NCL app for texting and messaging

[amisup]

We are a large group spread across multiple rooms. We have the 250 mins internet package already. I heard that the NCL app allows you  to communicate with other members of your party. Is that free ? Or is that part of the 250 mins ? Or do I need to pay an additional charge ? 

[CookieShip]

It's $10/device, does not require the internet package, works off the ship's local wifi. 

[ute_fan]

A little clarification from our recent trip.  We had the 250 minute internet plan.  Put your phone on airplane mode once you board, turn on the wireless, and login to the app.  That uses a free WiFi available on the ship and doesn't consume any of your internet time.  The app is useful for things like making dinner reservations, or seeing what activities are going on around the ship, etc.

 

In addition, if you're sending iMessages with an iPhone, you can use them without any charge -- whether or not you're on the ship.  My hubby and I were able to text each other without using any of our minutes this way, and could also text my daughter who was at home dealing with a sick baby.  This ONLY work with iPhones, not phones that send regular text messages.

 

We also had trouble trying to sending message to phones that didn't use iMessage.  Even though we had the wireless, they simply wouldn't send if it wasn't an iMessage.  Don't know if that would have changed if we'd paid the $10 device charge, but since we didn't need to use it to communicate on the other ship, we never paid that.

[merinski]

1 hour ago, ute_fan said:

A little clarification from our recent trip.  We had the 250 minute internet plan.  Put your phone on airplane mode once you board, turn on the wireless, and login to the app.  That uses a free WiFi available on the ship and doesn't consume any of your internet time.  The app is useful for things like making dinner reservations, or seeing what activities are going on around the ship, etc.

 

In addition, if you're sending iMessages with an iPhone, you can use them without any charge -- whether or not you're on the ship.  My hubby and I were able to text each other without using any of our minutes this way, and could also text my daughter who was at home dealing with a sick baby.  This ONLY work with iPhones, not phones that send regular text messages.

 

We also had trouble trying to sending message to phones that didn't use iMessage.  Even though we had the wireless, they simply wouldn't send if it wasn't an iMessage.  Don't know if that would have changed if we'd paid the $10 device charge, but since we didn't need to use it to communicate on the other ship, we never paid that.

We were able to imessage on RCCl Anthem on & off the ship to home as well. What ship were you on NCL?

We will be on Joy in Oct. This would be good.

[ute_fan]

16 minutes ago, merinski said:

We were able to imessage on RCCl Anthem on & off the ship to home as well. What ship were you on NCL?

We will be on Joy in Oct. This would be good.

On the Joy!  Since we were in Alaska there were a few places, where we were in narrow mountainous areas and the WiFi didn't work at all that we couldn't iMessage, but that was the exception and not the rule.

 

[merinski]

30 minutes ago, ute_fan said:

On the Joy!  Since we were in Alaska there were a few places, where we were in narrow mountainous areas and the WiFi didn't work at all that we couldn't iMessage, but that was the exception and not the rule.

 

Thank you, we go to Victoria then San Fran to LA

[Ptroxx]

Just curious.  With the iPhone what phone service do you have that was working to message ?     

Also were you able to connect to the internet ?  In port or away?   

 

 

[esm54687]

2 hours ago, ute_fan said:

A little clarification from our recent trip.  We had the 250 minute internet plan.  Put your phone on airplane mode once you board, turn on the wireless, and login to the app.  That uses a free WiFi available on the ship and doesn't consume any of your internet time.  The app is useful for things like making dinner reservations, or seeing what activities are going on around the ship, etc.

 

In addition, if you're sending iMessages with an iPhone, you can use them without any charge -- whether or not you're on the ship.  My hubby and I were able to text each other without using any of our minutes this way, and could also text my daughter who was at home dealing with a sick baby.  This ONLY work with iPhones, not phones that send regular text messages.

 

We also had trouble trying to sending message to phones that didn't use iMessage.  Even though we had the wireless, they simply wouldn't send if it wasn't an iMessage.  Don't know if that would have changed if we'd paid the $10 device charge, but since we didn't need to use it to communicate on the other ship, we never paid that.

How recent was your cruise because the "free" iMessage loop hole was closed some time ago.....  you now need an internet package to use iMessage. 

 

The NCL application is indepent of any internet package and every phone is required to purchase the texting / calling piece at a cost of approx $10 to communicate with each other EVEN if you have an internet package.. the free part is for shipboard information only. 

Edited July 2, 2019 by esm54687

[ute_fan]

17 minutes ago, Ptroxx said:

Just curious.  With the iPhone what phone service do you have that was working to message ?     

Also were you able to connect to the internet ?  In port or away?   

 

 

I have Sprint -- and it worked better than I expected. On the ship I was in airplane mode though, so not using my service.  We did have internet available on the ship because we had the internet package.  In port it was spotty.  Ketchikan I had it sitting in the middle of the water while we were going out to halibut fish.  Juneau was a little spottier, and Skagway we had it right in town -- and then picked up service in Carcross too.

 

[ute_fan]

18 minutes ago, esm54687 said:

How recent was your cruise because the "free" iMessage loop hole was closed some time ago.....  you now need an internet package to use iMessage. 

 

The NCL application is indepent of any internet package and every phone is required to purchase the texting / calling piece at a cost of approx $10 to communicate with each other EVEN if you have an internet package.. the free part is for shipboard information only. 

Sailed on 6/15, got back 6/22/19.  This was very recent.

 

[hallux]

2 hours ago, merinski said:

We were able to imessage on RCCl Anthem on & off the ship to home as well. What ship were you on NCL?

We will be on Joy in Oct. This would be good.

Yup, that's a "hole" that was left open (intentionally or not I'm not sure) on that ship and others using the RoyalIQ app.  There is a transition in progress to a new app, the Royal app, which actually has free messaging within the app for now.  That free messaging may be open so they can work out the bugs, then they'd put it behind a "paywall".

[PhillyTravelBug]

That is helpful advice. Group of us going on the Bliss next month and all have iPhones.thanks.

[merinski]

30 minutes ago, Joeghartman said:

That is helpful advice. Group of us going on the Bliss next month and all have iPhones.thanks.

Shshs don't tell anyone. lol

[amisup]

Follow up question - should I have every individual in the room register on the NCL app/site ? Or can the same profile be accessed from two phones ? 

[Blm03]

On 7/2/2019 at 5:35 PM, esm54687 said:

How recent was your cruise because the "free" iMessage loop hole was closed some time ago.....  you now need an internet package to use iMessage. 

 

The NCL application is indepent of any internet package and every phone is required to purchase the texting / calling piece at a cost of approx $10 to communicate with each other EVEN if you have an internet package.. the free part is for shipboard information only. 

We were on the Joy 6/29 and iMessage did not work for us until I bought the text plan. 

[esm54687]

8 hours ago, Blm03 said:

We were on the Joy 6/29 and iMessage did not work for us until I bought the text plan. 

That is what I would expect...... ute_fan experience is not the norm

[1bets1]

I have a slightly different question- I purchased the 'social media package' on Escape. Says most social media, such as facebook, instagram, etc, and most messaging apps. What do they mean by messaging apps? I'm using a Samsung Galaxy, my daughter a Google phone. Will we be able to text people at home while on this wifi package? It's not the 250 minutes, but unlimited social media. Anyone have experience with this? Thanks!

[esm54687]

13 minutes ago, 1bets1 said:

I have a slightly different question- I purchased the 'social media package' on Escape. Says most social media, such as facebook, instagram, etc, and most messaging apps. What do they mean by messaging apps? I'm using a Samsung Galaxy, my daughter a Google phone. Will we be able to text people at home while on this wifi package? It's not the 250 minutes, but unlimited social media. Anyone have experience with this? Thanks!

Big difference between "messenger" and "messaging"...  Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram (DM messengers) are messenger apps.  I personally love WhatsApp and those at home just have to install it and you can chat with the Social Media Package. It does not allow text messages