Cell Service on Oasis?

[realtyman95]

I'm part of a group of 30+ people cruising on the Oasis in January 2016. Can anyone offer any information or guidance on the availability of cell service, if any, from the various carriers - Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile? Thanks.

[Clarea]

I'm part of a group of 30+ people cruising on the Oasis in January 2016. Can anyone offer any information or guidance on the availability of cell service, if any, from the various carriers - Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile? Thanks.

The ship has cell service while at sea. AT&T charges $2.49 per minute for voice calls and $0.50 per text sent. Check the other carrier's websites for their charges at sea. Data will be very expensive, so it's best to turn that off.

[cruisingram1]

We were on Oasis in Jan 2015. I have an iphone and purchased the unlimited wifi package. It was very reasonable. I was able to Facetime audio and video back to the states... quality was exceptional. I was also able to iMessage - send and receive. I put my phone in airplane mode and then turned on wifi for the entire trip. It was fantastic. I could even play Words with Friends on the high seas! No additional charges showed up on my Verizon bill.

 

That said.. don't know how an Android phone would handle Skype. Our friend had an Android and used the wifi for email. But never tried to make Skype calls.

 

I wish all ships had the same hi speed internet. It really makes keeping in touch with family at home easy. I would not mess with trying to figure out using the ship's cell towers as I would worry constantly that I was going to run up a huge bill.

[Biker19]

Assuming the iQ app works on the Oasis, you could use that to keep in touch with the group. The texting portion of the app I think is free.

[Clarea]

Assuming the iQ app works on the Oasis, you could use that to keep in touch with the group. The texting portion of the app I think is free.

I believe only Quantum class currently has the Royal IQ App.

Edited August 25, 2015 by clarea

[Tony O]

On our recent Oasis cruise we purchased the wifi service.

We all used Facebook messenger to communicate with each other. It worked great.

We put the phone on airplane mode and switched on the wifi.

Edited August 25, 2015 by Tony O

[Jessieblue]

still just a bit confused about what all wifi allows. Can you make phone calls home and onboard to fellow cruisers?

[Biker19]

still just a bit confused about what all wifi allows. Can you make phone calls home and onboard to fellow cruisers?

If you and them have an app on that allows wifi calling. You should try it on land before the cruise - put the phone in airplane mode, turn on wifi only and try to make a call.

[Clarea]

still just a bit confused about what all wifi allows. Can you make phone calls home and onboard to fellow cruisers?

That would require a WiFi calling app (such as Skype) that you and the others have loaded on your phones. Generally, if you want to call a landline, that will cost something.

[Tony O]

We use Google hangouts and hangouts dialer to make calls over wifi.

The other person doesn't have to have hangouts installed to receive calls but needs it to make calls.

We used it in Europe last month to call home to landlines and cellphone numbers with no problem

The calls were free.

Edited August 25, 2015 by Tony O

[Duke Mazer]

With the premium wifi we had last January it all worked well. Was able to use Facetime which was great. I also used skype and with skype credits was able to call landlines and cell in US/Canada for $0.02/minute. Called Canada, Europe, US, no issues at and I don't think I used more than a dollar.

[flacplnj]

There is an app called Talkatone. It is worth checking out. The software uses Wifi to make calls and text

[setsail]

still just a bit confused about what all wifi allows. Can you make phone calls home and onboard to fellow cruisers?

 

Wi fi allows you to use the internet. You don't need WiFi or apps to make calls or text

[Havingfun2010]

Cellular calls - outside service area it is "roaming". Roaming calls cost money per minute. On the ship, you are roaming, and the phone will cost about 2.49 a minute. Other countries will be various prices.

 

Data - this is over a cellular network. Call it cellular internet service.

 

Internet - This is just like at home, but usually slower, because of the obvious, the ship does not have a cable wire behind it, so it uses a satellite system for the internet

 

WiFi - This is a means to connect to the Internet

 

Cellular phones can either use "Data" or "WiFi" to connect. Data is a price plan from your cellular customer and "Data" does not work on the ship, because you have no way to connect to a cellular data network.

 

Cellular phones on the ship, must use WiFi, which connects you to the ship's network.

 

To make a phone call, you can either do it one of two ways. The "normal way" but it cost 2.49 a minute. The other way is making a wifi phone call. This is like skype, or the many other wifi apps you can have. The iPhone will text message and make phone calls over the internet also with wifi or you can use a different app to use it.

 

So before you can use a WiFi app, you need to purchase the WiFi package on the ship. On RCCL it is $20.00 a day for each connection. They have some discounts etc, sometimes, but usually it is $20.00 a day for the highest price.

 

You can use WiFi and have you phone in airplane mode so no calls or texts come in. Remember, normal calls and texts will have an individual price tag on each call or text. (Remember this is not WiFi calls, but calls to your number).

 

I hope this explains it.

[cruiseforus]

Cellular calls - outside service area it is "roaming". Roaming calls cost money per minute. On the ship, you are roaming, and the phone will cost about 2.49 a minute. Other countries will be various prices.

 

Data - this is over a cellular network. Call it cellular internet service.

 

Internet - This is just like at home, but usually slower, because of the obvious, the ship does not have a cable wire behind it, so it uses a satellite system for the internet

 

WiFi - This is a means to connect to the Internet

 

Cellular phones can either use "Data" or "WiFi" to connect. Data is a price plan from your cellular customer and "Data" does not work on the ship, because you have no way to connect to a cellular data network.

 

Cellular phones on the ship, must use WiFi, which connects you to the ship's network.

 

To make a phone call, you can either do it one of two ways. The "normal way" but it cost 2.49 a minute. The other way is making a wifi phone call. This is like skype, or the many other wifi apps you can have. The iPhone will text message and make phone calls over the internet also with wifi or you can use a different app to use it.

 

So before you can use a WiFi app, you need to purchase the WiFi package on the ship. On RCCL it is $20.00 a day for each connection. They have some discounts etc, sometimes, but usually it is $20.00 a day for the highest price.

 

You can use WiFi and have you phone in airplane mode so no calls or texts come in. Remember, normal calls and texts will have an individual price tag on each call or text. (Remember this is not WiFi calls, but calls to your number).

 

I hope this explains it.

 

 

Really good info, thanks!

 

Just one quick question. If I buy the ships wifi and have it on and I and my family at home all have iphones will the imessages work for us? And would that mean there is no additional text charges if they go as imessage?

[jamesr3939]

We were on Oasis just after they turned on the new internet service. It was blazing fast even better than at home. If you want to keep in touch with people on the ship they all need to purchase the internet plan. Then you can text with no charge. Oasis did not have IQ. We did FaceTime several times back home and it worked great. Don't recall ever contacting onboard friends other than by text.

[cruisingram1]

Really good info, thanks!

 

Just one quick question. If I buy the ships wifi and have it on and I and my family at home all have iphones will the imessages work for us? And would that mean there is no additional text charges if they go as imessage?

 

Yes! If you have an iphone and your family at home have iphones.. you can iMessage and Facetime Audio and Video. Unlimited. No charge. Just like when you are in the states.

 

However, you can't call non iphones with FaceTime. Then you would need a program such as Skype or any of the other apps mentioned in this thread.

 

But if you are only calling to other iPhone people, it's simple. Just remember to put your phone in airplane mode first, then turn wifi on. Do not turn airplane mode off until you dock back in the states or you might be charged for roaming. When you are off the ship, you are away from wifi unless you find a cafe or bar that offers it. So no calls or messages coming or going while on shore.

[bilyclub]

Cellular phones can either use "Data" or "WiFi" to connect. Data is a price plan from your cellular customer and "Data" does not work on the ship, because you have no way to connect to a cellular data network.

 

 

Data does work on the ship. it's just expensive if you haven't gotten a Global data plan from your carrier.

Edited August 26, 2015 by bilyclub

[Havingfun2010]

Really good info, thanks!

 

Just one quick question. If I buy the ships wifi and have it on and I and my family at home all have iphones will the imessages work for us? And would that mean there is no additional text charges if they go as imessage?

 

Yes, the iPhone will work. On the iPhone, turn off "data roaming" and always keep this off. What happens with the iPhone, it tries to find you phone in the "cloud" someplace and will send the text that way. If it does not find your phone in the "cloud" than it converts it to a normal text. If you phone is on, and you turn it into airplane mode, than you will not receive it. the other person will get a failed message.

 

iMessage = no charge

SMS text = incoming $0.10 and outgoing $0.50 (but remember for SMS text, the phone can't be in airplane mode and you also risk receiving phone calls at $2.49 a minute.

 

Note, that with ATT, incoming texts are usually free or at $0.10.

[cruiseforus]

Thanks so much. On my last couple of cruises I took the AT&T Cruiseship plan for $30 for calling home. My children told me when I called they texted me but I never got it. Now I understand why. I had airplane mode on and wifi off. Now I got it. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[Clarea]

Thanks so much. On my last couple of cruises I took the AT&T Cruiseship plan for $30 for calling home. My children told me when I called they texted me but I never got it. Now I understand why. I had airplane mode on and wifi off. Now I got it. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Another reason you may not get texts is if you have no cellular data and someone sends you an MMS text. An MMS text could be a text with a photo, video, or even a group text.

[Biker19]

We use Google hangouts and hangouts dialer to make calls over wifi.

The other person doesn't have to have hangouts installed to receive calls but needs it to make calls.

 

I assumed the OP wanted to know how to keep in touch with the group of 30 on the ship as well - in that case everyone needs to have an app (like Hangouts) on their phone.

[realtyman95]

Biker19 is correct that we're looking for a way to communicate with each other on-board, but also back home. Here is what I've found:

The ship's WiFi is fast enough for Facetime, Hangouts, Skype, etc. $15/day for the first device, $7.50/day for the second device.

More than one device can be used per login, but can not be logged in at the same time.

Most of the major cell carriers offer an international roaming package at approximately $2.50/minute. Most also offer international text messaging as well.

WiFi Calling seems to be the best option if your phone and carrier support it. As of August 2015, only Sprint, T-Mobile and EE networks support this. AT&T is reportedly in the process of obtaining FCC approval and hopes to offer WiFi calling later in 2015. Verizon has said they plan to offer it sometime in 2015. WiFi calling doesn't require any special apps. You just use your phone. Incoming and outgoing calls will use the WiFi network by default. Therefore - no roaming or per minute fees.

• iPhone
  5c, 5s, 6 and 6 Plus, running iOS8 support this feature. You can find
  step by step instructions here
  on how to set it up on your iPhone. Be sure to turn on Airplane mode to avoid any roaming fees.
  
  

• Android
  phones are a touch different. Main difference is you can not send or receive WiFi calls while your phone is in Airplane mode. But if WiFi Calling is set up and activated, you "shouldn't" encounter any roaming issues. The phone will still automatically default to the WiFi network for all calls. However you'll continue to receive incoming text messages which will most likely carry a fee.
  
  

Here are some links that may be useful: Sprint's WiFi Calling FAQ / T-Mobile's WiFi Calling page / Royal Caribbean's WiFi options /

 

If anyone can figure out how to make WiFi calls on an Android device while in Airplane mode, please let me know. (I have the Samsung S6 Edge.)

 

Hope this helps.

Edited August 26, 2015 by realtyman95