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voom and staying in touch on board

T3xasFamily
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Clarea

Clarea

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Voom is new since the last time we traveled. I am purchasing to keep up with our son on board. He has an iphone, husband and I have androids.

 

Does anyone know of a wifi messaging app that will work across both platforms?

If all the phones have WiFi calling enabled, there's no need for any app. Contact your carrier for info.

 

Failing that, you can use something like WhatsApp, Google Hangouts, Facebook messaging, etc.

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CTKaren

CTKaren

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This is something I am concerned about too. We will be traveling next

month on Grandeur of the Seas. I would like to find a way to text my son who will also on board. I called my carrier and Grandeur is not one of the ships that they offer. I hate the idea of spending $22 a day for two devices just to keep in contact.

 

Last June I was on the NCL Breakaway and they offered this service, through the ship, for I think $10 for the week.

 

Any suggestions would be welcome.

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Clarea

Clarea

Posted
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This is something I am concerned about too. We will be traveling next

month on Grandeur of the Seas. I would like to find a way to text my son who will also on board. I called my carrier and Grandeur is not one of the ships that they offer. I hate the idea of spending $22 a day for two devices just to keep in contact.

 

Last June I was on the NCL Breakaway and they offered this service, through the ship, for I think $10 for the week.

 

Any suggestions would be welcome.

Who is your carrier? I know that Verizon and AT&T offer coverage while at sea, and charge $0.50 per text sent. If you keep texts to a minimum, and your son can keep from texting people at home, this may be the least expensive option.

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CTKaren

CTKaren

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My carrier is Verizon. I called them and they said they don't provide this service for Grandeur. I know I used this service last year when I was on the Liberty. I just figured maybe it had to do with the size of the ship or the age of the ship. We don't want to text anywhere but to each other on the ship. Maybe I should call Verizon again.

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Clarea

Clarea

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My carrier is Verizon. I called them and they said they don't provide this service for Grandeur. I know I used this service last year when I was on the Liberty. I just figured maybe it had to do with the size of the ship or the age of the ship. We don't want to text anywhere but to each other on the ship. Maybe I should call Verizon again.

I'm thinking that the Verizon rep is confusing having a cruise ship plan with pay as you go ability. I believe it's true that Verizon discontinued it's cruise ship plan. However, they still support pay as you go while at sea.

 

 

This is from their website just now:

 

Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas

$2.99/minute

$0.50/message sent

$0.05/message received

$0.25/MMS message sent

$0.25

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T3xasFamily

T3xasFamily

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Just have some "meet up" times with the others in your party...it's not as hard to "keep up" as you are thinking it is. Tell each other your plans, and if they change, find someone and tell them your new plans!

 

That works if it is not one 12 year old boy that you are trying to keep up with!!

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kemck1974

kemck1974

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That works if it is not one 12 year old boy that you are trying to keep up with!!

 

hahaha! our 12 year old son is the issue as well. I'm trying to decide if we're going to spend the money for Voom for all of us when we sail in November. I've read through several threads on this issue....and read many responses lecturing that we don't NEED technology and why can't we just tell our kids where to be and when. It's frustrating. I just want the ability to text them if/when they don't show up for a reservation or to get ready for dinner or whatever. I don't want to be running around a huge ship looking for them. I'm looking forward to being disconnected for a week..I have no interest in any of us having the ability to stream tv or play games or text friends back home. I just want to be able to text IF NEEDED. Of course I will tell them where/when they need to be somewhere, but they are not perfect...and they'll be distracted I'm sure enjoying themselves!

So, thank you for your post :)

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juliea344

juliea344

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Voom is new since the last time we traveled. I am purchasing to keep up with our son on board. He has an iphone, husband and I have androids.

 

Does anyone know of a wifi messaging app that will work across both platforms?

My girls and I used Snapchat and it worked great. The kids are all about Snapchat these days so they were happy to keep in touch this way. I also like that it shows you when they open the message.

 

Sent from my XT1575 using Forums mobile app

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kemck1974

kemck1974

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^^^ just think about that for a sec - 10 years ago very few if any 12 year old (or adult for that matter) had a phone on a cruise - how did they get by?

 

You are absolutely correct. I have no doubt that we'd get by without them. I'm not implying that we wouldn't. I am considering having texting available purely for convenience.

 

BTW the 12 year old doesn't even have a cell phone. So he'd prob use one of ours since my husband and I will most likely be together.

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T3xasFamily

T3xasFamily

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hahaha! our 12 year old son is the issue as well. I'm trying to decide if we're going to spend the money for Voom for all of us when we sail in November. I've read through several threads on this issue....and read many responses lecturing that we don't NEED technology and why can't we just tell our kids where to be and when. It's frustrating. I just want the ability to text them if/when they don't show up for a reservation or to get ready for dinner or whatever. I don't want to be running around a huge ship looking for them. I'm looking forward to being disconnected for a week..I have no interest in any of us having the ability to stream tv or play games or text friends back home. I just want to be able to text IF NEEDED. Of course I will tell them where/when they need to be somewhere, but they are not perfect...and they'll be distracted I'm sure enjoying themselves!

So, thank you for your post :)

 

I'll try to remember to come back and let you know how it goes...we leave in 9 days!

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T3xasFamily

T3xasFamily

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^^^ just think about that for a sec - 10 years ago very few if any 12 year old (or adult for that matter) had a phone on a cruise - how did they get by?

 

True, but if the technology is there to make my life easier on the cruise, I am definitely taking advantage of it!

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DrD

DrD

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I've had the same issue. You always text and your carrier will charge you whatever is their policy, usually $0.50

 

However it's critical to make sure you have "cellular data" OFF or else your phone will download data in the background through the ship's cell tower and that is expensive. Also anyone who calls you or your son will get through so your phone will ring and if you answer I think that can cost you.

 

On iphone you can set do not disturb but allow specific people to break through. So that's what we've done:

 

1. keep cell ON

2. keep data roaming OFF

3. keep cellular data OFF (probably don't need both 2 and 3 both but better safe)

4. do not disturb ON

5. allow calls from favorites ON

 

And as to what folks did before cell phones, I don't know, but expectations are different now. When I was a kid it was ok if my parents didn't know exactly where I was but today that can get you a visit from social services.

 

same thing with being on call, if you weren't in the hospital you weren't expected to be reachable, but now, you're supposed to be available pretty much always. The good part though is young doctors don't have to live in the hospital anymore (literally - that's why we call them residents.)

 

My dad lived in a hospital apartment for 3 years.

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Susie51

Susie51

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Who is your carrier? I know that Verizon and AT&T offer coverage while at sea, and charge $0.50 per text sent. If you keep texts to a minimum, and your son can keep from texting people at home, this may be the least expensive option.

Thank you for sharing this information. Hopefully, we can use it in July.

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reallyitsmema

reallyitsmema

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My carrier is Verizon. I called them and they said they don't provide this service for Grandeur. I know I used this service last year when I was on the Liberty. I just figured maybe it had to do with the size of the ship or the age of the ship. We don't want to text anywhere but to each other on the ship. Maybe I should call Verizon again.

 

When the Verizon rep said they don't provide service on Grandeur, they might have meant data service. Verizon no longer has data service on any cruise ship. They also changed their pricing again. Calls are now $2.99 per minute and texts are $0.50 to send, $0.05 to receive.

 

https://www.verizonwireless.com/solutions-and-services/international-travel/

 

Use their interactive trip planner to find out exactly what the costs are for your trip.

 

https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/trip-planner-tool/

 

I did not check for your ports but I did use the planner for Grandeur and it will have voice and text coverage per the planner. When you use the planner, you have to put Royal Caribbean in front of the ship name in order for it to find your ship.

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