Keeping in touch just on Allure not home.

Hi.

We are a family of 19 on Allure in August.

If we just want to kwep in touch with each other while on the ship by texting, what exactly do we need to purchase. We all have iPhones.

Thank you.

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Hi.

 

We are a family of 19 on Allure in August.

 

If we just want to kwep in touch with each other while on the ship by texting, what exactly do we need to purchase. We all have iPhones.

 

Thank you.

You either need to have a VOOM package for all devices, or pay $0.50 per text sent (and possibly some lesser amount for each received text) to your cell company.

You either need to have a VOOM package for all devices, or pay $0.50 per text sent (and possibly some lesser amount for each received text) to your cell company.

Thank you. I wasnt sure if there was something like NCL has where you can pay for just texting on the ship cell to cell. Ill have to look at VOOM prices but really didnt need internet too. Actually dont even want it. Thanks.

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Thank you. I wasnt sure if there was something like NCL has where you can pay for just texting on the ship cell to cell. Ill have to look at VOOM prices but really didnt need internet too. Actually dont even want it. Thanks.

At present, Allure does not have that kind of texting capability. Maybe by August Royal will have rolled out a new app.

Just TALK to each other! Tell each other where you'll be...what your plans are for the day. If plans with someone change, you can leave a message on their cabin phone. Honestly...it's not as hard as you're imagining to connect with the others in your party. Surely you will eat a meal together....thats when you "update" everyone on your coming plans!

Walkie talkies

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Have seen the small magnetic dry erase boards attached to a few doors with the room occupants daily schedule. Have to go to room door to check for updates though.

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We have had poor luck with Walkie Talkies. Once we get separated by a few decks, communication was poor to impossible.

We have had poor luck with Walkie Talkies. Once we get separated by a few decks, communication was poor to impossible.

Agree, too many dead spots. Now if important just send text cell to cell for the small charge...

Another option: Before you leave create a Facebook (private) group that you invite everyone to. That way, people can post pics and updates to everyone. I’ve done this on non-cruise group trips. Everyone would need VOOM and use WiFi (turn cellular data OFF), but it’s another idea instead of texting. Of course, Facebook messenger works as well on WiFi.

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One comment on everyone having VOOM. Set up WiFi Calling on your IPhones before you leave. When you get on board, put your phone in "Airplane" mode and turn WiFi back on and log onto the ships wifi. Your phone will bias to "wifi calling." You'll know this by checking to where the "carrier" is listed. For example, if AT&T, your phone will show "ATTwifi." Same with Verizon, etc. Once you see that, you can now text or even phone each other as if you are at home. You can also call anyone in accordance to your standard plan. However if you don't want to pay for VOOM for everyone, as said earlier, just pay $.50 per text sent and whatever your carrier charges for received texts and keep in touch that way.

To add when traveling with a group, we have always sort of had a hang out spot also. So many times you could run into people there. Like a table up near the pool that we like to sit at, etc. We are not sun worshipers, like many, but do like to sit up in the shade in the fresh air. That and like others said, messages on the cabin phones, and meeting for meals at set times. Again in the buffet, we always picked a table in one certain area, so others could find us.

The new Royal Caribbean International app,(not Royal IQ which is discontinued) launched on Allure last August and now available on Enchantment, Oasis Symphony and Serenade, is supposed to have texting capability;

The new Royal Caribbean app will allow for easy text communication, and no internet plan is required.

Unlike Royal Caribbean's previous smart phone app, Royal iQ, there is no additional cost to use the texting feature in the app. This means everyone can easily communicate onboard and synch up.

Or maybe the above feature is yet to be added?

By far the most intriguing feature of the new app is the option to order beverages and have them delivered to wherever you happen to be seated or standing.

This sounds good too, is this feature also 'coming soon'?

T

 

The new Royal Caribbean app will allow for easy text communication, and no internet plan is required.

Unlike Royal Caribbean's previous smart phone app, Royal iQ, there is no additional cost to use the texting feature in the app. This means everyone can easily communicate onboard and synch up.

 

By far the most intriguing feature of the new app is the option to order beverages and have them delivered to wherever you happen to be seated or standing.

 

This sounds good too, is this feature also 'coming soon'?

We were on Allure for the 2/25 itinerary and used the app. Neither option was available that we could find nor did any options to reserve shows or restaurants work. It was basically a calendar of events and restaurant options. At the Captains Corner, the hotel director talked up a 'new' app that was coming soon. He was very excited about it but provided no details.

We were on Allure for the 2/25 itinerary and used the app. Neither option was available that we could find nor did any options to reserve shows or restaurants work. It was basically a calendar of events and restaurant options. At the Captains Corner, the hotel director talked up a 'new' app that was coming soon. He was very excited about it but provided no details.

That could be Project Excalibur....

Richard Fein: "You'll be able to open the door to your room without pulling out a card or a key, request a beverage real-time from the comfort of your lounge chair, and get recommendations for your traveling companion based on their preferences."

"We take our guest vacation time seriously, and technology is a great enabler to improve the use of that."

I thought this latest 'new' app was the start of 'Excalibur'... maybe it is but will continually be developed.

I would add to all the previous comments that our family has a mix of phones. My Droid Turbo wold not receive texts from iPhones using the WIFI and vice versa. We all downloaded Voxer which has both texting and walkie-talkie capabilities over WIFI. It worked pretty well for us. For my Droid, I used Google Dialer for calls home. The clarity was incredible.

Just TALK to each other! Tell each other where you'll be...what your plans are for the day. If plans with someone change, you can leave a message on their cabin phone. Honestly...it's not as hard as you're imagining to connect with the others in your party. Surely you will eat a meal together....thats when you "update" everyone on your coming plans!

I understand what the OP is looking for. We always travel in groups, anywhere from about 15 to as many as 55. It is not as simple as just TALK to each other. Sure you meet for dinner. Sure you may plan on certain shows where you meet. But unless you are on a strict schedule, that only gets you so far. Our experience, everybody gets up and moving on sea days and gets breakfast on their own time (no set schedule for that). After that it can be a bit of a challenge to catch up with people. I have circled the ship multiple times looking for other members of our party...which is a bit of a walk on an Oasis class ship. We have managed just fine all these years...but being able to text each other on the ship (don't care for communication with the outside world) would be a huge help.

As someone else has mentioned...find your hangout spot...usually somewhere up by the pool. Everybody can sort of congregate there in their own time. People will come and go past the spot throughout the day...and people will typically say where they are going when they head away from the spot. Sooner or later you kind of just find out where certain people in your group are.

Thank you all very much.

I'll review this with my family of 19, as well as my dh and kids 24 and 20, who are both still in school and still travel with us along with their friends.

Looking forward to August!

Thank you again for all your input. I appreciate it!

Is VOOM the same as on other cruise lines that you can share it but only one device can be logged on at a time? So if I go to use it and someone else is logged on, it gives me the option of kicking them off and I can use it. If so, you can all use one VOOM package and sent a Facebook Messenger to all your preset up group of travelers....then log off...each one that logs on would see the message of meeting up or whatever.

This app appears to have been updated recently. Version 1.6.1 was updated 3/15/18. Maybe the text feature is available now? My Allure sailing 4-22-18 is just outside the limit of when i can check it out. It would be interesting to see if anyone has success.

I texted with the daughter on my Android and she was in Colorado and we were on a TA. I just had my WiFi on and Data off and did fine without purchasing anything. I also had an INTL plan on it. On a cruise with the family, we planned our next day and set up a meeting time & location with our family. Daughter & I I did one thing, DH did something else and we met at the set time.

Is VOOM the same as on other cruise lines that you can share it but only one device can be logged on at a time? So if I go to use it and someone else is logged on, it gives me the option of kicking them off and I can use it. If so, you can all use one VOOM package and sent a Facebook Messenger to all your preset up group of travelers....then log off...each one that logs on would see the message of meeting up or whatever.

Correct, only one can use it at a time. When another person tries to log in the behavior varies. On some ships it just kicks off the other person with no warning. On other ships it refuses to log in without the other person logging out first.