Using a cell phone on Serenade

[gold]

Is it necessary to purchase an internet package to use a cell phone on board? 

[blackshirt]

No. All ships also offer Cellular at Sea. Any Cellular at Sea usage is billed through your carrier. Check your carrier for rates. 

[Clarea]

28 minutes ago, gold said:

Is it necessary to purchase an internet package to use a cell phone on board? 

 

Please explain exactly what you mean by "use a cell phone on board". 

 

For example, if you want to use the Calculator app, no internet package is needed.  However, if you want to check email, then you need data connectivity.

[SRF]

Be sitting down when you check those rates.

 

The rates are similar to the early days of cell phones.  BIG numbers per minute.

 

Some carriers have packages, where you pay a few per day, and get a reduced rate using cellular at sea.  But those tend to cost you almost as much as WiFi package, and then you still pay per minute.

 

Most carriers and smart phone support WiFi calling.   You use WiFi connection for phone calls and text messages for no extra charge over the WiFi price.

 

Edited January 20, 2020 by SRF

[gold]

If I want to surf websites and e-mails

[Clarea]

6 minutes ago, gold said:

If I want to surf websites and e-mails

 

Then you should purchase a VOOM package from RC. 

 

Using Cellular at Sea for data is not possible for Verizon and very slow and expensive for AT&T.

[SRF]

It may be cheaper even if you just want to make phone calls.

 

ATT is $50 for 30 days, and gives you 50 minutes of calling.  After that, you pay $2 per minute.

 

Yes TWO DOLLARS PER MINUTE.

 

So 10 days cruise, you pay $50 and get 10 minutes per day to call.

 

You purchase WiFi for $129.90 for the cruise (current price on my next cruise) and you get UNLIMITED minutes.

 

SO, if you talk for more than 14 minutes per day, you are better off getting WiFi.  And yes, you can even surf and check emails.

 

Oh, one more thing, if someone calls you and you do not answer, but they leave a long voice mail, that counts against your minutes.

 

With ATT you can also pay $100 and get unlimited calling.  You get 200 MB of data.  Over that is $2 per MB.  And you better make SURE you do not have background apps getting data.  People have reported $600 Cellular at Sea bills from unrealized data usage on their phone.

 

With WiFi calling, you turn Cellular OFF, so no chance of hidden cell usage.

 

YOUR choice......

Edited January 20, 2020 by SRF

[Biker19]

52 minutes ago, SRF said:

ATT is $50 for 30 days, and gives you 50 minutes of calling.  

 

So 10 days cruise, you pay $50 and get 10 minutes per day to call.

That math doesn't add up (10x10 = 100 in most places).

[ONECRUISER]

56 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

That math doesn't add up (10x10 = 100 in most places).

...Royal Website math?

[LeeW]

4 hours ago, Biker19 said:

That math doesn't add up (10x10 = 100 in most places).

 

SRF said $50 for 50 minutes.  Divide by 10 day cruise and it is actually 5 minutes a day.

 

But either way, you really don't want to use a cellular phone on a cruise ship unless you

turn off cell and turn on wireless.  Ship info with the RCI app is free.  Internet requires

you to buy a plan or use free locations in ports.

[SRF]

23 hours ago, Biker19 said:

That math doesn't add up (10x10 = 100 in most places).

 

DUH, it was late here.

 

5 minutes per day.

[Biker19]

54 minutes ago, SRF said:

DUH, it was late here.

Another lovely spot in Africa?

[hallux]

On 1/20/2020 at 12:12 PM, SRF said:

UNLIMITED minutes.

To be clear - that's unlimited minutes when calling using WiFi calling (if you got the unlimited package)!

 

For the OP - there are several relatively recent threads on here regarding using a phone as an actual phone while on the ship.  Some of the highlights - 

• Set up and test WiFi calling BEFORE LEAVING HOME!  Most plans offer this, check with your carrier.  This should also enable texting over WiFi (iPhone vs. Android is a can of worms opened in another thread)
• Once on the ship - turn on airplane mode and re-enable WiFi (if needed)
• Set up your on-ship WiFi login
• Use as desired

 

[SRF]

13 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Another lovely spot in Africa?

 

Doha, Qatar this week. 😄

 

[frank808]

9 hours ago, Heymarco said:

 

If you don’t want to front big $ for an internet package, you also have the option to buy a one day pass while onboard. If you are diamond or higher, you and your roommate will each get a free day that you can share (just not at same time).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Your roommate will also have to be D or higher to get at least a free day of internet.  Just being in the same cabin does not provide matching status to roommate.  

[gold]

Thxs all.- So what do they mean when they say I can use the RCL app via WiFi for free on board?

[BTHodgeman]

1 hour ago, gold said:

Thxs all.- So what do they mean when they say I can use the RCL app via WiFi for free on board?

You can use the Royal Caribbean app as long as you are connected to the ship's WiFi, even if you did not purchase Voom. 

 

The RC app provides access to the daily schedules, ship maps, and your folio. On some ships, the app can be used to chat with others on the ship who have the app, but I am not sure if Serenade is one of those ships yet.

 

From what you posted above (using your phone for e-mail and browsing), you will want either Voom or Voom Surf and Stream. Those are the different tiers of internet service. Voom is slower, but would likely work effectively or e-mails and basic browsing. Voom Surf and Stream is faster and generally supports streaming (Netflix, Apple Music, FaceTime phone calls, etc.). 

Edited February 20, 2020 by BTHodgeman

[reallyitsmema]

11 minutes ago, BTHodgeman said:

You can use the Royal Caribbean app as long as you are connected to the ship's WiFi, even if you did not purchase Voom. 

 

The RC app provides access to the daily schedules, ship maps, and your folio. On some ships, the app can be used to chat with others on the ship who have the app, but I am not sure if Serenade is one of those ships yet.

 

From what you posted above (using your phone for e-mail and browsing), you will want either Voom or Voom Surf and Stream. Those are the different tiers of internet service. Voom is slower, but would likely work effectively or e-mails and basic browsing. Voom Surf and Stream is faster and generally supports streaming (Netflix, Apple Music, FaceTime phone calls, etc.). 

 

Definitely would not recommend anything other than surf and stream on Serenade.  We had lots of issues with wifi on Serenade.

[Illbcruzn4life]

48 minutes ago, BTHodgeman said:

You can use the Royal Caribbean app as long as you are connected to the ship's WiFi, even if you did not purchase Voom. 

 

The RC app provides access to the daily schedules, ship maps, and your folio. On some ships, the app can be used to chat with others on the ship who have the app, but I am not sure if Serenade is one of those ships yet.

 

From what you posted above (using your phone for e-mail and browsing), you will want either Voom or Voom Surf and Stream. Those are the different tiers of internet service. Voom is slower, but would likely work effectively or e-mails and basic browsing. Voom Surf and Stream is faster and generally supports streaming (Netflix, Apple Music, FaceTime phone calls, etc.). 

on Harmony 2 weeks ago I was on ships wifi with airplane mode on and was getting text from people at home that also had iphones. Wouldn't work with android users.

 

 

[casinitaly]

I am confused about how you can use a ship's wifi without having purchased a package. There is some way it will work only for their APP but not for other wifi activities?

 

 

[Illbcruzn4life]

7 minutes ago, casinitaly said:

I am confused about how you can use a ship's wifi without having purchased a package. There is some way it will work only for their APP but not for other wifi activities?

 

 

It only works for the rci app somehow.

[hallux]

1 hour ago, casinitaly said:

I am confused about how you can use a ship's wifi without having purchased a package. There is some way it will work only for their APP but not for other wifi activities?

 

 

 

It's all behind the scenes stuff. 

 

Consider your home internet as the ship.  Your router would be the ship's WiFi.  The data for the RCI app is stored on the router (rather another computer connected to it).  Unless your device accesses the page and you sign in to the wide internet, all data is stopped at the router and can't get to your modem.

 

It's really the same idea as hotel WiFi, except Royal adds the additional layer of an app that can still function even if you don't sign in to the page that allows you to get "outside".

 

To make things even more confusing - some cruise lines are allowing access to CruiseCritic even if you haven't paid for internet access.  If you really want to know more, look up internet firewalls and captive portal logins as that's what allows this to happen.

[cb at sea]

If you will use the internet, you will need a package from the ship....otherwise, your phone bill could be HUNDREDS of dollars above what you might expect.    If you can wait until you're on land, in some port, then you may be able to get a free wi-fi signal, and check your e-mails and "surf" without a lot of extra cost. But, you need to verify that you're on a free site.....your phone will show whether you're on THEIR feed, or someone else's.

[njkruzer]

On board Radiance.  I have Verizon.   In the hotels in Melbourne and Sydney put phone on airplane mode and wifi.  Made some calls.  Got charged.  I had confirmed with Verizon before I left home that this would be fine, no charges, but then got charged.  Contacted Verizon and they found that I had called and been advised that those calls would be free so they removed the charges but said in the future would be charged.   Did it by chat feature on their site.  When I get home will investigate further but in the meantime email will suffice.   I have a surf package and works well enough for me to get stuff done.  Sometimes slow.  I work while traveling so need some wifi but haven't need stream.

[casinitaly]

7 hours ago, hallux said:

 

It's all behind the scenes stuff. 

 

Consider your home internet as the ship.  Your router would be the ship's WiFi.  The data for the RCI app is stored on the router (rather another computer connected to it).  Unless your device accesses the page and you sign in to the wide internet, all data is stopped at the router and can't get to your modem.

 

It's really the same idea as hotel WiFi, except Royal adds the additional layer of an app that can still function even if you don't sign in to the page that allows you to get "outside".

 

To make things even more confusing - some cruise lines are allowing access to CruiseCritic even if you haven't paid for internet access.  If you really want to know more, look up internet firewalls and captive portal logins as that's what allows this to happen.

That’s clear enough for me. Thanks!

 

My package will work on land so I am not particularly worried about it, will just be careful to stay in airplane mode while on board.