digicel sim. If you use the phone a lot buy a new sim for each island.

Some people have 2 phones and keep a constant sim in one for incoming calls.