Roaming vs eSIM for Europe Travel

[DrMike]

I am travelling to Europe soon for a cruise, and although the ship will have WiFi, I want to be able to stay connected while OFF the ship (for Google Maps, Ubers, and such). I have never used an eSIM before so have been doing as much reading as I can to understand all of this, and JUST when I thought my head was clear and I knew what I wanted to do, I started reading other posts in these forums and got confused all over again as to how to avoid roaming charges while using a European eSIM.

I do understand that the one sure way is to remove the physical Rogers SIM card but I do not wish to do that. The European eSIMS I am considering are for data only and I want to be sure that I can be reached by phone in the case of an emergency back home. Also I want to be able to receive texts for 2FA if needed. 

I understand that if I get an emergency phone call and I answer it then I am roaming and will be charged, but if it is a real emergency then the $15 is the least of my worries. I also understand (I think?) that I can get a 2FA text message on my Rogers number/SIM and not be charged for roaming unless I ANSWER it. Is that correct? 

I still get a lot of spam calls. If I do not answer them and they go to voice mail, will I be charged? As in, is voice mail considered to be "answering". I have a Google Pixel 7 Pro and use the call screening function where the Pixel sends out a message to say the call is being screened? Is *that* considered answering? If so I can turn that feature off I assume. 

So, assuming I WANT to keep my Rogers SIM and phone line *available* for emergencies only etc, and use the European eSIM for everything else day to day through my trip, can I still set the phone up so that, absent such an emergency, I will not be hit with unintended roaming charges?  If so, what do I need to do?

I keep reading about apps that can "call home" essentially and turn on the roaming even without me doing so? Am I doomed to have to remove the physical Rogers SIM and get a European eSIM that also has a European phone number  - I'd really hate to go to that bother but I do not want to find a huge Rogers bill upon my return home either. 

**Labels Updated**

[DonAtam]

Hi there. Incoming sms while roaming is free. You won’t be charged for an unanswered incoming call. Make sure data roaming for your Rogers SIM is off so you don’t get charged. If you have more questions, let me know.

[57]

@DrMike If you keep your Rogers SIM active and it pings off any cell tower, you will be charged for that day's roaming.  So, to avoid roaming charges, you need to remove the Rogers SIM, or cancel Roam Like Home, before you leave.  If you do the latter, you will be charged on a pay-per-use rate for any "emergencies", which would likely be lower than the $15/day.  When you get to any "new" country, you will likely receive a text stating that you are roaming as soon as your phone pings a cell tower if the Rogers SIM is active.  See the following summary on the topic:

https://communityforums.rogers.com/t5/Account-Support/Roaming-like-home/m-p/518044/highlight/true#M3...

Use the following link to find pay-per-use rates by putting the country in the box. For example, France is $2/min for calls and $0.75 for texts.

https://www.rogers.com/mobility/roaming

The information provided by @DonAtam above is not correct because turning off roaming is NOT adequate and neither is not answering.  You are charged for "being connected", not by how much you use.

[LordDrakkon]

One thing to also be aware of, is cruise ship roaming. Those rates are insane! You want to use WiFi Calling while on board because any calls or texts incoming or outgoing while connected to the ships cell tower will cost you a small fortune. Roam Like Home does not include cruise ships and being in more than one country in a day might get you dinged for Roam Like Home more than once for that day.

[DrMike]

@57 

So if I wanted to remove "Roam Like Home" from my plan, I assume I could put it back again at no cost in the future if it became of value?

Also, I read somewhere that there may be a setting on my Pixel to "disable" the Rogers SIM as opposed to physically removing it. If so, perhaps that way I could disable and re-enable it on an as-needed basis? Is that really a thing? 

[DrMike]

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@LordDrakkon wrote:
One thing to also be aware of, is cruise ship roaming. Those rates are insane! You want to use WiFi Calling while on board because any calls or texts incoming or outgoing while connected to the ships cell tower will cost you a small fortune. Roam Like Home does not include cruise ships and being in more than one country in a day might get you dinged for Roam Like Home more than once for that day.

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Yes I am aware, but thanks for the reminder! I do not anticipate making calls or sending texts from the ship - I'd use What'sApp or similar for that.  I just want to be sure that I can receive a call in an emergency when we are away. There are some health issues back home that could take a turn while we are away and I do not want to be out of touch. But hopefully it would never be needed so I definitely do not want any "inadvertent" roaming to be triggered that is not under my specific control.

[LordDrakkon]

What'sApp can hand off to cellular, just so you are aware, and without any warning or notification. Once it hands off to cellular, those calls and texts become billable. Something like Discord would be a better option, if you use that.

[DrMike]

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@LordDrakkon wrote:
What'sApp can hand off to cellular, just so you are aware, and without any warning or notification. Once it hands off to cellular, those calls and texts become billable. Something like Discord would be a better option, if you use that.

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Hmmm.... even if I have disabled use of mobile data in the background on the WhatsApp app?  This is where I keep getting so frustrated - every time I think I "understand" this, it turns out I don't 😠

[57]

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@DrMike wrote:

@57  1. So if I wanted to remove "Roam Like Home" from my plan, I assume I could put it back again at no cost in the future if it became of value?

2. Also, I read somewhere that there may be a setting on my Pixel to "disable" the Rogers SIM as opposed to physically removing it. If so, perhaps that way I could disable and re-enable it on an as-needed basis? Is that really a thing? 

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Sorry, I do not know the answer to either question.  For item 1 I guess you'd need to confirm with Rogers, although I always like to get such a confirmation in writing, so you may wish to PM the mods.

[Sal00]

You will not be charged for anything incoming. That is for Texts , Calls and don't answer or call your voicemail. 

Cruise Ship is the same. Just make sure the Data Roaming is OFF. It will connect to CELLULAR AT SEA .  When at Port will simply connect to the tower again and Roam Like Home if you want to use will be fine then, I've been on many cruises and used Roam Like Home and nothing was ever billed for just "connecting to the tower" Its billed on USAGE that you do. Nothing Incoming. 

[Sal00]

This is incorrect information. Nothing gets billed if it simply connects to the network. ALL INCOMING IS FREE. Only Outgoing usage such as answering a call or sending a text message or turning on Data Roaming or calling voicemail. 

[57]

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@Sal00 wrote:

This is incorrect information. Nothing gets billed if it simply connects to the network. ALL INCOMING IS FREE. Only Outgoing usage such as answering a call or sending a text message or turning on Data Roaming or calling voicemail. 

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That is NOT correct.  If you have not disabled Roam Like Home before leaving, you will be charged for Roam Like Home on a daily basis for each day your phone pings a cell tower in the foreign location, whether you use it or not.  What you are paying for is access to the service, whether you use it or not.  This has been corroborated many times in this forum.

See my link in post 3 of this thread for additional details.  Link provided again below:

https://communityforums.rogers.com/t5/Account-Support/Roaming-like-home/m-p/518044/highlight/true#M3...

People who don't understand this fact are always surprised when they return from a foreign trip and have Roam Like Home charges, even though they didn't send any texts or make any calls.  It's the access to the network that you are paying ($15/day) for.

[57]

I encourage anyone travelling to a foreign country with their phone to check out the following Roaming FAQs:

https://www.rogers.com/mobility/roaming/billing

https://www.rogers.com/mobility/roaming/things-to-know-while-abroad

[DrMike]

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@57 wrote:

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@Sal00 wrote:

This is incorrect information. Nothing gets billed if it simply connects to the network. ALL INCOMING IS FREE. Only Outgoing usage such as answering a call or sending a text message or turning on Data Roaming or calling voicemail. 

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That is NOT correct.  If you have not disabled Roam Like Home before leaving, you will be charged for Roam Like Home on a daily basis for each day your phone pings a cell tower in the foreign location, whether you use it or not.  What you are paying for is access to the service, whether you use it or not.  This has been corroborated many times in this forum.

I had hoped that posting my question here would create clarity but it seems I am more confused than ever by the polarity of the answers. 

Just for the sake of that clarity, I took my question offline to @CommunityHelps in a DM, and while I do not want to identify the moderator who was kind enough to answer, since I do not have their permission nor do I want  anyone to gang up on them, but this was part of the conversation:

Me:

And if I did NOT remove Roam Like Home and instead just turned off roaming/data for my primary line, can I be assured that I will not have any roaming charges (unless I initiate a call or a text of course)?

Mod: You won’t be billed for incoming text messages or unanswered calls that are sent to your device. You will be billed for roaming if you send a text message or make or answer a phone call. 

So I have several mutually exclusive answers and no more clarity on this than when I posted my question in the first instance.  

As one of my daughters said, given that the cruise is going to cost you so much already why not just keep roaming on and pay for it as a fraction of your overall cost. I guess she's right but it sticks in my craw to pay that much 😞

[57]

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@DrMike wrote:

Mod: You won’t be billed for incoming text messages or unanswered calls that are sent to your device. You will be billed for roaming if you send a text message or make or answer a phone call. 

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That Mod's response is taken exactly from the first FAQ I provided.  I have taken a screenshot below:

If you look carefully at the screenshot, the response applies if you DO NOT have Roam Like Home. This erroneous interpretation may be where @Sal00 and @DonAtam got their ideas for their responses...  (I misinterpreted it the first time I skimmed the FAQ too)

As mentioned by several other people in various RLH threads, RLH charges will apply as soon as your phone pings a cell tower in the foreign country, which it can do for numerous reasons as I outlined in my summary post, link previously provided in this thread. To avoid RLH (if it's not removed before you leave), the phone needs to be off, or the Rogers SIM needs to be out, or disabled if an eSIM, or you need to keep the phone in airplane mode.

RLH1

Many people get a foreign SIM before they leave or as soon as they land, but in that case you must remove the Rogers SIM, best to do so before you leave.

[DrMike]

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@57 wrote:

Many people get a foreign SIM before they leave or as soon as they land, but in that case you must remove the Rogers SIM, best to do so before you leave.

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So it seems, after all of this, that since my Pixel 7 Pro seems to have a setting (in Network Settings) to disable the Rogers SIM once the eSIM is installed, and use the eSIM exclusively, even if RLH is still active in my plan/account.

If that is true, it sounds like a reasonable path for me would be to turn off/disable the primary physical Rogers SIM via my Pixel's setting so that I can turn it back on if needed, and use a data only eSIM for the trip.  And to try wherever possible, if I need to get a 2FA or code, to have it sent via email rather than SMS while I am away.

And in the case where there is a legitimate emergency or need, I can re-enable my Rogers SIM from settings and incur roaming charges for the days it is on.

If that comports with the prevailing wisdom here, does anyone have good recommendations for a reliable European eSIM provider?

[LordDrakkon]

I still use my Vodafone pSIM that I bought back in 2010 on a trip to the UK. It's been a solid service every time I have returned over there and visited other countries in Europe.

[Sal00]

You are totally wrong. Never in my life have I Received any bill on days I left Data Roaming off and I had incoming calls and text messages I did not answer. There was NO CHARGE for that day. it’s all about usage outgoing. I’ve travelled many times . Stop spreading misinformation!

[Sal00]

I'm telling you as the honest truth with Roam Like Home or if you Opt out and use Pay Per Use, IF you receive calls or text messages no matter where you are in the world and Do not Answer them, nothing will be charged. If you choose to Turn on Data Roaming or answer text messages or answer calls or make a call then you will be charged for that day until 11:59 pm EST. I have travelled over hundred times and on the days I did these steps I did not get a charge. A Signal to a tower means nothing it's all about usage outgoing to trigger it. You can Call Rogers they will tell you the same thing. 

Quoted from a great post : Even if you have Data Roaming turned off, if you send a text message or make/receive a phone call, and answer it, it will trigger roaming charges. However, incoming text messages do not trigger roaming charges.
That said, this is a great option if you want to avoid roaming charges but remain reachable in an emergency.

[Sal00]

It states it on the Rogers Website too. I have travelled 100 times and If you got Data Roaming off and you dont answer anything incoming no charge is triggered. If you answer the call then yes you would be charged the daily fee and use it for the day then.. 

[57]

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@Sal00 wrote:
You are totally wrong. Never in my life have I Received any bill on days I left Data Roaming off and I had incoming calls and text messages I did not answer. There was NO CHARGE for that day. it’s all about usage outgoing. I’ve travelled many times . Stop spreading misinformation!

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Although you may have been able to avoid charges, there are many posts/threads on this topic in this forum where people "thought" they have done nothing at all with their phones, yet they have been charged, even with data roaming off.

As I mentioned, there are several services outside of calls and texts that can trigger RLH charges (location services, Whats App overrides, app updates, etc.)  This is because some of these services override the phone's data settings and revert to cell services. Not only can some of these (like WhatsApp) override your phone's settings, but in order to avoid charges, you would need to turn off any such options in your phone - like notifications, location services, etc.  You'd have to go into the settings for each and every app to check for these settings and then reverse them when you get home again to get the most out of your apps.

See the screenshot below for "clarification":

RLH2