I had promised to post the cost of some phone charges from my Bonaire trip in January.

My buddies and I rented a phone from Michael at Chat 'n Browse and bought 30 minutes of calling time as well, for a special "Oregon resident" deal of ~$40. Since incoming calls were free (didn't count against our minutes, that is), we figured that it would be cheaper for people at home to call us, rather than for us to call out. Were we ever wrong...

I found out when I received my AT&T bill that they charged $3.92 per minute for my worry-wart spouse to call me in Bonaire!!! Since there was a 4-hour time difference, those are probably day rates.

So, do the math and figure that for 30 minutes of talk time, it cost about $1.33 per minute - including the phone rental - to call home using the phone from Michael. That price would go down if you bought more time.

So there you have it. Call me poorer but wiser!

Mel, if you have an international calling plan that includes the caribbean (a $9.00 a month fee for us) each minute only costs about 10-15 cents. They really get you for international calls unless you have this. We make a lot of international calls so it really pays for us!

If you use Skype computer to computer it is free. Skype From Bonaire to phone line in the US is $0.02 per minute. Worth buying $10 of Skype time.

Yes, I'll definitely find other options next time, starting with insisting that people NOT call me every day! ;)

check out https://www.call2.com/index.cfm calls from US to Bonaire run app .18 per minute..there are loads of other options. Just google a cheap Caribbean calls...

I've had excellent results with skype to skype and skype OUT from my computer to a land line while on Bonaire and accessing the internet via the resort wireless network. It's hard to beat free or 2.1 cents per minute and having it work flawlessly. On Skype to Skype I was able to video conference via webcam with wifey, computer to computer, for free.

I still rent a cell phone when I'm on island so I'm accessible to friends on island and others when I'm out and about on island, except when shore diving when all I have with me is an old tee shirt and a bottle of water. Being able to call or be called by TC makes the cell phone cost well worth it!

(Message edited by imdiverdan on May 19, 2008)

we don't have to call bonaire that often. we usually fax or email. but when we call we use a calling card from IDT (bought it at the grocery store) and it costs less than $1.00/minute. we tell people to get one if they have to call us....or that they should call and we'll call them right back because it's so much cheaper to call from bonaire to the states than vice versa.

I have used a costco phone card (MCI?) to call Bonaire from a US landline (mostly to set up reservations) and it is way under $1/minute...

FYI if you have a verizon cell phone you can sign up for international roaming (free, just have to do it in advance of your trip) and it cuts your roaming costs in half. $1.29 a minute from Bonaire. Not bad since we will probably only need to make a couple of quick calls while we are on the island.

We'll take my wife's cheapo cell phone in an aqua pak or something so we have an emergency phone before/after diving, and if it gets flooded, well she's due for a new one anyway. ;)

Since we didn't have many calls to make, we just used our Verizon cell phones (set up the free international before leaving). Just $1.29/minute and convenient.

Ok, just got the phone bill from Verizon Wireless that covered our trip to Bonaire. Here is the breakdown of charges:

$0.50 to send a text message

$0.05 to receive a text message

$1.29/minute for phone calls

Clearly, texting is the way to go! I already have a package that gives me so many per month free, so those charges were just the roaming fee.

Check into Skype. .02$ for call to a land line or cell phone in the States from Bonaire. Computer to computer for free!

We didn't have a computer with us. And thought it was expensive for online time at Divi. I have heard of Skype from people talking about it on BT and sounds like a very good deal for those who do have computer access. Do some resorts offer free online time?

I use an international calling card from Nobelcom.com. Rates are pretty good (it was Kiplinger's editor's choice for international calling cards). I call US to Japan for $.035 (land line) $.145 to a cell phone. Rates to Bonaire from the states are similar.

To put that in context, the first call I made to my wife's cell phone in Japan cost twice as much as the calling card which gave me well over 2 hours of talk time to her cell in Japan. She will be using it when I go to Bonaire in September.

It is a voice over IP connection (like Skype) which means that there is a slight lag (split second) and you have to get used to waiting for the person on the other end to stop talking.

Regards,
TED