If you use a verizon cell phone in the USVI's and you're from the states, it will cost you 1.99 a minute UP from .69 minutes just this past May. That can get very expensive. As far as service, I've been able to get it although not when we were in our Villa in Mahogany Run on STT, I had a really hard time. In May 2007 I ended up with over a $100.00 cell bill for the week, so triple that because of the roaming increase and I would of ended up with over a $300.00 bill...for a week!!!

I found that the best thing to do is buy a $20.00 Sprint card and you'll have PLENTY of minutes left over when you're done vacation.

thank you so much for your answer and great advice! so i can buy the sprint phone card and use it with my verizon cell phone?

thank you so much for your answer and great advice! so i can buy the sprint phone card and use it with my verizon cell phone?

No, you cannot use it with your verizon cell phone. You can't use any pre-paid cell phone with verizon.

I don't know where you are staying, but we stayed in a Villa and I used my card there. If I was on the phone for 5 minutes, it took only 5 minutes off. Now....if you decide you have to use it at a pay phone, you will be charge a certain amount of minutes, but it's not alot. We were with 12 people and everybody used the card. I thought it worked out great.

I did take my cell phone for emergencies, but i didn't use it once. I have a sick Mother who was home and I wanted that comfort of knowing somebody could get in touch with me if they needed to.

Sometimes a cell is a bad thing. We have AT&T so the VIs is local in your coverage zone, but Mexico or Guadeloupe is not in your zone but the phone works great. Just dial the number.

We were vacationing in Cabo. We live on a farm in rural VA, but the county has an alert system that sends out emails and text msgs for major happenings. My sweetie is getting a massage, I am looking at the blue water sipping a rum when beep beep goes the phone.
Text message alert - what the heck I open it and look. There is a fire and they give our address and the roads are closed.

I freak! Start calling everyone I knew in the county all I get is answering machines at $3 something a pop.
Next text message - all is clear fire under control - roads are open - I have no relief

Then the phone call finally comes to say it was not the house, but a hay bailer caught on fire while they were bailing and some of the back fields caught fire, but no big deal.

I would have better not to know about any of that on vacation :$)

Marybeth
When I visited the VI I also have verizon and what I did was buy a prepaid cell phone at radioshack, the phone was $20 and the minutes depend on what you want, I bought 1000 minutes for $50 and then you can use them in the states also. Its the best solution if you need a cell phone while there.

Where did you buy your cell phone on the island? Thanks for the info.

Just returned. Verizon phone is in roaming and is .69 per minute. Texting sometimes took 24 hours to get. I had a hard time getting through whereever I was on the island.

tunis...you're VERY luck to get .69 cents a minute, but you better check your bill because on the website it's 1.99 for roaming in the USVI's. It was instituted June 1st I believe, right after we got back.

TRU...I bought my cellphone at Radio Shack.