Hi, I'm taking a cruise in the northern passage and I've been told that there is practically no cell service. I have a elderly mom that I'll need to call--any advice of how I can do that. should i rent a sat phone? Thanks

Your ship will probably also have "ship to shore" phone service (it's their onboard version of a sat-phone) that you can use to make calls from your stateroom on an as need basis. It will be costly but not nearly as expensive as renting and using a "personal" sat-phone for your entire trip.

For what it is worth, on board WiFi Internet service on ships does not always have strong signals so VOIP Apps like What's App, Skype may not always work and/or the connection can be "spotty". Still, it will be you least expensive means of communication when onboard the ship. Depending on your cruise line, you'll probably have to pay a fee to use the ship's internet service - price will vary from cruise line to cruise line. If you are in one of the Owner's Suites (highest tier suites) internet service might be an included perk.

Ships provide both cell service and internet (and other communications) via satellite, so if the ship has a sat connection, you'll be able to make and receive phone calls on the ship's comm system even if the cell provider doesn't have access to that satellite service. You never have "cell service" on a ship; you have a connection to the ship's sat-based communications system. It's ungodly expensive, but it's usable in an emergency, to make a direct-dial call from the ship (and if you can't do that, then there really is no satellite connection available to the ship at points along the cruising route). What you need to find out if there's a number where you can be reached. Your cabin might have a direct-dial number, or the ship itself might have a number that can be called (and then the call can be routed to our cabin). The issue here is that you don't want to keep making calls home. This service is there so you can be reached in an emergency; absent such emergency, you should not expect to check in regularly with your mom. If she needs and expects a daily phone call from you, this might not be the right time to schedule this cruise.

You could, I suppose, rent a satellite phone, but I also wonder why. If your mother's illness is so severe that you need to check in at times other than an emergency, perhaps you should cancel your trip. Even if something were to happen to her, the idea that you could do something about it would be virtually nil. You are going to one of the most isolated parts of the earth. It's not as if there's some kind of emergency service that could even send a helicopter to help you without moving heaven and earth.

But this is a serious question that you need to address to the ship, and they should be able to answer.

"Northern passage?" Meaning the "northwest passage" via the Arctic Ocean, close to the North Pole?

Or do you mean "inside passage," as in all the Alaska cruises? If the latter, then there's cell service in all the ports of call along the route, and, as stated, the ships employ satellite communications when you're out of cell reception areas.

OP didn't say anything about an illness...

I'm not going to speculate as to why someone needs or wants to call their elderly mother. I would suggest a few options: email your mother on a regular basis if they have email (and call when in port), arrange for someone else to check in with your mother on a regular basis and email that person to stay in touch, or contact the cruise company and ask what your options are and just be prepared to pay for those calls if emailing is not a realistic option.

Thanks for all the advice.