10.02.2014
For a current cruise within Europe, we were looking for a prepaid internet tariff for our smartphone that offers the best possible price-performance ratio.
Selection of the provider
We found what we were looking for at Vodafon. There you can currently (February 2014) order a CallYa SIM card free of charge. We decided on the CallYa TalkSMS tariff. This tariff is without a basic fee. We ordered the CallYa SIM card online from Vodafon.
Prices
After the card has arrived in the mail, various travel packages can be booked. The tariffs are called "CallYa ReisePakete". The smallest package is valid for one day and the largest for 14 days.
We decided on the “2 weeks travel package” because it contains 700 MB of data. It currently costs 25 euros.
The packages are valid in the following countries of the EU, EEA countries and Iceland:
Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary, Cyprus
Booking the package
- By phone free of charge at +49 172 22922
One should keep that in mind
- After a CallYa travel package has expired or has been used, the roaming conditions of the CallYa tariff apply. This can quickly become very expensive, so you should keep a close eye on your consumption and book a travel package again if necessary. There is no limit to this. Provided that there is enough credit on the card.
- German time is decisive for the expiry of the CallYa ReisePakete. All CallYa travel packages end on their expiration day at midnight German time!
- Good reception is only available on or in the immediate vicinity of the mainland, e.g. in ports.
Alternatives
- Buy a SIM card on site
If you only travel to one country on the cruise, e.g. Spain on a Canary Islands cruise, it can be cheaper to buy a SIM card on site. The disadvantage is that you waste valuable time on site.
- Book WiFi on the cruise ship
Usually an expensive option. The advantage is that you can surf the Internet even on the high seas.
- Other providers
Almost every major provider in Germany offers an EU internet package or international travel internet package. We decided on the CallYa tariff from Vodafon for this cruise because the data volume was important to us.
(Christopher Plau - February 2014)
