Anyone have experience with Verizon WiFi calling and Surf and Stream package? Help!

Definitely leave roaming off, leave wifi if on and keep your Samsung in airplane mide until you're back in the states. Roaming onboard the ship will tie you into the satellite cell phone service which is very expensive. You can usually do a wifi call through Facebook Messenger on any phone and tgat's what I do. You can easily play around with wifi calling before your cruise by putting phone in airplane nose which turns off the cellular connection. Turn on wifi and get on your home Internet service and call someone on your phone. If it doesn't work call Verizon' tech line. To call from Facebook Messenger do same steps and then open Facebook messenger app and call one of your folks in your contacts. Should work. You'll have no cell phone roaming charges or data service bills as long as you always stay on airplane mode.

Cherie

My plan is to turn wifi calling on and leave it on as well as leaving the phone in airplane mode. My samsung s7 has a setting inside wifi calling called "when roaming". If you drill down it says "choose the kind of network you prefer for making and receiving calls when you're outside the Verizon network and other networks are available" Two options are "prefer other cell networks roaming charges may apply" or "prefer wifi".

Surprised to see this while in airplane mode. Would thought it would be greyed out but it's not even with airplane mode on. Funny thing when you turn wifi calling off this item is greyed out.

I changed it to prefer wifi in case but wonder why that's even there.

Anyone have this?

My plan is to turn wifi calling on and leave it on as well as leaving the phone in airplane mode. My samsung s7 has a setting inside wifi calling called "when roaming". If you drill down it says "choose the kind of network you prefer for making and receiving calls when you're outside the Verizon network and other networks are available" Two options are "prefer other cell networks roaming charges may apply" or "prefer wifi".

 

Surprised to see this while in airplane mode. Would thought it would be greyed out but it's not even with airplane mode on. Funny thing when you turn wifi calling off this item is greyed out.

 

I changed it to prefer wifi in case but wonder why that's even there.

 

Anyone have this?

Seems like that should be grayed out when you're on Airplane mode. However, I can see that could be a useful setting when not in Airplane mode, and I don't have it on the iPhone.

Found this on Verizon..

Wi-Fi calling is also a great option when traveling outside the United States. With any Wi-Fi calling-capable Android device, you can set your device to prefer wifi calling by:

• Apps icon > Settings > Advanced Calling
  
• Tap Wi-Fi Calling
  
• Tap When Roaming
  
• Tap Prefer Wi-Fi
  

Now when making calls over Wi-Fi:

• Calls to US numbers are not billed (except for 411 or other premium calls).
  
• Calls to international numbers are billed according to your international long distance plan.
  

Seems this setting must be set to prefer wifi. Thanks all.

Found this on Verizon..

 

Wi-Fi calling is also a great option when traveling outside the United States. With any Wi-Fi calling-capable Android device, you can set your device to prefer wifi calling by:

• Apps icon > Settings > Advanced Calling
  
• Tap Wi-Fi Calling
  
• Tap When Roaming
  
• Tap Prefer Wi-Fi
  

Now when making calls over Wi-Fi:

• Calls to US numbers are not billed (except for 411 or other premium calls).
  
• Calls to international numbers are billed according to your international long distance plan.
  

I just checked the setting on my iPhone and I have it set to prefer wifi while roaming. It is there whether I have wifi calling turned on or off.

Yeah just noticed that too on my wife's iPhone 6

Good thread.

I too came from the black rotary phone age.

A quick question about Wi-Fi calling on Royal: Do I have to be logged into Voom or will the ships "base Wi-Fi single allow a call to be made on it?

Thanks!

Bob

Good thread.

 

I too came from the black rotary phone age.

 

A quick question about Wi-Fi calling on Royal: Do I have to be logged into Voom or will the ships "base Wi-Fi single allow a call to be made on it?

 

Thanks!

 

Bob

There is no free "base WiFi". You must have some sort of internet package to have functional WiFi calling. Surf level will work fine.

Good thread.

 

I too came from the black rotary phone age.

 

A quick question about Wi-Fi calling on Royal: Do I have to be logged into Voom or will the ships "base Wi-Fi single allow a call to be made on it?

 

Thanks!

 

Bob

I can verify that you can be connected to wifi and even be actively using one of the free sites, if you are not logged in, wifi calling will not work.

Thanks all for your quick responses.

The reason I asked the question is after boarding Royal Wi-Fi is listed on my phone as an available Wi-Fi.

Is it better to send and receive texts through the ships cell tower or through a Wi-Fi connection. We have Verizon.

Again, I'm from the black rotary phone era.

Thanks, again!

Thanks all for your quick responses.

 

The reason I asked the question is after boarding Royal Wi-Fi is listed on my phone as an available Wi-Fi.

 

Is it better to send and receive texts through the ships cell tower or through a Wi-Fi connection. We have Verizon.

 

Again, I'm from the black rotary phone era.

 

Thanks, again!

Not sure if it's better but sending and receiving texts via wifi calling is no extra charge from Verizon. If sent/received over the ship's cellular system, you pay international roaming rates. For Verizon, I believe it's $0.50 per sent text, $0.05 per received text.

Thanks all for your quick responses.

 

The reason I asked the question is after boarding Royal Wi-Fi is listed on my phone as an available Wi-Fi.

 

Is it better to send and receive texts through the ships cell tower or through a Wi-Fi connection. We have Verizon.

 

Again, I'm from the black rotary phone era.

 

Thanks, again!

This is a difficult concept for many to understand, but connecting to a WiFi service does not automatically give internet access. WiFi and internet are not one in the same, though for those whose sole experience has been setting up a home WiFi system, this may not seem to be the case.

Verizon charges $0.50 per text sent, so you will have to weigh the number of texts you intend to send with the cost of WiFi.

I've sailed on Anthem of the Seas three times now and I've always purchased the Surf and Stream package. One of the requirements of WiFi calling is that cellular is connected. Just be sure data roaming is turned off. I have a hard time trusting this. I can see the wifi calling icon enabled at the top of the screen. When I go to the phone app on my Galaxy S8, I can see the wifi symbol on the call button. So ok fine. I just don't feel comfortable knowing that at any moment I can accidentally receive it place a call using the Cellular at Sea rate. So although it connects and works and I've confirmed and not seen any roaming charges, placing and receiving calls shouldn't have to make you so uneasy. If they could make it work in airplane mode with WiFi on, I'd enjoy using it more.

I've sailed on Anthem of the Seas three times now and I've always purchased the Surf and Stream package. One of the requirements of WiFi calling is that cellular is connected. Just be sure data roaming is turned off. I have a hard time trusting this. I can see the wifi calling icon enabled at the top of the screen. When I go to the phone app on my Galaxy S8, I can see the wifi symbol on the call button. So ok fine. I just don't feel comfortable knowing that at any moment I can accidentally receive it place a call using the Cellular at Sea rate. So although it connects and works and I've confirmed and not seen any roaming charges, placing and receiving calls shouldn't have to make you so uneasy. If they could make it work in airplane mode with WiFi on, I'd enjoy using it more.

This is not the case on my iPhone. I use WiFi calling all the time in Airplane Mode, no cellular connection at all.

This is not the case on my iPhone. I use WiFi calling all the time in Airplane Mode, no cellular connection at all.

Wow, I stand corrected. I wonder if this changed with the recent update to Android 8. I just checked wifi calling at home in Airplane mode and it connected. But the first time I did it on the cruise, I got the warning that cellular had to be left on. Thanks for the update.

As a sideline, I thought our cruise contract with RCI states that Samsung phones are not allowed to be taken aboard ship.

As a sideline, I thought our cruise contract with RCI states that Samsung phones are not allowed to be taken aboard ship.

It is only the Galaxy Note s7 not all Samsung phones. Samsung has since disabled all of those phones anyway.

We take ours on board on every cruise.

Enjoy!

Sharon

But the first time I did it on the cruise, I got the warning that cellular had to be left on.

When you first set up WiFi calling, you need to be connected to the cell network.

That’s why everyone should set it up and try it at home.

Wow, I stand corrected. I wonder if this changed with the recent update to Android 8. I just checked wifi calling at home in Airplane mode and it connected. But the first time I did it on the cruise, I got the warning that cellular had to be left on. Thanks for the update.

If when you were on the cruise, it was the very first time you turned on WiFi calling with that phone, then it makes sense that you have to be on cellular that one time.

We have T-Mobile and were on Anthem and Wi-Fi calling worked just fine on our iPhone's. We were even able to FaceTime with no issues, middle of the ocean or close to land didn't matter with the quality.

I was amazed at how good the internet was in Royal, after being used to Carnival's very spotty Wi-Fi that could barely connect to Instagram or stay connected for more than 15 minutes. Royal definitely beats most other lines when it comes to internet strength.

We have T-Mobile and were on Anthem and Wi-Fi calling worked just fine on our iPhone's. We were even able to FaceTime with no issues, middle of the ocean or close to land didn't matter with the quality.

FaceTime is not the same as wifi calling as this unit applies to calls with other Apple users. Wifi calling is a feature from your carrier that allows you to use your phone on the wifi network to avoid paying roaming fees. But if you're just using it to keep in touch with someone specific with an iPhone, then I guess that's all you need.

We have used Verizon WiFi calling with the Internet package, with no problem, unless we are in an Internet dead zone. Move a few feet, and the signal is back. [emoji846]

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We have Verizon and I use the package I just kept my phone on airplane mode and had no issues whatsoever on the anthem as well

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