Skype, Smart phone, Bahamas?

[Wmiii]

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum or not, but...

I have a Verizon Droid X that has a Skype app on it that I have downloaded. I haven't used it yet as i'm not sure just why I would want to.
But we are thinking of going over to the Bahamas this winter and I would like to know if I could use Skype and my cell phone to make phone calls back home, when we have wifi service. If it is practical to do so.

Thanks,

Wm

[sailcruiser]

Wm, this seems to be a reasonable plan. This article covers a lot of the discussion.
http://techcrunch.com/2011/06/30/sky...r-wifi-and-3g/

It still appears to be free to call another Skype user but if you want to dial mom's landline then per minute charges start.

http://www.skype.com/intl/en/prices/

Enjoy! SC

[Thanna5]

This may help. I use majic jack while at my home port in the Bahamas. Anytime there is wifi or other internet connections all calls made to another majicjack anywhere in the world is free. If your majicjack has a US area code, then all US calls are apparently free. Skype may do the same thing. I just don't know how verizon charges for data/roam in the Bahamas. Cap'n Tom

[Cormorant]

Because a lot of the wifi spots in the Bahamas connect to the internet via satellite, which has bandwidth restrictions, they don't like Skype phones. I recall Lorraine's in Black Point had a "No Skype Phones" sign up, and I think several others as well.

[Tingum]

We have used Skype as our only phone for years, it works fine. Skype to skype is free, call to other land lines are around 1.2 cents a minute. Watch out for cell phone charges, they can run over $2./minute! Depending on your network. You can pick up a prepaid Bahamian phone but that does not solve the long distance problem. For Skype you have to find an internet connection.

[Vasco]

Some folks disable their smart phones in the Bahamas so as not to incur astronomical charges. If you're in the Bahamas for any length of time your best bet is an unlocked gsm phone and get a Bahamian simm card. Long distance receiving calls from US is then about thirty cents a minute. Don't know what they charge for outgoing long distance, even their site does not give the rates. It's much cheaper just to receive calls. In Nassau many use Skype at Starbucks but in the out islands, the spots that have wifi discourage the use of Skype. Cannot end this post without saying something bad about Batelco, the only game in town. I think Cable & Wireless took them over last year, hopefully the service will improve but it still is a monopoly.

[Wmiii]

Thanks all for the responses.
The Skype thing was just an idea that but I wasn't sure if it was practical or even possible to use in the Bahamas.
The 'Magic Jack' idea sounds good, but will need to look into that and see how it works and the requirements.
Thanks,
Wm

[capngeo]

Skype and magic jack are all VOIP systems, so they are mostly the same.

ETA Magickack uses hardware, whereas Skype is all software, but both send the data the same way

[witchcraft]

We used skype in the Bahamas, from our netbook. I paid something like 30.00 for a year, and thus incurred no long distance fees. It allowed to call all the people at home we needed, including the ability to fix a bank foul up.
Fair Winds

[Vasco]

I think it should be clarified that the Bahamas covers a lot of territory. It covers 760 miles from the coast of Florida on the north-west almost to Haiti on the south-east. The country consists of 700 islands and 2,400 cays. Internet access is available in the major centers and in some islands. The Abacos are covered much better than the Exumas. It is non-existent on many of the other islands and cays that cruisers like to visit. The most reliable communication is through cell phones, but even then coverage does not extend to many of the more remote parts. And quite often the network is down.

This is why some say that Skype works great in the Bahamas and others say no. It would be helpful to note the area you're talking about. If you live ashore and have good internet access it's great. If you're on a boat and prefer the more secluded islands and cays do not rely on it if you have a requirement to communicate.

I would like to say that every year it gets better but that has not been my experience.

[Waterway Guide]

Skype (no video) worked very well at most wi-fi spots in Exumas, Eleuthera, Long, and Providence. Even Lorraine let us use Skype, when others were not trying to use the internet at the same time (it hogs a lot of bandwidth).

[AnchorageGuy]

Wm, Skype on your computer is one issue but on your phone it is a totally different game. Not all smart phones work in the Bahamas and those that work will only have available service in the big cities like Nassau, Freeport, etc. We did a post on phone and wifi in the Bahamas on our Beach House site, The Trawler Beach House: What Cruisers Want To Know About The Bahamas and if the rest is not of interest, scroll down to the heading, Can I use my cell phone in the Bahamas? . Others are quite correct that many Wifi providers are limiting or not allowing use of Skype. At one time Skype was blocked completely. I would suggest you read our post and get an unlocked phone to use with a Batelco Sim card for calls and make life simpler. Chuck

[GlobalHopper]

Have the same setup (Driod X) on Verizon
Make sure you install the skype app vs skype mobile app, the skype mobile app uses your minutes and in the bahamas that will be $1-5 per plus your skype funds and it does not use wifi. The Skype app will use wifi and your skype funds..

Make sure you logout of skype mobile (and make it loose your login) so your using the correct one when you call.


~K
S/V GlobalHopper

[Wmiii]

Wow, The more information I get the more confuesed I become?????

So, It is possible to use my Verizon Droid X for Skype calls when I have wifi? Depending...

[sailcruiser]

Originally Posted by Wmiii

Wow, The more information I get the more confuesed I become?????

So, It is possible to use my Verizon Droid X for Skype calls when I have wifi? Depending...

Yes. If you have the correct Skype app (there are 2 mentioned above) and a wifi connection that will permit it.
SC