How's the new app???

[AnitaVacation]

So....how is the new app working out?? Any tips??

 

Where do we go (on onboard) to activate our app??

[mking8288]

App - what "App" ??

Search is your friend here - multiple threads already, some only a few days old

Keyword is "iConcierge" if that's what you are looking for - no convenience fees charged here on CC.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2206890&highlight=iconcierge

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2205598&highlight=iconcierge

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2193998&highlight=iconcierge

Activation is, hmmm ... OTA, still free :D for now - TGIF, have a nice day. ;)

Or, you can see the Internet Manager during posted hours on the ship for help, see the Feestyle Dailies for details.

Edited May 15, 2015 by mking8288

[herdingdogmom]

So....how is the new app working out?

Where do we go (on onboard) to activate our app??

 

I like iconcierge mostly for checking my account. No more standing in line at guest services for a print out. The app is easy to use. To activate it, connect to the ship's Wifi from anywhere on board. Be sure to be in airplane mode first. Then click on register in the app. Fill in your info and you are set.

[garnet115]

You can download it from the NCL website:

http://www.ncl.com/apps

 

Be sure to download iconcierge before you board - you can't download it once you are at sea.

[marazad16]

You can download it from the NCL website:

http://www.ncl.com/apps

 

Be sure to download iconcierge before you board - you can't download it once you are at sea.

 

Thanks for that! :)

[mitsugirly]

Here's a review I did on it from my Getaway cruise (copy and pasted)

 

At this time I wanted to take a minute to discuss iConceirge. I believe they only have this on the new ships (correct me if I'm wrong). I will show you screen shots of it and tell you what it does (and what we used it for).

 

I personally think it was a wonderful system to have for the week (especially if you are traveling with a group). It would also come in handy if you are split up with a spouse, children or whomever you might be traveling with.

 

The cost is $7.95 for the entire week and well worth it to us to be able to just text each other to find a location to meet or whatever. But, it does much more than that.

 

I have to start by saying that you must FIRST DOWNLOAD THE APP PRIOR TO CRUISING!! After you are already on your way, you're out of luck. I downloaded mine about a month prior to our cruise so that I wouldn't forget to do it. We did test once we left the port of Miami and were out to sea to see if you could download it while on the cruise...nope. No can do.

 

So the main page shows you a list of things that the app will do and it's like your homepage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any of these links will take you to another page.

 

For instance if you chose the Dining category, it would take you to a page that listed every dining option on the ship:

 

 

 

 

Then once you pick a dining place, you go to the next page which will give you a description of the place and what they serve, what deck it is located on, your dress code, and if there's a price then it will list a price as well.

 

 

 

 

At the bottom you can see that you are able to view the menu and also make reservations. I had to try it out and it worked perfect. You pick the day and time, then how many people. Once you have scheduled your reservation, you can go back in and check it.

 

 

 

 

Go to any area, like Shopping, and it will list the individual places and you can click on any of them for the info.

 

[mitsugirly]

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are pre-programmed Contact information for various services if you need to contact them.

 

 

 

You can hit the Contacts button and that would show you who you put in there for your contacts to be able to call or message them. We had one other cruiser in our family that had the app and it let us be able to contact them for breakfast or where to meet.

 

You do get your "own number", which isn't your phone number, but a number assigned to your app.

 

You are also able to call anywhere on the ship, rooms, or another cell phone with this app.

 

We used messaging the most. It was pretty awesome if I say so myself.

 

There are a few things that I wish they would improve with this program.

 

* I wish that when you clicked on a venue that instead of it telling you to check the dailies, it would tell you the actual times they are open.

 

Another thing was the "Account Review". This let you check your account for all of the charges occurred and gives you a balance. However, it will show everything under your name even though it has an option to chose another cruiser in your party. I'm not sure if they are just developing this part and it might change in the future or if it will stay this way.

 

Either way, if they had this on every ship, I'm sure I would use it. :D

[LrgPizza]

We downloaded the app prior to cruising. For our Getaway and Epic cruises, we activated it (paid the $7.95) while still sitting in the terminal after checking in, while waiting to board the ship. We messed around texting each other while we waited to board.

 

Also, we used the app to call home from the ship. The connection was poor, and we were hung up on once, because my FIL didn't recognize the number. We called back, and all was well. When calling through the app you are charged $.75/minute (maybe $.79? I can't remember exactly!), which is a huge bargain compared to any other rates we could find for other options.

Edited May 15, 2015 by LrgPizza

[SAILPRO]

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are pre-programmed Contact information for various services if you need to contact them.

 

 

 

You can hit the Contacts button and that would show you who you put in there for your contacts to be able to call or message them. We had one other cruiser in our family that had the app and it let us be able to contact them for breakfast or where to meet.

 

You do get your "own number", which isn't your phone number, but a number assigned to your app.

 

You are also able to call anywhere on the ship, rooms, or another cell phone with this app.

 

We used messaging the most. It was pretty awesome if I say so myself.

 

There are a few things that I wish they would improve with this program.

 

* I wish that when you clicked on a venue that instead of it telling you to check the dailies, it would tell you the actual times they are open.

 

Another thing was the "Account Review". This let you check your account for all of the charges occurred and gives you a balance. However, it will show everything under your name even though it has an option to chose another cruiser in your party. I'm not sure if they are just developing this part and it might change in the future or if it will stay this way.

 

Either way, if they had this on every ship, I'm sure I would use it. :D

 

Thank you mitsugirly!

You mentioned about making reservation for restaurants, what about for shows? Can we make changes to reservations & show?

[DreamingBig1]

Do you need to pay the $7.95 just to make reservations, or do you have access to do things like that for free?

[jackparts]

If three or more people need to be in contact, do all have to sign up and pay the fee, or one does it all?

[TardisDance]

Do you need to pay the $7.95 just to make reservations, or do you have access to do things like that for free?

 

I think $7.95 is just for the messenger portion of the app.

[Philob]

If three or more people need to be in contact, do all have to sign up and pay the fee, or one does it all?

 

It's $7.95 per device.

[norway olin]

I think $7.95 is just for the messenger portion of the app.

 

The $7.95 is only for the on-board calls and texts between registered phones.

 

You do not have to pay the $7.95 to be able to have access to the .79 per minute calls to home.

Edited May 15, 2015 by norway olin

[jcallcut]

You cannot make changes to dining or shore excursions but you can change dining reservations very easily by phone. The shore excursions are a bit more difficult since you have to go to the excursion desk. I found the app to be very useful. The one thing it is missing, in my opinion, is a listing of what you have booked that is available through the television in your cabin but not on the app. It is easy to forget what you booked and for what day and time.

[alvin18]

The iconcierge app was very useful during our Med cruise this pass week on the Epic. The $7.95 charge allows you to text or call other phones that use the same app. Every device will need to pay the fee if they wish to have text and call function. We were able to make show reservations, excursion bookings, look up info for pretty much anything. Definitely a great tool, just being able to communicate with other family members alone is worth the feature.

[AnitaVacation]

Sounds pretty awesome...can't wait to use it!! We downloaded it about 2 months ago....it's nice to look at the COUNTDOWN everyday!! 20 days to go!!

 

A friend of mine is cruising with her 2 daughters in February (Getaway)...she will be thrilled to hear about this....especially the $.79/min phone calls since she has to call her husband every night....she usually racks up a good phone bill using the cabin phone at $2+/min....

[lbrandon]

We used the app on the Epic in March. It was nice to be able to easily see what time the shows were without having to carry around the dailies. I also made my tender reservations for Grand Cayman using the app.

 

We were, however, disappointed in the texting service that we paid the $7.95 per device for. The wifi signal was sketchy in parts of the ship and texts didn't always go through. I spent a half hour wandering the ship one day because I couldn't text my husband to find out where he was.

[CatG04]

I leave on the Breakaway on Sunday :) and I'm trying my best to understand the iConcierge app. I understand that I can use it to make restaurant, show & excursion reservations without paying the $7.95 fee (I believe), but if I want to be able to call or message people I'm travelling with, we would all have to pay that fee, correct?

 

My question is about calling home. I would like to be able to call or message with my family at home will I be able to do that with this app? I saw that someone said the charges for this type of usage would be about $0.79 per call. Is that accurate?

 

My carrier is Verizon and I just purchased a plan of 100 minutes, 100 texts and 100 mb of data to use OFF THE SHIP in Bermuda for $40.00. The Verizon rep told me I should turn off cell data while onboard the ship so that I don't unwittingly incur any charges.

 

I'd love any tips you can offer to help me not arrive home to a $500 cell phone bill?!

 

Many thanks!!!

Cathy

[theloo]

Bummer, I was able to download iConcierge, but it would not open :(

[mitsugirly]

I leave on the Breakaway on Sunday :) and I'm trying my best to understand the iConcierge app. I understand that I can use it to make restaurant, show & excursion reservations without paying the $7.95 fee (I believe), but if I want to be able to call or message people I'm travelling with, we would all have to pay that fee, correct?

 

My question is about calling home. I would like to be able to call or message with my family at home will I be able to do that with this app? I saw that someone said the charges for this type of usage would be about $0.79 per call. Is that accurate?

 

My carrier is Verizon and I just purchased a plan of 100 minutes, 100 texts and 100 mb of data to use OFF THE SHIP in Bermuda for $40.00. The Verizon rep told me I should turn off cell data while onboard the ship so that I don't unwittingly incur any charges.

 

I'd love any tips you can offer to help me not arrive home to a $500 cell phone bill?!

 

Many thanks!!!

Cathy

 

You will have to pay the fee to be able to text or call others on the ship with you. Yes, it's $7.95 EACH device that it's installed on so whoever you want to reach, they will also have to have it installed and paid for.

[herdingdogmom]

My question is about calling home. I would like to be able to call or message with my family at home will I be able to do that with this app? I saw that someone said the charges for this type of usage would be about $0.79 per call. Is that accurate?

 

The Verizon rep told me I should turn off cell data while onboard the ship so that I don't unwittingly incur any charges.

Cathy

 

Definitely keep the phone in airplane mode when on the ship. Then connect to the ships wi fi to use the app. You can call home (not text) for .79 a min without paying the $7.95 per device fee for texting others on the ship.

Edited May 29, 2015 by herdingdogmom

[1island2go]

Definitely keep the phone in airplane mode when on the ship. Then connect to the ships wi fi to use the app. You can call home (not text) for .79 a min without paying the $7.95 per device fee for texting others on the ship.

 

Wouldn't you have to purchase their internet pkg then? I don't get how you can get those rates, if you don't get the app or pay the $7.95. Please explain as I am not savvy on this

[herdingdogmom]

Wouldn't you have to purchase their internet pkg then? I don't get how you can get those rates, if you don't get the app or pay the $7.95. Please explain as I am not savvy on this

 

No you don't need the internet package. You are using the ships wi fi via the iconciege app you downloaded ahead of time to call home. The .79 cents a minute is charged to your on board account. There have been some reports that the phone connection isn't too good. Personally, we looked for free wifi when in port and just emailed home. We used iconcierge mostly for checking our onboard account.