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In 2023, Royal Caribbean made the chat function in their onboard app free for all guests. Yes, you can make calls, text, and even video chat from a cruise ship. At sea, you can either make calls via a satellite connection or pay for the ship's Wi-Fi (also via satellite) and make Wi-Fi calls, text or video chat via the internet.
Leveraging Free Wi-Fi in Port
Most major cell phone carriers these days provide a means of making phone calls via an internet connection instead of relying on a cell phone connection. Once connected to the ship's internet, you can leverage any number of messaging apps to communicate with someone else onboard, or even at home. You could use your phone like normal and place calls and text messages by connecting to the cell provider on the Royal Caribbean ship, but this comes with a heft roaming cost.
How Does Mobile Phone Signal Work at Sea?
Wi-Fi Calling allows you to call or message (SMS) from almost anywhere that you have a wifi connection, which is great if you’re in an area with limited or no cellular network coverage. Generally, a wifi call will not count against plan minutes for those who don’t have an unlimited plan. Also, for newer model phones, wifi calling can be available in airplane mode. As a general matter, you will have the ability to use your cell phone on a cruise ship. The primary issues are whether your carrier offers service at sea and the costs.
How can I make sure I have a reliable signal for texting on a cruise ship?
At best, there is reliable wifi on your cruise that you can count on. It was a lifesaver during our river cruise in Bordeaux, for example, when we needed to work during our free time between meals and excursions. Days at sea are perhaps you may want to use the internet most. Generally speaking, the internet is slower when more people are trying to connect at any given time, including a Day at Sea.
Kids will also love to play the touch screen games on the portals where you can create your own aviator. Whether you're on your ship or at a port of call, the Wi-Fi you are using is public -- that is, it's easily accessible to those who know a thing or two about computers. Unless it's absolutely necessary, we recommend never accessing private accounts, such as bank accounts or credit cards, while connected to these networks.
Hotels With Cruise Shuttles For Every Major Port in America
Norwegian Cruise Line frequently has Free at Sea promotions where guests can receive unlimited open bar, free airfare, excursions, specialty dining, internet, and a free third or fourth guest. Simply put your phone in airplane mode when you leave the port to avoid this charge. I’ve noticed that some of the SMS text messages people told me they’ve sent while I was cruising just never arrive—even once I’m home. So for any important messages that coworkers want you to see later, asking them to send an email is a better bet. If you only need to text your cruise companions who are on the ship with you, then you may be able to do so using your cruise line’s app. But remember, your cellphone won't be useful to you if you run out of battery life.
What if I accidentally use roaming services while on board?
But when compared to how things were in the past, improvements are marked and stunning. Now, on cruises, you should be able to access wifi anywhere on the cruise ship, including your cabin. You no longer have to seek out the computer lab and fight other passengers for access. Kick back with your laptop and beverage of choice in the privacy of your balcony or any other cozy spot you desire. Knuckling through an excruciatingly slow connection that dropped too many times to count. The gaps between actual connections lasting longer than the intermittent connections themselves.
Can I access cruise-specific phone plans and costs?
As for calls, the aforementioned FaceTime caters to both video as well as audio calls using Wi-Fi and not cell service to work. While sometimes a strong enough signal can allow for video calling, it’s a better bet to select audio only. By activating airplane mode, passengers can disable their devices’ cellular connections, ensuring they won’t be billed for unintentional data usage. However, Wi-Fi connectivity will still be available when using airplane mode. Be aware though that you cannot text friends at home with the App. This is purely for chatting with your friends and family onboard.
Utilizing onboard messaging services
Royal Caribbean's onboard messaging system is now free: Here's how it works - Royal Caribbean Blog
Royal Caribbean's onboard messaging system is now free: Here's how it works.
Posted: Mon, 09 Jan 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Adding individuals to a group message was very easy, which is helpful as members of your travel party are boarding and disembarking the ship. While on our friend trip, we took many fun photos and wanted to share them with each other. While we could wait and send them to each other once the cruise was over, it would have been fun to send photos to each other while we were on the ship. A feature of the messaging system that would have been nice to have, is the ability to send pictures to others. Once you have the stateroom number and names of your travel party, adding them is quick and painless.
It was $10 and you didn't need to have a separate wifi package to use it. However, it kept bumping us offline throughout the voyage and you'd have to log back into it. When I first tried to connect to it, the app was stuck thinking I was still shore-side. I couldn't get it to work so had to delete the app and redownload it and then it finally worked on the first sea day. Thereafter, connectivity to the ship's service was interesting at best. I would expect better from a service I'm being charged extra for...
Whether just checking in, or because you like to keep up a steady engagement in your social media accounts. And, access to wifi on a cruise can also facilitate your ability to stay in contact with your family members and travel companions while on board ship. The difference becomes more important, however, when you are cruising around the ocean on an actual cruise ship. Depending on your cell phone carrier, you may not be able to access cellular data at all.
It may be prudent to make a call or two or send a text, just to inform your friends and family that you’re doing okay. I recently went on an excursion and realized that texting on a cruise ship can be expensive. I did some research afterward to find out if there’s a way you can text on a cruise ship for free. There are valuable ways to use your cell phone on board that don’t cost extra thanks to Princess MedallionClass® – the newest technology at sea. When you sail on a MedallionClass ship, you get a complimentary Medallion®. Each quarter-sized device has built-in geo-location technology.
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