Free WiFi??

[RBAlbany]

Recently booked the Sky for February of 2012 with the sale.  I know exactly what free gratuities, and free drink package are.  Trying to figure out exactly what free WiFi gets me.  This is my first "medallion" cruise.  I assume the medallion does not require a separate WiFi, or not many would use it. Is fre WiFi only so I can use the medallion app on my phone?  Free WiFi does not mean internet, correct?  I still am encouraged to be on airplane mood while on the ship to avoid $$.  In a nut shell---exactly what does free WiFi get me?   

[CineGraphic]

Free wifi = Free internet

 

Keep your phone in airplane mode

[voljeep]

if you booked under BSE - the free wifi/internet IS included - unlimited for one device at a time for each person

[RBAlbany]

So I can Google?  Text family members at home?  No costs?

[RBAlbany]

For my wife--Facebook???

[Daniel A]

If you don't purchase or have the free wifi, you can still use your phone/tablet to connect to the ship's internal MedallionNet which will give you access to the onboard apps that make ocean concierge and ocean compass work but you won't have access to the world wide web.  You would need the wifi for that.

[Daniel A]

4 minutes ago, RBAlbany said:

So I can Google?  Text family members at home?  No costs?

 

3 minutes ago, RBAlbany said:

For my wife--Facebook???

If you booked under the Best Sale Ever and got the free Wifi then yes - you will have full access to the internet.

[RBAlbany]

We did.  WOW!  

[skynight]

1 hour ago, RBAlbany said:

So I can Google?  Text family members at home?  No costs?

Anything via the internet, like e-mail, Google, music streaming, an so on.

Text using cell service, that's a no. Turn airplane mode on so you block cell service. Cellular at sea is very expensive.

Cellular phone calls - no. Wi-Fi phone calls - yes.

Edited December 31, 2019 by skynight

[rocklinmom]

Any advantage to having the free unlimited Wifi vs. the Elite benefit 250 free internet minutes? This would be for a 14 day cruise. 

[RBAlbany]

So emails, but no texts?

[Colo Cruiser]

1 minute ago, RBAlbany said:

So emails, but no texts?

iMessage yes

[suekel]

Google Messaging now has a new update for RCD testing which allows you to text on android phones while using wifi.  If this confuses you, ask a teenager.  🙂

[suekel]

3 minutes ago, suekel said:

Google Messaging now has a new update for RCD testing which allows you to text on android phones while using wifi.  If this confuses you, ask a teenager.  🙂

That should say RCD texting.  

[skynight]

2 hours ago, RBAlbany said:

So emails, but no texts?

Anything that goes through the internet (Wi-Fi). Any cell, like your normal cell phone text, costs plenty. This is why you place your phone in airplane mode to block cell service, inbound and outbound. There are some tricks, but this is the basic.

[XBGuy]

3 hours ago, rocklinmom said:

Any advantage to having the free unlimited Wifi vs. the Elite benefit 250 free internet minutes? This would be for a 14 day cruise. 

 

The big advantage would be not having to remember to log out when you have finished your internet activity.  Other than that, if you can budget your 250 over the 14 days (or in my wife's case 500 minutes since I give her mine), and you can remember to log off at the end of each session, then you should be fine.

 

On the other hand, "free" is a pretty compelling argument.  Paying for unlimited Wi-fi vs. managing your Elite benefit is a more difficult decision.

[rocklinmom]

Thank you XBGuy! Excellent points. 

[kywildcatfanone]

7 hours ago, RBAlbany said:

Recently booked the Sky for February of 2012 with the sale.  I know exactly what free gratuities, and free drink package are.  Trying to figure out exactly what free WiFi gets me.  This is my first "medallion" cruise.  I assume the medallion does not require a separate WiFi, or not many would use it. Is fre WiFi only so I can use the medallion app on my phone?  Free WiFi does not mean internet, correct?  I still am encouraged to be on airplane mood while on the ship to avoid $$.  In a nut shell---exactly what does free WiFi get me?   

Free unlimited internet for one device at a time.

[crystalspin]

13 hours ago, RBAlbany said:

So emails, but no texts?

Set up your "wifi calling" at home and regular texting (not google, RCD or xxx) will go through over WiFi, no cellular.

[pompeii]

Or download and use WhatsApp.  You can message, voice message, or call using wifi  to any of your contacts who also have WhatsApp.  Take and send photos, too.

Edited January 1, 2020 by pompeii

[lstone19]

It is unfortunate that Princess is calling this "Wi-Fi" when what they mean is "Internet". Wi-Fi and Internet are not the same thing. Wi-Fi is merely a network protocol for wirelessly connecting a device to a network. A network reached via Wi-Fi may or may not be connected to the Internet. Both on a ship and many airplanes today, Wi-Fi initially only gives you access to the local intranet (on many airplanes, that's how the personal device entertainment works); reaching the Internet then requires purchasing (or having by other entitlement) Internet access. All Princess passengers have access to the ship's intranet via Wi-Fi (calendar, internal messaging, stateroom account, etc.); the "Wi-Fi" included in Best Sale Ever is actually the Internet access part of it.

 

On your phone when on the cellular network, voice calling and regular text messaging use the voice side of the cellular connection; everything else (including iMessages which seem like text messages but are really something different) use the data side of it. Connecting to the Internet via Wi-Fi allows that connection to be used instead of your cellular data. So when connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi but not on a cellular network, you don't have the things that require the voice connections (voice calls and text messages). But, if you turn on Wi-Fi Calling, then the voice connection can be routed via the Internet. In which case you do have voice calls and text messages even without being on a cellular network. And as has been said, you don't want to use the ship's cell tower because it is very expensive (how expensive depends on your cellular provider). 

 

Here's something a lot of people don't know. A lot of these pay for Internet Wi-Fi services are a bit leaky and some stuff gets through even though you haven't paid for Internet service. On some planes, I find by merely having my phone on the plane's intranet, I receive notifications as well as being able to both receive and send iMessages. And on a cruise a couple of months ago on Coral Princess (although I expect it will work the same on all MedallionNet ships), I was toggling a single-device Internet package between my phone and computer with Wi-Fi Calling turned on on my phone. At one point, I switched to the computer. Despite that, the Wi-Fi Calling indicator remained on on my phone and I received a call as well as app notifications! A little experimentation indicated that Wi-Fi Calling stayed available on the phone for an hour or so after I switched Internet access to the computer - YMMV.

 

[Steelers36]

23 hours ago, RBAlbany said:

So emails, but no texts?

WhatsApp works great!!  You can make voice/video calls as well.

[Steelers0854]

2 hours ago, lstone19 said:

It is unfortunate that Princess is calling this "Wi-Fi" when what they mean is "Internet". 

 

On your phone when on the cellular network, voice calling and regular text messaging use the voice side of the cellular connection; everything else (including iMessages which seem like text messages but are really something different) use the data side of it.

 

 But, if you turn on Wi-Fi Calling, then the voice connection can be routed via the Internet. In which case you do have voice calls and text messages even without being on a cellular network. 

 

Here's something a lot of people don't know. A lot of these pay for Internet Wi-Fi services are a bit leaky and some stuff gets through even though you haven't paid for Internet service. On some planes, I find by merely having my phone on the plane's intranet, I receive notifications as well as being able to both receive and send iMessages. 

 

 

Not entirely sure why we need to get this technical here, for most Wi-Fi equates to wireless internet access and that’s perfectly fine.  

 

But if you want to get technical, your post has some errors.  Most cell providers now use VoLTE and the voice side of things is actually transmitted as data and not on the old standards. 

 

Text messages, more specifically SMS messages cannot be sent over an internet connection, so even WiFi calling wont help you here.  Voice calls yes, but SMS messages no.

 

A lot of airlines actually offer this as a feature now.  You can get iMessages and even Apple Music for free onboard simply by connecting to the planes Wi-Fi network.  

[lstone19]

5 minutes ago, Steelers0854 said:

 

Not entirely sure why we need to get this technical here, for most Wi-Fi equates to wireless internet access and that’s perfectly fine.  

 

Text messages, more specifically SMS messages cannot be sent over an internet connection, so even WiFi calling wont help you here.  Voice calls yes, but SMS messages no.

 

A lot of airlines actually offer this as a feature now.  You can get iMessages and even Apple Music for free onboard simply by connecting to the planes Wi-Fi network.  

 

1st quoted paragraph: The initial poster specifically asked to clarify if Wi-Fi as used by Princess meant Internet and assumed it didn't. So the distinction is very much on-topic for this topic.

 

2nd quoted paragraph: On my last cruise, regular SMS text messages were received while on the ship's Internet. Perhaps it has to do with the magic Apple does that copies regular SMS messages to my computer and iPad. However, on a plane where iMessages leak through, regular SMS messages do not.

 

3rd quoted paragraph: True on some carriers but not on the one I usually fly (and retired from). Having iMessages come through is not a listed feature but it happens on some (but not all) fleets - depends on what provider provides Internet to that aircraft fleet.

 

[Steelers0854]

19 minutes ago, lstone19 said:

 

1st quoted paragraph: The initial poster specifically asked to clarify if Wi-Fi as used by Princess meant Internet and assumed it didn't. So the distinction is very much on-topic for this topic.

 

2nd quoted paragraph: On my last cruise, regular SMS text messages were received while on the ship's Internet. Perhaps it has to do with the magic Apple does that copies regular SMS messages to my computer and iPad. However, on a plane where iMessages leak through, regular SMS messages do not.

 

3rd quoted paragraph: True on some carriers but not on the one I usually fly (and retired from). Having iMessages come through is not a listed feature but it happens on some (but not all) fleets - depends on what provider provides Internet to that aircraft fleet.

 

 

Looks like with some providers they do offer SMS with WiFi calling, this is actually really good to know, saves a lot of headache!