Internet and Cell Phone questions

[Turk1]

My wife, daughter and 2 grand daughters are going on a girls cruise. Trying to remember what is needed for my oldest Grand Daughter to be able to text her new boy friend. Normally we put our cell phones in Air Plane mode and in the safe. But, since my grand daughter has this new guy trying to find out what she would need to text, no voice calls, her boy friend. Not sure when she grew up! LOL

[Biker19]

4 minutes ago, Turk1 said:

Trying to remember what is needed for my oldest Grand Daughter to be able to text her new boy friend.

A Voom package and confirmed working Wi-Fi calling capabilities before leaving for the cruise. 

[Turk1]

So, she will need a Voom package, WiFi from her cell phone and then she can text to her hearts content?

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, Turk1 said:

So, she will need a Voom package, WiFi from her cell phone and then she can text to her hearts content?

Correct. 

[#1packerfan]

6 minutes ago, Turk1 said:

So, she will need a Voom package, WiFi from her cell phone and then she can text to her hearts content?

Making sure to keep her phone in airplane mode.  As Biker said, use wifi calling mode with phone in airplane mode and she can text or call via the wifi.  I do this all the time when I am on a cruise without my husband.  

[SG65CB]

Do you need WiFi calling enabled for texting? Or only if you want to make voice calls?

 

If you plan to use WiFi calling you should set it up and test it at home. Make sure it works on your phone and with your carrier. Some carriers require E911 setup when you turn on WiFi calling the first time.  

 

 

[Biker19]

17 minutes ago, SG65CB said:

Do you need WiFi calling enabled for texting?

Yes. 

[TheMiz]

1 hour ago, Turk1 said:

So, she will need a Voom package, WiFi from her cell phone and then she can text to her hearts content?

 

 

If you have WiFi calling on your phone

[Turk1]

Is anyone using a specific app for WiFi calling? Believe she has iPhone.

[Oceansaway17]

2 hours ago, Turk1 said:

My wife, daughter and 2 grand daughters are going on a girls cruise. Trying to remember what is needed for my oldest Grand Daughter to be able to text her new boy friend. Normally we put our cell phones in Air Plane mode and in the safe. But, since my grand daughter has this new guy trying to find out what she would need to text, no voice calls, her boy friend. Not sure when she grew up! LOL

well now if trying to send a text message while ship is in port, I had to turn off airplane mode and my provider did charge me a small fee for sending text.   One has to get off the ship and walk away to not get those roaming charges.

 

Personally try to convince here to leave phone alone and tell boyfriend she will tell him all about it when she gets back.   I sure wish the younger folks could be experienced life before cell phones.  

[SG65CB]

50 minutes ago, Turk1 said:

Is anyone using a specific app for WiFi calling? Believe she has iPhone.

 

You don't need an app for WiFi calling, it is built into the phone and you turn it on via the phone's settings.

 

Instruction guides and videos are readily available, for example:

https://www.hellotech.com/guide/for/how-to-enable-wifi-calling-on-iphone

 

 

 

 

 

 

[steveru621]

8 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:

well now if trying to send a text message while ship is in port, I had to turn off airplane mode and my provider did charge me a small fee for sending text.   One has to get off the ship and walk away to not get those roaming charges.

 

Personally try to convince here to leave phone alone and tell boyfriend she will tell him all about it when she gets back.   I sure wish the younger folks could be experienced life before cell phones.  

 

When you turn off airplane mode you are subject to Data charges.

 

[Cigar King]

22 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:

if trying to send a text message while ship is in port, I had to turn off airplane mode and my provider did charge me a small fee for sending text.   One has to get off the ship and walk away to not get those roaming charges.

The ships do not operate their cell towers in port.  If you were charged for sending the text it seems more likely that your cellular plan does not include texts from the location you sent from.

[smokeybandit]

Right, ships turn off their cellular within 9-12 miles from shore, depending on where they are.

[jean87510]

On 4/14/2023 at 10:52 AM, Turk1 said:

My wife, daughter and 2 grand daughters are going on a girls cruise. Trying to remember what is needed for my oldest Grand Daughter to be able to text her new boy friend. Normally we put our cell phones in Air Plane mode and in the safe. But, since my grand daughter has this new guy trying to find out what she would need to text, no voice calls, her boy friend. Not sure when she grew up! LOL

phone on airplane mode, wifi calling on.  Will have no issues using snap chat as well as text.  Voom works well.

[Oceansaway17]

15 hours ago, steveru621 said:

 

When you turn off airplane mode you are subject to Data charges.

 

and I thought being in port would not matter but I found out the hard way.  I had about 5 dollars on my phone bill for texting in port.   oh well.   Now I know why crew gets off ships and walks away to get on phones.

[Oceansaway17]

2 hours ago, Cigar King said:

The ships do not operate their cell towers in port.  If you were charged for sending the text it seems more likely that your cellular plan does not include texts from the location you sent from.

I have good coverage anywhere in the USA.  But I was told on the ship even in port one must be outside up on deck.  I was in my room and I got charged roaming.  oh well.   

[topnole]

On 4/14/2023 at 1:28 PM, Oceansaway17 said:

well now if trying to send a text message while ship is in port, I had to turn off airplane mode and my provider did charge me a small fee for sending text.   One has to get off the ship and walk away to not get those roaming charges.

 

Personally try to convince here to leave phone alone and tell boyfriend she will tell him all about it when she gets back.   I sure wish the younger folks could be experienced life before cell phones.  

Just leave it airplane mode and use wifi while on the ship.  No need to turn off airplane mode to keep texting.  You just use the ship wifi as you do all cruise.  

[topnole]

On 4/14/2023 at 11:00 AM, Turk1 said:

So, she will need a Voom package, WiFi from her cell phone and then she can text to her hearts content?

Make her or the boyfriend or pay for the wifi.  That will help confirm how committed they are to communicating while away.  😂😂

Edited April 15, 2023 by topnole

[steveru621]

19 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

I have good coverage anywhere in the USA.  But I was told on the ship even in port one must be outside up on deck.  I was in my room and I got charged roaming.  oh well.   

 

The crew always has creative answers, and half of them are totally wrong.  The ship's cellphone 'tower' is shut down in port.  Dosn't matter where you are on board the vessel you will use the tower of any country you are in at the time.

[smarterman64]

i would test this out at home before using it at sea. put the phone on airplane mode at home, turn on wifi. and make sure texting works. Then you know voom internet would cover it. FWIW i was able to text from sea from an iphone on the voom wifi. that is the non imessage texts (which is likely provider supported). if it's imessage, there shouldn't be any issues. 

[Oceansaway17]

3 hours ago, topnole said:

Just leave it airplane mode and use wifi while on the ship.  No need to turn off airplane mode to keep texting.  You just use the ship wifi as you do all cruise.  

no that did not work for me as it would not send under ships wifi.  thanks anyways  Apple phone and Sprint were a bit touchy that week

[topnole]

2 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:

no that did not work for me as it would not send under ships wifi.  thanks anyways  Apple phone and Sprint were a bit touchy that week

Ok.  Maybe it is a sprint thing.  Zero issues do that with Verizon.  

[smokeybandit]

Wifi calling and text message don't always play well together on a ship. I think it may have something to do with different carriers for your recipient.

But if you need guaranteed receipt, use WhatsApp or the like

[TheMiz]

5 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Wifi calling and text message don't always play well together on a ship. I think it may have something to do with different carriers for your recipient.

But if you need guaranteed receipt, use WhatsApp or the like

 

 

WhatsApp was useless for me on 2 cruises last year, it only works if the person you are calling and or texting has the same app.  None of my contacts use WhatApp.