BonaireTalk Discussion Group
Everything Else Bonaire: Calling Cards
Bonaire Talk: Everything Else Bonaire: Archives: Archives 1999 - 2004: Archives - 2002-03-27 to 2002-12-01: Calling Cards
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Witt on Monday, April 29, 2002 - 10:10 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I'm going to Bonaire ahead of my wife this year. I need to know if it is better to buy calling cards here in the US or to get them in Bonaire? From what I understand, most international cards bought here are not from Bonaire to the US. AT&T has cards that will work but you give up 17 minutes for every minute of talk time. Anyone have any advise?
DENNIS

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jake Richter - NetTech on Monday, April 29, 2002 - 10:17 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Rent a cell phone (free to rent, just prepay $15 or $30 for outgoing call use) when you get here from Cell One - cost to call the U.S. is US$0.40/minute. Incoming calls are free.

Using U.S. calling cards or the Rip-Off-The-Tourists (IMHO) blue International phones around the island is unnecessarily expensive ($14 for the first few minutes for the latter).

Alternately, get phone cards from the local phone company and use their pay phones - should also be about US$0.40/minute to call the States.

Jake

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Witt on Monday, April 29, 2002 - 12:27 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks Jake. I kind of firgured you would have the best advice on this. I knew you could rent cell phones there but didn't realize that the cost was that low for outgoing calls to the US. Renting the cell phone seems like the best alternative.
Dennis

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jake Richter - NetTech on Monday, April 29, 2002 - 12:43 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sadly (for local usage of cell phones) it's actually cheaper to call the U.S. than make a local call, at least on CellOne's phones...

Jake

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Witt on Monday, April 29, 2002 - 5:15 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Jake,two other questions. Will I need to reserve a phone ahead of time? Do they have a website?
Thanks in advance, DENNIS

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jake Richter - NetTech on Monday, April 29, 2002 - 6:03 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I don't believe so (you can send them an e-mail - look at the InfoBonaire telecommunications page) and no.

Jake

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By michael gaynor on Monday, April 29, 2002 - 10:35 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

you can also bring your own phone and have either cellularone or telbo program it with a local # and then buy cards at many outlets.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By seb schulherr on Tuesday, April 30, 2002 - 8:11 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Michael, is that the same cost as renting a phone, or is ther a savings? And should I consider you as interested in the new yorker magazine? I usually bring a few along to read and would be haoppy to pass them on.
Seb
NYC

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob & Kobi on Tuesday, April 30, 2002 - 5:32 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

OK........need clarification on this topic. We're heading to Bonaire May 4th and we are current Cellular One customer's here in our home state of Virginia. Do I understand the posts to read that we can rent a Cellular One phone and prepay for minutes so we can communicate back to Virginia? If so, are the incoming calls really FREE? Free incoming would be awesome; we can call home and give them the cell # and viola! This could solve my problems about worry about our business back home while blowing bubbles :) PLEASE....anybody with further supporting info share if you would; like been there done it :)

PS: Where is the Cellular One office on Bonaire?

Thanks in advance,
Kobi and Rob....counting the hours to depature from Baltimore :)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jake Richter - NetTech on Tuesday, April 30, 2002 - 6:05 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

CellOne in the U.S. has nothing much to do with CellOne here, but they do both use TDMA-standard cell phones.

For cell phone usage in the Antilles, the owner of a cell phone is only charged for out-going calls, and a person calling a cell phone is charged an additional fee to call a cell phone (doesn't apply to international calls made to an Antilles cell phone as far as I know). Caller would still have to pay whatever the prevalent international rate to call the Antilles would be though (around $0.40 if calling from a residence with an international calling plan, last I knew - lots more without the calling plan).

CellOne office on Bonaire is in downtown Kralendijk on Kaya Grandi - can't miss it.

Jake

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob & Kobi on Tuesday, April 30, 2002 - 8:44 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks for the clarification Jake! Hmmm Not sure then what we will do to ease the communication back to the states :)

Counting the hours.......................

 


Visit: The Bonaire WebCams - Current Bonaire images and weather!
The Bonaire Insider - the latest tourism news about Bonaire
The Bonaire Information Site, InfoBonaire
Search Bonaire - Search top Bonaire Web sites


Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration