TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Cell phone Service at Mooring on Norman/Cooper?

Hey gang-
Heading down Saturday for a 10 day charter. Much as I don't want to do it, it looks like I might have to be on a phone call for a potential job opportunity. I am wondering about reliability of cell service while on the Mooring at Norman or Cooper- we will likely be at one of those places at the time of the call. Additionally, does it make more sense to rent a phone down there rather than using my own? For what its worth, the call will be to the UK. Sorry to ask what may be a stupid question, but in 6 charters, I have NEVER had a reason to use my phone for anything besides music, so a bit dumb on specifics

Any thoughts appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
pk

depending on phone type and carrier....

We get service intermittently with ATT at Cooper. It must be clear out. no sahara dust, low moisture.

At Norman we get it pretty much all over the place, except if you are behind Willy T.

Thanks for that reply. Any issues with call quality while at Norman? Assuming we will be at one of the outer moorings, so not behind Willy T.

nope, unless the crew is rowdy, full LTE coverage.

Is there any way the call could be moved ahead...or wait until you get back?
Unless you've got a specific time and day organized for the call, I can't think you're going to be all that relaxed on your trip waiting for the phone to ring.
The cell service could be booming in the day of - full bars, crystal clear......or not. If you explain your situation, there may be some wiggle room.
(Although, "Yes, I'm going to be on a sailing yacht in the Caribbean" might not get you any sympathy)
A boat on a mooring moves as well, you're going to find the signal strength comes and goes, unless you're ashore and then you've got others to deal with as well.
Best of luck with the opportunity!

Thanks. Yes, I am trying to move it to happen before we depart, and in general I agree with you. It so happens that it would be a very set time, and actually quite convenient to knowing that we will be in one of the two aforementioned anchorages. And at such a time (early in the day) that it should still be relatively quiet. However, your point is well taken. I may well dinghy in to shore and see if there is a landline to do it from as well (Is there one in Norman?). As I said, trying to move it, as none of this is ideal for when one is on vacation but might not have luck. If nothing else, it will make a good story. Such is life! And thanks for the wishes of luck!!

In my experience the cell coverage deep in the anchorage is very poor. Stay near the mouth and it should be fine.

We were just in the bight at Norman. I have ATT, and had a strong connection to U.S. ATT cell on St. Johns, even though we were tight along the shoreline, to the right of the restaurant. Others on the boat had Verizon and T Mobile. Neither had a U.S. connection. I did not have a connection at Cooper.

I'm at Norman now. My AT&T connection is two to three bars coming from St Johns

With Digicel you won't have a connection in deep, elsewhere it's fine, copper is fine with Digicel too,

Digicel is a good thing, but free ATT from St. Johns is a much better thing <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

I would suggest to plan to be in Soper's Hole for your call.
It can be hit and miss, depending on your type of phone... if you are at Norman Island.
Better to get a local sim card, and you should have less trouble.
Closer to Tortola you are, the better the connection.

(Just my opinion!)

Russell

How is the AT&T connection while on JVD?

Rick

Att is only free for att customers. The rest of us pay for roaming, hence my local cell.

I'm in The Bight at Norman right now. My home cell plan (Rogers from Canada) let's me "roam like home" plus I have a 15 gb per month plan so I use Lime or AT&T depending on quality of signal. I pay a $10/day roaming fee for the first 10 days of a new month then no more charges each month. USA based travelers seem to always want to use AT&T whereas Lime is just as good and much better coverage all around the BVI's. I think maybe American based traveller's carriers don't offer good roaming plans because I always see Americans scrambling for the crappy wifi signals on shore - (herky jerky wifi that halts and throttles all the time). At Norman and Sopers you get a good AT&T signal but it fades fast as you go east in the BVI's. I stream hockey games on Lime plus lots of txting and phone calls - no problem. Digicel has a good signal but they are all screwed up in terms of their interaction with my host carrier. They don't seem to get that I have 15gb per month and keep txting me with ridiculous claims of amounts charged. Then I call Rogers (my home carrier) and they say no such charges on my account. I've been here since November and can definitely confirm that Digicell's messages to me are whacked - no such charges on my account.

AT&T works very well in White Bay, and "most" of the time ashore in Great Harbor, though sometimes I get switched over to Lime there. It doesn't work reliably anywhere else on Jost.

Felix