Royal Caribbean App

[1interpreter]

Quick question,

We cruise on the Indy in 10 days. Our last cruise was four years ago and they didn't have (or if they did, they didn't require) the app. As I was looking around on it again today I noticed a part where it says that "you can chat with linked guests while viewing your current reservation and connected to ship wi-fi". Do you have to pay for the internet package for this part of the app to work, or is the wi-fi free to use for the app, but required for other things that require it (regular internet surfing, social media, etc)? 

[orville99]

5 minutes ago, 1interpreter said:

Quick question,

We cruise on the Indy in 10 days. Our last cruise was four years ago and they didn't have (or if they did, they didn't require) the app. As I was looking around on it again today I noticed a part where it says that "you can chat with linked guests while viewing your current reservation and connected to ship wi-fi". Do you have to pay for the internet package for this part of the app to work, or is the wi-fi free to use for the app, but required for other things that require it (regular internet surfing, social media, etc)? 

You can use the app on board without buying an internet package. When you get on board, and open the app, it will pull up the ship's wifi network, and give you the option to "use without Internet". If I remember correctly, you choose cancel and then the "use without internet" option pops up. If you choose that option, the app will function properly without any charges. There are usually several announcements over the PA system on boarding day that walk you through the specifics.

[rockmom]

19 minutes ago, 1interpreter said:

Quick question,

We cruise on the Indy in 10 days. Our last cruise was four years ago and they didn't have (or if they did, they didn't require) the app. As I was looking around on it again today I noticed a part where it says that "you can chat with linked guests while viewing your current reservation and connected to ship wi-fi". Do you have to pay for the internet package for this part of the app to work, or is the wi-fi free to use for the app, but required for other things that require it (regular internet surfing, social media, etc)? 

There is a charge for the chat feature. It's $1.99 per person, per day and everyone needs to buy it for them to send/receive messages.  One thing to be aware of, is that it's fairly archaic in the fact that it doesn't actually notify you that you have a message.  So unless you are constantly checking the chat app, you won't know someone has messaged you. 

Edited November 18, 2022 by rockmom

[AkSusan]

15 minutes ago, 1interpreter said:

Quick question,

We cruise on the Indy in 10 days. Our last cruise was four years ago and they didn't have (or if they did, they didn't require) the app. As I was looking around on it again today I noticed a part where it says that "you can chat with linked guests while viewing your current reservation and connected to ship wi-fi". Do you have to pay for the internet package for this part of the app to work, or is the wi-fi free to use for the app, but required for other things that require it (regular internet surfing, social media, etc)? 

If you want to chat through the RC app there is a charge per person per day.  So, last I saw it was $1.99 a day for each person that wants it!  Heard there are problems with it, like it doesn't notify you when you have a message, so, you have to constantly check it!

 

Otherwise, if you don't buy internet, you will only have access to being able to look and reserve through the RC app, once you're onboard!

[Biker19]

19 minutes ago, 1interpreter said:

Do you have to pay for the internet package for this part of the app to work? 

That functionality starts with the three dots in the upper right of the main screen- it is $1.99pppd and a VOOM package is not required. 

[1interpreter]

Thanks everyone, you've been very helpful! Now if time would just hurry up, so I can get on that ship!!!

[iuki]

10 hours ago, AkSusan said:

If you want to chat through the RC app there is a charge per person per day.  So, last I saw it was $1.99 a day for each person that wants it!  Heard there are problems with it, like it doesn't notify you when you have a message, so, you have to constantly check it!

 

Otherwise, if you don't buy internet, you will only have access to being able to look and reserve through the RC app, once you're onboard!

My husband and I will be using that service on future cruises.  We will check or send texting on the quarter-hour.  Takes just a second to check your messages every 15 minutes.  So, to us it’s worth it.  

[ARandomTraveler]

I sail tomorrow on the Symphony. When I logged in to see my cruise docs, I saw this note in big red letters saying "You are required to download the app..."

 

Not sure if that's really true but you should download it anyway. 
 

[Biker19]

7 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

 

I sail tomorrow on the Symphony. When I logged in to see my cruise docs, I saw this note in big red letters saying "You are required to download the app..."

 

Not sure if that's really true but you should download it anyway. 

 

Not true. 

[RCCLNYMETS41]

Just off the Odyssey this morning. As mentioned the chat feature is $1.99 per person per day and you definitely do not need any Internet package with it. We found it helpful to let each other know where we were around the ship if we were not together.

[ARandomTraveler]

12 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Not true. 

On the ship now. Definitely seems like one could get by without it. 
 

One nice feature I didn't realize was on the app is that there's a digital room key on there. I'm surprised I haven't heard anyone mention that. 

[Ocean Boy]

30 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

On the ship now. Definitely seems like one could get by without it. 
 

One nice feature I didn't realize was on the app is that there's a digital room key on there. I'm surprised I haven't heard anyone mention that. 

All the shops I've been on so far have not supported that. I suspect that my next cruise on Odyssey might. How does it work?

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, ARandomTraveler said:

I'm surprised I haven't heard anyone mention that. 

Very few ships have it and on the few that do, some have reported it may not work. 

[ARandomTraveler]

1 hour ago, Ocean Boy said:

All the shops I've been on so far have not supported that. I suspect that my next cruise on Odyssey might. How does it work?

So far so good. The phone has to be set really close to the door, just like the sea pass card. It's not like at a hotel where it can sense you're getting close to the room and you just click "unlock door."' But it's pretty convenient.

 

[Wills Mojo]

Wanted to confirm with those who used the app recently - you do not receive an alert / push notification when someone sends you a message? We used the Disney app on the DCL Dream this Aug and the push notifications helped a lot and allowed us to only check the app if a message came in.

[thedoc29ca]

Does the daily schedule/cruise compass only appear in the app once on board or is it visible pre-cruise.   If it is visible pre-cruise how far out.  
 

Thanks

[crzndeb]

12 minutes ago, Wills Mojo said:

Wanted to confirm with those who used the app recently - you do not receive an alert / push notification when someone sends you a message? We used the Disney app on the DCL Dream this Aug and the push notifications helped a lot and allowed us to only check the app if a message came in.

Nope, you have to keep checking.

[Ocean Boy]

5 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

Nope, you have to keep checking.

That is not too many steps above useless.

[RCCLNYMETS41]

On the Odyssey last week, the cruise compass was available each day after midnight. It was not through the app. In the room, there was a card with a QR code that takes you to a website with the cruise compass. You do need to be onboard (possibly it might work in the terminal) & connected to ships WiFi (no internet package required) in order to access it.

[Ocean Boy]

2 minutes ago, RCCLNYMETS41 said:

On the Odyssey last week, the cruise compass was available each day after midnight. It was not through the app. In the room, there was a card with a QR code that takes you to a website with the cruise compass. You do need to be onboard (possibly it might work in the terminal) & connected to ships WiFi (no internet package required) in order to access it.

Isn't it a bit tedious trying to read the Compass on a phone screen? Besides all the scrolling I know at times I can barely even seen the screen in bright sunlight.

[RCCLNYMETS41]

4 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Isn't it a bit tedious trying to read the Compass on a phone screen? Besides all the scrolling I know at times I can barely even seen the screen in bright sunlight.

It wasn't too bad for me when I turned my phone sideways. I'm old school & liked to read the extra info on the compass. I still used the apps Daily Planner to select activities I was interested in, & then clicked on them to add to my calendar. I did like having them on my calendar because it would then send me a reminder (I think 10 or 15 minutes before) that I had an event coming up.

[MKESail]

Does anyone know where/if I can download older versions of Royal Caribbean app for Android? My Samsung tablet is ~2 years old and it says my device isn't compatible with this version. :-(.

Edited December 10, 2022 by MKESail

[Ret MP]

On 11/21/2022 at 11:00 AM, Ocean Boy said:

Isn't it a bit tedious trying to read the Compass on a phone screen? Besides all the scrolling I know at times I can barely even seen the screen in bright sunlight.

I'll always ask for paper copies of the Compass.  

[Ret MP]

I'm sure most, if not all, already know this.  But, just in case:

 

Make sure you turn you phone on to "AIRPLANE MODE".  I turn mine on to it as soon as we start moving from the terminal to the ship.  Other's do it earlier, while even others do it sometime after boarding the ship.  

[njkruzer]

18 minutes ago, MKESail said:

Does anyone know where/if I can download older versions of Royal Caribbean app for Android? My Samsung tablet is ~2 years old and it says my device isn't compatible with this version. :-(.

Couldn't download to tablet but someone on here said they used the smart switch app on their android/Samsung phone to transfer to their Samsung tablet.  Both were Samsung products.  I tried it and it worked.