What is the best cell phone option for a deployed sailor?

[Proud Mom]

My son will be completing basic training soon and then going to A school before becoming assigned to a ship.  I believe he can have a cell phone during A school and I send him his current cell phone following graduation. (for now his phone is on my plan.)  

My question is for the future.... as he will want a NEW CELL phone, and his own cell phone plan.  I want to help him get it set up in his best interest.  Since he will be deployed on a ship I'm not sure how that works.  Are cell phones allowed?  How does a sailor keep in touch with family and friends when deployed?

 

If they ARE allowed how do our sailors avoid high roaming charges, etc on their cell phones?  Is there an international plan that is recommended?  Should they get pre paid cell phones?  Or I phones, or droids with a global phone ready plan?  Do they have access to computers to pay bills online?  I'm not sure how that works either.  I would really appreciate some recommendations.  Is there a military rate phone wireless phone service plan?  We currently use Verizon.

 

I know on pleasure cruise ships using cell phones is extremely expensive.  We only could use phones in ports.   Does anyone who has a sailor in the family have advice on this?  I want to be able to communicate with him and for him to have a phone to use when in port- but I don't want him being surprised by high phone bills, etc.  How do we communicate with our sailors when they are on a ship?  Do they get email? Mail? Text messages on their phones?  With ships being deployed up to 6 months- I'm not sure how mail works either.

 

Thanks for any information you can share on this!

[Anti M]

Some sailors who turned on their phones while away from the US, even to just listen to music, found they were slammed with a $2000+ phone bill. Do NOT use the cell phone at sea or in foreign ports.  Use an international calling card as suggested.  Some ships have satellite phones the sailors can pay to use now and then.

They can use their laptops on board to watch movies and play games. They can find wifi hotspots while in port. This is when skype is useful. Theft is rampant on some ship[s, so he should lock up his things.

If he is stationed overseas, such as a ship in Japan, his phone will not work.  Period. He will have to purchase a new one, and a new plan.

I STRONGLY recommend all new sailors do NOT rush into a new phone and plan until they know where they will be stationed.  Just use the old one, no matter how tempting that shiny new toy is.

[Anti M]

Another thing with the government email they must use, it is monitored and read for security purposes.  No attachments such as sparkly GIFs or photos coming in or out..  The ship will shut off email access during a crisis in order to control communications.  This is part of the reason why they are not allowed to have personal phones in use while not in port.  (I know of some who call when near shore, but they aren't supposed to be doing that).

[AJVNavyMom]

We gave our son an i-phone for his PIR graduation and kept him on our plan.  He pays for his internet ($30/mo) and the extra $10 to have him on my plan.  It's A LOT cheaper than him having his own plan.  We use Verizon.  Your son can have a phone in A school.  He will be able to text, email, and call when he can.  As far as the ship, unless you have a specific international plan, just have him use the ships email when he can to stay in touch as well as getting him calling cards.  The cell phone will be astronomical!  Good luck and thank your son for us!