blueboy98 Posted March 27, 2017 #1 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Can anyone elaborate on how to stay connected with family back home with iMessages while on the Getaway? I have an iPhone and family at home also have an iPhone. We have both an ATT iPhone and Verizon iPhone with us on the ship. Sent from my iPad using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClevelandCruisin Posted March 27, 2017 #2 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Get the "WhatsApp" app... tell everyone you need to contact it to download it. You'll need an internet package on the ship and the app works on data. Uses the phones internet to connect. Just my 2 cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakess Posted March 27, 2017 #3 Share Posted March 27, 2017 I have ATT also anyone? Sent from my iPad using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim The Lizard Posted March 27, 2017 #4 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Ok, we have T Mobile. Just being connected on the IConcierge app (NCL), our 14 year old daughter was able to text us ALL WEEK while we were on Escape in February (she was at home with my parents). No charges to our bill. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClevelandCruisin Posted March 27, 2017 #5 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Ok, we have T Mobile. Just being connected on the IConcierge app (NCL), our 14 year old daughter was able to text us ALL WEEK while we were on Escape in February (she was at home with my parents). No charges to our bill. Sent from my iPhone using Forums That works great too, but they want to text back home... I have tmobile too. The new plans, they'd have to purchase a plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim The Lizard Posted March 27, 2017 #6 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Ok, we have T Mobile. Just being connected on the IConcierge app (NCL), our 14 year old daughter was able to text us ALL WEEK while we were on Escape in February (she was at home with my parents). No charges to our bill. Sent from my iPhone using Forums I Message. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christopherfar Posted March 27, 2017 #7 Share Posted March 27, 2017 iMessage works using data, so either wifi or cellular data will send iMessages. Buy wifi on the ship, and you can iMessage without additional charges so long as you stay connected to it. If you leave the ship in a non-US port, however, you'll get charged for international data. Bottom line: Use it on wifi on the ship. Avoid it in non-US ports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
js Posted March 27, 2017 #8 Share Posted March 27, 2017 iMessage works using data, so either wifi or cellular data will send iMessages. Buy wifi on the ship, and you can iMessage without additional charges so long as you stay connected to it. If you leave the ship in a non-US port, however, you'll get charged for international data. Bottom line: Use it on wifi on the ship. Avoid it in non-US ports. My dh and I are sailing Escape in July wihout my 19 and 23 year old kids. We all have iPhones. One of our perks is internet minutes. If we all downlod whatsapp, can we text while out to sea? I plan on getting a calling package from Verizon to make calls in ports. I just sailed with my mom on Getaway last month and her bill was $24 and we made multiple calls at port and she texted at port too. Thanks. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClevelandCruisin Posted March 27, 2017 #9 Share Posted March 27, 2017 (edited) My dh and I are sailing Escape in July wihout my 19 and 23 year old kids. We all have iPhones. One of our perks is internet minutes. If we all downlod whatsapp, can we text while out to sea? I plan on getting a calling package from Verizon to make calls in ports. I just sailed with my mom on Getaway last month and her bill was $24 and we made multiple calls at port and she texted at port too. Thanks. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Need the ships lowest internet package. Edited March 27, 2017 by ClevelandCruisin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BirdTravels Posted March 27, 2017 #10 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Can anyone elaborate on how to stay connected with family back home with iMessages while on the Getaway? I have an iPhone and family at home also have an iPhone. We have both an ATT iPhone and Verizon iPhone with us on the ship. iMessage uses the internet (not telephone carrier) to message between apple devices. On other ships, there has been a "bug" in the wifi service that has allowed people to text using iMessage. No guarantees that if you have the iConcierge app running, you can do free iMessaging. Starting two weeks ago, the Getaway is piloting NCL's new tiered internet service. Which means that the ship will further restrict the URLs and protocols used over their wifi. So, you would need to talk with the internet cafe manager (who works for the satellite internet company, not NCL), to see if the iMessage loophole still works. And if not, what type of internet service you need to buy on board to text back home. We sail multiple times a year and always purchase an unlimited internet package to stay in contact with work (use to work o.k. with iMessage and Facetime voice and Skype voice). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
808cruisef Posted March 27, 2017 #11 Share Posted March 27, 2017 You don't even need the iconcierge app for iMessage to work. Just put phone on airplane mode and turn on wifi. Don't log in, just turn it on. Only works with iMessage. No charges, no wifi needed. One note, pictures won't send or receive. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueboy98 Posted March 27, 2017 Author #12 Share Posted March 27, 2017 To 808cruisef, Have you done this recently on Getaway? Sent from my iPad using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim The Lizard Posted March 27, 2017 #13 Share Posted March 27, 2017 You don't even need the iconcierge app for iMessage to work. Just put phone on airplane mode and turn on wifi. Don't log in, just turn it on. Only works with iMessage. No charges, no wifi needed. One note, pictures won't send or receive. Sent from my iPhone using Forums That's exactly how it worked for us on Escape. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaOne Posted March 27, 2017 #14 Share Posted March 27, 2017 You don't even need the iconcierge app for iMessage to work. Just put phone on airplane mode and turn on wifi. Don't log in, just turn it on. Only works with iMessage. No charges, no wifi needed. One note, pictures won't send or receive. We used iMessage all week on the Breakaway earlier this month. Works great for those on-board and at home. I was a little disappointed that one can't send pictures, but texting worked great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanger727 Posted March 27, 2017 #15 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Glad the iMessage worked free for some people but it def didn't work for us on the jade in Jan. We logged into the wifi for iconcierge. I occasionally got a weather update and an iMessage... but most of the messages people sent me during that time didn't come through until I actually logged into the internet. So, don't count on that working. What you can do, and what I did do, was just log into the internet a couple minutes at a time to send/receive messages and emails. Just did pay as you go and set the spending limit at $25. This works fine if you just want to check in and don't need to get the messages in real time. We used iconcierge on the ship to meet up. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeg105 Posted March 27, 2017 #16 Share Posted March 27, 2017 iMessage does not work anymore on NCL Getaway. I was on the 3/12 sailing and they fixed the loophole. We had to use the iConcierge app to stay in touch while on board. It worked (most of the time), but for $14.99 per device it seems like a total ripoff. NCL added a new texting only plan that was ~$75 for 7 days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LrgPizza Posted March 27, 2017 #17 Share Posted March 27, 2017 For those saying they used iMessage without paying for an internet plan, they need to understand that while this does sometimes work, it is merely a loophole. It is not supposed to work, so it certainly isn't guaranteed. For us, sometimes we could send and receive, most the time we couldn't. (This was on Escape last year). If it is imperative to stay in contact, I'd suggest having a back up plan and not relying on a loophole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
js Posted March 27, 2017 #18 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Need the ships lowest internet package. Thank you. One of the perks with my suite is the internet package as well as whatever I get for Platinum and guessing they can be combined. So, is the answer yes, we can text while at sea with us all having the whatsapp app on our phone. Does it work well? Thanks so much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim The Lizard Posted March 27, 2017 #19 Share Posted March 27, 2017 For those saying they used iMessage without paying for an internet plan, they need to understand that while this does sometimes work, it is merely a loophole. It is not supposed to work, so it certainly isn't guaranteed. For us, sometimes we could send and receive, most the time we couldn't. (This was on Escape last year). If it is imperative to stay in contact, I'd suggest having a back up plan and not relying on a loophole. Agreed. I think we just got lucky on the Escape in February. I am sure with all the new social media plans, NCL will figure this out. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdrb Posted March 27, 2017 #20 Share Posted March 27, 2017 I just sailed on the Getaway last week with 3 teenagers (15, 17, 19), Internet, wifi, texting was a BIG deal for them. I purchased the unlimited wifi package, downloaded the iConcierge app, and paid an additional $14.95 per phone to use the messaging features. Here the deal... the wifi only allows you to connect with 1 device at a time. So if kid 1 is on, and kid 2 logs on, kid 1 is kicked off. My kids shared the wifi to post to social media, and use wifi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruising...our happy place Posted March 27, 2017 #21 Share Posted March 27, 2017 iMessage works using data, so either wifi or cellular data will send iMessages. Buy wifi on the ship, and you can iMessage without additional charges so long as you stay connected to it. If you leave the ship in a non-US port, however, you'll get charged for international data. Bottom line: Use it on wifi on the ship. Avoid it in non-US ports. As stated above, we were happily surprised to see IM to IM work well for us last two years on Getaway, Breakaway and Escape. However, it did not work as well -- earlier this month on the Escape. I agree that What'sApp is the way to go for texting for non-IM users/ Sent from my iPad using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janetz Posted March 27, 2017 #22 Share Posted March 27, 2017 You can WiFi call from the islands. Just find a hot spot. (Follow the crew) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moby0215 Posted March 28, 2017 #23 Share Posted March 28, 2017 Thank you. One of the perks with my suite is the internet package as well as whatever I get for Platinum and guessing they can be combined. So, is the answer yes, we can text while at sea with us all having the whatsapp app on our phone. Does it work well? Thanks so much! You do not need the whatsapp app. iMessages work over data so as long as you are connected to the internet then you will be fine. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victorious8 Posted March 28, 2017 #24 Share Posted March 28, 2017 iMessage worked for me the last two cruises I was on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LrgPizza Posted March 28, 2017 #25 Share Posted March 28, 2017 You do not need the whatsapp app. iMessages work over data so as long as you are connected to the internet then you will be fine. Whatsapp was suggested in the event the recipient doesn't have iMessage. Regular texts can't be sent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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