Voom question ....so confused

[levib2]

I am looking for a way to receive texts while onboard the Serenade (Radiance class ship).  I read that I can use Whatsapp with Voom.  However, the person I need to text me while I'm cruising is not very phone savvy so does not use Whatsapp.

ATT international does not cover cruise ships....Their cruise ship plan is $50 a month.

What is best way for me to receive texts from people who do not use messaging apps?

 

Thanks so much.

[PG Cruiser]

16 minutes ago, levib2 said:

I am looking for a way to receive texts while onboard the Serenade (Radiance class ship).  I read that I can use Whatsapp with Voom.  However, the person I need to text me while I'm cruising is not very phone savvy so does not use Whatsapp.

ATT international does not cover cruise ships....Their cruise ship plan is $50 a month.

What is best way for me to receive texts from people who do not use messaging apps?

 

Thanks so much.

Any web-based application you can use for messaging will require a VOOM package for both of you.  Other than messaging apps, I cannot think of any other option available.  Without VOOM packages, you will have to go old school - room-to-room calling, post-it notes, and/or small white boards on door.

If you are both iPhone/iPad users, iMessage (Messages) works well onboard.  I don't know anything about Androids and other devices

 

[Psycho and Barb]

We’ve found the best way is with the ships Voom.   We can send, receive texts just by using our phones texting app…Do FaceTime and even make actual calls.   We can do just about anything on the ship that we can at home on our WiFi.  

[SpeedNoodles]

Yeah, I never use apps for communicating with people back home. I always have Voom and just have my phone on airplane mode and text like normal.

[PG Cruiser]

2 minutes ago, SpeedNoodles said:

Yeah, I never use apps for communicating with people back home. I always have Voom and just have my phone on airplane mode and text like normal.

It's only iPhone-to-iPhone, right?

[steverk]

The royal app now has a messaging feature.  I think it costs about $2 per day per phone and does not require voom.

My wife and I used the celebrity message feature and found it worked pretty well,  but not perfect. I suspect royal uses the same technology. 

[SpeedNoodles]

24 minutes ago, PG Cruiser said:

It's only iPhone-to-iPhone, right?

I guess I'm not clear on who the OP is texting.  I was talking about communicating with people who are not on the ship.  I don't ever have to communicate with anyone else who's on my ship, and I wouldn't touch an IPhone with a 10-foot pole, lol.

[levib2]

Thanks everyone.  I only need the ability to communicate with someone at home in the US via text.  So I'm thinking if I order a Voom on one phone that would work to text back and forth with petsitter. (First time we're leaving our beloved standard poodle on longer than an overnight with the petsitter, and we're so nervious about it.  Since she doesn't text via apps, I'm glad to learn that regular texting while on the ship or in a port with wifi will work.

[SpeedNoodles]

24 minutes ago, levib2 said:

Thanks everyone.  I only need the ability to communicate with someone at home in the US via text.  So I'm thinking if I order a Voom on one phone that would work to text back and forth with petsitter. (First time we're leaving our beloved standard poodle on longer than an overnight with the petsitter, and we're so nervious about it.  Since she doesn't text via apps, I'm glad to learn that regular texting while on the ship or in a port with wifi will work.

Our pet sitter is the only person we communicate with back home as well.  I feel your pain about leaving your poodle behind!

[PG Cruiser]

I’m sorry, I think I misread the original post.  Sorry for adding to the confusion

[MuttMutt]

Most modern phones have a calling and texting over wifi feature. It's easy to try out too. Go to a local store. Turn airplane mode on. Turn wifi back on since airplane mode will turn it off. Connect to a wifi network and make some texts and call someone you know to verify it works.  If it does purchase voom for on the ship and text away. 

The only other option I see if it doesn't work and they don't use something like Signal messenger (it's a drop in secure text replacement app) is to install a messaging app on an old phone that doesn't have service and leave it with them for communication with you while on the ship. As long as the phone will connect to wifi they should be able to message you so if they plan to go top the store or something you can take that phone and get it connected to the hotspots ahead of time. 

[wordell1]

3 hours ago, levib2 said:

Thanks everyone.  I only need the ability to communicate with someone at home in the US via text.  So I'm thinking if I order a Voom on one phone that would work to text back and forth with petsitter. (First time we're leaving our beloved standard poodle on longer than an overnight with the petsitter, and we're so nervious about it.  Since she doesn't text via apps, I'm glad to learn that regular texting while on the ship or in a port with wifi will work.

Test it at home by putting your phone into airplane mode and use your home wifi to try to text her.  If it works at home, it will work on the ship.  

Make sure you put your phone in airplane mode on the ship or you will likely incur charges you are not expecting.

[Matt]

The AT&T cruise ship plan is awful. It's super expensive and gives you back very little (and slow).

You are much better off paying for the Voom Surf and Stream Package.

Before you leave home, turn on Wifi Calling on your phone.

Then, when you're on Voom, disable your phone (put it into airplane mode) and connect to wifi. Wifi Calling will allow you to make calls and text for a fraction of the cost of AT&T's plan.

[Cruiser58]

Tangential to this question about Voom, I wanted to describe what happened when we went to purchase Voom for 2 devices.

The price for 1 device was 10.99, so that would be about $77 dollars for a 7 day cruise. The price for 2 devices is $19.49,so that should be $137 for the cruise. However, when I added the 2 devices package to my cart, it shows $273. In other words,  they charged me the 19.49 for 7 days for 2 people. We came out ahead by buying 2 single Voom device, roughly $154. Don't know if this is a glitch, or intentional.

[teddy]

9 minutes ago, Cruiser58 said:

Tangential to this question about Voom, I wanted to describe what happened when we went to purchase Voom for 2 devices.

The price for 1 device was 10.99, so that would be about $77 dollars for a 7 day cruise. The price for 2 devices is $19.49,so that should be $137 for the cruise. However, when I added the 2 devices package to my cart, it shows $273. In other words,  they charged me the 19.49 for 7 days for 2 people. We came out ahead by buying 2 single Voom device, roughly $154. Don't know if this is a glitch, or intentional.

Maybe this?  

When you put the 2 device package in your cart and go to check out, don’t check the box both people.
 

Only one person needs to buy the 2 device package.  You don’t need to tell them each person who will be using Voom.

Yesterday we bought the 2 device package for 3 different cruises with no issues. 

[Cruiser58]

1 hour ago, teddy said:

Maybe this?  

When you put the 2 device package in your cart and go to check out, don’t check the box both people.
 

Only one person needs to buy the 2 device package.  You don’t need to tell them each person who will be using Voom.

Yesterday we bought the 2 device package for 3 different cruises with no issues. 

Thanks, I'll give it a shot .

[levib2]

One more thing please....If I get Voom (cheaper version) and  use Facebook Messenger (via ,u phone) does the person I send a message to  also need to have Facebook messenger on their phone?  

 

 

Thanks everyone.  I only need the ability to communicate with someone at home in the US via text.  So I'm thinking if I order a Voom on one phone that would work to text back and forth with petsitter. (First time we're leaving our beloved standard poodle on longer than an overnight with the petsitter, and we're so nervious about it.  Since she doesn't text via apps, I'm glad to learn that regular texting while on the ship or in a port with wifi will work

[Pooch]

16 hours ago, SpeedNoodles said:

Yeah, I never use apps for communicating with people back home. I always have Voom and just have my phone on airplane mode and text like normal.

Ok really stupid question .  When I put my phone in airplane mode for our flights, I cannot send/receive texts.  Is this because I am not connected to WiFi?  We will have Voom on our cruise so I connect to the ship’s WiFi, put phone in airplane mode and I can text because I’m on WiFi???

[teddy]

1 hour ago, Cruiser58 said:

Thanks, I'll give it a shot .

We made this mistake our first cruise, and Royal refunded the difference onboard for us. 

[PG Cruiser]

50 minutes ago, Pooch said:

Ok really stupid question .  When I put my phone in airplane mode for our flights, I cannot send/receive texts.  Is this because I am not connected to WiFi?  We will have Voom on our cruise so I connect to the ship’s WiFi, put phone in airplane mode and I can text because I’m on WiFi???

I can only answer from an iPhone user's perspective.  When on airplane mode, you need to be connected to WiFi to be able to text using "Messages" with other iPhone users.  On the ship, when connected to VOOM, you can do the same.  I do not know how to send texts to non-iPhone/iPad users.

 

[wordell1]

1 hour ago, Pooch said:

Ok really stupid question .  When I put my phone in airplane mode for our flights, I cannot send/receive texts.  Is this because I am not connected to WiFi?  We will have Voom on our cruise so I connect to the ship’s WiFi, put phone in airplane mode and I can text because I’m on WiFi???

Yes. You can test it on your home wifi before you leave. 

[SpeedNoodles]

1 hour ago, Pooch said:

Ok really stupid question .  When I put my phone in airplane mode for our flights, I cannot send/receive texts.  Is this because I am not connected to WiFi?  We will have Voom on our cruise so I connect to the ship’s WiFi, put phone in airplane mode and I can text because I’m on WiFi???

Yes, it's the WiFi that makes it work.  Nearly all phones these days can do WiFi calling/texting.  But like wordell said, you can test it at home if you have WiFi there.

[Pooch]

Works to another iPhone.  Now have to figure out how to text my son’s android.  He’ll be the one I have to hunt down! Or I could just look in every bar on the ship

[SpeedNoodles]

25 minutes ago, Pooch said:

Works to another iPhone.  Now have to figure out how to text my son’s android.  He’ll be the one I have to hunt down! Or I could just look in every bar on the ship

On some ships now there's an option to pay for messaging on the ship. It's a couple of dollars a day, I believe.  It's an option if both of  you aren't planning on getting Voom.

[teddy]

On Adventure this month, I had Voom Surf. 
 

I have an iPhone and was able to text and send pictures to two friends of mine…one has an iPhone and the other has an Android 

[Pooch]

We will have 4 Voom packages based on cabin level.  I tried turning airplane mode on then reconnected to the house WiFi:  I could text my IPhone daughter but not my android son.  Will figure it out. Thanks for all the help

[PG Cruiser]

20 minutes ago, teddy said:

On Adventure this month, I had Voom Surf. 
 

I have an iPhone and was able to text and send pictures to two friends of mine…one has an iPhone and the other has an Android 

What app did you use?

[SpeedNoodles]

17 minutes ago, Pooch said:

We will have 4 Voom packages based on cabin level.  I tried turning airplane mode on then reconnected to the house WiFi:  I could text my IPhone daughter but not my android son.  Will figure it out. Thanks for all the help

That's weird.  You'd think that texting is texting.  I use wifi calling/texting all of the time from my android phone to others who have IPhones.

[teddy]

17 minutes ago, PG Cruiser said:

What app did you use?

Just regular texting from my phone (in airplane mode), no third party app. 

[teddy]

1 minute ago, teddy said:

Just regular texting from my phone (in airplane mode), no third party app. 

I just went back and verified with both friends that they both received my texts and pictures while I was onboard 

[PG Cruiser]

12 minutes ago, teddy said:

Just regular texting from my phone (in airplane mode), no third party app. 

What kind of phone do you use?

 

[PG Cruiser]

29 minutes ago, SpeedNoodles said:

That's weird.  You'd think that texting is texting.  I use wifi calling/texting all of the time from my android phone to others who have IPhones.

On an Apple device, on WiFi, the Messages app can only be used for other iOS (iPhones/iPad) users.

[SpeedNoodles]

14 minutes ago, PG Cruiser said:

On an Apple device, on WiFi, the Messages app can only be used for other iOS (iPhones/iPad) users.

Ok, but that's different from SMS texting, which is what I was talking about.

[teddy]

27 minutes ago, PG Cruiser said:

What kind of phone do you use?

 

iPhone 12. 

[Pooch]

Come on guys, clueless here.  What’s SMS texting & how do I do that?  I’m not old enough to be this confused (at least not til Wednesday). Checked in my settings & “send as an SMS” is enabled.  

[Linda R]

21 hours ago, SpeedNoodles said:

Yeah, I never use apps for communicating with people back home. I always have Voom and just have my phone on airplane mode and text like normal.

Exactly what I do also

[PG Cruiser]

29 minutes ago, SpeedNoodles said:

Ok, but that's different from SMS texting, which is what I was talking about.

Oh wow! I need to figure out a lot of this stuff now.

I can only do SMS texting when using my carrier plan, not on WiFi

 

[teddy]

The friend I was texting onboard with my iPhone has a Galaxy 10+

 

 

Edited to clarify….I was onboard and he was in Delaware 

 

[SpeedNoodles]

Problems would be solved if everyone just switched to Android phones. Just sayin'. 

[Pooch]

Or you joined our iPhone cult!!!