Explain Voom

[LadyB]

Can someone please explain Voom to me?  How it works, what you can do with it etc. I'd like to be able to text my husband while on our cruise and would like to know if this is the way to do it.

Edited February 21, 2018 by LadyB

[tiny260]

Voom is on board WiFi connectivity to the internet, you can either get "Surf" and/or "Surf and Stream", I personally get the surf and stream for my wife so she can keep up with Facebook and other things on her iPad and Smart phone. I turn my phone off and leave it off, I'm on vacation.

My understanding is that texting is the way to go, it is the most cost effective way to communicate, done with Voom. I'll ask one the other more technical members to add in, I think it is best that you leave your phone in airplane mode so that you are not accidentally using data/Roaming data while on the ship and when you get into port. if you want to use your phone in port, make sure you activate an international plan with your carrier before you leave depending on where your cruise is traveling to.

Pinging @twangster and @monorailmedic for their input. I have also attached an article for the Blog page.

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2016/07/27/how-stay-touch-someone-your-royal-caribbean-cruise

[LadyB]

Tiny260, thanks so much for your quick reply.  So I'm assuming that if I do buy a Voom package I'd still be paying roaming charges, right?

 

[tiny260]

Not on the ship, because theoretically you are not roaming, you are in Airplane mode but texting will still work through your WiFi connection, there is also a feature on most smart phone of WiFi calling but I have not done that yet, so I'm hesitant to comment.

If you don't activate an International plan, then yes if you turn your phone on while in a port, you will connect to that islands Cellular carrier, and you would be roaming.

Your cell phone is constantly exchanging data with the cell network, so with your phone on without a plan you are "Data Roaming" even if you don't physically use you phone, I have seen horror post on blogs where people returned from a cruise and had thousands of dollars of data roaming on their cell phone bill, much more cost effective to pay $30.00 for an International plan.

[Ray]

if my understanding is correct new RC App will allow messaging on ships, not all ships have the technology yet as it's being rolled out across fleet in stages

[twangster]

There are some caveats to texting that vary depending on type of phone.  Apple iPhones have iMessage that between Apple devices works the same over the ship wifi as it does at home.

True SMS text messaging is a cellular feature that only works over Voom if your phone and carrier support wifi calling.

For Android phones on Voom you may be best to use a free wifi messaging app like WhatsApp.

You can try this at home before you leave to see how purchased Voom will work - At home where wifi is available place your phone in airplane mode.  Turn on wifi and connect to your home wifi.  Try texting or calling your husband.  Does it work?  That is pretty much how it will work over Voom.  If it doesn't work contact your cellular provider and ask about wifi calling and texting over wifi while in airplane mode.  

[Matt]

Here's a guide to Royal Caribbean's Voom internet offerings.

[coneyraven]

My wife was able to call her mother using the wi-fi calling feature on her phone.... through Voom

[DunkelBierJay]

Has anyone seen if the chat feature on the new app is available?

 

[Skid]

We do not have wifi calling on our phones and have successfully used an app called Voxer. You can send/receive messages in writing or in voice (kind of like a walkie-talkie but not in real time live) when connected to any wifi (which you would have by purchasing Voom. The app is free to download and use (although I think you can pay to get a "live" walkie talkie feature). We have android phones and our children have iPhones. It does work across both platforms. We used it on our last cruise on Adventure and had no issues. As others have said, make sure that your phone is in airplane mode and that wifi is turned on and test it out at home.  The website is http://www.voxer.com/

Keep looking at your Cruise Planner. From time to time, they have good deals on either just Voom or together with either the deluxe drink package or soda package. Just as a point of reference, we paid $18/day for the refreshment package and $21/day for the soda/Voom Surf and Stream package for our upcoming cruise. (we do not drink enough to make an alcohol package cost effective-we just pay as we go for those drinks). If you buy any of the packages, excursions, etc. and then see them later on for a lower price, you can cancel and rebook to take advantage of the savings.

[LadyB]

Skid,

Thanks very much that was a big help.

[monorailmedic]

Once you have Voom (there's no 'r" in Voom - this is not important, but will help the nerd in me from noticing every time ) you're connected to the internet - just like if you'd connected at home, a local coffee shop, or anywhere else.

If you want to use applications like Facebook Messenger, Voxer, WhatsApp, etc to keep in touch with people on land or on the ship (provided they also have Voom), then go for it - it will work just like if you were on land.  If your phones and calling plan support WiFi calling (and most newer phones and major carriers do - just make sure it's enabled) then once connected to the internet you can also call and text just like on land without any additional charges.

What you want to be sure you do either way, is keep your phone in Airplane Mode. Why?  If not, you could connect to the ship's cellular network, which carries absurd roaming charges - so staying in roaming mode will keep that from happening.

I hope this clears things up.  Let us know if you have any additional questions.

[LadyB]

Thanks, monorailmedic.  I noticed the mis-spelling of Voom, but by the time I caught it, it was too late.

That was the most clear and consise explaination of what it and how to use it!  I appreciate that answer very much.

LadyB

[hayley_bopp]

Do C&A members get a discount on Voom and if so what level do you need to be?

[Matt]

6 hours ago, hayley_bopp said:

Do C&A members get a discount on Voom and if so what level do you need to be?

You do get a discount at every level, but the pre-cruise discount is almost always better (until you get to Diamond Plus).

[twangster]

7 hours ago, hayley_bopp said:

Do C&A members get a discount on Voom and if so what level do you need to be?

Here is a comparison of Voom costs for various C&A levels assuming a pre-cruise price of $15.99 per day.  This compares the cost of buying it on board with a C&A discount versus buying it in advance.  $15.99 appears to be a common pre-cruise price for Surf and Stream.  Sales do happen from time to time with a lower price. 

I often use what I call my "Day 2 Strategy".  Since you are in port on the day you board you likely have cell coverage until around 5-6pm.  On each day of the cruise the onboard price is reduced since there are fewer days remaining.  By waiting until day 2 (or midnight on day 1) the onboard full voyage price is reduced by one day.  By going without internet from 6pm to midnight you save ~$20.  If you can wait until day 3, you save even more.

Also attached as a PDF below which is easier to read.

Voom Comparison.pdf

[DunkelBierJay]

52 minutes ago, twangster said:

Here is a comparison of Voom costs for various C&A levels assuming a pre-cruise price of $15.99 per day.  This compares the cost of buying it on board with a C&A discount versus buying it in advance.  $15.99 appears to be a common pre-cruise price for Surf and Stream.  Sales do happen from time to time with a lower price. 

I often use what I call my "Day 2 Strategy".  Since you are in port on the day you board you likely have cell coverage until around 5-6pm.  On each day of the cruise the onboard price is reduced since there are fewer days remaining.  By waiting until day 2 (or midnight on day 1) the onboard full voyage price is reduced by one day.  By going without internet from 6pm to midnight you save ~$20.  If you can wait until day 3, you save even more.

Also attached as a PDF below which is easier to read.

Voom Comparison.pdf

Absolutely brilliant. I may adapt your analysis to include a row for cruise planner sales and perhaps Surf and Stream per device cost when discounted in the Cruise Planner. This would add 12 rows per discount level for comparison if I do 1, 2, 3 and 4 devices. If the Olympics are boring tonight, that's what I will do.

[twangster]

5 minutes ago, DunkelBierJay said:

Absolutely brilliant. I may adapt your analysis to include a row for cruise planner sales and perhaps Surf and Stream per device cost when discounted in the Cruise Planner. This would add 12 rows per discount level for comparison if I do 1, 2, 3 and 4 devices. If the Olympics are boring tonight, that's what I will do.

Thanks.  I have it set for conditional formatting so if I adjust the cruise planner price in the lower left it recalculates the sheet and colors change to indicate the best choice (green). 

[hayley_bopp]

1 hour ago, twangster said:

Here is a comparison of Voom costs for various C&A levels assuming a pre-cruise price of $15.99 per day.  This compares the cost of buying it on board with a C&A discount versus buying it in advance.  $15.99 appears to be a common pre-cruise price for Surf and Stream.  Sales do happen from time to time with a lower price. 

I often use what I call my "Day 2 Strategy".  Since you are in port on the day you board you likely have cell coverage until around 5-6pm.  On each day of the cruise the onboard price is reduced since there are fewer days remaining.  By waiting until day 2 (or midnight on day 1) the onboard full voyage price is reduced by one day.  By going without internet from 6pm to midnight you save ~$20.  If you can wait until day 3, you save even more.

Also attached as a PDF below which is easier to read.

Voom Comparison.pdf

Wow! That's dedication to the message boards right there! Thanks so much!

[Rose City Cruiser]

Are multi-device price offerings stackable with C&A Tier discounts while onboard?  Looking at 2-Device package.

[WAAAYTOOO]

1 hour ago, twangster said:

Here is a comparison of Voom costs for various C&A levels assuming a pre-cruise price of $15.99 per day.  This compares the cost of buying it on board with a C&A discount versus buying it in advance.  $15.99 appears to be a common pre-cruise price for Surf and Stream.  Sales do happen from time to time with a lower price. 

I often use what I call my "Day 2 Strategy".  Since you are in port on the day you board you likely have cell coverage until around 5-6pm.  On each day of the cruise the onboard price is reduced since there are fewer days remaining.  By waiting until day 2 (or midnight on day 1) the onboard full voyage price is reduced by one day.  By going without internet from 6pm to midnight you save ~$20.  If you can wait until day 3, you save even more.

Also attached as a PDF below which is easier to read.

Voom Comparison.pdf

He's a BOT.  I told you !!

[twangster]

 

45 minutes ago, jurrjurr said:

Are multi-device price offerings stackable with C&A Tier discounts while onboard?  Looking at 2-Device package.

Yes.  Onboard you'll see something like below (based on which day of the cruise you purchase it).

Note the "with coupon" price - that's the C&A onboard discount.

From 2017 so old prices... 

 

 

41 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

He's a BOT.  I told you !!

I'm Jibo!  You may have seen me on a recent scope @theRCLBlog

https://www.periscope.tv/w/1BRJjrNorQdJw?q=theRCLBlog

[DunkelBierJay]

1 hour ago, twangster said:

Thanks.  I have it set for conditional formatting so if I adjust the cruise planner price in the lower left it recalculates the sheet and colors change to indicate the best choice (green). 

So, when there's a sale, all you have to do is enter the per unit cost...cool! I bet you would have a market for selling that spreadsheet! Is there a macro that changes the color coding?

[twangster]

9 minutes ago, DunkelBierJay said:

So, when there's a sale, all you have to do is enter the per unit cost...cool! I bet you would have a market for selling that spreadsheet! Is there a macro that changes the color coding?

Not a macro, simple conditional highlighting.  If value is below cell Y, color green, if value is greater than cell X then red, etc.  

I use Numbers on Mac but Excel can do this too.

 

[bobroo]

Thank You Twangster! 

In two easy to read posts you have concisely cleared up what the Crown and Anchor Facebook group goes on and on and on about......and on and on....

Thanks! I always enjoy reading all of your posts.

 

[twangster]

Wow, okay, since this is that interesting I've run the sheet with various cruise planner prices - $11.99, $12.99, $13.99, $14.39, $14.99 and $15.99.  

Voom Surf and Stream was $11.99 for the Symphony TA so yes it does go that low at times.  PDFs:

 

Voom Comparison 1199.pdf

Voom Comparison 1299.pdf

Voom Comparison 1399.pdf

Voom Comparison 1439.pdf

Voom Comparison 1499.pdf

Voom Comparison 1599.pdf

[Guest toodle68]

On 2/20/2018 at 1:38 PM, LadyB said:

Can someone please explain Vroom to me?  How it works, what you can do with it etc. I'd like to be able to text my husband while on our cruise and would like to know if this is the way to do it.

Will your husband be on the cruise with you? as in the same room?

 

[DunkelBierJay]

1 hour ago, twangster said:

Not a macro, simple conditional highlighting.  If value is below cell Y, color green, if value is greater than cell X then red, etc.  

I use Numbers on Mac but Excel can do this too.

 

got it...I should have known that...

[DunkelBierJay]

On 2/20/2018 at 12:38 PM, LadyB said:

Can someone please explain Vroom to me?  How it works, what you can do with it etc. I'd like to be able to text my husband while on our cruise and would like to know if this is the way to do it.

One thing my wife an I do is get one plan and share it. Then we have fun kicking each other off the network!

[KLA]

1 minute ago, DunkelBierJay said:

One thing my wife an I do is get one plan and share it. Then we have fun kicking each other off the network!

This is what my husband and I are doing on our upcoming cruise. The combined DP and Voom deal didn't work out all that well for us on this cruise, so we're just sharing a code. It doesn't sound like Voom on Adventure is working all that great, anyway.

[LadyB]

33 minutes ago, toodle68 said:

Will your husband be on the cruise with you? as in the same room?

 

Yes, and I don't know if it matters but he had a droid and I have an iphone.  All I want to do is be able to text him.

[Matt]

1 minute ago, LadyB said:

Yes, and I don't know if it matters but he had a droid and I have an iphone.  All I want to do is be able to text him.

It does not.

You can use a third party app like WhatsApp, GroupMe, Facebook Messenger, Skype or a host of other options to communicate with each other.

[LadyB]

Thanks, Matt.

[Lovetocruise2002]

39 minutes ago, LadyB said:

Yes, and I don't know if it matters but he had a droid and I have an iphone.  All I want to do is be able to text him.

I have an iPhone and my husband has android.  When we cruise, we both get VOOM, 2 device plan and we text through WhatsApp.

[DunkelBierJay]

I double checked what I bought for our next sailing with the family...there are five of us in adjoining CP balconies on Allure and I bought a 4 device plan on sale that netted out at $7.49 pp per day on the Cruise Planner.

[JLMoran]

44 minutes ago, DunkelBierJay said:

I double checked what I bought for our next sailing with the family...there are five of us in adjoining CP balconies on Allure and I bought a 4 device plan on sale that netted out at $7.49 pp per day on the Cruise Planner.

Wait, I'm confused since you said there are five of you -- so that $7.49 pp per day is based on 5 people, not the 4 devices that can actually log in at one time, correct? So $37.45 per night?

Asking as that would indicate you got an even better rate than I had managed for the four of us on a 4-device plan ($39.17 per night, which if I did per-person with a 5-person group would be $7.83 pp per night) -- in which case I say to you, very well done sir! 

Some might say, "It's just two bucks a night difference, who cares?" To which I reply, "The porters, the room attendant and headwaiter, and the bartenders, as they all get a few extra tip dollars." Or, "Me, because that's $16 over the 8 nights, which means I get that many more up-charge reposada margaritas on my drink package!" 

I'm honestly surprised at some of the numbers I'm seeing from a handful of folks lately with the drink package ($39/night!?!?) and now apparently VOOM. I've gotten close to those numbers, but never once that low.

[DunkelBierJay]

8 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

Wait, I'm confused since you said there are five of you -- so that $7.49 pp per day is based on 5 people, not the 4 devices that can actually log in at one time, correct? So $37.45 per night?

Asking as that would indicate you got an even better rate than I had managed for the four of us on a 4-device plan ($39.17 per night, which if I did per-person with a 5-person group would be $7.83 pp per night) -- in which case I say to you, very well done sir! 

Some might say, "It's just two bucks a night difference, who cares?" To which I reply, "The porters, the room attendant and headwaiter, and the bartenders, as they all get a few extra tip dollars." Or, "Me, because that's $16 over the 8 nights, which means I get that many more up-charge reposada margaritas on my drink package!" 

I'm honestly surprised at some of the numbers I'm seeing from a handful of folks lately with the drink package ($39/night!?!?) and now apparently VOOM. I've gotten close to those numbers, but never once that low.

My wife and I will share a plan. I like to go on and do stuff in the morning, and she likes to do it in the eveningm so it works out well. I'm more addicted than she is, and from time to time I checking at work. I wasn't about to let my kids fight over who had access by having them share a plan, so I made each of them pay for their own using the multi-device discount since they all have jobs.

Since my lowest drink package on a 9 nighter on Navigator this time last year, I haven't seen a drink package as low as what I got on that sailing. It was $38 a day per person. Huge bargain. Since then, the lowest I have seen on my bookings has been $45.

[twangster]

9 hours ago, KLAconQueso said:

This is what my husband and I are doing on our upcoming cruise. The combined DP and Voom deal didn't work out all that well for us on this cruise, so we're just sharing a code. It doesn't sound like Voom on Adventure is working all that great, anyway.

Yeah based on ping times it it doesn't look like they touched the satellite platform.  Bummer. 

5 hours ago, DunkelBierJay said:

My wife and I will share a plan. I like to go on and do stuff in the morning, and she likes to do it in the eveningm so it works out well. I'm more addicted than she is, and from time to time I checking at work. 

Consider a portable travel router.  I use one to share a Voom plan with multiple devices.  I use it primarily in my cabin so my laptop and phone can both be connected at the same time.  While its a $45 investment that is one time and can be used on future cruises.  That's two days of Voom.  It doesn't do as much outside of the cabin though, unless you want to carry it around with a battery pack.  I plan to do a write up on Liberty next week explaining how to use one.

[Digmenow]

10 hours ago, twangster said:

Consider a portable travel router. 

Any chance that you can post the manufacturer and model number?  My tech loving son in law wants to look into this further before we sail.  Thanks!

[twangster]

2 minutes ago, Digmenow said:

Any chance that you can post the manufacturer and model number?  My tech loving son in law wants to look into this further before we sail.  Thanks!

I have an older one and a newer one.  

TP-Link MR3040:  Pro's - small with self contained battery.  Con's - Long since discontinued, no firmware updates, 2.4 GHz only, have had mixed success with.  More fiddling to get it to work.

TP-Link AC750 TL-WR902AC:  Pro's - 2.4 & 5 GHz bands, current model, good experience so far.  Con's - No internal battery but can be paired with an external battery and carried in a pocket or backpack.

There is another potential benefit of using a travel router.  Ship wifi access points are in the hallways.  The ship's access point may be down the hall away from your cabin.  Cabins have a lot of metal including the door.   Sometimes the wifi signal isn't that good inside each cabin and if your bed is further away from the door the signal can be really weak in bed or for your device on the nightstand each night.  The travel router connects to the ship wifi and then broadcasts its own wifi that your devices latch onto.  In that sense it is like a repeater than be placed closer to the door where ship wifi is stronger and since it is generating its own wifi within your cabin your devices should have little trouble connecting to it.   

In another thread someone asked about newer units just released with all the latest and greatest wifi standards and >1Gbps throughput. In my opinion I don't need all that when traveling at a higher cost.  I also don't want the most powerful AP that could interfere with the ship wifi and catch the attention of onboard IT.  

I am planning to do a separate thread on using a travel router onboard.