Sorry, just saw your post now. We weren't automatically subscribed to old threads after the forum software switch a few months back...

I used my Dutch Vodafone SIM in Slovenia, Italy, and France last May without issue. I am planning to use it again on an upcoming trip to Europe. I've also recommended it to a few people and haven't heard back about their experiences yet. I can respond here again if I come back before your cruise and let you know if it still works.

Still, you don't have much to lose by trying. If you buy the SIM in Amsterdam from a Vodafone store, it may actually be free with no credit on it. (Or $8 USD shipped to you in the US via eBay.) Monthly bundle prices are still 10 euros for 1GB, 15 euros for 2GB, 20 euros for 3GB - but I see now they are advertising a 2X data bonus at the moment, so yes you could get 2GB for 10 euros. (But it's still the "1GB Maandbundel" .)

If you are cruising near land, you could pick up cell towers from land. When I took the ferry from Helsinki to St. Petersburg in 2016, I picked up random cell towers in Russia and Finland with my T-Mobile phone and had usable internet occasionally (even though we were usually too far away from the land to see it.) (The ship had some super-expensive internet package that I didn't bother with, heard it was slow and unreliable anyway.) Obviously you'd have it when in a European port. So, yes, I think it would still be very worth doing, assuming it still works like last year. I didn't use my Dutch Vodafone SIM in St. Petersburg and wouldn't have been able to roam there with it anyway - the free EU roaming doesn't include Russia.

Thanks for the reply! I only posted a day or so ago, so not much of a delay :). I noticed after posting that you had reported success with your Vodafone setup. It's really too bad that no one located in the US sells these, especially on Amazon!

I also saw the double data promotion when I was on their website earlier. They sell a 10 euro SIM on their website that has the 1gb package. However, as I'm sure you know, they do not ship to the US (or most other countries). I assume I could buy the same SIM at the Vodafone store, and I have determined there are a couple a few blocks from my Amsterdam hotel. However, I wonder if that would give me the 5 euro bonus for the first top-off that you supposedly get when using the free SIM. Assuming I get the extra 5 euro, then adding 10 would give me enough to buy the 2gb (4gb w/bonus) package. TBH, even 2gb is probably more than enough for my needs.

I asked on a cruise board and apparently I will be able to get cell service while cruising in the fjords but not when we're traveling between ports.

The SIM will work with maritime networks and there is plenty of maritime signal all up the coast of Norway, even in port. I know from experience. So do check which network you are connected to before using the phone.

What will happen with a pre-paid SIM like this if I try to use it on a network that isn't included? They can't bill me for off-network usage after the fact, can they? I would think it would just not connect.

Also, I'm pretty sure that the signal along the coast in the fjords should be the same provider as the land signal. Obviously it won't work on whatever signal there is on the ship (if any).

With the Dutch Vodafone SIM, as with many/most prepaid SIMs, you first add credit to the SIM. Then you can either use the phone on a per-minute per-MB per-text basis or buy a "bundle" with your credit. The bundle (a certain amount of data and minutes, good for a set period like 30 days) is much cheaper than the per-minute per-MB approach. But it's restricted (in the case of the Dutch Vodafone SIM) to EU roaming data and a few calls to Dutch phone numbers. (Incoming calls and texts are still free, as with most European prepaid SIMs.)

But you can use the SIM outside the EU - but it will be more expensive, and it won't count against your bundle if you bought one. (You could even use it in the US.) Instead, you'd be using up any remaining credit you added to the SIM, at a pretty expensive rate. But you wouldn't get "billed" for overages - the phone would just stop working once your credit hits 0, until you add more. I'm guessing once you get back into "bundle" areas in the EU that the phone would resume working for the rest of the bundle.

So...say you add 20 euros to the SIM and get 5 euros credit (as I did), then you use your credit to buy a 3GB bundle (but 2X gives you 6GB) for a month. You have 5 euros left. You roam to a non-EU network while on the ship. So you quickly use up that 5 euros credit and it stops working on the roaming network. Unless you've set an auto-reload on your SIM (I didn't - you don't have to), your credit card wouldn't be charged for anything else; it would just stop working in the roaming area til you add more credit.

So how do you know you are roaming? I'm pretty sure Voadfone will text you to let you know. I found that they texted me once the first time I visited each new country, along with the rates. But, other than roaming in the US when I first got the SIM (no credit on it yet anyway), I haven't used my SIM in a roaming area.

I decided to go for it. One of the $5 sellers on ebay had "make an offer". I offered $4 and it was immediately accepted,.so $7 shipped (same as you paid, I think). I should have it in 2 weeks which will give me 2 weeks to get it set up before we leave. It seemed like the best option for my needs. Hopefully it works :).

Sounds good! Let me know how it goes.

So, I got the card in the mail last week and finally tried using it tonight. My original plan was to use it in my S7 Edge but I can't find the SIM tray opener or a paper clip at the moment and it requires a nano SIM (which means I'd have to cut it down), so I decided to try it in an old LG G2 which uses the micro SIM size and was much easier to pop out. Good news, it took several minutes but I did get the initial text message and was able to create the account (including getting the text with the activation number). So I'm good to go.

Now for the bad news. While they previously had a 5 euro bonus on the first load, it now seems to be 25% extra, and it's not clear whether that's in money or data (I suspect money). OK, I figured I could load 12 euro (2 more than I'd planned) and get 15 , which is enough for the 2gb plan. But unless I'm missing something, I don't see a way to load in anything other than 10e chunks. So my choices would appear to be the 1gb bundle for 10e or the 3gb bundle for 20e, and the 25% bonus pretty much goes to waste (other than for overage, which I'm somewhat unlikely to need). Is there is a way to load an exact amount, please let me know!

One thing that is slightly useful which I did not expect is that the bundles come with a limited number of calling minutes, which could be useful for giving to a taxi company I'm pre-booking rides with in Amsterdam. Also unlimited SMS, which I guess would also be useful for the taxi.

BTW I am considering just keeping the SIM in the older LG phone. That way I wouldn't have to worry about carrying my S7 around with me while on vacation and just leave it in my cabin on the cruise ship (or my hotel). I'd have to set up some apps, but I have a few days. Otherwise I'll have to cut the SIM down, or see if someone at Best Buy or maybe a Verizon store has a SIM cutter that they will use for me. On the other hand, I'd probably be using the S7 for the camera anyway and the photos would not be getting update.

Or.. maybe start off with it in the LG and then go to a Vodafone store when I get to Amsterdam and ask them to cut it for me and put it in the S7. That may be the best option.

The Vodafone SIM I got was a 3-in-1 meaning you can break it down to any size you need without "cutting" it - just peel off the edge for the next smaller size. If you are careful, you won't break the outer piece, so you can put it back and use a nano SIM as say a micro SIM again. I have done this. At the moment, I'm using my Vodafone SIM as a nano SIM, and I did not have to cut it.

No, you're right - you can only load (as far as I know) in 10 euro chunks. Not sure about the bonus - but I loaded 20 euros last year the first time and got a 5 euro bonus.. And the 5 euro bonus is just "credit" on your SIM - useful toward anything (minutes, SMS, data).

I still have the 5 euro bonus in my account, and I have found a use for it: keeping the SIM active so I can use it next year. The SIM expires six months after last activity (last top-up or, it seems, last activity). I used my SIM last week in Portugal. Now it expires in November, and I probably won't go back to Europe til next year. I'm hoping I can just send a text message every few months to keep it alive, draining down that 5 euro bonus. The 5 euros would also be useful for quick per-minute calls occasionally when outside of the Netherlands.

FYI, at the moment, they are advertising a 2X bonus on data - so if you buy a 1GB bundle you get 2GB; buy a 3GB bundle and you get 6GB. Not sure if this is permanent, but it was nice to get 2GB of data in Portugal last week for only 10 euros. (I wound up using only 800MB in 8-9 days, but it was nice not to have to worry about running out!)

Useful for making calls to Dutch numbers. Those bundle minutes aren't good for calling non-Dutch numbers - you'll have to pay 20 cents per minute otherwise. Texts to non-Dutch numbers also aren't free. Incoming calls and texts are free, however. So if you aren't traveling outside of the Netherlands, no worries. I still have Skype credit, so last time I needed to make a call to an EU number, I just used Skype.

Thanks for the reply. Where do you see the 2x data bonus? I am not seeing that on my account. It's really too bad about not being able to load exact dollar amounts since the 15 euro plan meets my need, especially if I get extra bonus data. In theory, if I do get the 2x data, the 10 euro plan would likely suffice.

As for the phone number, only being able to make calls to Dutch numbers should not be a problem. We're on a cruise in Norway and have plans in each port so I don't really see myself needing to make any phone calls there. I was actually going to be fine with no calls/texts, which is what I thought the plan had.

BTW what happens if someone calls me on the Dutch number while I am in the US?

I will look into removing the outer layer to make the card a nano. First I need to find a paper clip or the box my S7 came in to open the SIM holder.

I forgot that we can attach pictures here now! Here's a screenshot from my account - on my laptop, using Google Chrome which translated the Dutch into English. See the "1GB+1GB extra!"? Do you not see that in your account, when you click on "Bundles?" I suppose it's possible it's an offer for existing customers only, but somehow I doubt it.


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3422eb3f90.png
Yeah, but it's so cheap, it's really not worth worrying about. I just used 800MB out of my 2GB last week in Portugal - 10 euros for the entire trip. Super cheap! Even for 20 euros, wouldn't have been bad vs. the cost of say $10/day for some of the international roaming plans.

Pretty sure you get free incoming calls and texts anywhere in the world, but I'm not sure. You could set up voicemail I believe, but I'm guessing all the instructions are in Dutch! I never really used the calling of my SIM anyway so I didn't care about the number, but it's nice to have a Dutch number to give to people in Europe if need be - easier for them to contact me by voice or text than having to call a US number.

Found the bonus, thanks! So what happens if I buy the 10 euro package and run out of data? Can I just buy another monthly bundle and get another 2gb? If so, it seems like I should just do the 1gb bundle and if I run out of data, buy another one and I'll have 4gb for 20 euros. Yeah, I'd have 6gb if I did the 20 euro bundle up front, but that is probably really excessive for my needs.

I can't guarantee it, but I think you can simply buy another bundle if you run out of data before the end of the month. There's also a 500mb bundle now (5 euros - no 2X bonus) that might be an option. I don't think they'll let you buy it unless you have more than 5 euros of credit though.

Not sure how long your trip is again or what your real needs are. Personally, I can get by on about 120mb per day, without trying to conserve data (but I don't stream video via the SIM, that eats a lot of data). I would do with less if I were being conservative.

Based on numerous threads like this, including one of my own, we've decided to simply turn on the Verizon international plan for an upcoming trip to the UK.
I used it in small towns of three countries in the Alps last year and it worked flawlessly.

Not recommending this or suggesting it is the right idea for most people, but it nicely fits our needs.

Using your home carrier's international roaming plan is certainly the easiest even if the most expensive. Buying a SIM is only about saving money, and that's not a priority for everyone. But getting a SIM is so easy and cheap, I still don't get why more people don't do it. Because I've explained ad infinitum how to use the Dutch Vodafone SIM, I'm not sure why people would be so put off by it. Maybe I'm just not explaining it well enough or am making it sound a whole lot more complicated that it really is. My biggest worry about it was the uncertainty the first time that it would even work, but I didn't have someone else who had just used it reassure me that it worked easily and well.

Though it may be a bit of work the first time( but not much), any of these SIMs that roam in multiple countries can be reused. Many of us seem to make one or more trips per year and data costs add up.
I kept my 3UK SIM alive from last year. When we go to France and Italy later in the year, all I need to do is put a few pounds on it and use it there.

If paying $10 a day works for you, by all means do it. I'd be OK with it for 2 or even 3 days. But for 16 days, getting the SIM is much more cost effective. Also, the cruise ship I'm going on has expensive and slow WiFi (great combination), so I won't be using it.

Hah! Our hotels all claim to have free wi-fi, but speed is never something they mention. Film at 11.

For a number of reasons changing SIM cards was something we decided not to deal with. After spending x-thousand dollars for a trip then shelling out another $150 or so for pure simplicity seemed like an OK trade off.

Andrew, you do a good job explaining this stuff, much appreciated.

Yes you have a valid point there on spending so much for the vacation so a little more for easy cell phone service isn't a big deal. I just figure I pay too much to Verizon as it is, and if I can have Internet service for a reasonable price instead, I'm up for the challenge.

As for the Internet access on the ship, some lines like Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have really good service that can even stream. Holland America (which I'm sailing) is just painful, and they don't even have a flat rate package so you're paying 75c per minute for it to be painfully slow.

And yes, thank you Andrew for the detailed instructions.

Good news, I took the SIM out and was able to pop out the nano SIM. Then I put it back in the micro "frame" and got it back in the LG it was in (took a bit of work, it wasn't sitting quite flat). I haven't tried the nano in the Samsung yet, probably later tonight.

I think I'm just going to go with the 20 euro bundle. I got Google Hangouts working to receive phone calls and have figured out how to forward my Verizon number to Google Voice. I don't want to have to worry about running out of data and I decided that I'm spending so much on my vacation, worrying about another 10 euro is overthinking it (similar to Nelson's idea but not at the $150 level).

Anyway, thanks for your help.

Sounds good - but be careful about actually using the SIM at home in the US. Once you add credit to the SIM, you would be using it at very expensive roaming rates outside of Europe. If you accidentally aren't connected to WiFI, even 1MB of data costs something exorbitant. But until you add any credit (which I'd probably do ASAP actually, just to make sure you have a US credit card that is accepted), while the SIM still has zero credit on it, it's safe to try it in various phones.

It's always nice to have so much data that you don't have to worry about using it all up! And 10 euros is nothing compared to how much you are saving.

Just be sure you add a +1 to any US phone number you try to call from overseas while you have the Vodafone SIM in place, otherwise Hangouts will try to complete the call as a domestic Dutch call. Your contacts probably don't have the +1 in front of them (you could add it) so won't work automatically just by searching Hangouts to your contacts.

Hangouts is great for what it is. Be sure you try it out to understand its quirks so you aren't surprised. I've used it quite a lot now and for a while. I've made very long calls on it. Occasionally it fades out and you have to ask someone to repeat themselves, but it doesn't happen quite often enough to annoy me. Sometimes Hangouts doesn't start a call the instant you answer it - you may have to wait 2-3 seconds. Once you've used it a bit you get used to these things, but it is a tad different from using the phone's regular dialer to make and answer calls.

Good point about adding the money now. I just tried, and my card issuer (Bank of America) sent me texts indicating that the charge had gone thru, but Vodafone prompted me for name and phone # info at that point (the page after submitting the charge), and then sent me back to the top-up page. I used the cell phone number on the card since that's what I assume they wanted. The other fields were my name and phone number as known to the bank.

Suggestions?

Update: I used the chat feature on their website and got someone who spoke excellent English. He said that he did not see the charge and suggested I call their billing department and gave me a number to call which should be free when using the SIM. I'm going to sleep now and will call in the AM (he said they are open until 8pm their time).

The first time I added credit, I remember the same thing. I gave them the phone number of the credit card (the 800 number) so they could verify the charge. It did work the first time, but it wasn't immediate - like you, I got sent back to the original page, like I needed to try again...I waited about five minutes and was about to try again when I re-loaded the main account page - and suddenly, I had the 25 euros I'd added! (Well, 20 euros I was charged for and a 5 euro bonus). It was a bit odd.

So if you try again, wait a bit first to make sure it didn't really go through!

When I added credit again a few weeks ago, it worked more smoothly - didn't have to provide any of that extra info.

Thanks - I just checked and it's there! It's sad that the CS person I chatted with didn't suggest the same!

Signed up for the 3gb bundle. I had put the SIM back in my LG and got text messages saying that it was set up

US data is not an issue because I have the phones set up not to roam.

So... I am back from my trip and sadly I have to report it did not work as expected and while it wasn't a total failure it was still disappointing. It worked fine as soon as I got to Amsterdam and throughout my visit there. I stopped at a Vodafone store to remove the SIM's PIN code but the guy couldn't figure out how to reset it, although that was not a big deal.

When I got to the first port in Norway, I had voice service but not data. I found free Wifi but couldn't figure out which Vodafone number to call. Then when it did not work the following day (different port), I got back on free Wifi and found a number to call and spoke to someone at Vodafone. Three calls later (after running out of minutes since the call was not free from Norway, although the last person I spoke to added some extra minutes) and they determined that they problem was that I was unable to add the Vodafine APN and that was why data was not working. I did some Googling and determined that there is an issue with the Samsung S7 and being able to add APN's, even though the phone is not locked. I never found a solution that worked, so I just stuck with Wifi where I could find it. It worked fine again once I hit Amsterdam. I had noticed that it was running some sort of setup when I first connected in Amsterdam and that never finished, and it did the same thing at the 2nd port in Norway. I'm not sure if it was trying to add the APN or what.

So.. in the end I did save the money I would have paid Verizon, but definitely could have used the 10 euro package (of course I did end up with extra minutes that were useful when calling Vodafone. I do give kudos to Vodafone because I got employees who spoke good English on all 3 calls. I was thinking that I should have also brought my old LG G2 as a backup and it would have worked, but I just tried adding an APN on that and it also seems to be locked. So I'm not sure how well that would have worked.

Yes, I have had to add an APN (Access Point Name) on older phones but not with the phones I have bought since 2015 and not with my Vodafone SIM. Newer phones seem able to add the APN automatically, and this is how it worked for me when I moved from Italy to Slovenia back to Italy to France...and recently when I moved from Spain to Portugal back to Spain. Because the S7 is fairly new(?), I'm surprised it was an issue for you. It might be on your old LG too.

Adding an APN doesn't seem intuitive on an Android, but there are how-tos and YouTube demos. On the Android phone in front of me (a Verizon phone with a GSM SIM in it at the moment), when I bring up "Access Point Names" in Cellular Settings, with a working GSM SIM in it, it says "Access Point Name settings are not available for this user," but when I tap the greyed out "plus in a circle" at the upper right, it me a screen with a bunch of fields in it; you really need to set only three of them:

APN: live.vodafone.com
Username: vodafone
Password: vodafone

(leave the rest of the fields alone)

and then from the "three dots" menu in the upper right, choose "Save."

Bumer you had trouble with this - I wish you had posted here from one of your WiFi spots so I could have explained this.

APNs do not even show up when I have my Sprint SIM in a phone, so you probably won't see Access Point Names with your Verizon SIM in place, only with a GSM SIM like the Vodafone SIM. Sprint and Verizon use CDMA at home so don't use APNs, it seems. So they might be invisible. You could put your Vodafone SIM back in the phone now and try setting the APN if you want (for next time!). Keep the phone on WiFi and disable data roaming of course so you don't start using data!

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The four-digit PIN you had to type is a security feature (common on prepaid European SIMs) that you can easily remove in Android settings (once you know what to look for! I usually don't at first on each new version of Android) under Security and "SIM card lock." I always remove this PIN as soon as I insert a new SIM the first time because it's a PITA.

Glad to hear Vodafone has English-speaking operators! FYI, they also have online chat on their website, if you want to skip calling them.