Texting onboard Rotterdam with members of your family / group who are also onboard

[horseymike]

Hi everyone,

Any advice on the most economical way to text onboard with members of your family / group who are also onboard?

[*Miss G*]

The Navigator app notifies you if there is a chat message, a new charge has been applied to your account, or it’s time for dinner or an excursion.  There is no cost to use it; just download it before you board, set your phone to airplane mode, then connect.

 

It’s not specific in its notifications, as yet, so you have to figure that one out for yourself.  For example, if there’s a new chat message you will be able to see it in your inbox on the top right-hand side of the screen.  But if it’s for something else you will have to use intuition, like noticing an additional charge on your statement. 

 

Three screenshots of how I see notifications on an iPad. I haven’t used it on my iPhone and don’t use an android phone so not sure how the notifications appear on those.

 

On the home page:

 

 

 

On the app icon:

 

 

 

Notification when logged into the app:

 

Edited February 15 by *Miss G*

[YourWorldWithBill]

As @*Miss G*said, the Navigator app is a reliable way to communicate.

Traveling with some family members we used WhatsApp; the only challenge is that everyone has to download it to their cell, but it's easy to use as long as you have wi-fi.

[horseymike]

Thanks for the advice.

[REOVA]

You have to add everyone (and they all have to have Navigator App) to your list to "chat" with.  Also on Android you have to have notifications on. 

[mwj]

Unfortunately, there is NO group chat feature in Navigator. It is strictly one to one. If everyone in the group has a wifi package, then you can use other apps for group chat purposes.

[YourWorldWithBill]

34 minutes ago, mwj said:

Unfortunately, there is NO group chat feature in Navigator. It is strictly one to one. If everyone in the group has a wifi package, then you can use other apps for group chat purposes.

Exactly. That's why WhatsApp is so convenient.

[bajae]

22 hours ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

Exactly. That's why WhatsApp is so convenient.

But does WhatsApp work if you don’t have an internet package? I thought only the Navigator app worked on the ship’s WiFi and you need to purchase internet for other apps. 

[dobiemom]

If you have iPhones you can use iMessenger. It works iPhone to iPhone, both on the ship and to folks on land. (You need the inTRAnet for this.) Text only, no pictures. 
 

Always keep your phone in airplane mode while on the ship or you’ll come home to a large $$ phone bill. 

 

Turn on WiFi to access the ship’s (free) inTRAnet to use the Navigator app. To use inTERnet you must log in to the WiFi pkg. If you only have minutes (not an unlimited pkg) you must log out or your minutes will be eaten up quickly. 

[YourWorldWithBill]

4 hours ago, bajae said:

But does WhatsApp work if you don’t have an internet package? I thought only the Navigator app worked on the ship’s WiFi and you need to purchase internet for other apps. 

Yes, you'd need to have one of the internet packages to use WhatsApp or any other web-based app, such as Facebook, etc.

[deora24]

Dobiemom…texting iphone to iPhone works on ship?  Without purchasing internet packages?

can you clarify? 

[dobiemom]

7 hours ago, deora24 said:

Dobiemom…texting iphone to iPhone works on ship?  Without purchasing internet packages?

can you clarify? 

Yes. Turn on airplane mode then turn on WiFi to access the inTRAnet (you need to do this to use the Navigator app). Text only, no pictures. (And you can text iPhones at home.) 

Edited February 18 by dobiemom

[horseymike]

On 2/17/2024 at 2:23 PM, dobiemom said:

If you have iPhones you can use iMessenger. It works iPhone to iPhone, both on the ship and to folks on land. (You need the inTRAnet for this.) Text only, no pictures. 
 

Always keep your phone in airplane mode while on the ship or you’ll come home to a large $$ phone bill. 

 

Turn on WiFi to access the ship’s (free) inTRAnet to use the Navigator app. To use inTERnet you must log in to the WiFi pkg. If you only have minutes (not an unlimited pkg) you must log out or your minutes will be eaten up quickly. 

What is TRAnet ?

[horseymike]

I think I got what you mean.

Thanks