Text message and calls

[Mustang93!]

what do I need to buy to be able to text message? Wifi, etc.? Also, where is the best plzce to make calls with cell phone, on ship, island, etc. please advise. I want to be able to stay in touch with the u,s for the least amount of money. Thank you.

[gerelmx]

We put the iPhone in plane mode and on the islands used free WiFi spots, on the ship you need the WiFi pkg or pay the roaming charges

[myfuzzy]

1. Call your phone company and ask them. Every company is different. IF you don't check for a plan before your cruise, your phone bill may be higher than your cruise.

[maybr]

and many phone companies have plans specifically for cruises....

[lais]

I always turn off cellular data first thing. Then you need WiFi to be able to text or call through WhatsApp or Viber

I have an I phone so I can text iPhone to iPhone only. My husband as android and can text anyone. You can also use messenger. If you have a lot of port stops then you can find lots of places with WiFi and really don’t need ship WiFi.

I have never tried to make a call from the ship but I have seen people talking on their phones. Someone in this board will know about calling from the ship. Might need a special plan with your carrier.

[myfuzzy]

You also might want to go to "search boards" with your question ans see how many threads there are on this subject to get a starting point.. when you put in "texting" you get 294 threads on the subject

[TeeRick]

The easiest answer here -and least expensive- is WiFi Calling mode on your phone. This applies to US-based carriers. It requires a WiFi package on the ship or WiFi hotspots in ports. Works worldwide. If you have an iPhone you can text/receive iMessages or you can use something like Whatsapp. You can make and receive phone calls. We have Verizon but every major carrier in the US supports this on their later phone models. You need an iPhone 6 or above for example with Verizon. You need to set it up once with your carrier before your first trip. Once onboard, put the phone on airplane mode then connect to WiFi. Leave it on airplane mode so there will be no charges. For Verizon, you will see a notation "VZW Wi-Fi" in the upper left corner of your phone next to the signal strength bars so you know its working. Try this at home to get used to it before your trip. It is very easy.

 

If you don't want to purchase WiFi on board just wait until you are in a port and find a WiFi signal and use WiFi Calling on land. Follow the crew- they usually know where the free WiFi signals are!

[Sam.Seattle]

Another vote for "Messenger" here. Works on ship's wifi very well. Just be sure who you want to talk to also knows how to use the messenger app.

[Hidden Minnie]

Which works better over ship WiFi - WhatsApp or getting a Google Voice number? I have an elderly father who can have health emergencies and want to be contactable by his health care facility....

[Denny01]

I have AT&T because it has more widespread service in Europe, and we get an International Package. We do use WiFi Calling when available and Texting. IPhone iMessages work great for texting.

 

For AT&T (and most others) the International package has good options. On Board/Caribbean and Euro cities For on land use (when ashore more than a day inport call), I got a $10 all day calling package. It let me call and text as much as I want and use my digital downloads (up to my standard limit) for a 24hr period. When I didn’t call or text or download some day, no charge. So it was handy that way. Just make sure your Cellular and Roaming are off so you don’t get a call from someone on a day you dint’ want to use the package. So on a 10day shore tour, it cost me $50. Gave me the flexibility in case WiFi wasn’t available for through-WiFi calls.

 

Lots of options. Personally, I used a package ashore because it wasn’t that expensive and I didn’t want to take time to go to some WiFI spot in a town and use the phone. Rather explore more, but ther are lots of Wi-Fi sites in most ports.

 

Den

[TeeRick]

Like ATT, Verizon Wireless has Travel Pass for either $5/day (Canada, Mexico) or $10/day every other country. That is an option for ports but not on ship. It uses your home plan minutes, data and text amounts. If you are purchasing or receive a WiFi package on ship anyway, then WiFi Calling is the no additional cost option to you.

[RS77471]

The easiest answer here -and least expensive- is WiFi Calling mode on your phone. This applies to US-based carriers. It requires a WiFi package on the ship or WiFi hotspots in ports. Works worldwide. If you have an iPhone you can text/receive iMessages or you can use something like Whatsapp. You can make and receive phone calls. We have Verizon but every major carrier in the US supports this on their later phone models. You need an iPhone 6 or above for example with Verizon. You need to set it up once with your carrier before your first trip. Once onboard, put the phone on airplane mode then connect to WiFi. Leave it on airplane mode so there will be no charges. For Verizon, you will see a notation "VZW Wi-Fi" in the upper left corner of your phone next to the signal strength bars so you know its working. Try this at home to get used to it before your trip. It is very easy.

 

If you don't want to purchase WiFi on board just wait until you are in a port and find a WiFi signal and use WiFi Calling on land. Follow the crew- they usually know where the free WiFi signals are!

 

Thank you for this!!

 

Just making sure I understand. If I put my phone on airplane mode...purchase the ships Wi-Fi, enable Wi-Fi calling on my phone, I can make calls while on the ship to folks at home with no additional charge correct? Do the people I am calling also have to have their iPhone on Wi-Fi calling?

[Cirdan]

Just making sure I understand. If I put my phone on airplane mode...purchase the ships Wi-Fi, enable Wi-Fi calling on my phone, I can make calls while on the ship to folks at home with no additional charge correct? Do the people I am calling also have to have their iPhone on Wi-Fi calling?

 

WiFi calling is a protocol, which transmit your call via WiFi+internet to your mobile network provider (and encrypting the data, like normal GSM, using the SIM-card). Your network provider will then put on their network, like a normal call. So on the other end, there is no differences, they will not know if you are using real GSM network or Internet. Note: Internet could have more lag.

 

If your phone and your provider do not provide WiFi Calling, you can use apps to call (Skype, Whats-up, Hangout, ...). Some of them, with premium fee, will transmit calls toward normal phone lines (so you will have a phone number). But usually, e.g. with the free version, the recipient must have the same app installed (but so, you will have much more functionalities).

[bjahil47]

Thank you for this!!

 

Just making sure I understand. If I put my phone on airplane mode...purchase the ships Wi-Fi, enable Wi-Fi calling on my phone, I can make calls while on the ship to folks at home with no additional charge correct? Do the people I am calling also have to have their iPhone on Wi-Fi calling?

 

Make sure you have set up WiFi calling before you leave, then you can turn it off. When aboard ship, Get WiFi from ship, turn on WiFi calling (in settings, under cellular on iPhone). Then put in airplane mode. Works perfectly! Did it last cruise.

Bonnie

[VitaminSea53]

Awesome Sauce. I never heard of this.

 

 

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[DUTRAVEL]

Thank you for this!!

 

 

 

Just making sure I understand. If I put my phone on airplane mode...purchase the ships Wi-Fi, enable Wi-Fi calling on my phone, I can make calls while on the ship to folks at home with no additional charge correct? Do the people I am calling also have to have their iPhone on Wi-Fi calling?

 

 

 

If you both have iPhones, you can also FaceTime using the ship’s WiFi with no additional charges.

 

 

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[sleepless]

I have a Galaxy 7 through Sprint. I will also have the WiFi package on this ship. Will I be able to sent text messages while on the ship? Would I need to put it in airplane mode only, or is there something else I need to do? Not really interested in calling home, but would be interested in sending a text message or two.

[markeb]

I have a Galaxy 7 through Sprint. I will also have the WiFi package on this ship. Will I be able to sent text messages while on the ship? Would I need to put it in airplane mode only, or is there something else I need to do? Not really interested in calling home, but would be interested in sending a text message or two.

 

Yes, or at least yes on an iPhone, and I believe this is one of those places they behave the same.

 

Place the phone in airplane mode then activate wifi. Connect to the ship's wifi. On an iPhone, you'd see an airplane icon, the name of your carrier + Wi-Fi, and the wifi icon. At this point, as far as the phone is concerned you're on a wireless network. You can call or text (SMS, true "text") the same as if you were on your local cellular network.

[markeb]

Thank you for this!!

 

Just making sure I understand. If I put my phone on airplane mode...purchase the ships Wi-Fi, enable Wi-Fi calling on my phone, I can make calls while on the ship to folks at home with no additional charge correct? Do the people I am calling also have to have their iPhone on Wi-Fi calling?

 

If you both have iPhones, you can also FaceTime using the ship’s WiFi with no additional charges.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

These are two different considerations.

 

1) Wi-Fi calling is simply making a phone call over an internet connection. The call goes through the internet, then connects to the domestic phone network, just like it would if you were using Xfinity or Fios or a VOIP phone at work. How you connect is invisible to you and the party on the other end. You can call any phone, wireless or wired, and the receiving party does not have to be on an iPhone.

 

2) Facetime uses an internet connection, but is a proprietary connection from Apple. Both parties must be on an iOS device (or possibly a MAC; I'm a Windows guy). You can't call someone who isn't on an iOS device with Facetime.

[DUTRAVEL]

 

2) Facetime uses an internet connection, but is a proprietary connection from Apple. Both parties must be on an iOS device (or possibly a MAC; I'm a Windows guy). You can't call someone who isn't on an iOS device with Facetime.

 

Correct - that is why I said "if you both have iPhones."

[markeb]

Correct - that is why I said "if you both have iPhones."

 

I know. But it sometimes gets lost in translation around here :).