On Fri, 04 Jan 2008 11:01:17 -0600, Ken Marino
wrote:

I cruised this area using my Verizon standard plan phone. It worked
withing sight of land just fine. How far offshore are you planning on
needing a telephone?

My standard Verizon phone worked enroute to Hawaii on a cruise ship.
No screwing around, it just worked normally. No extra charge, the ship
seems to have just had its very own cell. A satellite figures into
this somewhere, I am sure.

Casady