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Keeping in touch with the kids


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Hello, we are going on our first family cruise on the Anthem of the Seas in Aug.  My kids are 10 and 13 and will most likely spend time away from us at the Adventure Ocean Kids Club. 

My question is that should I pay for Wi-Fi for their devices, so that they can contact us if they want to leave and enjoy another part of the ship... or are there other ways for them to contact us.

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To my knowledge the Royal app still doesn't have push notifications so if that's important you might want to communicate with another app like WhatsApp, Groupme or FB messaging depending on what you're comfortable with your kids having access to.  If you all have iPhones, you can use their messaging app too.  For any of these, you can get the cheaper wifi (Surf Voyage, not the more expensive Surf & Stream).  It's a good deal when you buy this for 4 people.  Remember you only need to purchase one under whoever's name, and you'll receive 4 access accounts to set up once you're on board.

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4 hours ago, JC123 said:

I believe if you all download the 'Royal' app you can communicate using its chat function.  You don't need to pay for wifi to use it - just connect to the Royal wifi.  I could be mistaken but I'm pretty sure thats how it works! 

Last time I checked the chat feature was only available on Allure and Harmony for now.  

54 minutes ago, Brobbins246 said:

To my knowledge the Royal app still doesn't have push notifications so if that's important you might want to communicate with another app like WhatsApp, Groupme or FB messaging depending on what you're comfortable with your kids having access to.  If you all have iPhones, you can use their messaging app too.  For any of these, you can get the cheaper wifi (Surf Voyage, not the more expensive Surf & Stream).  It's a good deal when you buy this for 4 people.  Remember you only need to purchase one under whoever's name, and you'll receive 4 access accounts to set up once you're on board.

Push notifications are now enabled but I don't think they are 100% reliable

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8 hours ago, xanman2112 said:

Hello, we are going on our first family cruise on the Anthem of the Seas in Aug.  My kids are 10 and 13 and will most likely spend time away from us at the Adventure Ocean Kids Club. 

My question is that should I pay for Wi-Fi for their devices, so that they can contact us if they want to leave and enjoy another part of the ship... or are there other ways for them to contact us.

As long as everyone downloads the Royal Caribbean app, you can text within your party without buying the wifi  for the device.  You can also see the daily calendar of events.

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11 hours ago, Ditchdoc said:

Walkie Talkies....you can buy them in packages of two, four and more very reasonably.

Walkie talkies are a very poor option on a ship. They do not work well due to all the metal interfering with the radio signal.

Besides the issue of poor reliability, it is a matter of etiquette to be using those in public areas. Last thing a lot of people want is to be on an elevator or by the pool with someone calling into a walkie over and over, and having replies belting out at high volume.

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2 minutes ago, xanman2112 said:

Thanks to all who responded.  Per this RCL page: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/royaliq  it looks like this is available on Anthem and Ovation.

I'm sailing on the Anthem, so I'm gonna have my kids download it.  Thanks!

Royal IQ is going to be difficult for your kids because it requires them to be a certain age to log in and use it. We’ve sailed Anthem twice now with our girls. First tome they were 9/11 and then 10/12. Both times they could download it but could not use it because of age. 

Do you all have apple devices? My girls and I do and iMessage works on Anthem without purchasing wifi. It’s a loophole. That could be an option. That is what we have done both times.

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9 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Royal IQ is going to be difficult for your kids because it requires them to be a certain age to log in and use it. We’ve sailed Anthem twice now with our girls. First tome they were 9/11 and then 10/12. Both times they could download it but could not use it because of age. 

Do you all have apple devices? My girls and I do and iMessage works on Anthem without purchasing wifi. It’s a loophole. That could be an option. That is what we have done both times.

Hi LTC2002, my kids do have Apple Devices, but they are iPods (no cell service).  We do use iMessage to communicate when they are on wi-fi.

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29 minutes ago, xanman2112 said:

Hi LTC2002, my kids do have Apple Devices, but they are iPods (no cell service).  We do use iMessage to communicate when they are on wi-fi.

That will work. You don’t need cell service to iMessage on Anthem. My younger daughter uses an iPod and we can message her with it on board.

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10 hours ago, FroggyFlo said:

What if...we do not have cell phones? Just in case somebody might have an idea. On DCL, we just decided on a meeting point at a certain time, but the ship was far smaller than than the HOTS...

When we have traveled with a group, we usually spend a few minutes after dinner each night looking at the next day’s cruise compass and discussing plans. Usually at least one person has a strong desire to do one activity or another. That activity becomes the focus of our meeting times. Not that everyone does it, by any means, but we schedule checkins around it. Does that make sense?

Sometimes on sea days we just plan to meet at dinner. Also, you’d be surprised at how often you run into one another even on the big ships!

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  • 2 years later...

Maintaining communication with children during the cruise is very important because they may face situations from which they will not find a way out. Although, if you want to take a break from children, you can limit communication. Before cell phones were invented, we could not communicate with our parents for several weeks when we were sent to a camp.  I always keep in touch with my children because I worry about them. The adoption process was quite long, I had to study oregon foster care requirements, so I'm so afraid of losing them. However, I understand this is overprotective and shouldn't be like this.

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15 hours ago, jukijuk said:

Maintaining communication with children during the cruise is very important because they may face situations from which they will not find a way out.

 

Having cruised with teenage girls I fully appreciate this feeling.  My solution was to buy internet plans for everyone (or book suites so it was included on that class of ship).   Piece of mind as we learned to let them become a little more independent on each cruise.   Now that they are adults and left the nest they can buy their own drink packages and internet plans if they want to.  🙂 

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I have teenagers and my wife is tech-adequate at best.  So I find it easiest to get the internet plan for us all.  Once we are on the ship and connected, the phones go into airplane mode and we communicate with each other 'normally' via text, calling, etc.  I need the internet for communication back home (older parent, house/pet sitter/to a lesser extent work/personally find it hard to disconnect/etc.), so adding the three of them to my Voom package does not cost a great deal, and it is worth the peace of mind to me that anyone that needs to get ahold of me, on the ship or back home, is able to do so as seamlessly as possible.

Will be especially important this cruise, as it is our first time with two cabins that do not connect.  If I called my kids room, I doubt they would know how to answer the desk phone.  They would probably think it was an alarm of some sort and head to the muster station.

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My parents took my 10 and 12 year old boys on Oasis last week.  They had walkie talkies to try out as a test, because so many people always say they won't work due to all the metal on the ship - turns out they worked fine.  But they forgot extra batteries and one of them died on day 2.  So they just did as we usually do - tell the boys what time to check in and where and let them go.  If my parents needed to find them they checked charges to see the last place were.

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My 16 year old has earned the right to go to the teen club, gym, arcade because we have a standing rule just text us and let us know, curfew is 2200-2300 depending on if we are there with other friends and of course the itinerary the next morning. Well, we learned the hard way have a plan in place for the internet to go down. 

18 cruises and she is super responsible, never once had we had a problem....until we did. We were getting ready to turn in for the night last week on the Mariner and she left the cabin to go on her nightly run, we checked no messages. Okay, we get dressed and start looking all over the ship, no where & zero texts & my phone tracker says she is off line. NOT NORMAL, hubby still looking I go to security, who was amazing and I can't say enough about. With my background they did everything right. 

The internet was down, but we couldn't tell with our phones. Long story short ship wide announcement and she comes bouncing up to the guest services desk, where in the world were you and why didn't you let us know. It was windy outside so she was walking the deck hallways and doing the stairs for her cardio, she pulls out her phone and sure enough the messages she sent us were there, let's just say I lost a few years of my life that hour.

Security was great & they explained this sometimes happens. So just note, just because you buy the internet package sometimes it doesn't work. Have a system in place with feedback, if no feedback meet back at XYZ face to face to confirm plans, places etc. 

18 sailings first time, probably never happen again but I wanted to share our experience. 

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12 minutes ago, Neesa said:

So just note, just because you buy the internet package sometimes it doesn't work. Have a system in place with feedback, if no feedback meet back at XYZ face to face to confirm plans, places etc. 

Great advice and to be honest something I had not considered.  Will have the 'if internet is down' talk with everyone.

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The chat feature on the Royal App worked great and was cheaper and more reliable than the wifi.  We have a two hour rule where the kids have to check in using the app or if no response from us within 15 minutes of sending a text, they come to the room and leave us a post it note on the inside of the door.  Too many idiot teenagers take down post it notes from the outside of the door.  Anyways, my question to all of you is....WHY check in with the kids at all? 😆 

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I really appreciate this thread as I will be traveling with my husband and 15 year old son in November on Allure.  I am considering purchasing one of the VOOM packages.  For clarification, if I buy the package under MY name and indicate it is for 3 devices... will I then give my husband and son each one of the log in doohickey's?  Or do I actually have to buy the package under each of their names?  The price difference is staggering if I go the first route! TIA.  (other option is to just use the app and hope DS doesn't explode from lack of internet access) 🙂

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16 hours ago, Kingsmom said:

I really appreciate this thread as I will be traveling with my husband and 15 year old son in November on Allure.  I am considering purchasing one of the VOOM packages.  For clarification, if I buy the package under MY name and indicate it is for 3 devices... will I then give my husband and son each one of the log in doohickey's?  Or do I actually have to buy the package under each of their names?  The price difference is staggering if I go the first route! TIA.  (other option is to just use the app and hope DS doesn't explode from lack of internet access) 🙂

You can buy the 3 device package, it doesn't matter who uses it. Just keep in mind that when some new device logs in, it will ask if you want to disconnect another device, but you don't get to choose which device that is!  This became a constant frustration with us on our last cruise (we had a 2 device plan, but I'd switch between my phone and iPad, but it'd kick my husband's iPad off, lol - OOPS!

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Honestly...why??? We got internet for my spouse and myself for work.  Didn't use it for work at all.  If you do not need to check in for work, have a sick elderly person to check up on, or don't trust your kids, do yourselves a favor and just ENJOY THE CRUISE.  

Like I said before, the chat feature worked well for us and our 9 year old and 14 year old had no trouble using it.  They DID NOT get internet.  We were off grid as much as possible.

DON'T use walkie talkies.  Even if they work.  Don't be THAT person.  Please.  It was annoying having to listen to teens and parents scream into walkie talkies and all of the beeping.

Also....DON'T RELY ON LOOPHOLES. iMessage worked for us without internet for three messages, and then I got notification that I would be charged afterwards.  My provider, AT&T caught this right away.  Reason we did not is my wifi was logged out when spouse was using laptop and phone (we only had 2 device internet).

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The app isn’t that reliable. If it is important to have reliable communication I would say the WiFi will bring you piece of mind. The ship is as safe environment as any. Our kids were that age when ship WiFi was prohibitively expensive and kids didn’t carry phones anyways. We always found a magnetic dry erase board on the cabin door was an effective way for them and us to let each other know where we were. 

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11 minutes ago, loki007 said:

The app isn’t that reliable. If it is important to have reliable communication I would say the WiFi will bring you piece of mind. The ship is as safe environment as any. Our kids were that age when ship WiFi was prohibitively expensive and kids didn’t carry phones anyways. We always found a magnetic dry erase board on the cabin door was an effective way for them and us to let each other know where we were. 

App was great on our trip.  WiFi was iffy.  I guess it really depends on the ship and the location?  I am speaking from a recent cruise experience (last week).  My kids did not have the wifi.  They responded to my messages immediately.  

As to the dry erase boards.  Yes.  Good idea, but as I mentioned before, not on the outside of the door.  Teenagers and unruly idiots were taking magnets and post its off of the doors of our neighbors and other floors constantly.

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