Would love a definitive answer on Royal-IQ app for sailing on Harmony!

[fl-girl]

I've read so many different answers to this question... Does anyone who has actually sailed on Harmony know if the Royal-IQ app can be used INSTEAD OF purchasing the wifi option onboard? We have two parents and two kids and we'd like to split up, but be able to stay in touch... and especially would love for the kids to be able to go off together, but stay "connected" to us via texting. It's an additional $22 a day for 2 phones to have wifi. For a 7-day cruise that'll add up. So someone suggested we get the Royal-IQ app and use that for texting, but I've heard that you need to purchase ship's wifi to use the Royal-IQ app.

 

The app store description says "Please note, Royal iQ only works onboard Quantum, Anthem, Ovation and Harmony. Guests must be connected to "royal-wifi." There is no charge to connect to royal-wifi or use Royal iQ except for the calling / texting functionality which has a nominal fee."

 

Um - what? So you do or do not need to pay for the ship's wifi access?

And what is a nominal fee?

 

I called RCI and the woman who answered said she didn't know about the app, but read to me her "blurb" about it from her computer screen. She couldn't answer my questions on it. She suggested we bring walkie-talkies, but I've been told by pretty much everyone that bringing walkie-talkies on a huge ship for a summer cruise full of kids is a waste of time.

 

Can anyone help us figure this out? Thanks in advance :hearteyes:

[Paulxyz2004]

I've read so many different answers to this question... Does anyone who has actually sailed on Harmony know if the Royal-IQ app can be used INSTEAD OF purchasing the wifi option onboard? We have two parents and two kids and we'd like to split up, but be able to stay in touch... and especially would love for the kids to be able to go off together, but stay "connected" to us via texting. It's an additional $22 a day for 2 phones to have wifi. For a 7-day cruise that'll add up. So someone suggested we get the Royal-IQ app and use that for texting, but I've heard that you need to purchase ship's wifi to use the Royal-IQ app.

 

The app store description says "Please note, Royal iQ only works onboard Quantum, Anthem, Ovation and Harmony. Guests must be connected to "royal-wifi." There is no charge to connect to royal-wifi or use Royal iQ except for the calling / texting functionality which has a nominal fee."

 

Um - what? So you do or do not need to pay for the ship's wifi access?

And what is a nominal fee?

 

I called RCI and the woman who answered said she didn't know about the app, but read to me her "blurb" about it from her computer screen. She couldn't answer my questions on it. She suggested we bring walkie-talkies, but I've been told by pretty much everyone that bringing walkie-talkies on a huge ship for a summer cruise full of kids is a waste of time.

 

Can anyone help us figure this out? Thanks in advance :hearteyes:

 

You Need to connect to the Royal Wifi to use the web, but this part of WIFI is at no additional Charge. So the app can be used for free. However the texting part is an additional cost. So if you want to text it´s 7.95 USD for every Person to use the texting / calling Feature. Note for this you can only text / call People who have this Feature activated on their phone as well. No outside calls with this.

[fl-girl]

You Need to connect to the Royal Wifi to use the web, but this part of WIFI is at no additional Charge. So the app can be used for free. However the texting part is an additional cost. So if you want to text it´s 7.95 USD for every Person to use the texting / calling Feature. Note for this you can only text / call People who have this Feature activated on their phone as well. No outside calls with this.

 

So it's only $7.95 per phone for the whole cruise to be able to text? Because that sounds like a good deal. Where does it say it's a $7.95 charge? I feel like the info on this is sorely lacking. Thanks so much for your input!

[Paulxyz2004]

So it's only $7.95 per phone for the whole cruise to be able to text? Because that sounds like a good deal. Where does it say it's a $7.95 charge? I feel like the info on this is sorely lacking. Thanks so much for your input!

 

well Google is your friend;)

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/royaliq

 

STAY IN TOUCH ON THE OPEN SEAS

 

With Royal iQ, you're only a phone call or text away from friends and family, whether they're onboard or wishing they were onboard. Once you download the app, you'll receive your own unique onboard number.

For $7.95, Royal iQ offers unlimited calling and texting to anyone onboard who has a Royal iQ communication package. Plus, you can take advantage of crystal clear outgoing (ship-to-shore) and incoming (shore-to-ship) calls, billed at a per-minute rate.

[Clarea]

So it's only $7.95 per phone for the whole cruise to be able to text? ...

Correct.

[fl-girl]

well Google is your friend;)

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/royaliq

 

STAY IN TOUCH ON THE OPEN SEAS

 

With Royal iQ, you're only a phone call or text away from friends and family, whether they're onboard or wishing they were onboard. Once you download the app, you'll receive your own unique onboard number.

For $7.95, Royal iQ offers unlimited calling and texting to anyone onboard who has a Royal iQ communication package. Plus, you can take advantage of crystal clear outgoing (ship-to-shore) and incoming (shore-to-ship) calls, billed at a per-minute rate.

 

 

Thanks, but when I called RCI earlier today they said I would still have to purchase the ship's wifi package to use the app. So you can see my confusion, which is why I asked here. Plus the reviews are horrible in the app store, so I was hoping someone who has used it would be able to share some info.

[BamaGuy44]

Thanks, but when I called RCI earlier today they said I would still have to purchase the ship's wifi package to use the app. So you can see my confusion, which is why I asked here. Plus the reviews are horrible in the app store, so I was hoping someone who has used it would be able to share some info.

 

I would trust the site over what a phone rep tells you, they are notorious for being poorly informed :(

 

My sister just got off Harmony, it's free to use the app to view the cruise compass/menus, etc. You connect to the wifi but you don'y have to have the package.

 

If you want to text using the app it's 7.95 per phone.

[rccllovergirl]

We are the family of 4 (2 parents and 2 kids) and were ableto use it on the Quantum this past Christmas/New Year cruise.

Before you sail you need to install Royal IQ app(free). Then while on the ship you canuse it for free to look up your calendars, make dinner reservations, etc.

Then if you pay $7.95 per device you can use the same app totext and call anyone on the ship who has this app (and also paid $7.95). So we paid 7.95 times 4 ($31.80) for our 10days cruise and were able to text/call each other.

 

I can’t say it worked all the time, but I would say 75% ormay be even more it worked. I will be on Oasis in June and if they have it I wouldbuy it.

[fl-girl]

We are the family of 4 (2 parents and 2 kids) and were ableto use it on the Quantum this past Christmas/New Year cruise.

Before you sail you need to install Royal IQ app(free). Then while on the ship you canuse it for free to look up your calendars, make dinner reservations, etc.

Then if you pay $7.95 per device you can use the same app totext and call anyone on the ship who has this app (and also paid $7.95). So we paid 7.95 times 4 ($31.80) for our 10days cruise and were able to text/call each other.

 

I can’t say it worked all the time, but I would say 75% ormay be even more it worked. I will be on Oasis in June and if they have it I wouldbuy it.

 

That is really helpful! Thanks!!!!!!!

[Biker19]

I will be on Oasis in June and if they have it I would buy it.

The app is not available on Oasis.

[kdnurs]

Thanks, but when I called RCI earlier today they said I would still have to purchase the ship's wifi package to use the app. So you can see my confusion, which is why I asked here. Plus the reviews are horrible in the app store, so I was hoping someone who has used it would be able to share some info.

 

I was on the Harmony for the Christmas Holiday Cruise. Three(3) of us purchased the 7.95 app package and communicated with each the entire cruise by texting. We did not have to purchase a wifi (VROOM) package.

[ellenw]

Used the Royal IQ app on our Harmony TransAtlantic in October. $7.95 per device for the entire 13 day cruise. Put my phone on airplane mode, and then turned on wifi and selected Royal Caribbean. As others mentioned, it didn't work 100% of the time, but was still a good way to keep in touch with people. It's a really big ship! Easier to text than just wandering around trying to find someone.

 

Interesting note - I didn't have internet service during the cruise, but would occasionally get texts or local news alerts. Never got any kind of charge for it. Just don't know why this happened every so often. Same thing happened on NCL Epic in February.

[Biker19]

Interesting note - I didn't have internet service during the cruise, but would occasionally get texts or local news alerts. Never got any kind of charge for it. Just don't know why this happened every so often.

When connected to the ship's WiFi you are connected to the internet, but are typically limited to RCI related sites. That network filtering software sometimes lets other internet traffic slip through.