Communication while onboard Freedom of the Seas

[klstiger]

Hi!

We just booked Freedom out of San Juan in late July. We have 4 families with kids ranging 14-10. My question, while on board, is there a way to communicate via text without spending a fortune on multiple internet packages? Or do we have to bring walkie talkies?

Went on the Indy about 9 years ago, looking forward to the Freedom.

 

In the past on one Carnival boat, they had a text app that you could use at no charge...

[Clarea]

At the present time, there is no low cost texting capability on Freedom. All devices would need the internet package.

[klstiger]

Disappointing... Thanks for the response.

[cb at sea]

Just set meet up times with the kids...let them know where you'll be, and they can come and check in, and tell you what they'll be doing for the next amount of time, until you meet up again. I prefer physical check ins, to texting....texting tells you nothing about their condition, and you don't know if they are where they say they are.....

I think you'll find the kids will be on the pool or sports deck when they're not in the club, or eating.....shouldn't be too hard to keep up with them!

[TravisP]

Can you not text using the Royal IQ app?

 

 

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[Biker19]

Can you not text using the Royal IQ app?

Yes, but not available on Freedom.

[klstiger]

Just set meet up times with the kids...let them know where you'll be, and they can come and check in, and tell you what they'll be doing for the next amount of time, until you meet up again. I prefer physical check ins, to texting....texting tells you nothing about their condition, and you don't know if they are where they say they are.....

I think you'll find the kids will be on the pool or sports deck when they're not in the club, or eating.....shouldn't be too hard to keep up with them!

 

 

 

Thanks for the thoughts. This isn’t our first cruise as a group and the kids have never had an issue nor the parents. The capability of texting makes tracking down one or all, as they all tend to stay together, a lot easier. No need to walk the entire ship to tell me that they are leaving point a to go to point b.

[anewtwinmom]

I have actually been researching this topic since we are traveling on Freedom of the Seas in June out of Puerto Rico. I have Verizon so contacted them directly to explore my options. I was told that iphones with Verizon have the Pay as You Go Travel option for texting. I was informed to ensure I turn off the Data Roaming feature so that I do not inadvertently access the data, but then I would still be able to send and receive texts at .50 cents per text message sent and .5 cents for text message received. I can also make calls at $2.99 per minute if necessary. I also called Royal Carribean and they would not 100% confirm this would work, but we plan to try it once on board. This ship does not have the RCL app yet. The most important thing to remember is to keep the Data Roaming feature off. I would suggest contacting your specific carrier to see what they recommend and find out if your service is compatible on this particular ship. Good luck!

[Tom & Nancy]

I have actually been researching this topic since we are traveling on Freedom of the Seas in June out of Puerto Rico. I have Verizon so contacted them directly to explore my options. I was told that iphones with Verizon have the Pay as You Go Travel option for texting. I was informed to ensure I turn off the Data Roaming feature so that I do not inadvertently access the data, but then I would still be able to send and receive texts at .50 cents per text message sent and .5 cents for text message received. I can also make calls at $2.99 per minute if necessary. I also called Royal Carribean and they would not 100% confirm this would work, but we plan to try it once on board. This ship does not have the RCL app yet. The most important thing to remember is to keep the Data Roaming feature off. I would suggest contacting your specific carrier to see what they recommend and find out if your service is compatible on this particular ship. Good luck!

 

Good info... thanks!

[furloughedagain]

Has anyone tried GoTenna?

 

 

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[beeradley1]

Has anyone tried GoTenna?

 

 

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Been reading up on this. It would be cool to know before a given cruise if other passengers were bringing some on board. If they were, it would be way worth it.

[blackshirt]

I have actually been researching this topic since we are traveling on Freedom of the Seas in June out of Puerto Rico. I have Verizon so contacted them directly to explore my options. I was told that iphones with Verizon have the Pay as You Go Travel option for texting. I was informed to ensure I turn off the Data Roaming feature so that I do not inadvertently access the data, but then I would still be able to send and receive texts at .50 cents per text message sent and .5 cents for text message received. I can also make calls at $2.99 per minute if necessary. I also called Royal Carribean and they would not 100% confirm this would work, but we plan to try it once on board. This ship does not have the RCL app yet. The most important thing to remember is to keep the Data Roaming feature off. I would suggest contacting your specific carrier to see what they recommend and find out if your service is compatible on this particular ship. Good luck!

All true but texting could get pretty expensive with 4 families. Just remember a group text to 10 people would get charged as 10 individual texts. On top of that, everyone, including the kids, would need to be connected to cellular at sea to receive the texts. Someone is bound to leave data roaming on and run up a big data bill. Verizon doesn’t even allow data usage over the ship’s system but ATT does at a rate of $8 per megabyte.

[furloughedagain]

What do you think of GoTenna... mesh network? I would just like to be able to text the kiddo and the ship we are sailing on doesn’t have RoyalIQ.

 

Has anyone used these mesh receivers to keep in touch onboard via text messaging?

 

https://meshcommunity.gotenna.com/t/aboard-a-cruise-ship/1705

 

 

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[Clarea]

What do you think of GoTenna... mesh network? I would just like to be able to text the kiddo and the ship we are sailing on doesn’t have RoyalIQ.

 

Has anyone used these mesh receivers to keep in touch onboard via text messaging?

 

https://meshcommunity.gotenna.com/t/aboard-a-cruise-ship/1705

 

This would probably work fine as long as you were in close proximity to each other with no walls or decks between you.

[furloughedagain]

Failing the mesh receivers (they work by creating a mesh network. The more people who have them on the ship, the more comprehensive the network. If it’s just my kid and I, probably wouldn’t work that great) I guess we will look for long range walkie talkies.

 

Does anyone have a model that they like that works great on the ship and uses discrete frequencies etc?

 

 

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[mchin]

Can you not text using the Royal IQ app?

 

 

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Royal IQ doesn't allow for texting unless you purchase the internet packages for each device.

[Clarea]

Royal IQ doesn't allow for texting unless you purchase the internet packages for each device.

Royal IQ allows texting if you pay $8 per device. No internet package needed.

[furloughedagain]

It’s July. What did the OP end up doing?

 

 

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[furloughedagain]

Just to add to the confusion, I found this option too.

 

https://www.att.com/esupport/article.html#!/wireless/KM1001002

 

 

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[Majestic-NJ]

We just ordered a set of 4 GoTennas for our cruise next month. The reviews I've read seem good and I'm hoping this is not only a good way to keep in touch on the ship but also at ports of calls when needed. They have become pretty popular. If you look at the imeshyou.com maps you will see that there are many people that have even setup permanent relays. Look at Puerto Rico. They are all over the place since Hurricane Maria.

[Biker19]

We just ordered a set of 4 GoTennas for our cruise next month.

Just realize that on a cruise ship the range will be drastically lower than anywhere else - where will you install them?

[furloughedagain]

We just ordered a set of 4 GoTennas for our cruise next month. The reviews I've read seem good and I'm hoping this is not only a good way to keep in touch on the ship but also at ports of calls when needed. They have become pretty popular. If you look at the imeshyou.com maps you will see that there are many people that have even setup permanent relays. Look at Puerto Rico. They are all over the place since Hurricane Maria.

 

 

 

I can’t wait to hear how they work! Please report back and let us know! Have a great trip!

 

 

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[Majestic-NJ]

Just realize that on a cruise ship the range will be drastically lower than anywhere else - where will you install them?

 

For optimum results we are going to wear them.

 

Some guests that used them on explorer of the seas were able to communicate with each other between the Crown and anchor society lounge and the theater on deck three. That’s pretty darn good.

 

We are sailing with a bunch of other people and I was hoping that they might pick up a set for them as well which would only make it better but so far no interest. They are on the costly side I’ll admit.

[Biker19]

For optimum results we are going to wear them.

 

 

 

Some guests that used them on explorer of the seas were able to communicate with each other between the Crown and anchor society lounge and the theater on deck three. That’s pretty darn good.

 

 

That is very good- I would have guessed the limit at a couple of decks.

[furloughedagain]

Majestic-NJ did you sail yet? Wondering how they worked.

 

 

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