mad-dog74

This is old news.

So... why are you reading 'old' news. This is a relatively new topic... unlike all the questions about "how many bottles of wine can we carry onboard?" and "someone is hogging the chairs by the pool!"

Depends on the ship as to if it is inside or out.

You are not required to have life jackets now.

Voom is simply the name for the internet.

iPhones will work if you turn your phone on airplane mode and then turn on your wifi. You will be able to use iMessage as normal... even to people back on land assuming they have iMessage. SMS texts will not go thru unless you are connected to the ships cellular service. In addition, iPhones (not sure about androids) you can enable wi-fi calling and make phone calls via the internet with no need to use the ships expen$sive cell service.

The important thing is to remember when you love the home port to turn your phone onto airplane mode to avoid potentially excessive charges not only for voice, but data too!

Well, I have one ordered for our Harmony cruise this summer. Not really for the cake, but as a surprise to celebrate.

I am disappointed in the looks too.... the old ones were actually quite good.

You should be able to get a certified copy from the county/state level. That will work. We have original adoption decrees for our children, but anytime I need a certified copy, I can get it for a couple bucks at my county courthouse. That has a raised seal and registrar's signature.

I would be afraid just to have a notarized photocopy. Would probably work but its a chance I would not take myself.

We've had promenade rooms on 3 occasions.. we like them. Never had noise issues on any ship!

In your investigations, I'd be curious to know if you can find CIROC vodka at any of the bars?

Keep an eye out for the one device plan on sale. The last sale had one device for $8.99 per day and it was cheaper to buy 4 one device plans instead of one 4 device plan.

will do

Thanks! Thats what I thought. As explained the other way, there would be no use for the package... you'd just simply log on using whichever device you wanted.

You can do exactly the same thing as in the states, however, you will be roaming. If you have Iphones, then data roaming will be turned off as a default. Texts will cost per text and not subject to your plan as anytime you use the celltower on the ship (or in other countries for the most part) will be considered roaming. However, check with your carrier, AT&T recently started covering Mexico and Canada, so I was covered voice and datawise when i was in Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas.

 

If you're sending "a couple of texts" then if you don't mind the cost, go with the roaming texts. You should get a text from Verizon (or at least I do with AT&T) when you connect to the tower and it will give you the new roaming rates. Also, you might look into seeing if Verizon has a "cruise ship plan" like AT&T which will allow a limited number of calls/texts/data at a set price which is generally much lower than the ala carte roaming fees. It depends on how much contact you want, and if the plan exists and it works for, its probably cheaper that way (AT&T's plan was like 30 bucks for 50 minutes to talk time, 60 bucks for 50 minutes of talk plus 200 texts, i think and 120 is 50 minutes talk, 200 text and a certain amount of data). Verizon may have something similar.

 

Alternatively, you can use voom, which generally, prior to the cruise, is 11.99/day, you can text (imessage through iphones) and facetime, but no actual phone calls. Anything that uses wi-fi will be accessible and the Anthem is a better system then the older ships. If you wait to board the ship, its 12.99/day for the slow net, and 17.99/day for the surf and stream option. The pre-cruise price is the surf and stream option, which actually does allow you to stream video, albeit slowly, but fast enough to actually enjoy tv and movies from netflix and hulu.

You can actually make voice calls if you turn on wi fi calling on your iPhone... cellular data isn't used. Phone is on airplane mode.

Cellular Data on board and VOOM are two different things... if you buy a VOOM package, then you will turn your iPhone on airplane mode.... then turn wifi on. After you connect, you can send iMessages just as you normally do and people on land will receive them.. this will be fine for anyone using iMessage. SMS texts will not go thru.

Also, another plus.... you can turn wifi calling on your phone and make voice calls to for no charge... if you have the VOOM internet package.

The key is to make sure your devices stay on airplane mode to avoid the expensive cellular data charges on your cellular bill.

So, I was going to buy the VOOM-- 4 device package for my family, but then reading some other information, I am not sure this will work. Will it work on 4 different devices simultaneously? I would think it would, but I read someone say the speed is cut down drastically... the package is for 4 devices with one being used at any given time.

Can anyone confirm this... doesn't really make sense to me, but then again, who knows. Hoping someone who purchased multiple devices can chime in.

Used to print them all but now I make sure I have the .pdf's on my iPhone/iPad. It pays to have them.

I'm wondering about this too??? We're an android family. If we need to purchase the text option is it $7.95 for the whole cruise pp, or $7.95 pp/pd?

The $7.95 is per device for the entire cruise... not per day. Each person who wants to use the text feature must purchase it. You do not use your regular messaging APP... it is the messaging feature in the Royal IQ app itself.

I'm betting the OP will see text charges on his carrier's bill because they said they were using the standard messaging app. To be safe, your phone phone must be in airplane mode with the wi-fi turned on.

I'm on Harmony now and the Royal IQ app is great. Our teenage daughters, DH and myself can all text each other for free with the app.

We did not purchase the $7.95 text option, but it still works. :)

(We all have iPhones)

are you saying the text option worked without paying... or that the royal IQ app itself worked?

I am so very sorry and embarrassed. I have been watching on the u tube site and it switched to the video of the birth of a giraffe in a very similar environment. I believed I was watching April. I am sorry for any confusion! :cool:

I too, immediately switched from browsing cruise critic see April!

Early, around 10:45am.

I second that! Your paying for it! Might as well get onboard early and enjoy!

I think you will be better to buy online ahead of time. In all honestly, that seems like a good price. We usually buy the digital photos then have them printed at home. Don't have to worry about traveling with prints.

Ours is usually on a CD but I hear now that sometimes (maybe always) they are on a USB thumb drive?? Not sure about that.

To make it a better value... take tons of pics... the more you take onboard the cheaper each one is... in essence. When we buy the package, my wife tells the kids to lump it... they will be taking lots of pics.

I am thinking the height restriction is for the BIG slides. After all, the reason for these slides are for the smaller kids. I am betting there is no restriction on these.

I am assuming the kids can probably use their wow band at the arcade too?

All great suggestions.... Of course I started with lots of Jimmy Buffett and some Zac Brown

Actually found this thread

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2046822

Lots of good songs

Name one song that is one your CRUISE PLAYLIST?

Working on creating the perfect one. Songs that remind you of beaches, oceans, Caribbean...

I've been on cruises with inside cabins and with balconies. My husband and I are rarely in the room, so we didn't use the balconies much at all. However, the inside rooms are difficult for me because you can't tell day from night. I figured that a virtual balcony room might be a good choice. Has anyone stayed in a virtual balcony room?[/ quote]

 

We have not stayed in one on the HARMONY.

 

But we did on the Quantum. We really like it. It made for a nice view during the day light hours and in the evening the sound of the waves was very relaxing.

 

 

They look very nice! Innovative for sure. There are several youtube videos showing them off! I love how they have a curtain to pull too!

Stay away from all the balcony in facing cabins. No privacy, zero. No point in even paying for a balcony when u must keep curtains closed. Pay the extra and get an ocean view balcony. Plus the whole point of taking a cruise is to see the ocean.

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I must have missed that memo too! If I just wanted to see the ocean, I'd save a ton of $$ and go to the beach. There is a lot more to cruising than seeing the ocean IMO