hub app or internet for messaging?

[amydresh]

Our family of 5 will be sailing on Horizon and we are trying to figure out our budget.  We have 3 teens and we all have iphones.  We obviously want to be able to keep track of the kids while on board but I'm confused about the messaging options.  My husband, myself, and dd will want internet for FB but our boys don't need actual internet on their phones because they don't use FB.  Is messaging through the hub app reliable enough?  Last cruise we were on we used what's app for messaging, that's part of the internet package, correct?  So if we wanted to use that we would have to pay for internet for all 5 of us, but if we used the hub app to message we could get away with paying a lot less for the boys?  Am I right on that?  If we want the hub app and internet do we have to pay for both or is the hub app included in the internet price?  I tried to search so I didn't need to make a post, but I couldn't find much by way of the most economical way.

[Organized Chaos]

The Hub app connects to the ship’s wifi, but does not need one of the paid internet plans to work. Hub chat should work pretty good since the Horizon has very good internet service, but there’s always a chance reliability will vary at times. The way the Hub chat works, if only your two boys got the chat, they could only message one another. It only works between those who have the chat service activated. It’s $5 per device for the whole cruise.

 

If you want internet services in addition to the Hub app, you’ll have to pay for that. 

 

Facebook and WhatsApp work on all three internet plans. Carnival doesn’t officially support iMessage on the Social plan, but many people report that it does work. It worked for us a few years ago. It is definitely supported on the Value & Premium plans. 

[amydresh]

4 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

The Hub app connects to the ship’s wifi, but does not need one of the paid internet plans to work. Hub chat should work pretty good since the Horizon has very good internet service, but there’s always a chance reliability will vary at times. The way the Hub chat works, if only your two boys got the chat, they could only message one another. It only works between those who have the chat service activated. It’s $5 per device for the whole cruise.

 

If you want internet services in addition to the Hub app, you’ll have to pay for that. 

 

Facebook and WhatsApp work on all three internet plans. Carnival doesn’t officially support iMessage on the Social plan, but many people report that it does work. It worked for us a few years ago. It is definitely supported on the Value & Premium plans. 

 

Thank you for your reply....so if we wanted to chat using the hub app we would have to buy 5 hub apps and also 3 internet plans because the hub app isn't included in the internet package?

[HeidiHo]

6 minutes ago, amydresh said:

 

Thank you for your reply....so if we wanted to chat using the hub app we would have to buy 5 hub apps and also 3 internet plans because the hub app isn't included in the internet package?

Correct, but, you might be able to get away with only one or two internet plans. You can share internet between devices but only one device at a time can be connected. You log on using the folio number of the person who bought the plan. Basically it comes down to whether or not you think you will all want to be online at the same time. My daughter and I shared a plan. she knew my folio number and used it when she wanted to use the internet.

[Organized Chaos]

2 minutes ago, amydresh said:

 

Thank you for your reply....so if we wanted to chat using the hub app we would have to buy 5 hub apps and also 3 internet plans because the hub app isn't included in the internet package?

 

That's right. Well, just to be clear, the Hub app itself is free and it's free to use all of its features except the Hub chat. That's $5 per device. But yes, you have to buy the Hub chat for each device you want to use it with. If your two boys have Hub chat, anyone else who wants to chat with them will need to buy it too. It's a messaging service only for those who have Hub chat. Then if anyone wants to use any of the other internet services, they'd have to have an internet plan.

 

Also, for the Hub chat to work, the app needs to be left running on the phone. It can be running in the background, that's fine, but don't close the Hub app. If you do, you won't receive new chat messages until you start the app again.

[amydresh]

Just now, HeidiHo said:

Correct, but, you might be able to get away with only one or two internet plans. You can share internet between devices but only one device at a time can be connected. You log on using the folio number of the person who bought the plan. Basically it comes down to whether or not you think you will all want to be online at the same time. My daughter and I shared a plan. she knew my folio number and used it when she wanted to use the internet.

 

Just now, Organized Chaos said:

 

That's right. Well, just to be clear, the Hub app itself is free and it's free to use all of its features except the Hub chat. That's $5 per device. But yes, you have to buy the Hub chat for each device you want to use it with. If your two boys have Hub chat, anyone else who wants to chat with them will need to buy it too. It's a messaging service only for those who have Hub chat. Then if anyone wants to use any of the other internet services, they'd have to have an internet plan.

 

Also, for the Hub chat to work, the app needs to be left running on the phone. It can be running in the background, that's fine, but don't close the Hub app. If you do, you won't receive new chat messages until you start the app again.

 

Thank you both!  Great to know all of that!  I wondered how the hub chat worked so that we didn't miss messages, especially with teen boys that aren't the best at communicating what's going on. lol

[Organized Chaos]

Like I said before, since the Horizon has some of the best wifi service in the fleet, I'd imagine the Hub chat performs better than on other ships. Just be aware that some messages might be delayed or even not go through at all. That seems to be the nature of the app sometimes.

[jaowel]

We just cruised over NYE and the HUB app worked great most of the time but I think it was “user error”. The app has to be running for messages to come through. I think my daughter is in the habit of closing all the apps in her phone regularly so messages weren’t getting to her until she opened up the app. 

[montREALady]

Thanks for this post! I'm trying to figure this out myself with a 12 yr old son. Since he can check in and out of the Circle C club on his own we would want to know where he is. He's an absolute YT addict and I think this would be prime time for him to unplug and we just do the hub chat. I also think one premium plan for the 3 of us is perfect. 

[SERK]

I just read on Carnival website that the Hub App Chat feature is limited to ages 13 plus.  I wonder if there is a way around this stupid restriction as our daughter will be signing herself out to do scavenger hunts in Camp Ocean and wanted to give her one of our older phones to use to chat with us.

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

19 minutes ago, SERK said:

I just read on Carnival website that the Hub App Chat feature is limited to ages 13 plus.  I wonder if there is a way around this stupid restriction as our daughter will be signing herself out to do scavenger hunts in Camp Ocean and wanted to give her one of our older phones to use to chat with us.

Our then 9 year old used it on our last cruise. But, an adult in the cabin had to approve it on their device. There might have been other permissions also.