Texting, Calling, & Face Timing

[riffatsea]

I love whatsapp!!

To use FaceTime everyone  needs an apple phone

You can use whatsapp on any phone

It's also quite commonly used in Europe so can contact hotels and tour providers with it 

[arizonaperson]

 OK -I’m asking for my mom who’s going on a cruise soon .how does she put her iPhone into what settings to use WhatsApp on the ship?  She has WhatsApp downloaded onto her phone already.  She will have the princess Wi-Fi access/ package.

 So she needs to be in airplane mode? She doesn’t plan on using the phone for phone calls while on the ship, but she’ll probably use the phone in Port to call. So I’m just trying to see what steps she needs to do. Thank you 

[KLM3164]

We just got off the Royal Princess today. We have iPhones, texting and phone calls worked great. I was surprised at how clear the 2 calls were that I made onboard. I didn’t try FaceTime but since streaming on the ship was limited I wouldn’t count on being able to use FaceTime.

[KLM3164]

On 2/8/2023 at 7:48 AM, Rick&Jeannie said:

Still....I'm waiting anxiously for STARLINK!!!

Me too….fingers crossed!

[cr8tiv1]

On 2/8/2023 at 1:24 PM, riffatsea said:

I love whatsapp!!

To use FaceTime everyone  needs an apple phone

You can use whatsapp on any phone

It's also quite commonly used in Europe so can contact hotels and tour providers with it 

I have not tried this but “heard” is was available.  You CAN use FaceTime with an Android/Windows platform.

 

https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/ios-15-lets-iphone-and-android-users-facetime/

[killsport]

7 hours ago, arizonaperson said:

 OK -I’m asking for my mom who’s going on a cruise soon .how does she put her iPhone into what settings to use WhatsApp on the ship?  She has WhatsApp downloaded onto her phone already.  She will have the princess Wi-Fi access/ package.

 So she needs to be in airplane mode? She doesn’t plan on using the phone for phone calls while on the ship, but she’ll probably use the phone in Port to call. So I’m just trying to see what steps she needs to do. Thank you 

A few hints. 
1. She must have a wifi package 

2. When on the ship (not in port) she should put her phone in airplane mode THEN make sure the phone WiFi is turned back on

3. Connect to WiFi on the ship (she should now be able to use apps like WhatsApp /iMessage)

4. When going into port, turn off airplane mode 

 

I suggest testing this at home to make sure she’s familiar with the process prior to travel. If you are going iPhone to iPhone, iMessage works great. If you need to reach Androids, a cross platform app such as WhatsApp works (I just hate their privacy policy and being part of Facebook)

[Rick&Jeannie]

4 hours ago, killsport said:

A few hints. 
1. She must have a wifi package 

2. When on the ship (not in port) she should put her phone in airplane mode THEN make sure the phone WiFi is turned back on

3. Connect to WiFi on the ship (she should now be able to use apps like WhatsApp /iMessage)

4. When going into port, turn off airplane mode 

 

I suggest testing this at home to make sure she’s familiar with the process prior to travel. If you are going iPhone to iPhone, iMessage works great. If you need to reach Androids, a cross platform app such as WhatsApp works (I just hate their privacy policy and being part of Facebook)

My son (iPhone user) put me onto WhatsApp since I am an Android user.  It works great for us.  When the internet just won't support a video or audio call we just text.  Always seems to work.  He's really the only one that I need to communicate with while we are cruising but DW uses iPhone so she is good in that department.  The main downside of WhatsApp is that anybody you want to contact has to have the app as well.

[PacnGoNow]

3 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

My son (iPhone user) put me onto WhatsApp since I am an Android user.  It works great for us.  When the internet just won't support a video or audio call we just text.  Always seems to work.  He's really the only one that I need to communicate with while we are cruising but DW uses iPhone so she is good in that department.  The main downside of WhatsApp is that anybody you want to contact has to have the app as well.

Works great for South America, especially tour operators, drivers, hotels etc.  They were all using it on our Antarctica cruise.

[Rick&Jeannie]

2 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

Works great for South America, especially tour operators, drivers, hotels etc.  They were all using it on our Antarctica cruise.

Yes...I ran across it being used by a couple of tour operators in Europe.  It just makes sense to use a communications medium that is cross-platform.

[PescadoAmarillo]

What’s App has worked for us even when T-Mobile’s WiFi calling hasn’t.  Very solid, rarely drops a call or has irritating levels of latency. 

[cr8tiv1]

I opened a Goggle Voice account in the days I was being charged for texts.

 

It allows to talk and text using WiFi coverage.  No Face to Face.  
 

Biggest plus is that I feel safe to give out that phone number to everyone.  I can screen calls for telemarketers.  

[arizonaperson]

8 hours ago, killsport said:

A few hints. 
1. She must have a wifi package 

2. When on the ship (not in port) she should put her phone in airplane mode THEN make sure the phone WiFi is turned back on

3. Connect to WiFi on the ship (she should now be able to use apps like WhatsApp /iMessage)

4. When going into port, turn off airplane mode 

 

I suggest testing this at home to make sure she’s familiar with the process prior to travel. If you are going iPhone to iPhone, iMessage works great. If you need to reach Androids, a cross platform app such as WhatsApp works (I just hate their privacy policy and being part of Facebook)

 Thanks- as I said  in my post she will have already purchased or included in a package Princess Wi-Fi so we’re good there and she already has WhatsApp downloaded on her phone.

She just doesn’t use WhatsApp on a daily basis and has never used it on a cruise so that’s why I needed the sequence of how to actually text someone from the ship using WhatsApp. Thank you so much for the step by step instructions that’s exactly what she’ll need. 

 If anyone has any more instructions/ steps , I’ll gladly take them and pass them along to her. 

[MissP22]

20 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

My son (iPhone user) put me onto WhatsApp since I am an Android user.  It works great for us.  When the internet just won't support a video or audio call we just text.  Always seems to work.  He's really the only one that I need to communicate with while we are cruising but DW uses iPhone so she is good in that department.  The main downside of WhatsApp is that anybody you want to contact has to have the app as well.

True, but most people see to be on our list that do have it. 

Unless I'm on a ship I rarely use it but it's nice to have, just in case.