Can You Use WhatsApp On Ship?

[broadwaycam]

Does anyone know if you can use WhatsApp to text on the ship without needing a wife package? Can you be in airplane mode and just turn on wifi? I am not very technical and don't know much. Any help would be appreciated. 

[Another_Critic]

You need a Voom (WiFi) package for WhatsApp.

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, broadwaycam said:

Does anyone know if you can use WhatsApp to text on the ship without needing a wifi package? 

No, but If you have an iPhone, iMessage texts may work without a VOOM package. Wife packages are optional. 

Edited January 18, 2022 by Biker19

[broadwaycam]

4 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

You need a Voom (WiFi) package for WhatsApp.

And I know the texting in the Royal App is $1.99 a person per day. How do you sign up for that?

[Cigar King]

4 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Wife packages are optional. 

Yes, they are.  😉

[Biker19]

Just now, broadwaycam said:

And I know the texting in the Royal App is $1.99 a person per day. How do you sign up for that?

It’s an in app (the RCI app) purchase. 
 

Biker, who is waiting on Bayley’s promise to make it free. 

[soremekun]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

It’s an in app (the RCI app) purchase. 
 

Biker, who is waiting on Bayley’s promise to make it free. 

And then there's this screenshot I took several years ago:

 

[flamingos]

With the $1.99 per day, you can use the texting from the app - which only is visible when the app is open and does not send notifications, so you have to check it often.  iMessages and news updates sometimes pop up randomly, which is interesting - must be spillover from the ship's wifi.  

[cganesh]

The onboard texting was originally free but it was raised to $1.99 per day pp a few years ago.  It really works well but when we last used it, there was no notice for texts received.  I really prefer the system that Princess has where the fob you get to open cabin door, buy things, order drinks etc. because it will find the person you're looking for on the ship.  Each person just authorizes specific people to "find" them and it's really easy to use.  People without phones can even use some interactive boards spread around the ship to find others in their group,  As soon as they use the board to find a group member, that member now knows where the other person is.  They also have messaging that's about the same per day as RC but we found we didn't really need it.   The imessaging does work well to contact others either onboard or back at home who have iphones and no need for internet package.  It won't connect android phone users.

[Biker19]

10 hours ago, flamingos said:

iMessages and news updates sometimes pop up randomly, which is interesting - must be spillover from the ship's wifi.  

This is a known "feature" in that some internet traffic slips by the ships' firewall without a Voom package.

[flamingos]

4 hours ago, Biker19 said:

This is a known "feature" in that some internet traffic slips by the ships' firewall without a Voom package.

It's really random. Our doorbell cam sent notifications, but not enough bandwidth to either see them, or turn them off.  🙂  Next time we'll know to silence them before the cruise.

[Biker19]

4 minutes ago, flamingos said:

Our doorbell cam sent notifications, but not enough bandwidth to either see them, or turn them off. 

Sometimes that's enough - with some email notifications enough of the subject line and first couple of lines gets by to see if it's something important.

[SRF]

All texting/video apps require an internet connection to work.

 

AFAIK, the RCI $1.99 texting is only for messages between people on the ship, not to people at home.

 

BTW, with most phones and plans, you do NOT need us an app to communicate.  Most smart phones and plans support Wifi calling. This is calls and messages using wifi/internet without using a cellular connection.

 

To use this, you MUST set it up before you are at sea.  Your phone must be connected to your cellular network to set it up. Then you go into your phone setting and turn on Wifi Calling.  

 

Once you have it set up, on board you would turn Airplane Mode ON.  Then turn Wifi ON and connect to your Voom account.  Once connected you can text and call just like on land.  And others can reach you by calling or texted your normal phone number.

[livingonthebeach]

On 1/17/2022 at 7:12 PM, broadwaycam said:

Does anyone know if you can use WhatsApp to text on the ship without needing a wife package? Can you be in airplane mode and just turn on wifi? I am not very technical and don't know much. Any help would be appreciated. 

 

I've used WhatsApp for free texts and calling while on a TA without a wifi package.  This was a few years back so I don't know if it still applies. 

[Biker19]

2 hours ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

I've used WhatsApp for free texts and calling while on a TA without a wifi package.  This was a few years back so I don't know if it still applies. 

That loophole seems to have been plugged.

[DCPIV]

On 1/17/2022 at 6:12 PM, broadwaycam said:

Can you be in airplane mode and just turn on wifi?

 

You certainly can do that. Typically, you need to turn on airplane mode and then go back and turn on wifi (as well as Bluetooth if you use that).

 

As an added precaution, I also suggest turning off data roaming before you leave your home network. Data roaming can kill a bank account in a hurry.