Confused about wi fi vs app?

[2kruzers]

Obviously, I am not very tech savvy - thinking about cruising with my dh and dd (age 11) on the Gem in August. Would the 250 minute perk allow us to text one another on board? She and I have iphones but husband uses android. Not really interested in using internet other than to check e-mail once or twice during the week.

[nvaccaro]

Been trying to figure it all out myself. Found this post when I was looking earlier. It seems that maybe you can use NCL's app to connect to the ship's intranet and contact each other:

 

Prices are subject to change at any time, upon notice. Info herein as a general guide.

 

Texting is among other registered App users as an option, connect via WiFi inTRAnet only, no additional charges. But there is no group messaging function and delivery is often delayed, especially when devices are not active.

 

These are from the Breakaway, similar on the Gem recently. Be sure to turn off background data update & roaming, and stay in Airplane Mode, see iCafe manager for help, unlikely your Concierge can do much.

 

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[RD29P5]

I believe there is an additional charge for the texting feature, but don't know for sure since it doesn't work on Android.

[kodesthemoose]

The ship internet to text each other on board goes through the NCL iconcierge app or whatever they call it. You pay a fee per device to use the messaging feature; the app itself is free to use to tell you what's going on on the ship, etc.

 

 

 

Internet packages are for connecting to the outside world. The 250 minutes can only be used by one device at a time, so they would not really be usable to text one another.

[kodesthemoose]

I believe there is an additional charge for the texting feature, but don't know for sure since it doesn't work on Android.

 

really?? there is an android version....

[pr0pel]

really?? there is an android version....

The app works for both android and iOS and texting between both devices work fine as long as you pay for each device. You can pay for as many devices as you want. The device charge is separate from the wifi charges. If you buy wifi, you still can't text through the app.

 

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[sanger727]

Obviously, I am not very tech savvy - thinking about cruising with my dh and dd (age 11) on the Gem in August. Would the 250 minute perk allow us to text one another on board? She and I have iphones but husband uses android. Not really interested in using internet other than to check e-mail once or twice during the week.

 

 

 

No, the internet perk will not work well for this. The internet package requires you to log in and out, and only one person at a time. So DH might text be able to send you a text, but you wouldn’t get it until you decided to log in. And 250 minutes would go quickly with 3 people logging in and out often to text.

 

The iconcierge app would work better for this. It’s free to download and then you pay a per phone fee (on my last cruise it was $10) to be able to text each other throughout the cruise. The ship has intranet and internet. Iconcierge uses intranet. Basically a WiFi service but it only connects people on the ship to each other, doesn’t connect you to the outside world.

 

 

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[RD29P5]

really?? there is an android version....

 

The app works for both android and iOS and texting between both devices work fine as long as you pay for each device. You can pay for as many devices as you want. The device charge is separate from the wifi charges. If you buy wifi, you still can't text through the app.

 

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The basic app works on Android, but not the calling or texting feature. This is from the description straight from Google Play.

 

*The Phone calling features are available on iPhone only. However, the Messenger feature is available on both iPhone and iPad.

[pr0pel]

The basic app works on Android, but not the calling or texting feature. This is from the description straight from Google Play.

 

*The Phone calling features are available on iPhone only. However, the Messenger feature is available on both iPhone and iPad.

 

Sorry, I was referencing the texting only which I successfully used on the Breakaway last summer. Can't comment on the device to device calls or device to home calls but I'm guessing Google Play is correct.