Apple phonr

[Marlene43]

will I need Voom to use my apple phone on board

[cruisegirl1]

If you want to make a call, get a text or get any info online, you will need one of the WIFI packages.   If you want to stream/facetime/use zoom, you will need the VOOM. 

 

If you simply want to access the RCCL app, then no Wi-Fi package is needed

 

M 

[rudeney]

There are two ways to use a cellphone onboard.  One is to let it connect to "Cellular at Sea" which is a local cell tower on the ship (technically it's called a femtocell).  THis is VERY expensive and I would highly recommend against using this unless (1) you have an emergency where money is no object or (2) your service provider has an add-on plan that lets you use it.  Note that while you may be able add unlimited roaming service in other countries for a small fee, there is no unlimited roaming that I am aware of for Cellular at Sea.  Most of those add-on plans just give you some minutes of talk, a limited number of texts, and some megabytes of data (which a smartphone can easily burn through in an hour).

 

The other option is pay for Voom service.  This will give you unlimited Internet access on the ship.  If your service carrier and phone both support WiFi calling, then you can use your phone for calls and texts.  There are two versions - "Surf" and "Surf + Stream".  The difference is that the Surf speed is capped at about 1.5Mbps, where Stream is more like 5Mps.  Surf is fine for casual browsing and even WiFi Calling.  Stream is needed if you intend to stream video like Netflix or Hulu.  Note that Voom can be slow at times.  It uses a satellite connection so it needs clear skies.  There are WiFi routers all over the ship, but with all the metal, the signal can be spotty.  

[Tatka]

1 hour ago, cruisegirl1 said:

If you want to make a call, get a text or get any info online, you will need one of the WIFI packages.   If you want to stream/facetime/use zoom, you will need the VOOM. 

 

If you simply want to access the RCCL app, then no Wi-Fi package is needed

 

M 

 

VOOM is a name of internet on board.

To use it you buy WiFi package.

With Surf you can call, text, brows, use Youtube, have Facebook messenger calls

With Surf & Stream you can also have better streaming. (although it does not always work the best)

[Tatka]

26 minutes ago, rudeney said:

 Note that Voom can be slow at times.  It uses a satellite connection so it needs clear skies.  There are WiFi routers all over the ship, but with all the metal, the signal can be spotty.  

 

Yes... we never usually have problems with streaming, but once while in gym in Bar Harbor it just did not work at all. (Thankfully I switched to my regular TMobile, but I was worried a bit about additional charges while removing Plane mode)

[rudeney]

One thing I have heard is that RCCL's onboard wifi routers don't work well when you move around.  Apparently they don't use a true "mesh" system, but a series of repeaters.  If you do move around the ship and find wifi to be slow, try shutting wifi off on your phone, then back on.  That can sometimes force it to reconnect to a better repeater.  Of course if the nearest wifi repeater is behind two steel walls, that's not going to help.  And Voom will be systemically slow when skies are not clear, and when there's a boatload (pun intended) of people all using it at the same time.  

[Airbear232]

3 hours ago, Marlene43 said:

will I need Voom to use my apple phone on board

For internet, in port no, as long as you don't mind roaming charges.  At sea, yes.

[Tatka]

59 minutes ago, rudeney said:

One thing I have heard is that RCCL's onboard wifi routers don't work well when you move around.  Apparently they don't use a true "mesh" system, but a series of repeaters.  If you do move around the ship and find wifi to be slow, try shutting wifi off on your phone, then back on.  That can sometimes force it to reconnect to a better repeater.  Of course if the nearest wifi repeater is behind two steel walls, that's not going to help.  And Voom will be systemically slow when skies are not clear, and when there's a boatload (pun intended) of people all using it at the same time.  

 

 I actually had problem with my 12 pro (not with my iPad thought). For the first time on Adventure. I would connect to WiFi, at the same time screen to connect (login) would appear, but WiFi would go away. Only worked for me, when when this happened I would leave login window open and try to connect to WiFi again.