T-Mobile services on Allure - Help

[ronsex]

Help...

 

I am getting conflicting information and hope some of you with T-Mobile might have answers.

 

I will be on Allure this coming Sunday for a week. I will have free Voom Internet included with my suite.

 

I know to never make calls with the regular cell service.... But does anyone have experience with T-Mobile and wifi calling, text messaging, or internet access via wifi while on the ship.

 

Any way to make calls and send texts without being charged insanely?

 

I don't want a nasty surprise when I open my next T-Mobile bill!

 

Thanks....

[alexkrn46]

You will get a huge bill, my husband forgot to turn on airplane mode and the bill was hundreds more and he did not make a call.

Voom you can make calls via the Internet and send texts via certain apps.

T-Mobile will work in some ports.

[Clarea]

Help...

 

I am getting conflicting information and hope some of you with T-Mobile might have answers.

 

I will be on Allure this coming Sunday for a week. I will have free Voom Internet included with my suite.

 

I know to never make calls with the regular cell service.... But does anyone have experience with T-Mobile and wifi calling, text messaging, or internet access via wifi while on the ship.

 

Any way to make calls and send texts without being charged insanely?

 

I don't want a nasty surprise when I open my next T-Mobile bill!

 

Thanks....

Put the phone into Airplane Mode, then turn on WiFi. You should not get any charges from T-Mobile with the phone in Airplane Mode.

[ronsex]

Anybody use their T-Mobile phone on the ship in wifi mode?

[ricklepickle]

I didn't on a ship, but did use the wifi dialing features in hotels in China and Hong Kong. No charges. If you are worried, use WhatsApp. It was great.

Edited May 26, 2016 by ricklepickle

[RobbW]

We have the T-Mobile unlimited everything plan (talk, text, 4G-LTE data). We are leaving on a 7N Alaska cruise tomorrow. This is our first time having T-Mobile on a cruise. With the unlimited plan, should we worry about any unexpected charges showing up? I have an iPhone 6 and my DW has a Samsung Z3 (so, iOS and Android phones).

[Clarea]

We have the T-Mobile unlimited everything plan (talk, text, 4G-LTE data). We are leaving on a 7N Alaska cruise tomorrow. This is our first time having T-Mobile on a cruise. With the unlimited plan, should we worry about any unexpected charges showing up? I have an iPhone 6 and my DW has a Samsung Z3 (so, iOS and Android phones).

I would check with T-Mobile, because there can be different rules for cellular at sea. Especially with data.

[blackshirt]

We have the T-Mobile unlimited everything plan (talk, text, 4G-LTE data). We are leaving on a 7N Alaska cruise tomorrow. This is our first time having T-Mobile on a cruise. With the unlimited plan, should we worry about any unexpected charges showing up? I have an iPhone 6 and my DW has a Samsung Z3 (so, iOS and Android phones).

 

I am pretty sure your T-Mobile plan does not cover you when you are on Cellular at Sea, so anytime you make calls, send texts or use cellular data when on Cellular at Sea, you can expect charges. Obviously, no additional charges anytime you are on the t-mobile network.

[RobbW]

So, on T-Mobile's website, this is what it says about my plan:

 

Simple Choice Unlimited 4G LTE Family Plan

This plan includes:

• No annual service contracts.
  
• Unlimited talk, text & high-speed 4G LTE data while on our network.
  
• Two lines for just $100 per month; add more lines if eligible for $40.00 per month, per line.
  
• Unlimited international data and text while roaming in 140+ countries and destinations and calls are just $0.20 per minute.
  
• Unlimited music streaming on services like Pandora, iHeartRadio and more, plus a subscription to Rhapsody unRadio included at no extra charge for compatible devices for as long as you have your plan.
  

 

The "unlimited international data and text while roaming in 140+ countries" is the part I'm confused about. Is "Cellular at Sea" something different than international roaming? Also, we will be on an Alaska cruise. Wouldn't we still be mostly on "American" networks rather than international? Or is simply being on a cruise ship considered international waters? I am completely clueless with this type of stuff. If using our phones as we would normally use them back at home is going to incur significant additional charges, I may just buy the internet package while on board the ship and only use the wi-fi.

 

Another related question: If I buy the surf & stream package for one device for my iPhone, can I turn on my mobile hotspot feature and let my daughter use the wi-fi through my phone? Or does the ship somehow recognize the mobile hotspot and disallow that?

[Clarea]

... The "unlimited international data and text while roaming in 140+ countries" is the part I'm confused about. Is "Cellular at Sea" something different than international roaming?...

 

Another related question: If I buy the surf & stream package for one device for my iPhone, can I turn on my mobile hotspot feature and let my daughter use the wi-fi through my phone? Or does the ship somehow recognize the mobile hotspot and disallow that?

Thius is why you need to contact T-Mobile and find out if cellular at sea is considered international roaming. I know that with AT&T, they are two different things.

 

The mobile hotspot feature shares cellular data with WiFi connected devices. You won't have a cellular connection when you are using the ship's Surf & Stream pacakge.

[Peeker28]

I have T-Mobile and was on Indy in March. I bought the internet package. I put my phone in airplane mode and connected to the ships wi-fi and never had any additional charges. To be safe when in port I just kept my phone in airplane mode and only used it for pictures. I will be on Anthem next week and plan on doing the same thing.

[Peeker28]

One more thing I forgot in my previous post. I have an iPhone and I could only text other iPhone users. My son back home had an android and he could not text me.

[Clarea]

One more thing I forgot in my previous post. I have an iPhone and I could only text other iPhone users. My son back home had an android and he could not text me.

Were you using iMessage for texting?

[RobbW]

One more thing I forgot in my previous post. I have an iPhone and I could only text other iPhone users. My son back home had an android and he could not text me.

 

I have an iPhone and my wife has an Android. I just downloaded the WhatsApp cross-platform messaging app and asked my wife to do the same.

 

I think I'm just going to turn off my cell service during the cruise and just get the Voom internet package. The WhatsApp app should at least allow my wife and I to text each other on the ship if/when we are split up at different activities. I want to check the on-board price of the Voom + streaming service, too, because my daughter really wants us to do a few Periscope sessions during our cruise.

[Peeker28]

Were you using iMessage for texting?

 

Bob, not sure I think so. Sorry I'm not really iPhone savy, my kids usually have to help me. I know the basics and I'm good with that. I really prefer the Samsung phone to the iPhone.:p

[Clarea]

Bob, not sure I think so. Sorry I'm not really iPhone savy, my kids usually have to help me. I know the basics and I'm good with that. I really prefer the Samsung phone to the iPhone.:p

Don't be sorry, the phone communication situation is complicated and confusing and keeps changing.

 

If your phone and carrier allows WiFi calling, then you should be able to text anybody using only the ship's WiFi.

 

If you cannot use WiFi calling, then you would have to use a multi-platform message app as described above in order to text someone who is not on an iPhone when you are only using the ship's WiFi.

[RobbW]

Bob, not sure I think so. Sorry I'm not really iPhone savy, my kids usually have to help me. I know the basics and I'm good with that. I really prefer the Samsung phone to the iPhone.:p

 

Yeah, that's probably what it was. iMessage *does* work across platforms, but it uses SMS texting when sending messages to non-iPhones. If you had your cellular service turned off while on the cruise, you would not have been able to use the SMS service, and therefore, non-iPhone would not be able to iMessage you.

[blackshirt]

This is why you need to contact T-Mobile and find out if cellular at sea is considered international roaming. I know that with AT&T, they are two different things.

Right. Cellular at Sea is international roaming but I'm pretty sure it is not one of the 140+ countries T-Mobile includes but only T-Mobile can tell you that for sure.

[RobbW]

Okay, so digging through T-Mobile's support website, I was *finally* able to find this information specific to cellular rates while sailing on RCI's Explorer OTS:

 

Rates for Royal Caribbean: Explorer.

 

All T-Mobile plans†

 

Data: $15/MB

 

Text: SENDING $0.50/txt; RECEIVING Deducted from your domestic texting plan’s allotment.*

 

Talk: $5.99/min

 

Yeesh!!! I will *definitely* be turning off the cell service on our phones!

[baileymouse]

Wifi calling works. Just make sure it's enabled - you'll see the little symbol on top of the phone. I used it even with the older connection on Liberty 2 years ago. Galaxy S5, T-Mobile, no charges.

[Clarea]

Yeah, that data cost will kill you.

 

Surprised at the cost for voice. Both AT&T and Verizon charge $2.49 per minute.

[reallyitsmema]

Yeah, that data cost will kill you.

 

Surprised at the cost for voice. Both AT&T and Verizon charge $2.49 per minute.

 

Verizon now charges $1.79/min for calls made on the ship. That changed maybe a year or so ago, but did not change again with the recent changes, if that makes any sense.:eek::p

[Clarea]

Verizon now charges $1.79/min for calls made on the ship. That changed maybe a year or so ago, but did not change again with the recent changes, if that makes any sense.:eek::p

So hard to keep up.

[micruiser2002]

I have T-mobile and cruise and travel out of the country with it. I do not put it in airplane mode all I do is turn off the data roaming. Then connect it to wi-fi and you can text, surf and email with no charges. You should also be able to do wi-fi calling depending on the wi-fi speed. Out of the country I turn data roaming back on where it is covered for free. Just a warning I found out on our last cruise Belize is one country they do not include in the free international texting and data. Otherwise I have used the free data and texting pretty much around the world. I love it.

[blackshirt]

I have T-mobile and cruise and travel out of the country with it. I do not put it in airplane mode all I do is turn off the data roaming. Then connect it to wi-fi and you can text, surf and email with no charges. You should also be able to do wi-fi calling depending on the wi-fi speed. Out of the country I turn data roaming back on where it is covered for free. Just a warning I found out on our last cruise Belize is one country they do not include in the free international texting and data. Otherwise I have used the free data and texting pretty much around the world. I love it.

 

I'm not sure how t-mobile has implemented wifi calling but if you are not going to put the phone in airplane mode to turn off the cellular radios, make sure your phone is actually connected to the t-mobile network before making any calls or sending texts. If the display on your phone says "Cellular at Sea", then you are not wifi calling. In my experience with wifi calling (ATT), the phone will connect to a cellular signal first, if it is strong enough. That is why when I am on board, I put the phone in airplane mode and then turn wifi on and this forces the phone to connect to the ATT network via wifi since it is not possible to connect to Cellular at Sea with the cellular radios turned off.