Texting with the new Internet plans

[forwardcabin]

Will you be able to text one another onboard with your iPhone using one of the new $5, $16, or $25 Internet Plans?

[hartsnvt]

I don't know about texting but you can use facebook messenger. However that means everyone you are messaging needs to be on the plan. Or you sign off your phone and they sign on to get the message and reply.

[Piper934]

Groupme is a very good texting app you can use with WiFi

[Zeta3]

You can use apps and iMessage should work as well but you will need an Internet plan for each device if you want to message each other

[freeholdfriends]

I don't know about texting but you can use facebook messenger. However that means everyone you are messaging needs to be on the plan. Or you sign off your phone and they sign on to get the message and reply.

 

If I get the fb package can I message my kids back home? I am really being dense on this feature. Thanks for any help

[forwardcabin]

If I get the fb package can I message my kids back home? I am really being dense on this feature. Thanks for any help

...apparently you can use FB to home. We have a family cruise booked and everyone in our family will be onboard. So we were trying to come up with a slick way to communicate with one another. The kids already are accustomed to texting with the iPhone, so thought the new plans might support that. But this sounds like a lot of trouble and cost to use onboard. Really don't want to do the walkie talkie thing. So, might have to revert to notes in the cabin or on the cabin door. Edited July 25, 2015 by forwardcabin

[BullDawg91]

Yes, with the cheapest plan, you should be able to use FB and FB messenger to stay in touch with people back home. You can always just text IF you have Apple devices. It goes through iMessage.

 

To text each other on the ship, if you're not on the Breeze with the Hub Chat, each person will have to pay $5 per day or $25 for the length of cruise. So, a family of four who want to text onboard would spend $100 to do that.

[kim300]

You can use apps and iMessage should work as well but you will need an Internet plan for each device if you want to message each other

 

iMessage is hit and miss on the $5 plan. It's no longer included in the description for the social ($5) plan- apparently something in the iMessage system blocks some iMessages. I have read comments that it worked for some, but not for others. Not sure if the problem persists in the more expensive plans.

[vwrestler171]

iMessage worked for my wife on her last cruise.

[Martini Mom]

We bought the social media package a couple weeks ago. I kept my phone in airplane mode the whole time to avoid receiving texts etc from home and being charged. My phone stayed on Carnival's wifi the whole time and it always worked well.

[kim300]

You can use apps and iMessage should work as well but you will need an Internet plan for each device if you want to message each other

 

IMessage is no longer included in the social plan description ($5/ day plan). Apparently it did not work consistently because of something in the iMessage/ Apple system- some were able to use iMessage on the plan, but others were not. So iMessage may or may not work. I haven't heard if iMessage works on the more expensive plans or not.

[Farley5]

Has anyone used other apps like groupme or other besides FB and imessage?

 

Remind everyone to put a password on their phone. My last cruise my daughter lost her phone and luckily it had a password so no one could turn on the cellular and charge up the bill. WE were unable to report it missing to our cell company. This was a few years ago. WE did check with the front desk everyday to see if it was found and got a note from then stating we reported it lost incase there were chargers while on the boat.

[Farley5]

Anyone know if the Dream has the old plan or the new plan for internet?

[forwardcabin]

... Remind everyone to put a password on their phone. My last cruise my daughter lost her phone and luckily it had a password so no one could turn on the cellular and charge up the bill. WE were unable to report it missing to our cell company. This was a few years ago. WE did check with the front desk everyday to see if it was found and got a note from then stating we reported it lost incase there were chargers while on the boat.

...Good point. Once they have these iPhone features perfected and rolled out on all ships, lots of people will have cell phones lying around on the ship. Many will forget to pick them up as they leave an area.

 

Anyone know if the Dream has the old plan or the new plan for internet?

Here is a list...

The following ships are offering the NEW internet plans. We aim to complete the rest of the North American fleet by the end of 2015. Other ships not listed here still have 'by-the-minute' plans.

 

Carnival Breeze

Carnival Conquest

Carnival Ecstasy

Carnival Elation

Carnival Fascination

Carnival Freedom

Carnival Glory

Carnival Imagination

Carnival Inspiration

Carnival Paradise

Carnival Pride

Carnival Sensation

Carnival Sunshine

Carnival Victory

[realjd]

You don't need to buy the internet plan to text each other on the ship. Assuming you're American, AT&T's going rate for texting internationally is 50¢ to send and free to receive, and they sell international data plans for cheap that include unlimited international texting if you plan to text a lot. Verizon and other providers have similar rates. It's no different on the ship than it would be on land in a foreign country. This is how my wife and I communicate on board if we are separated. A text or two a day is way cheaper than the Internet plan. Even just calling each other for the $1.50 per minute or whatever they charge is cheaper than the Internet plan.

 

Be sure data roaming is turned off in your settings if you didn't buy an international data plan. With data roaming turned off, you won't have any charges on your bill for having your phone on unless you send any texts or make or answer any calls. Again, cell service on the ship works exactly like it does when you're in a foreign country on land.

[MMPERRY2006]

Has anyone used other apps like groupme or other besides FB and imessage?

 

Just wondering if GroupMe worked?

[Savlamara]

I know Whatsapp messaging definitely works on the old and new plans. Just not the calling part.

[Piper934]

I used groupme on the pride last summer and had no issues.

[summersigh]

For the poster that referred to the large family sailing together - the phones in the cabins do have voice mail so messages on where to meet etc could be left on them. We've also seen post-it notes left for messages and on our last cruise somebody across the hall had a dry erase board on the door for messages.

 

(Before I get flamed for not being teckie enough with this ..... I wasn't clear on whether they wanted to buy the package for each member of this large group as it's my understanding that only one devise at a time can be signed on to each package.) :)