Aruba, calling card or cell phone?

sheilas · Jan 24, 2006

I am looking for advise on the best way to call home from Aruba. Can anyone give me an idea of the cost?

bigfrank · Jan 24, 2006

Across the street from the Wyndham, You can buy a calling card cheap and use it there.
I had bought a cell phone with 45 min for $30 at the airport and did not get my moneys worth. I wanted it for convenience.

lawren2 · Jan 24, 2006

Where are you staying?

because there is a phone/internet kiosk in the plaza by the Alhambra Casino. Very inexpensive. I think 25 cents/minute to phone the US and internet was like 30 minutes for a few dollars.

sheilas · Jan 24, 2006

We will be staying at the Wyndham for the first few days and then the Marriott Surf Club.. Is it a store across from the Wyndham?

bigfrank · Jan 24, 2006

It is the store that is connected to the hotel across the street. You can use the calling card right there.

alhanna · Jan 24, 2006

Are there any cell phone carriers (Sprint, Verizon, etc) that work in the USA and in Aruba?

bigfrank · Jan 25, 2006

alhanna said:
Are there any cell phone carriers (Sprint, Verizon, etc) that work in the USA and in Aruba?

You can get a GSM phone before you leave from the major carriers but you should do this a month before the trip and it is not cheap. If you must have a phone get it at the airport when you land.

sheilas · Jan 25, 2006

Thanks for the info Frank.. Can you use that calling card from your hotel room too?

bigfrank · Jan 25, 2006

Not sure as you may incur other charges.

lunarbrian · Jan 25, 2006

Aruba Calling

Another option is to buy a calling card in the U.S. that is good for calling from the U.S. to Aruba. I travel a lot internationally and it is very expensive to use my cell to call home. Instead I give me wife the hotel number and she calls me. It takes some coordination with the people who would be calling you but it also allows you to take the call in your hotel room rather than using a kiosk or pay phone. I use a company called Pennytalk and the international rates are extremely cheap. We recently used the card during our trip to St Maarten and it worked well.

Sunbum · Jan 25, 2006

Calling from the hotels is typically very expensive and somewhat unreliable. Go with the calling card available there or rent a cell phone down there.

chrisnwillie · Jan 25, 2006

The only two american cell phone carriers that will work in Aruba are Cingular and T-Mobile. And then, you have to have a GSM UNLOCKED phone for it to work. I think then, it's $1.49/per minute to call.

I either rent a cell phone from http://www.arubafastphones.com/index.htm or buy a Ventaha calling card from any of the local stores for $10/45 minutes to USA or $5/25 minutes to USA. This calling card can be used right from your hotel/timeshare room.

luckydude · Jan 26, 2006

Chris,
Is it best to reserve your phone online in advance or to just go to the kiosk when you get there? How do their rates compare with others?

chrisnwillie · Jan 26, 2006

luckydude said:
Chris,
Is it best to reserve your phone online in advance or to just go to the kiosk when you get there? How do their rates compare with others?

He (his name is Charles) actually comes in a bit cheaper, and if you have the Aruba Plus card ( http://www.visitaruba.com/plus/ ), it comes in a little cheaper again. I'd reserve in advance, by sending an email to Charles. His company is very popular, so I'd insure you get one at the airport. If you have any questions, he frequents www.aruba-bb.com all the time. You could even send him a PM thru that BB and he would answer any question you might have. His username is chaleco111.

Liz from N.J. · Jan 26, 2006

Charles at Aruba Fast Phones is great. I recommend him highly after using his service last April. You can pick up the cell upon leaving the baggage area of the airport. And return it at the airport on your departure day.

website: http://www.arubafastphones.com/

E:mail: info@arubafastphones.com

luckydude · Jan 26, 2006

Chrisnwillie,
Thanks for the advice. I placed an order online with Fast Phones. I have done the waiting in the lobby for the cell phone guy before and this system seems much more efficient. I need a cell phone so they could call me from my business if they need to. Also my mother-in-law isn't doing so well and need to be reachable .

chrisnwillie · Jan 26, 2006

luckydude said:
Chrisnwillie,
Thanks for the advice. I placed an order online with Fast Phones. I have done the waiting in the lobby for the cell phone guy before and this system seems much more efficient. I need a cell phone so they could call me from my business if they need to. Also my mother-in-law isn't doing so well and need to be reachable .

That is exactly why we rent a phone. We are self employed and need to be reached, as we travel during "contract" time and so we need instant communications with our company. I also have an elderly Mom (84) and I need to be in touch with her and be at the other end of an instant call from her. I know there will be a time when these pressing matters won't be there any longer, but for the time being, this works for me.

By the way, I also did the "wait in the lobby thing" for my phone to be delivered and it was very frustrating.