In Bonaire, our inn (Black Durgon) provides free local phone calls, but only to landlines (exchange 717). On our trip last month I used our Verizon Wireless cellphone (with the free "International" endorsement) to call Bonaire cellphones. We didn't have many calls to make, and the total roaming charge for our 2-week trip was $21.93, far less than a local cellphone rental ($5/day or $70/2 weeks). As expected, we were charged $1.29 per minute, whether calling Bonaire or to the States.

The phone worked well, once I figured out what prefixes were needed for each call. I don't understand the logic of the system, because each of the exchanges I called required a different set of prefixes. I used trial and error to find out what worked, but I wasn't charged for any calls that didn't go through.

Here are what I had to dial to place calls to Woodwind (exchange 786), Gibi (567), and Jerry Ligon (791):

00-599-786-7055 (Woodwind – but I think I called them once without the “00” and it worked; another time, “00” required, but not an extra "9")
00-599-9-567-0655 (Gibi - the extra "9" definitely required)
599-791-6079 (Jerry Ligon, no "00", no "9")

On my Verizon bill, all of my Bonaire calls show as just 10 digits, 599-xxx-xxxx. The call I made to Gibi, at the number above, shows on my bill as 599-956-7065. A search of the Bonaire on-line phone book shows the 956-7065 number as a cellphone belonging to Konstrukshon Sintiago, a building contractor. Mystery. I really did talk to Gibi.

David


(Message edited by bostondavid on April 4, 2008)