Question about iPhone usage

[cluelyss18]

Hello everyone! My mom, who is not very tech savvy, is on the NCL Escape in the med right now until 5/26. We have AT&T for service here in the states. When I was on the Getaway in Feb, we just hooked up to the ships free Wi-Fi and were able to text iPhone users on the ship and at home with no problems. I want her to be able to do the same, but I can’t remember what settings I had my phone on. 
 

Can someone help me break this down for her in the simplest of terms?

 

Does she need airplane mode on or off?

Should the roaming setting be on or off?

Does the Escape have a “free” Wi-Fi service she can hook up to without logging in over the web or having to pay for internet service?

If I tell her to go to the Internet cafe, will they have someone who can help her with this without talking her into buying an internet package?

 

AT&T has a great international plan which just charges $10 per day, but I’m not sure if that includes on the ship or only on land.

 

thanks for any tips on how best to explain this to her over text!!

[Asawi]

Easiest is to have

Airplane mode - on

WiFi - on

 

She must authorize her phone for the ship's WiFi. The Internet manager can help her with that if she can't do it herself. She does not have to log to use her minutes just for using iMessage. Just needs to be connected to ship's WiFi.

 

As long as Airplane mode is ON there is no risk for roaming, but unless you have a roaming plan turn off roaming. I'm not in USA and don't know what plans you have but I suspect that international plan does not cover roaming at sea. I would suggest roaming OFF the whole time for a non-tech-savvy person. However, if you want her to be able to use roaming while ashore, make sure to tell her to turn on Airplane mode when she comes back to the ship. You don¨t have to be tech-savvy to do that. You "just" have to remember to do it! (NOT as easy as it sounds says I, tech-savvy but forgetful!)

[weisla]

Does she have the NCL app downloaded on her phone? Connecting to the ship’s Wi-Fi is managed through the app. This thread has a lot of helpful info

 

[purplecow15]

 

Does she need airplane mode on or off?

Should the roaming setting be on or off?

Does the Escape have a “free” Wi-Fi service she can hook up to without logging in over the web or having to pay for internet service?

If I tell her to go to the Internet cafe, will they have someone who can help her with this without talking her into buying an internet package?

 

Keep airplane mode on

roaming should be off

she just needs to go to settings, click on WiFi, the ships WiFi will come up and she can accept it. She does not need to log into her minutes

she should now be able to text anyone on or off ship as long as they also have iPhone. No pictures, text only.

[Turtles06]

3 hours ago, cluelyss18 said:

AT&T has a great international plan which just charges $10 per day, but I’m not sure if that includes on the ship or only on land.

It’s only while on land. As others have said, please be sure your Mom has her phone in airplane mode when she’s on the ship. Once in airplane mode, she can turn WiFi on. 
 

I hope she has a great cruise! 

[Liljo22]

3 hours ago, weisla said:

Does she have the NCL app downloaded on her phone? Connecting to the ship’s Wi-Fi is managed through the app. This thread has a lot of helpful info

 

Normally, this is true if you are trying to use a wi-fi plan through NCL.  There is a loophole in the system that allows iphone users to use imessage by just connecting to the ships wifi as you would normally connect through the phone.  

[Liljo22]

The $10 international plan only works on land.  When you try to connect to cell service once on land, it will automatically active the plan for that day and send you a text.  The first device is $10 and each additional is $5.  

 

AT&T has a cruise plan that I am putting below.  

 

[cluelyss18]

Thank you everyone for the information!

[uneamie]

On 5/20/2024 at 2:09 PM, Liljo22 said:

The $10 international plan only works on land.  When you try to connect to cell service once on land, it will automatically active the plan for that day and send you a text.  The first device is $10 and each additional is $5.  

 

AT&T has a cruise plan that I am putting below.  

 

At&T also as a plan for texting and calling home while "at sea". I paid $100 for it...it only works at sea. Then I got the International plan for on land which was $10. However, now that I know about the Iphone to Iphone free texting land and sea, ship and for to text those at home.......I don't really need this At&T package. 

[BirdTravels]

On 5/20/2024 at 9:34 AM, cluelyss18 said:

AT&T has a great international plan which just charges $10 per day, but I’m not sure if that includes on the ship or only on land.

 

On 5/20/2024 at 2:09 PM, Liljo22 said:

The $10 international plan only works on land. 

 

BTW: AT&T raised the price of their international day pass to $12 (a 20% increase)

[stinkyharriet]

She will be able to text iphone to iphone for free, but it will be text only.  No pictures.  No iPhone to android either.

[PelicanBill]

On 5/21/2024 at 10:35 PM, stinkyharriet said:

She will be able to text iphone to iphone for free, but it will be text only.  No pictures.  No iPhone to android either.

 

And with a WiFi Internet plan, you can use Messenger, Whatsapp, and such but still no iphone to Android because that requires telephone text - SMS messages. That's not data.

[Matahari47]

On 5/20/2024 at 7:00 PM, Liljo22 said:

Normally, this is true if you are trying to use a wi-fi plan through NCL.  There is a loophole in the system that allows iphone users to use imessage by just connecting to the ships wifi as you would normally connect through the phone.  

Just going to jump on here - this loophole for iPhones and iMessages, is it free then? 

[Asawi]

2 hours ago, Matahari47 said:

Just going to jump on here - this loophole for iPhones and iMessages, is it free then? 

Yes. But it's text only. No pictures 

[slidemaster5]

On 5/21/2024 at 10:32 PM, BirdTravels said:

 

 

BTW: AT&T raised the price of their international day pass to $12 (a 20% increase)

 

Yup. I think it was effective this month. My son was in South Korea and it is now $12/day. I used it a few months back at $10.

[Laszlo]

23 minutes ago, slidemaster5 said:

 

Yup. I think it was effective this month. My son was in South Korea and it is now $12/day. I used it a few months back at $10.

Xfinity is still $10 a day

[Sayuil]

On 5/30/2024 at 2:31 AM, Matahari47 said:

Just going to jump on here - this loophole for iPhones and iMessages, is it free then? 

Is it on all Ships?. This will make communicating and coordinating with family on board very easy. 
 

we all have iPhone.

[BirdTravels]

33 minutes ago, Sayuil said:

Is it on all Ships?. This will make communicating and coordinating with family on board very easy. We all have iPhone.

 

As people have posted, it is a flaw in NCL's internet system. Right now, it appears it works on all ships. You connect to the ship's wifi, but do not log on to the internet. You should be able to iMessage between iPhones. In the past, NCL has "fixed" the flaw in their internet, but it is broken again allowing free iMessages. 

[schmoopie17]

T-Mobile has free internet/texting/calls in most major foreign countries. That's one of the main reasons we switched to them. Works great and saves money at the same time.

[DRGrammy]

We just got off the Joy this morning.  We used the iPhone loophole all week on board and also to communicate with family back home.  It was very convenient.  Pictures won’t go through though.

Edited June 2 by DRGrammy