Hey all, first post

[Melody]

I wanted a cheap, local phone to call locally, taxis, restaurants & such. (thus needed a phone to have with me while out and about). I kept my iPhone on airplane mode with my data plan off the entire time I was there and just used it at my hotel in the wifi zone for emailing home, a bit of web browsing (Tripit!) and checking my emails and flight status etc. I did not want to risk international roaming charges. Plus, the international calling/data plans back home are expensive. Depending on your usage, it's probably cheaper to get a local phone, sim & minutes. Lime is a lot cheaper than digicel right now. Markus posted a few weeks ago that he got a phone plus everything he needed for around $20. And using local minutes to call home is just pennies a minute.

The world travel phone that you're not currently using at home would work, or any unlocked quad band gsm phone. I would not use my current phone as I wouldn't get it unlocked or mess with my provider's sim card and plan.

No idea why the Samsung phone got loaded with viruses if it was only used for taking Photos. Leaving my iPhone on airplane mode, data plan off & using wifi as well as taking photos, I had absolutely no problems or charges.

[M&G Montreal]

First of all, Welcome, Holla-Colla! You will find all kinds of useful information on this board, and great people! The more people you get to know, the more you may need that phone to connect for activities and such when down there! Some hotels will rent you a phone for a nominal fee, and you buy the minutes. We paid about $15 US for 1,000 international minutes and after 2 weeks turned it back with tons of minutes left! It's great to have as you will collect good taxi driver numbers and such you will want to have on you. It seems to me that to add a package from your US based carrier is going to be way more expensive than getting an el cheapo phone down there. I mean, 1,000 intl minutes for $15? I can call Australia from Jam for cheaper than I can from here in Canada!

Enjoy your trip! I hope you love it like most of us do! Where are you staying? Promise me you won't eat at KFC, but will try real island food and drinks! Get into it! You'll love it!

[Colla_Holla]

Thank you all for the great advice! im leaning towards bringing the old blackberry with me. The only reason i wanna bring my current phone is for foursquare checkins really (im a nerd). thanks again for all the great advice.

First of all, Welcome, Holla-Colla! You will find all kinds of useful information on this board, and great people! The more people you get to know, the more you may need that phone to connect for activities and such when down there! Some hotels will rent you a phone for a nominal fee, and you buy the minutes. We paid about $15 US for 1,000 international minutes and after 2 weeks turned it back with tons of minutes left! It's great to have as you will collect good taxi driver numbers and such you will want to have on you. It seems to me that to add a package from your US based carrier is going to be way more expensive than getting an el cheapo phone down there. I mean, 1,000 intl minutes for $15? I can call Australia from Jam for cheaper than I can from here in Canada!

Enjoy your trip! I hope you love it like most of us do! Where are you staying? Promise me you won't eat at KFC, but will try real island food and drinks! Get into it! You'll love it!

We're staying at coco la palm... and helllll no I am not eating at kfc, im a bit of a foodie so im trying everything i can possibly eat. I want lobster, and i'll probably eat a **** ton of jerk. and some of that ackee? oh and i want conch. im gonna eat everyyyyythang!

i really want to bring back some of that jb overproof rum but maybe thats too high of alcohol content to bring back?