Prepaid SIM for Northern European Cruise
 

I've looked through all the threads on the site and I don't see an exact or close match to what I need. Next year my wife and I are going on a cruise starting in the UK and visiting Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Estonia,and Russia. We mostly will be calling each other and calling home to the US, but can use a "calling card" if need be. We don't need data or text capability.
I have TRAVELSIMs that I used last year in the south seas and Australia and was quite happy with them but I think the cost/min is a bit high and I may be paying a premium for their worldwide coverage. (BTW I bought them through a link on this site.)
Any suggestions? thanks, Jim

It's a bit early for your question, isn't it?

What's wrong with getting the information you need well in advance of your trip? It's sure better than asking the question a week in advance of the trip.

To address the original question (which you didn't do at all) if you're going to multiple countries you'd want to consider an "international" SIM. With international SIMs you almost never get the same good rates that you would get using a country-specific card. That said as an alternative to an international SIM you could get a SIM in a specific country and if the SIM has roaming outside of that country you could use that SIM although you'll pay a higher per minute roaming rate. If you were traveling in the EU this might not be a bad deal since the EU mandated reasonable roaming rates. You'd have to find out what the roaming rates are on the carrier you choose to see if this is a better deal than getting an international SIM. If you're going to all those countries though it sounds as if an international SIM would suit your needs better.

The issue is that tariffs change frequently and half a year (I assume you'll be travelling in summer) is a long period in this regard.

With an European SIM you may get decent roaming rates for calls within the EU but calls to the US usually are prohibitively expensive, at least once you leave the SIM's home country. Also while some operators may apply EU rates also to Norway (which is not part of the EU), calling from Russia will be even more expensive. Another problem may be the purchase of a Scandinavian SIM card which is complicated for foreigners if not even impossible, at least from abroad.

Thanks to you both. I was just asking the quiestion while it was fresh in my mind. Since tarrifs change as you point out, I will just put the issue on hold and repost the question next April or so. Jim

IMO, as quickly as things change in this industry, the nformation you receive today, will likely not be valid a couple of months from now. As mentioned, an international sim is your best bet. O(r may be an EU (may be a UK one) sim that may cover all those countries with good rates.

Regulation (EU) No 531/2012 applies throughout the European Economic Area, which comprises the EU + Norway + Iceland + Liechtenstein. Many networks voluntarily apply it additionally to various non-EEA countries and territories such as Switzerland, Andorra and the Channel Islands, but its application to Norway is compulsory.

Thanks. I didn't know that roaming regulations also appliy to EEA member states.

I think that roaming rates on ordinary networks have dropped to the point where a global SIM isn't so attractive in Europe any more

If you use a third party callback service in conjunction with the Eurotariff incoming roaming rate of about 7 pence or 9 or 10 cents a minute, you'd be able to reach USA for a few cents a minute on top of that.

Howto
 

My proposal using callback procedure:

1.) Open an account with telmy and set its callback number as a contact in your cell phone.

2.) By any prepaid SIM package in the first port of your itinerary. You can chose the cheapest one not regarding the included air time. But be sure international roaming is allowed in most of the countries you intend to visit.

3.) Top up your prepaid SIM card to your intended total minutes of calling: Receiving calls (as for callback calls as well as regular calls from your community) are 8.5 cent (0.085 EUR) per minute. This Eurotariff starts 1st Juli 2013 (before: 9.6 cent) and is valid in all Balcic countries except Russia. Incoming calls in the origin country of your prepaid SIM card are not charged.

3.) Register your new prepaid number at telmy via internet.

4.) Use callback procedure for calls.

Cost per minute:

Received call (8.5 cent) + incoming leg of Telmy tariff (depends of the origin of your SIM card, e.g. 4.8 cent for Swedish number) + outgoing leg of Telmy tariff (e.g. 2.8 cent for calls to US)