Using iphone on the ship?

[Alaskan Joe]

Ok I am looking for answers to using my iphone on the ship. If I put my phone on airplane mode can I use the Princess@sea app. and not worry about getting international rates put my AT&T bill? If so, does it depend on which carrier you have? I guess the main reason for asking is our camera is kind of old (I think 13yrs), so now we have iphones and the iphones take better pics then the old camera. Just would hate to use them and get home and the end of the month we have a huge added rate to our bill. My wife is under the impression that we need to turn off the phones completely while on the ship. Thanks for your responses in advance.

[Astro Flyer]

Put your phone on airplane mode mode & turn on Wi-Fi to access the free Princess@Sea intranet system which does not require an app & is accessed by your web browser.

 

http://www.princess.com/learn/onboard/activities/princess-at-sea/

Edited May 8, 2016 by Astro Flyer

[Alaskan Joe]

Put your phone on airplane mode mode & turn on Wi-Fi to access the free Princess@Sea intranet system which does not require an app & is accessed by your web browser

 

So do I have to buy wifi minutes to use on the ship??

[mamkmm2]

The Princess@Sea messenger app is free to use on ship, just download it ahead of time.

 

Your phone carrier probably has a package where you can turn on "international," not get charged international roam fees, so you can access your current phone package.

 

We have Verizon and that is what we are doing with our iPhones. The catch is your phone package is only going to work in-port for most itineraries. We were able to use this on the ship in the Caribbean but have found out it won't work on our UK trip in July so in addition to setting up for our port days we are buying wifi minutes so we can have access on-ship. When we aren't using our phones for the internet, etc. we will turn "airplane mode" on.

[Astro Flyer]

So do I have to buy wifi minutes to use on the ship??

 

No...the "intranet" is free to use the Princess@Sea system; paid "internet" time is necessary to access email, etc and uses satellites.

[Astro Flyer]

The Princess@Sea messenger app is free to use on ship, just download it ahead of time.

Recent threads said the P@S app was unavailable to download & on our recent cruise the app was unnecessary to access all of the Princess@Sea functions including Messenger.

[mamkmm2]

Recent threads said the P@S app was unavailable to download & on our recent cruise the app was unnecessary to access all of the Princess@Sea functions including Messenger.

 

You can add a "one click" button for the P@Sea website to your "desk top" area of your iPhone. I forget how to do it because I do it so rarely but there is likely a youtube available for your to watch to figure it out. That's how I did it the first time.

[MCC retired]

So do I have to buy wifi minutes to use on the ship??

 

 

Intranet = No

Internet = Yes

[Astro Flyer]

You can add a "one click" button for the P@Sea website to your "desk top" area of your iPhone. I forget how to do it because I do it so rarely but there is likely a youtube available for your to watch to figure it out. That's how I did it the first time.

 

To the right of the Safari's address bar is a square with an arrow pointing up icon & click on it to see an option to "Add To Home Screen" to have the P@S system on your desktop. :)

Edited May 8, 2016 by Astro Flyer

[mamkmm2]

To the right of the Safari's address bar is a square with an arrow pointing up icon & click on it to see an option to "Add To Home Screen" to have the P@S system on your desktop. :)

 

Ah ha, there that little booger is. I send things to myself all the time via text or email ... I keep forgetting the option to put it on the homescreen. LOL

[Astro Flyer]

Ah ha, there that little booger is. I send things to myself all the time via text or email ... I keep forgetting the option to put it on the homescreen. LOL

 

I also use it to "Add Bookmark" including for cruise related things to help "refresh" my memory whenever something is discussed on CC. ;)

Edited May 8, 2016 by Astro Flyer

[djzack67]

No...the "intranet" is free to use the Princess@Sea system; paid "internet" time is necessary to access email, etc and uses satellites.

 

 

Good call. I was just going to make that same note. Also on your iPhone. Turn off your cellular connection along with being in airplane mode.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[djzack67]

Also of note. The princess@sea app was working great last fall on the Emerald and also on the Ruby. The messenger feature came in handy for our family many times.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[CruisingJs]

I use my iPhone to take pictures all the time. No worries. Just put it in airplane mode and turn wifi on. As an incentive to cruise more, after you have completed five cruises with Princess, you will get limited internet minutes for free. So keep cruising!

 

I just wanted to add, if you want the correct location associated with your pictures, when you get to a new port, take your phone out of airplane mode just long enough for it to pick up a signal from land then put it back in airplane mode.

Edited May 9, 2016 by CruisingJs

[RocketMan275]

Ok I am looking for answers to using my iphone on the ship. If I put my phone on airplane mode can I use the Princess@sea app. and not worry about getting international rates put my AT&T bill? If so, does it depend on which carrier you have? I guess the main reason for asking is our camera is kind of old (I think 13yrs), so now we have iphones and the iphones take better pics then the old camera. Just would hate to use them and get home and the end of the month we have a huge added rate to our bill. My wife is under the impression that we need to turn off the phones completely while on the ship. Thanks for your responses in advance.

 

The best thing for you to do is determine exactly what you want to do with your phone and then contact your carrier.

 

I use verizon and they are different from ATT. For example, I've been told that if someone calls you that ATT will bill you for the call duration regardless of whether you answer or not. Suppose, the phone rings a few times, and then they leave a voice mail. Could add up. Verizon does not do this and you will only be billed for calls you answer. I do not know for sure if ATT does this so you do need to call them.

 

First, I do wish to receive emergency/important calls/texts. I do not turn Airplane Mode On because I can't receive calls and texts. Texts cost five cents to receive and fifty cents to send. I can live with that.

 

Second, a general principal. Just because you call, doesn't mean I have to answer. I only answer calls from those I'm willing to pay $3 per minute to

talk to. Very few on that list. My step-son, my vet whose boarding the dogs, and, perhaps, my bank. My step-son knows I'm on a cruise and won't call with anything less than a house fire. Otherwise, he'll text for anything else. Same with the vet.

 

Third, the biggest charges come from Data. Your apps are always doing things. Looking for updates, sending and receiving, etc. Turn Data Off. That stops the major source of charges. You won't get updates from Facebook or Tweets but neither will you get a big bill. You also won't get email but you can probably live with Texts.

 

Most importantly, if you are travelling with children, you need to take their phones away. Period. The major horror stories usually involve a child who, perhaps, decides to send all their buddies a couple hundred photos a day or who can't stay off face book. Unless you really, Really, REALLY trust them, take their phone and turn it off. You'll be better off buying them a cheap digital camera.

[sunsetbeachgal]

We cruised with friends a couple of years ago, and despite being told to do so, my friend's husband did not put his phone in airplane mode. Long story short he incurred $500 of data charges, and since the charges came from a local provider, Verizon or ATT or whomever you use will not work with you on the charges since they are passing on a charge from someone else. Hard lesson learned, problems not limited to teenagers!

Edited May 9, 2016 by sunsetbeachgal

[ejatczak]

We have at&t. Turn your cellular data off and wifi on. That way you can still recieve calls and texts. And if you are sending a text send it text message so it will go through if you are not on wifi. We do this b/c we want to be able to get a hold of our kids/spouse if we need too. On airplane mode it's not possible.

[mamkmm2]

Verizon has an option in some locations that you can tie into your existing phone plan by paying X amount extra per day. If you don't use it that day (24-hour period) then you don't get charged. However, it only works in port. Anything on the ship you are going to have to buy ship internet minutes for.

 

Because we have a family plan and also use our phones for our business we have one humdinger of a plan. (18 gigs of data per month plus unlimited talk and text). The one other additional caveat however for the talk and txt is that you will get charged roaming data if you send pictures in those txts using cellular data.

 

So I map out a campaign. Yeah, a little silly but useful silliness for us.

 

At each port I map out locations that have free wifi. I have everything that I want to send ready and in a draft folder. When I hit a free wifi spot I hook up and then spend a few minutes sending stuff out.

 

Or, I've been experimenting with something new. Shutterfly. You set up your shutterfly. You invite who you want to see your pics. You can set it to anyone with that URL can see them or you set it so only people you specifically invite can see them. Your pictures remain your property and shutterfly houses them indefinitely. You can set up calendars of events. Load new folders to import pictures into. Etc. Limitations are few as far as I've found. So when I have free wifi I will spend some time loading my pics into the shutterfly folders I have set up and then my family will get to see the pics as we go along.

 

None of the above is totally perfect but it is working better than any system we've used thus far and I don't have to worry about strangers having access to our personal family pictures, especially as we still have two underage kids that I upload pics of their activities for their grandparents to see.

 

I'm just not that fond of facebook because I like to retain ownership of my stuff and when I want to delete it I want it gone, not hanging around at FB's leisure to use or not use since they get a license to it.

[WisCruiser2]

You can add a "one click" button for the P@Sea website to your "desk top" area of your iPhone. I forget how to do it because I do it so rarely but there is likely a youtube available for your to watch to figure it out. That's how I did it the first time.

 

Or you can ask the helpful folks in the Computer Center on board to help set it up for you :)

[mamkmm2]

Or you can ask the helpful folks in the Computer Center on board to help set it up for you :)

 

Not to be snarky but I have honestly never met these "helpful folks" on board ship in the internet café. LOL. At most I've seen one harried looking guy that only knows so much and is usually too busy to cover the existing computers on the ship much less people's phones, etc. The one guy I actually talked to on a Carnival ship looked as shell-shocked as most of the passengers did.

[Lucky TGO]

Not to be snarky but I have honestly never met these "helpful folks" on board ship in the internet café. LOL. At most I've seen one harried looking guy that only knows so much and is usually too busy to cover the existing computers on the ship much less people's phones, etc. The one guy I actually talked to on a Carnival ship looked as shell-shocked as most of the passengers did.

 

Wow I met the same guy :eek:

Tony

[easyboy]

Ok I am looking for answers to using my iphone on the ship. If I put my phone on airplane mode can I use the Princess@sea app. and not worry about getting international rates put my AT&T bill? If so, does it depend on which carrier you have? I guess the main reason for asking is our camera is kind of old (I think 13yrs), so now we have iphones and the iphones take better pics then the old camera. Just would hate to use them and get home and the end of the month we have a huge added rate to our bill. My wife is under the impression that we need to turn off the phones completely while on the ship. Thanks for your responses in advance.

I agree on prior posts. We always use our cell phone to take pictures but also put it on airplane mode to avoid being charged unknowingly in case there are signals.

[Alaskan Joe]

Thanks everyone for the responses :D.

[Elitein85days]

I agree on prior posts. We always use our cell phone to take pictures but also put it on airplane mode to avoid being charged unknowingly in case there are signals.

 

You really just need to make sure "data roaming" is set to "off". It won't use international data with it set to off, but you'll be able to make and receive calls and texts.

 

I leave it at that setting the entire cruise and only get charged for calls and outgoing texts (incoming texts for AT&T are free on my plan). Those are manageable costs. The data roaming fees can be horrendous. As in $20,000 for streaming one HD movie.

 

So airplane mode isn't necessary unless you want to avoid all incoming and outgoing calls and texts. Otherwise make sure data roaming is turned off!!!

[GUT2407]

Ok I am looking for answers to using my iphone on the ship. If I put my phone on airplane mode can I use the Princess@sea app. and not worry about getting international rates put my AT&T bill? If so, does it depend on which carrier you have? I guess the main reason for asking is our camera is kind of old (I think 13yrs), so now we have iphones and the iphones take better pics then the old camera. Just would hate to use them and get home and the end of the month we have a huge added rate to our bill. My wife is under the impression that we need to turn off the phones completely while on the ship. Thanks for your responses in advance.

 

Yep works fine. Airplane mode, wi fi on.