WiFi - AT&T confusion

[Arrowinc]

I am sure that this question has been asked and answered many times on this forum, but my search has not borne any results.

 

We are boarding Rotterdam on February 15 for a 10 day Caribbean cruise.  We have the "Have it All" package, which enables free WiFi on board ship.  I am familiar with the fact that the ship's WiFi is evidently turned out within 10 miles of land, but am attempting to figure out whether the "free" WiFi enables us to  text while aboard ship.  I presume that we can "surf" the internet using this service, but do we need to buy an international or "cruise" plan to text?  Our carrier is AT&T, which I have always found impossibly complicated to deal with.  Thanks much in advance.

 

 

[rubytue]

If you turn on WiFi calling and texting you should be able to text. Should being the word that adds enough flexibility that it might not. But I’m 90% sure I was texting just fine on my cruise last summer and I know I didn’t have cell turned on. 
 

another option is to use something like WhatsApp, FB messenger, or Signal. Those are all text-like platforms that are through WiFi. Or, if you have an iPhone and texting other iPhone, iMessage will work. 

[Mosaic]

Free wifi refers to the INTRANET only. Meaning, you can message someone else on the ship, not to anyone else.  For texting to others "at home" you need to buy an internet package.  Calling someone else is a different story...

[CruisinNana]

While I am with Verizon, it has been true that whether we are at sea or in port, as long as I leave my phone in airplane mode and remain connected to the ship’s Wi-Fi, I text, email and surf. I have an international plan with Verizon and it doesn’t go into effect unless I take the phone off airplane mode. 
Bon Voyage 

[Red Haired Lady]

12 minutes ago, Mosaic said:

Free wifi refers to the INTRANET only. Meaning, you can message someone else on the ship, not to anyone else.  For texting to others "at home" you need to buy an internet package.  Calling someone else is a different story...

The "Have it all" package includes regular wifi as one of the benefits.  The Intranet is available to everyone without the wifi package or Have it all package. 

[richwmn]

The ship's WIFI service is not turned off at all. The ship has a cell service, Cellular at Sea, that can be used at a high cost to make phone calls. That is what is turned off when approaching a port until the ships is sufficiently away from the port.

Depending on your carrier and the ship you may be able to do WIFI calls. I have T-Mobile and I am able to make WiFi calls on Zuiderdam at no cost. On another HAL ship it was the international rate of 25 cents per minute. Whatsapp and FB messenger work great using the ship's internet connection.

 

[Iamthesea]

I have done WiFi Calling in the past with my Verizon plan, but thought I read that recently Verizon is no longer allowing WiFi Calling overseas.  Is this correct?  Also, I cannot remember if I can text with WiFi Calling or if it's just calls that can be made?

 

The last time we were over seas, we purchased a plan from Verizon for $10 a day that was activated only if we used it.  So if we used it 3 times in a week, we were charged for those 3 days, only. $30  That was for calling and texting.  

[rubytue]

By the way, AT&T does have a cruise plan that for $50 gives you a month of unlimited texted and a certain number of minutes of calls during cruises. It covers ships cellular and most if the Caribbean (AT&T was fine one land last summer in alaska). That said, I had the AT&T cruise plan last week, and it was vert frustrating. My texts were going out, but I got zero incoming texts. My husband, at home, got lucky I figured out it was a technical issue not him ignoring me 😂 

 

But, confirming a general “WiFi calling” enabling worked for texts, as soon as I got on the paid ship wifi, all my incoming texts came. Days of them.
 

Note, this was not a HAL ship, but just a general functionality comment. fresh in my mind bc it was last week. Also, once you sign up for the cruise plan, you have to cancel when you get back or it will keep billing you monthly.

Edited February 3, 2023 by rubytue
Typo

[crystalspin]

3 hours ago, Arrowinc said:

 

We are boarding Rotterdam on February 15 for a 10 day Caribbean cruise.  We have the "Have it All" package, which enables free WiFi on board ship.  ...but am attempting to figure out whether the "free" WiFi enables us to  text while aboard ship.  I presume that we can "surf" the internet using this service, but do we need to buy an international or "cruise" plan to text?  

Recently off the Koningsdam with HIA (Surf level internet). Despite having calls-over-wifi turned on (T-Mobile phones), neither voice calls nor 'regular' texting worked. In the past (BC), my husband was able to make a conference phone call with the Premium level internet -- so I assumed it was something turned off on Surf but on with Premium.

 

If you are trying to communicate with someone ON the ship, there is a chat feature in the included FREE plan -- but it doesn't ping outloud, so you have to check messages.

Edited February 3, 2023 by crystalspin

[Arrowinc]

Thanks for all of this help.  
 

I am from the age of vacuum tubes, but it appears that iMessages through Apple work internationally for free, assuming WiFi access.  Everyone in our family uses iPhones and iMessages rather than SMS, so we should be ok on that front.  
 

As to emails, we work through Yahoo.  My understanding is that email through Yahoo is also free when their website is accessed through WiFi. 
 

Does any of this make any sense at all or am I a hopeless Luddite?

[richwmn]

Just now, Arrowinc said:

Thanks for all of this help.  
 

I am from the age of vacuum tubes, but it appears that iMessages through Apple work internationally for free, assuming WiFi access.  Everyone in our family uses iPhones and iMessages rather than SMS, so we should be ok on that front.  
 

As to emails, we work through Yahoo.  My understanding is that email through Yahoo is also free when their website is accessed through WiFi. 
 

Does any of this make any sense at all or am I a hopeless Luddite?

I am not an iPhone person but know many that are and they have had no problems with iMessage over the ship's internet connection but I'm not sure if it is just the premium package which they had.

Using the yahoo website is not a problem for receiving and sending email, I do that regularly and should work with any package as I think yahoo is an allowed site for the social package.

 

[alyssamma]

2 hours ago, crystalspin said:

Recently off the Koningsdam with HIA (Surf level internet). Despite having calls-over-wifi turned on (T-Mobile phones), neither voice calls nor 'regular' texting worked. In the past (BC), my husband was able to make a conference phone call with the Premium level internet -- so I assumed it was something turned off on Surf but on with Premium.

 

If you are trying to communicate with someone ON the ship, there is a chat feature in the included FREE plan -- but it doesn't ping outloud, so you have to check messages.

I've found this to be the case also depending on the ship. The ability to make calls is blocked on some plans which effectively means turning on WiFi calling is useless.

 

Whether or not you can use regular texting depends on your carrier and phone (Android vs iPhone).

 

That being said, as @rubytuementioned, WhatsApp works fine, regardless.

[CruiserN1]

If you're texting on iMessage on wifi you will be fine. If someone texts you who is not on iMessage, it most likely won't go through on wifi. Same if you are trying to text someone who isn't on iMessage.

[BigBee51]

I was able to text using the ship's wifi on my android phone. Turned on airplane mode, then turned on wifi and connected to ship's wifi. No issues texting or surfing the web using whatever the appropriate package was that allowed txt and surfing in 2018. I don't attempt to use wifi for placing phone calls.

Edited February 3, 2023 by BigBee51

[CurlerRob]

7 hours ago, Arrowinc said:

Thanks for all of this help.  
 

I am from the age of vacuum tubes, but it appears that iMessages through Apple work internationally for free, assuming WiFi access.  Everyone in our family uses iPhones and iMessages rather than SMS, so we should be ok on that front.  
 

As to emails, we work through Yahoo.  My understanding is that email through Yahoo is also free when their website is accessed through WiFi. 
 

Does any of this make any sense at all or am I a hopeless Luddite?

 

It makes sense, but perhaps a few clarifications for others tuning in ...

 

WiFi is simply one of several ways of connecting to the internet. Although the term tends to be used interchangeably with "internet connection", that is not correct. Other ways of connecting to internet services are by a physical wire (laptop via ethernet cable) or a cellular connection.

 

The internet is the network that connects people's devices and computers that hold data or information you want to access. Your Yahoo email is a service provided by Yahoo via their computers - that you access through the internet. Cruise Critic is a different service located on a set of computers somewhere - again, one you access through the internet.

 

Finally, iMessage is a service provided by Apple (similar to email) but restricted to Apple devices. iMessage will work just fine as long as you are connected to the internet (by WiFi, wire or cell), so you will be fine messaging your family as long as ship internet is available (it sometimes is not, depending on location, surroundings or weather).

 

Hope that helps a bit ... 🍺🥌

[Arrowinc]

I really do appreciate all of the help.  Fortunately, everyone with whom I would want to text uses iMessages, which is terrific.  That leaves email.  Frankly, I am going to set aside a day to sit and wait on AT&T to tell me what I need.  For some reason, I have never been able to successfully access "My ATT" or otherwise able to do much online.  

[Iamthesea]

I just downloaded WhatsApp to my iPhone.  Will it work without WiFi, or do I still need a connection?

[CruiserN1]

7 minutes ago, Iamthesea said:

I just downloaded WhatsApp to my iPhone.  Will it work without WiFi, or do I still need a connection?

Nope, you will need an internet connection

[jb008]

I used the ship Wi-Fi with decent speeds while lounging on shore in Grand Turk and slow speed from the beach at HMC. So I don’t think they turn off Wi-Fi while in port. Just a minor fyi. 
 

also used ship Wi-Fi onboard while in various ports with very good speeds.