To VOOM or not to VOOM

[ropeadope13]

For my upcoming sailing in January I’m thinking about not getting internet for the first time. 
 

Questions to help me decide:

1. Is the messenger on the Royal Caribbean reliable enough for my wife and I to communicate on the ship? I like to adventure off by myself from time to time. 
2. In case of emergency is there any way to send emails/texts/iMessages to people back home? 
 

I think that’s it for now. Thanks for your help! 

[smokeybandit]

1) You have to continually check the app for messages. Notifications are not reliable.

2) Not without buying internet, but you can buy just a day of internet. And if it's an emergency, that $30-ish cost will be worth it.

[FOB]

iMessage worked for us on symphony during July but went a bit strange on our transatlantic in August. We got logged out because we ended up in the wrong time zone as we tried to stay on ship time. Assuming that your sailing will not be in a large number of time zones then you should be fine

[Geezer Of The Seas]

My experience with the messaging in app within the RC App???  Notifications? Miraculous if it works at all. Second trip out on Jewel, even the Voom help desk crew member couldn't get it to work at all (and he struggled mightily to get Voom up and running on both our phones). Realizing we both had Voom anyway, we skulked our way to the nearby bar in the atrium.............

Rookie mistake............

FWIW, since implementation of Starlink service (which shouldn't make a difference with WiFi connectivity to the ship's infrastructure), the whole shipboard Internet experience seems improved, especially on Mariner of the Seas.

[ChessE4]

We found that, for the Caribbean, our phone plan gave us coverage periodically so we could text our cat sitter. As for the ship, I tell my wife when I want to wander (casino), and I return for any planned events. We also write notes. For Europe, we bought Voom.

[asquared17]

i love the idea of being disconnected but i need internet to stay in touch with family in case of emergency, streaming spotify music, and keeping up with my reading habits. even if i download when in port, i usually trend around 2-4 novels a day.

for me, a splurge on internet (usually done during a cruise planner sale or black friday sale) tends to be the best option. we often plan our cruise pricing/payments with this in mind.

while i understand my use case is mostly a #firstworldproblem, i know that part of having an enjoyable vacation means having access to the internet.

it's worth measuring if this will detract from your overall experience or not before purchasing (or not purchasing) an internet package/day pass.

also port-intensive itineraries can usually lead to nabbing free wifi somewhere but i prefer the stability (that term is relative haha ) of having ship wifi.

[JasonOasis]

If you are truly interested in disconnecting from the outside world then I would say no Voom. 

I have used the messenger feature that within the app I feel like it works fairly well and would be enough if it's just about you communicating with people who are on the cruise with you.  

If there is an emergency back at home keep in mind if you're not in port where you can connect to a cell signal and your phone is in airplane mode then home has no way to getting in touch with you without Voom.   However you can always purchase a one day internet package, also depending on your status let's say you're D+ you get 2 days 1 device free both you and your wife so in actually that is 4 days free Voom as she can gift you her 2 free days or vise versa you can gift her your 2 free days.  There are ways to get internet if necessary without purchasing a package for the entire cruise especially if you have no intention on actually using Voom for most of the cruise.

[AandD]

We had an emergency while on a cruise in February. Received notification from a security alarm. But we could not make a call.  I went to customer service and explained. They called our local police department and let me talk to the police without charging us. I don't know if they normally do that, but I sure appreciated it. 

[ropeadope13]

Thanks for all the feedback. I think I’m just going to have to purchase VOOM once again. I think the pros just outweigh the cons. Just trying to save every dollar possible! 

[dustfsu]

The messenger for the app only really works when you open to check to see if someone left you one.

As far as Voom. You could always check with your carrier and depending on what ports you are going to i.e. Nassau you can text and call if you have t-mobile so check with your carrier with the ports you are going to if it is free to use it at a stop.

If not if you turn your wifi calling on and get on a store's wifi in port you can call or text if you have a iphone.

If you have android, you can wifi call, but as far as text you would have to use facebook messenger or Whatapp since android doesn't text over wifi

[smokeybandit]

33 minutes ago, dustfsu said:

since android doesn't text over wifi

Actually it does. 

[Gilley]

On 9/16/2024 at 7:24 PM, smokeybandit said:

1) You have to continually check the app for messages. Notifications are not reliable.

2) Not without buying internet, but you can buy just a day of internet. And if it's an emergency, that $30-ish cost will be worth it.

Thanks for this.  This is good to know.  I never knew you could buy just 1 day of zoom, always thought you had to buy full package.  

[dustfsu]

20 hours ago, Gilley said:

Thanks for this.  This is good to know.  I never knew you could buy just 1 day of zoom, always thought you had to buy full package.  

Yes and if you are a diamond you get one day for free and if you are a diamond plus you get two days free

[smokeybandit]

20 hours ago, Gilley said:

Thanks for this.  This is good to know.  I never knew you could buy just 1 day of zoom, always thought you had to buy full package.  

You can also buy "for the rest of the cruise" so if on day 3 of 7 you want internet, you can buy that vs. paying each day individually.

[Donna A]

Good day,

First time on a cruise ship for a transatlantic in April 2025.  Does Airalo work on the ship?  I plan to purchase it for the land part of the trip, hoping it would work the entire trip

[smokeybandit]

Just another airplane mode reminder

 

https://cruise.blog/2025/01/man-makes-costly-1300-mistake-his-royal-caribbean-cruise

[teddy]

15 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Just another airplane mode reminder

 

https://cruise.blog/2025/01/man-makes-costly-1300-mistake-his-royal-caribbean-cruise

“failed to note that the service does not include cellular network access.”
 

I’m far from internet/computer savvy or techie, but I feel like in 2024/2025 people should know the basic difference between WiFi and cellular. 
 

[teddy]

Just now, teddy said:

 

I’m far from internet/computer savvy or techie,
 

Case in point…I know the font from my copy/paste of my quote from article came with it, but I don’t know how to fix it in my reply here.

[smokeybandit]

People still don't know the difference between being connected to a wifi network and being able to access the internet when connected to a wifi network, so I guess no real surprise that airplane mode is still a foreign concept for many.

[Doug_Texas]

50 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Just another airplane mode reminder

 

https://cruise.blog/2025/01/man-makes-costly-1300-mistake-his-royal-caribbean-cruise

On a recent Royal sailing I had airplane mode turned off intentionally because I was at a port.  After sail away I got a message from my carrier saying I was about to pay hefty charges from the Royal Caribbean ship-to-shore service.  Yikes! …. for forgetting for an hour!  I flipped on airplane mode and had no charges but it’s important to manage.

[Southern Waters]

For my upcoming Harmony cruise, I have airplane mode in my phone's calendar set for the scheduled departure dates and times for all ports including Galveston. Self defense for the poor memory that comes with age .

ETA: I always set an alert for 1 hour before, to allow for a different time zone.

[Jolly Ogre]

I really do not understand this issue at all.

1. I am on vacation.

2. If I need to work then I am not on vacation and in the office.

3. Emergencies? What am I going to do fly home in the middle of my cruise? I think not. There is nothing, no type of emergency at home that I would be able to do anything about until I get home and it can wait until then.

4. Staying in touch with other members on my cruise... they can talk to me directly, if not it can wait until they see me or they can hunt me down. I am on vacation.

Now not to dismiss what others needs are, but even if your house burns down or family members are hospitalized or die...what can you truly do about it on your cruise or even if you fly home?

If i found out about such things then it would just ruin my cruise. Why do that? It can all wait until I get back.

[WAAAYTOOO]

2 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

the difference between being connected to a wifi network and being able to access the internet when connected to a wifi network

[dustfsu]

We are getting voom for 2 devices, mainly for the kids at night for downtime. Do I have to download the app on their iPads or is there another way to connect them when on board?

[JustinandBrooke]

On 1/8/2025 at 11:46 AM, Jolly Ogre said:

I really do not understand this issue at all.

1. I am on vacation.

2. If I need to work then I am not on vacation and in the office.

3. Emergencies? What am I going to do fly home in the middle of my cruise? I think not. There is nothing, no type of emergency at home that I would be able to do anything about until I get home and it can wait until then.

4. Staying in touch with other members on my cruise... they can talk to me directly, if not it can wait until they see me or they can hunt me down. I am on vacation.

Now not to dismiss what others needs are, but even if your house burns down or family members are hospitalized or die...what can you truly do about it on your cruise or even if you fly home?

If i found out about such things then it would just ruin my cruise. Why do that? It can all wait until I get back.

100% 

 

there was a time many many years ago before cell phones.  they went on cruises and their houses never burned down and if they did they (the ancients of the late 1900s) just found out about it after the rum punch and warm temperatures. 

Given that my kids usually are sailing with me there is pretty much nothing that I'm leaving the cruise early for anyway so I'll get it when I get back...whatever it is.  

Edited 1 hour ago by JustinandBrooke
add even more sarcasm

[smokeybandit]

1 hour ago, dustfsu said:

We are getting voom for 2 devices, mainly for the kids at night for downtime. Do I have to download the app on their iPads or is there another way to connect them when on board?

You don't need the app. Just go to login.com in a browser.

[jarestel]

We always purchase the internet voom package, not to perform work but just because we like to be able to check on things in the "real world". Cost, in the overall scheme of things, isn't make or break.

[teddy]

This cruise I like having Voom to be able to send pictures from the southern Caribbean to friends and family who are getting snow and frigid temperatures.  
 

“Awww that sucks that it’s -3° in the middle of the afternoon up there.  It was 84° down here in St. Maarten today”

[smokeybandit]

1 minute ago, teddy said:

Awww that sucks that it’s -3° in the middle of the afternoon up there.

Pretty close! And shortly after sunset it'll be -3

 

[teddy]

Brrrr  

I’m sure I’ll pay for my gloating when we get back home.