Carnival WiFi, Carnival Hub, and Texting Questions

[krdougan]

I have several questions regarding Carnival's WiFi and I called Carnival and the responses I got were worthless. So, I can use some help.

 

I am cruising aboard the Dream with my 2 teenage girls and they are each bringing a friend with them. Their friends' parents want to be able to communicate with them while they are on the boat without paying the exorbitant pricing through their carrier. I know we can pay like $5 per day for a social WiFi account. Does anyone have experience with that and the best way to communicate to land once out on the sea?

 

Does iMessaging work over the Social WiFi? If not, what are your recommendations for texting via WiFi while on board?

 

On a different, I am curious about the Carnival Hub. Have people used it? Does the chat function work well for families or large groups to stay in touch?

 

Thanks!

[Cant_Wait1996]

I'm curious about this as well since my teenage daughter want it and using their own money to get it.

[Schoifmom]

I have several questions regarding Carnival's WiFi and I called Carnival and the responses I got were worthless. So, I can use some help.

 

I am cruising aboard the Dream with my 2 teenage girls and they are each bringing a friend with them. Their friends' parents want to be able to communicate with them while they are on the boat without paying the exorbitant pricing through their carrier. I know we can pay like $5 per day for a social WiFi account. Does anyone have experience with that and the best way to communicate to land once out on the sea?

 

Does iMessaging work over the Social WiFi? If not, what are your recommendations for texting via WiFi while on board?

 

On a different, I am curious about the Carnival Hub. Have people used it? Does the chat function work well for families or large groups to stay in touch?

 

Thanks!

 

I can't answer regarding the HUB app, as I have never used it.

 

We did use the Social Media plan on our last cruise ($5/day, less if purchased for the entire cruise). iMessage worked fine. We frequently used Facebook Messenger to communicate back home. Worked well for us.

[krdougan]

So, iMessage allowed you to communicate back home as well?

[xbriannao]

I've also heard that the social media plan is your best bet for communicating. I haven't used any but I've read a lot of reviews and many say that chat function on the app only works half of the time, but the social media networks work the whole time.

Hope this helps!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[firemanbobswife]

iMessage worked for me up until half way through the last day with the Social Media Plan. I was messaging people back home.

 

Also I used FB Messenger. That was extremely slow at times.

Edited June 2, 2016 by firemanbobswife

[lovingretirement]

We just returned from a European cruise on the Vista and had the Social Medial plan. We sent messages using FB Messenger and it worked great for us. We were quite surprised at how fast we could message back and forth. I don't know if it works as well on all the ships, but we were sold on the plan. We will do this in the future rather than rely on our cell phones for texting.

[Wheatie59]

Get the social plan and use facebook messenger or iMessage. Both work on the social plan, though neither will be perfect. If they want to call home, use the phone in your cabin at $1.99 a minute. As bad as that it, its the cheapest alternative. Cell phone carrier international roaming and data plans to not apply when on the ship away from port. You will pay something like $2.50 a minute for cell phone service on the ship. There are usually many places in port where you can get free wifi.

[RecoveryDude]

If they want to call home, use the phone in your cabin at $1.99 a minute. As bad as that it, its the cheapest alternative.

 

Actually, you can make calls with the Social plan, both VOICE calls and also VIDEO calls. I've used it several times on both the Pride and the Paradise. Of course, signal strength is a key factor. The video calls require a lot of bandwith and I was only successful LATE at night when there were not as many users. However, I made many voice calls, and aside from a 2 second delay, there were no issues and most of the calls were during prime afternoon hours out on the lido deck in the middle of the ocean.

 

So make sure anyone you want to communicate with has Facebook and Facebook Messenger (they are 2 separate apps) and you should be good to go to either text, voice call or video chat.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Jeff aka Recovery Dude

[deanaw72]

On past cruises we have texted home on port days. There is a charge per text but if memory serves it was just a few cents a text. Of course, with teenagers that could run up quite a bill!

[moongal]

Sorry for what may be a stupid question here....I too am looking for the best way to communicate onboard this ship as I will be traveling with teenagers. None of us has a Facebook, I'm too old and they are too young (I think Facebook is not cool with the new crop of teenagers) so do we have to sign up with Facebook to use this Facebook messenger? How does it work? Will all of us have to get a Facebook account?? Or can it just use our phone numbers? Would I have to buy a social media plan for everyone $5 a day x number of days on cruise x number of people in my family? Thanks for any help. I only know how to regular text and not Facebook message. Is it instant like iMessage? We all have iPhones. Could we text each other just using iMessage wo getting Facebooks?

[Cant_Wait1996]

Sorry for what may be a stupid question here....I too am looking for the best way to communicate onboard this ship as I will be traveling with teenagers. None of us has a Facebook, I'm too old and they are too young (I think Facebook is not cool with the new crop of teenagers) so do we have to sign up with Facebook to use this Facebook messenger? How does it work? Will all of us have to get a Facebook account?? Or can it just use our phone numbers? Would I have to buy a social media plan for everyone $5 a day x number of days on cruise x number of people in my family? Thanks for any help. I only know how to regular text and not Facebook message. Is it instant like iMessage? We all have iPhones. Could we text each other just using iMessage wo getting Facebooks?

 

 

Yes you need facebook accounts to use messenger but if you are just looking to text each other on the ship you can get the chat feature on the hub app. I believe it's $5 per device for the whole cruise, not per day. The social media plan is $5 per day but unless you are trying to text someone back home then you won't need it. Hope that helps since I'm a new cruiser and that's what I have found in my own research :)

[poobears]

The Dream does not have the hub app as of yet so that's not an option. If you don't want to use FB messenger just use your Imessage that you already have. You will need to buy the $5 media package for each phone but it's discounted if you buy it for the whole week, not sure how much it saves usually a day. So on a 5 day cruise instead of it costing $25 it costs $20 if you buy it for the week upfront.

[Courtknee78]

If you are just wanting to be able to text have everyone download Whatsapp. It is easy to use.

[mrneil001]

The $5 per day social media plan allows you to use FB messenger or imessage to contact each other, and go online to check social media happenings. The Carnival Hub chat plan allows each person that buys the plan(a one time $5 fee per person) to chat with each other on board. The app has to be running in order for it to work. You are able to make a group to group chat, great for families with people separated through out the ship.

 

So for your purpose OP, the $5 dollar Hub app chat is the way to go, if you just want to communicate on the ship without the use of social media. Otherwise it gets very expensive for each girl to get the social media plan individually.

Edited June 3, 2016 by mrneil001

[Cant_Wait1996]

I keep seeing people saying iMessage will work with the social media package but it doesn't say that on the carnival website. So for texting back home I won't get charged internationally if we have it? I know so dumb to worry about staying connected when on vacation and my husband can't wait to unplug but my 16 year old daughter wants to be able to contact her boyfriend from time to time lol

[Bookbug53]

The $5 per day social media plan allows you to use FB messenger or imessage to contact each other, and go online to check social media happenings. The Carnival Hub chat plan allows each person that buys the plan(a one time $5 fee per person) to chat with each other on board. The app has to be running in order for it to work. You are able to make a group to group chat, great for families with people separated through out the ship.

 

So for your purpose OP, the $5 dollar Hub app chat is the way to go, if you just want to communicate on the ship without the use of social media. Otherwise it gets very expensive for each girl to get the social media plan individually.

 

Providing it becomes available on the Dream before they sail. ;)

[kayshalea]

Sorry for what may be a stupid question here....I too am looking for the best way to communicate onboard this ship as I will be traveling with teenagers. None of us has a Facebook, I'm too old and they are too young (I think Facebook is not cool with the new crop of teenagers) so do we have to sign up with Facebook to use this Facebook messenger? How does it work? Will all of us have to get a Facebook account?? Or can it just use our phone numbers? Would I have to buy a social media plan for everyone $5 a day x number of days on cruise x number of people in my family? Thanks for any help. I only know how to regular text and not Facebook message. Is it instant like iMessage? We all have iPhones. Could we text each other just using iMessage wo getting Facebooks?

 

You don't need Facebook to have Facebook messenger. When you put the app on your phone it will ask if you have a Facebook account. I use my app without it being hooked up to my Facebook.

[Trvlgrl97]

I hate to use the W word and Cruise at the sametime, but my husband may have to do some work on his computer while we are on the Breeze. Does any of these packages allow this? He will need to have wifi to connect to his work server.

 

Thanks in advance

[Schoifmom]

I hate to use the W word and Cruise at the sametime, but my husband may have to do some work on his computer while we are on the Breeze. Does any of these packages allow this? He will need to have wifi to connect to his work server.

 

Thanks in advance

 

I think he would probably have to have the premium package to support a vpn connection, if that is what he needs to do. If he is just checking email, he might be able to get away with the mid-tier package, though.

[dawnvan]

iMessage is a text that only works iPhone to IPhone with iMessage turned on in your settings. iMessage uses a small amount of data and will send without cell phone service while on wifi. This is why iMessage works on the social media plan. It will not work with droid phones and will not work with iPhone to droid phones.

[Cant_Wait1996]

iMessage is a text that only works iPhone to IPhone with iMessage turned on in your settings. iMessage uses a small amount of data and will send without cell phone service while on wifi. This is why iMessage works on the social media plan. It will not work with droid phones and will not work with iPhone to droid phones.

 

 

Thanks for this! Don't know why I didn't think it would work since I text a friend of mine that lives in Northern Ireland all the time and I'm never charged internationally ;)

[Sabalon]

I think he would probably have to have the premium package to support a vpn connection, if that is what he needs to do. If he is just checking email, he might be able to get away with the mid-tier package, though.

 

From their site

VPN connections are not supported - discuss your VPN limitations with your company’s IT department if you are planning to work while sailing. We are not able to change your settings onboard.

Strongly suggest he do that - there are a number of VPN types and if that's what he indeed needs to use, he'll need to know options available. It could be webmail is all he needs. But if not, hopefully the IT area would be able to give some recommendations. Somethings that work great from home over broadband may be excruciating over the ship link. SSH tunneling may also be an option - too many variables to say for sure.

 

As far as Carnival saying VPN connections are not supported - that could mean one of two things

• Carnival isn't going to help you
  
• Carnival isn't going to allow it
  

 

Just searched the carnival boards for VPN and found people saying it worked for them, or that it was very slow and almost unusable. But it doens't sound like it's being outright blocked. And that goes along with their line of "we are not able to change your settings"

Edited June 3, 2016 by Sabalon

[poobears]

It's suggested you put your phones on airplane mode as soon as you get on board that way you won't incur any data fees when you are connected to the ships wifi or if your phone happens to connect to a tower when you get closer into land. Many people haven't taken that advice and have incurred massive charges when a ton of messages and emails suddenly downloaded to their phone when their phone decided to connect with a tower close by while porting. My phone have always been turned off or switched to airplane mode as soon as we started pulling out of port, not worth the risk.

 

This year I'm using a straight talk phone so it doesn't work internationally anyways but I'll still switch it to airplane mode just to stay in the habit.

[Sabalon]

It's suggested you put your phones on airplane mode as soon as you get on board that way you won't incur any data fees when you are connected to the ships wifi or if your phone happens to connect to a tower when you get closer into land. Many people haven't taken that advice and have incurred massive charges when a ton of messages and emails suddenly downloaded to their phone when their phone decided to connect with a tower close by while porting. My phone have always been turned off or switched to airplane mode as soon as we started pulling out of port, not worth the risk.

 

This year I'm using a straight talk phone so it doesn't work internationally anyways but I'll still switch it to airplane mode just to stay in the habit.

 

This is a very good point. With wifi, you pretty much have to make a connection to do anything, but if it gets a cellular signal, the phone could decide it has data and do whatever background tasks it may want to do - check for app updates, get notifications, cache weather and news, etc. You may be somewhat protected if your phone isn't setup to work internationally, but that's not something I want to find out the hard way.

 

A good compromise is to put it into airplane mode, which will disable all the radios, and then just re-enable wifi. That way you can still connect to something (Carnival, hotspot in port, etc) but don't need to worry about fees from AT&T/Verizon/T-Mobile. Also, best to learn how to do that while at home and not when your very remote and hoping you get it right!