Texting onboard through the X app

[Locobill49]

Can you chat or text with anyone onboard using the app or only people you have linked to your reservation? Or is there any other way to text people, such as WhatsApp?

[paulh84]

If you have an iPhone just use the native Message app. Way easier. 

 

You can chat through the Celebrity app but there are no notifications. You are able to chat with anyone onboard by searching their name within the app but it's not very useful without notifications. 

[Jim_Iain]

I believe it is only with people in your reservation or room.    Negative is their is no notification sound or tone so you just have to look to see if there is a message.   Pretty useless. 

 

As other have said regular texting is available if you have an internet package.

[DCPIV]

It's a pretty lousy app. As mentioned, there are no notifications (unless you open the app). The only advantage is that you don't need ship wifi, but you'll have ship wifi unless you are sailing in one of the few exceptions that does not include Always Included. 

 

You are far better off with another messenger app. 

[graphicguy]

Throw my 2¢ in.....forgo the Celebrity app.  Sign on to the ship's wifi and send texts via your phone (I've used my iPhone) if you sign up for their wifi plan.

[davekathy]

Put the phone in the safe and forget about it! 😂

[Alakegirl]

Sorry, but I don’t see how that answers the OP’s question.

[davekathy]

39 minutes ago, Alakegirl said:

Sorry, but I don’t see how that answers the OP’s question.

No need to be sorry. No explanation required. 

[Sam.Seattle]

1 hour ago, Alakegirl said:

Sorry, but I don’t see how that answers the OP’s question.

Self delete

Edited August 12, 2021 by Sam.Seattle

[PTC DAWG]

Nothing on my phone works on board, or at least that what I tell myself… 🙂

 

One exception is that I usually get up early one morning and take some pictures of an empty ship. 

Just off Equinox, I did hear someone complaining that “their” music wouldn’t stream…I was thankful for that. 

[miched]

4 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

I believe it is only with people in your reservation or room.    Negative is their is no notification sound or tone so you just have to look to see if there is a message.   Pretty useless. 

 

As other have said regular texting is available if you have an internet package.

Found the same.   No notification.   It is useless unless you keep checking the app. 
 

if you have unlimited internet put it on WiFi calling and I think turn off cellular data.   You will be able to text and call using the ships WiFi and not get charged the ridiculous costs of using your own plan 

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Edited August 12, 2021 by miched

[Moonarino]

On 8/12/2021 at 4:46 PM, miched said:

... if you have unlimited internet put it on WiFi calling and I think turn off cellular data.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Yes, definitely turn off cellular data. Or put the phone in Airplane mode, which will accomplish the same. WiFi works with Airplane mode enabled (I do it on every cruise).

 

My question; can anybody confirm that standard messenger messages are relayed in a reliably timely fashion? Not so long ago it could take hours (at least occasionally) for regular phone messaging to be received.

 

 

[Sam.Seattle]

8 hours ago, Moonarino said:

Yes, definitely turn off cellular data. Or put the phone in Airplane mode, which will accomplish the same. WiFi works with Airplane mode enabled (I do it on every cruise).

 

My question; can anybody confirm that standard messenger messages are relayed in a reliably timely fashion? Not so long ago it could take hours (at least occasionally) for regular phone messaging to be received.

 

 

"standard Messenger"? If you are referring to messenger that is part of Facebook, it was fine with no delays.  We also used the video and audio functions of messenger and it was good. 

 

If you are referring to text messages that are part of the phone, it usually works best with cellular service. 

[Moonarino]

8 hours ago, Sam.Seattle said:

"standard Messenger"? If you are referring to messenger that is part of Facebook, it was fine with no delays.  We also used the video and audio functions of messenger and it was good. 

 

If you are referring to text messages that are part of the phone, it usually works best with cellular service. 

Built-in phone apps. sorry for confusion. But on reflection I believe I was remembering stories about older versions of cruise-branded messaging/chat apps, not the smartphone apps. It's probably best to just ignore my question as irrelevant to this topic, because the X app seems to be something much newer and more capable than the dinosaur I was thinking about.

[BridgeMates]

I have an inexpensive Samsung cell phone about 3 years old that does everything I need it to do (text, email, google, etc.).

However, when I go to google play and try to get the Celebrity App, it tells me "not compatible".  I can get RCCL.  There is a  lengthy list of apps I can install,  but not Celebrity.   I am definitely not a techie.  

Any suggestions?   I know I can get on the ship without an App, but would prefer to do it online.

Thanks for any help you want to give me. 😊

[davekathy]

1 hour ago, BridgeMates said:

I have an inexpensive Samsung cell phone about 3 years old that does everything I need it to do (text, email, google, etc.).

However, when I go to google play and try to get the Celebrity App, it tells me "not compatible".  I can get RCCL.  There is a  lengthy list of apps I can install,  but not Celebrity.   I am definitely not a techie.  

Any suggestions?   I know I can get on the ship without an App, but would prefer to do it online.

Thanks for any help you want to give me. 😊

Call your Cell phone carriers technical department and ask them. 

[Fouremco]

2 hours ago, BridgeMates said:

I have an inexpensive Samsung cell phone about 3 years old that does everything I need it to do (text, email, google, etc.).

However, when I go to google play and try to get the Celebrity App, it tells me "not compatible".  I can get RCCL.  There is a  lengthy list of apps I can install,  but not Celebrity.   I am definitely not a techie.  

Any suggestions?   I know I can get on the ship without an App, but would prefer to do it online.

Thanks for any help you want to give me. 😊

I don't know whether or not it's the cause of your problem, but the Celebrity app is very big compared to the average app. The Android version is 171 MB versus 11.5 MB for the average app. The same thing with iOS, 300.8 MB versus 34.3 MB.  If it's a cheap phone you've used for 3 years, is it possible that you don't have sufficient available memory to download the app?

[sanger727]

2 hours ago, BridgeMates said:

I have an inexpensive Samsung cell phone about 3 years old that does everything I need it to do (text, email, google, etc.).

However, when I go to google play and try to get the Celebrity App, it tells me "not compatible".  I can get RCCL.  There is a  lengthy list of apps I can install,  but not Celebrity.   I am definitely not a techie.  

Any suggestions?   I know I can get on the ship without an App, but would prefer to do it online.

Thanks for any help you want to give me. 😊

 

I can't really help with Samsung, I've been an iphone user for years. I used to do android but I ran into issues like this before. Android just has too many different operating systems for too many different phones. It can get confusing.

 

Step 1 is to make sure that your operating system is fully up to date. A reality of cell phone evolution is that 1. The hardware advances very fast year after year. 2. The operating systems need to be updated often but newer operating systems can't be supported by older hardware. 3. New apps tend to only be compatible with the last few years worth of operating systems. So if someone gets a lower end phone and tries to keep it for many years; the day will come when you can't download new apps because they aren't compatible with your old operating system. And the new one can't be downloaded because your hardware won't support it. That shouldn't happen after 3 years but then again, Android is a weird beast; which is why I prefer iphones. 

Edited August 26, 2021 by sanger727

[Jim_Iain]

On 8/25/2021 at 11:18 AM, Moonarino said:

Yes, definitely turn off cellular data. Or put the phone in Airplane mode, which will accomplish the same. WiFi works with Airplane mode enabled (I do it on every cruise).

 

My question; can anybody confirm that standard messenger messages are relayed in a reliably timely fashion? Not so long ago it could take hours (at least occasionally) for regular phone messaging to be received.

 

 

I've used texting using Celebrity Wifi Plan for years (not the free app) and it is very reliable and fast.   Real time with no lag.

If using Apple to another IPhone it uses iMessage to communicate but if to  an android it uses SMS

Edited August 26, 2021 by Jim_Iain

[Moonarino]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

I've used texting using Celebrity Wifi Plan for years (not the free app) and it is very reliable and fast.   Real time with no lag.

If using Apple to another IPhone it uses iMessage to communicate but if to  an android it uses SMS

Good to know, thanks. I haven't sailed on Celebrity since 2011, so essentially no experience at all with their WiFi or texting.

[The_Mac]

Just use whatsapp.  it uses wifi or cell data, whatever you have.

 

Since everyone has wifi with AI, its good to go.

 

Alternatively, but less useful is facebook messenger.

Edited August 27, 2021 by The_Mac

[upwarduk]

22 hours ago, BridgeMates said:

 I know I can get on the ship without an App,

?.??
We had to download the app to complete Check in.

[Moonarino]

On 8/26/2021 at 8:32 AM, BridgeMates said:

I have an inexpensive Samsung cell phone about 3 years old that does everything I need it to do (text, email, google, etc.).

However, when I go to google play and try to get the Celebrity App, it tells me "not compatible".  ...

The Celebrity app requires at least Android version 7.0 or higher. A 3-year-old phone should have at least Android 7 on it, but you might want to confirm. In case you need to know how to find out (not trying to insult your intelligence) -- Open "Settings" (in the Apps drawer, the gear-looking icon), scroll way down and tap "System" near the bottom. Then tap "About (...)" and you should see the Android version. Or you might also have to tap "Software" to see that information. Again I doubt this is the problem for you but it is a slight possibility, so it's worth checking.

[Moonarino]

As for phone age, the app should work on any 3-year-old Android smartphone.  It works on my LG V30 (2017) and Moto G6 (2018).  It should work on any smartphone from 2017 on because their Android version is probably at least 7.0. Android 8 was released in early to mid-2018, 3 years ago. (And Android updates are typically forced, so most 3-year-old phones are probably on Android 9 to 11 by now).  I don't know about iphones, never owned or used one. But the age of any smartphone is most likely not the issue. Its firmware version is the most critical factor.

 

The only other potential issue I can think of is a phone's available space, as the X app is huge (more than twice the size of the Princess app for example). If storage space is a problem, trying deleting some of the tons of pics and videos our phones are often cluttered with.

 

Edited August 27, 2021 by Moonarino
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