I know its been asked before but: Wifi calling not working on Harmony

[4merlurker]

DD just boarded the Harmony in Barcelona. She has been in Barcelona a few days and WiFi calling worked fine. Now that she is on the ship with VOOM surf package it wont work. :confused: We are texting on whatsapp and that's ok but I'm wondering why the call feature wont work?

 

She says she signed onto royal wifi according to the instructions and wifi is working but it wont let her make calls?

 

Anyone have any insight?

[PSU]

I don't think that you make make calls on the ship using wifi. It costs so much per minute with a special package from your cell phone carrier. (At least that is my experience).

 

DD just boarded the Harmony in Barcelona. She has been in Barcelona a few days and WiFi calling worked fine. Now that she is on the ship with VOOM surf package it wont work. :confused: We are texting on whatsapp and that's ok but I'm wondering why the call feature wont work?

 

She says she signed onto royal wifi according to the instructions and wifi is working but it wont let her make calls?

 

Anyone have any insight?

[uksimonusa]

What Package do they have?

[4merlurker]

She has the Voom Surf package.

[silentbob007]

Are you trying to use an app for calling or is it a carrier feature? It could be they have a specific port blocked onboard that that feature needs. Or, as someone else said, it could be they've blocked that kind of access if you only have a "surf" package and not a "stream" package.

[Ourusualbeach]

She has the Voom Surf package.

 

Not sure but she might need the surf and stream to be able to do calls over Wifi.

[Single Cruiser]

She has the Voom Surf package.

 

That's why then. Voice/video calls require the surf and stream package hence its blocked unless she upgrades

[4merlurker]

There's no app. The phone is enabled for wifi calling. She's not streaming videos or watching youtube. Like I said she has been in barcelona a few days on hotel/cafe etc wifi and able to call us no problem. :confused:

[4merlurker]

That's why then. Voice/video calls require the surf and stream package hence its blocked unless she upgrades

 

Where does it say "voice" calls require stream? I've done my research - didn't see that. :confused: :(

[Single Cruiser]

There's no app. The phone is enabled for wifi calling. She's not streaming videos or watching youtube. Like I said she has been in barcelona a few days on hotel/cafe etc wifi and able to call us no problem. :confused:

 

Streaming is the term they have used for high bandwidth interactive sessions such as wifi calling, Skype, FaceTime as well as YouTube etc..

 

Surf is for browsing web, sending emails or texts, posting on Twitter etc..

 

If she's connected to the ships wifi and hasn't got the stream package they will be blocked..

[setsail]

Where does it say "voice" calls require stream? I've done my research - didn't see that. :confused: :(

 

She is on the ship, why doesn't she just ask?

[davidrle]

Be very careful with the inbuilt wifi calling app on the iPhone when abroad.

 

I know in the UK, my provider EE told me that wifi calling still goes through them - it just uses wifi rather than 2G/3G/4G to make the connection with the call. So it's still chargeable like a normal call.

 

When I'm at home, that's not an issue - because my calls are free. But abroad that would soon rack up a huge bill.

 

You'd be better using something like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or Facetime to make Audio calls - which are nothing to do with your phone provider.

[4merlurker]

Are you trying to use an app for calling or is it a carrier feature? It could be they have a specific port blocked onboard that that feature needs. Or, as someone else said, it could be they've blocked that kind of access if you only have a "surf" package and not a "stream" package.

 

No app. The phone has "wifi calling" capabilities. There is no reason it shouldnt work. It worked at home, in the bahamas, DR, barcelona.... just not on the damn ship. She's on wifi so she should be able to wifi call. :confused: She can use the "whatsapp" feature to text on wifi? What's the difference?

 

Any techies out there?

[4merlurker]

Be very careful with the inbuilt wifi calling app on the iPhone when abroad.

 

No Iphone. But that's good info those with an Iphone. Thanks.

[Single Cruiser]

Streaming services require a higher quality of service, whereas an email can take 5-10 seconds to post without problem a voice call is real-time. Therefore Royal split the package into none-realtime (text/surf/emails/posts) and real-time (voice/video/etc..)

[Ourusualbeach]

No app. The phone has "wifi calling" capabilities. There is no reason it shouldnt work. It worked at home, in the bahamas, DR, barcelona.... just not on the damn ship. She's on wifi so she should be able to wifi call. :confused: She can use the "whatsapp" feature to text on wifi? What's the difference?

 

Any techies out there?

 

It has nothing to do with the phone. Royal is blocking it on their end. She needs to purchase the more expensive package.

[4merlurker]

She is on the ship, why doesn't she just ask?

 

She's going to later....waiting for lines at guest services to die down.

 

It's me more than her. She's 20 years old and its the first time she's out of the country on her own - texting is fine but I want to be able to hear her voice :o It's a mom thing.

[Clarea]

She is on the ship, why doesn't she just ask?

Good suggestion, I would ask to talk with the IT manager onboard.

[jonj]

She's going to later....waiting for lines at guest services to die down.

 

It's me more than her. She's 20 years old and its the first time she's out of the country on her own - texting is fine but I want to be able to hear her voice :o It's a mom thing.

 

There should be an internet desk separate from the guest service line

[4merlurker]

It has nothing to do with the phone. Royal is blocking it on their end. She needs to purchase the more expensive package.

 

Sooooooo wifi isnt wifi? Well that sucks. I purchased the surf only for my upcoming cruise and my other daughters upcoming cruise. :rolleyes:

 

Oh well.

[Single Cruiser]

No app. The phone has "wifi calling" capabilities. There is no reason it shouldnt work. It worked at home, in the bahamas, DR, barcelona.... just not on the damn ship. She's on wifi so she should be able to wifi call. :confused: She can use the "whatsapp" feature to text on wifi? What's the difference?

 

Any techies out there?

 

Yes and I've explained the reason why several times. I design this stuff for a living! :eek:

 

Wifi is not Internet! It's local access to a wireless network. In Internet cafes and hotels the venue will then connect the wifi hub to the Internet via a service provided cable/broadband line.. Some charge a flat rate for this service..

 

On cruise ships the link to the Internet is over an expensive satellite link. To protect use of this expensive bandwidth Royal require users to sign up to a Internet package.

 

If they sign up to surf then the TCP/UDP ports used by applications like web browsers and messaging are allowed access from the users device/phone.

 

If they sign up to stream then real-time protocols used by voip (voice over IP) apps like wifi calling and video streaming used by Skype/FaceTime etc are opened.

Edited June 12, 2016 by Single Cruiser

[4merlurker]

She's going to check it out. Thanks everyone.

[Single Cruiser]

On iPhones they have an option to record a message which then gets sent. Not sure what phone she's got but that should in theory work. The other option is she records a small video selfie clip and emails you it.

 

It's only a few $ more for stream and I was using it for calls last week.

 

Hope she enjoys her cruise..

Edited June 12, 2016 by Single Cruiser

[cruisenfever]

There should be an internet desk separate from the guest service line

Our experience has been that anyone associated with IT on the ship makes themselves invisible. There is no "separate desk" for IT questions.

[Single Cruiser]

Our experience has been that anyone associated with IT on the ship makes themselves invisible. There is no "separate desk" for IT questions.

 

There was listed Internet access assistance hours in the daily compass on Harmony last week. The main Internet terminals are in the card room deck 14 aft