i Concierge app

[gandoratze42]

Anyone use the NCL app to communicate while onboard? We are traveling with a large group in July and are curious about using the app to text each other. How much is it? How reliable is it? We don't really want to buy wifi, just to be able to communicate onboard to find each other when we need to. Thanks!

[Two Wheels Only]

Anyone use the NCL app to communicate while onboard? We are traveling with a large group in July and are curious about using the app to text each other. How much is it? How reliable is it? We don't really want to buy wifi, just to be able to communicate onboard to find each other when we need to. Thanks!

 

Price may vary depending on which ship you are on...somewhere between $8-$12 per device.

 

It's reliable but you may have to close and restart the app every once in a while.

 

You don't have to buy wi-fi to text/call others with the app.

[gandoratze42]

Thanks!

[BrianC-80]

One thing to note about the app, and the wifi in general is that with the wifi on and without signing up for an internet package, you get various app alerts from other apps bleeding through.

 

So for example, I got a Facebook messenger alert which included most of a message from my mother in law - I couldn't open it in the app, but I could see the alert.

 

After the cruise, I got the bill in, so I can say that it didn't cost a penny. So before you go on a cruise, turn all your alerts on and you'll get them while at sea even without logging into your internet package on your phone.

[Sizzlechest]

I have a 1 gig Internet perk. I'd like to control when I use it, but I want WiFi on all the time for the iConcierge app. How do you turn off Internet access to the ship?

[jwatford]

We just recently tried the texting on the app and were slightly disappointed. You can text just fine, the problem we found was that the person you send the text to does not know they have a text unless they log into the app and look in the texting part of the app. You do not get any kind of alert telling you that you have a text. You just have to constantly check. In the end we all agreed that it was not worth it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[mking8288]

Just a few words about those standard text alerts, I've been getting those text alert "headers" previously on the Breakaway while @sea, including updates from Tapatalk & even from my Android's email "InBox" - possibly not anymore, it seemed possible that they've managed to block it and/or disabled the server "ports" for those messaging functions. My incoming messages are routed via WiFi on my Nexus 5X and it could be just me - in other words, just don't take it for granted.

 

Whenever I enabled WiFi inTERnet access, whether on the ship or off the ship in Bermuda - everything got updated; and, with tons of pictures uploaded - used about 2GB worth of data in total and it was all free, even the $3 extra charges for international roaming use with the rebate for domestic from Google.

 

Issues & problems with the WiFi calling & text messaging are often a given with the upstream bottleneck (and, sheer # of users on the mega-ship at a given sailing ... crowd congestions) over satellite ... as well as a poorly written set of coding for the App (like the inability to get alerts or review bookings/reservations, maybe intentional on the programmer's part) - hopefully, that can be addressed by the launching of the faster satellite hardware promised for June, 2016 as announced - :D Standing by to watch & wait and see.

 

I have a 1 gig Internet perk. I'd like to control when I use it, but I want WiFi on all the time for the iConcierge app. How do you turn off Internet access to the ship?

Remained signed into your ship's WiFi inTRAnet "open" signal, enabled WiFi on your device & connect - no UID/password needed - and all of the free iConcierge functionality will work ... including calling from ship to land with the App @ 79 cents a minute over WiFi (again, make sure cellular/roaming is OFF)

 

See screen #2 on this post - you launch your mobile/desktop/tablet brower (Chrome, Firefox, etc.) and it should redirect you to register or sign-in. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=50177812&postcount=150

 

First time user, you need to register & activate and select your option - for most casual users uncomfortable, I highly recommend making a quick stop at the ship's Internet Cafe when the staff has "office" hours ... late into the evening, after or before dinner, etc. on Day 1 for help (it'll just take 5 minutes or less)

 

Bookmark the login.com and logout.com site as you use that to sign-in and sign-out after usage to avoid running the meter (whether you are on a MB data plan or minutes plan, due to background data transfer that most leave on "default" settings ... I know what & how to turn MOST of them off and change a few other "tabs" for precision control, too technical to get into here & will be confusing to the average users)

 

If you want to check email, read FB posts or do things like Tapatalk, etc. - sign into the inTERnet portal or part of the ship's WiFi, which has UID/password control associated with your account - and, the usage meter

will update you on how much you've used or remaining MB allowance you have, etc. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=50177907&postcount=151

 

Click on the last uploaded pix link - the red "Meter" is your reminder & displayed each time you sign in /out of your account, and whenever switching devices - only one can be logged in at any given time, register as many as you need/have (we had 5 devices and 3 userid's for our 2 GB of "free" WiFi)

 

Hi-resolution pix take up a lot of bandwidth due to their sizes, trim them to smaller browser sizes and it will upload faster & use less data/minutes doing so.

Edited June 17, 2016 by mking8288

[BirdTravels]

I have a 1 gig Internet perk. I'd like to control when I use it, but I want WiFi on all the time for the iConcierge app. How do you turn off Internet access to the ship?

 

You can be on the ship's wifi all the time to access the iConcierge information. You still need to log on/off the internet which controls your data usage.

[MaineYachtClub]

Remained signed into your ship's WiFi inTRAnet "open" signal, enabled WiFi on your device & connect - no UID/password needed - and all of the free iConcierge functionality will work ... including calling from ship to land with the App @ 79 cents a minute over WiFi (again, make sure cellular/roaming is OFF)

 

It will only be my wife and myself on the Escape and she still uses a flip phone, so we have no need for texting. The ability to check my account, make reservations and see the daily schedule are what I'm interested in. Are these the "free" functionality that you mention?

 

Thanks,

Kevin

[LrgPizza]

We just recently tried the texting on the app and were slightly disappointed. You can text just fine, the problem we found was that the person you send the text to does not know they have a text unless they log into the app and look in the texting part of the app. You do not get any kind of alert telling you that you have a text. You just have to constantly check. In the end we all agreed that it was not worth it.

 

 

I've used it now on four cruises, and all of us always got the notifications, both sounds and pop-ups, on all cruises. It sounds like it's probably an issue with their notification settings, and not the app itself.

[LrgPizza]

It will only be my wife and myself on the Escape and she still uses a flip phone, so we have no need for texting. The ability to check my account, make reservations and see the daily schedule are what I'm interested in. Are these the "free" functionality that you mention?

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

Kevin

 

 

Yes

[mking8288]

It will only be my wife and myself on the Escape and she still uses a flip phone, so we have no need for texting. The ability to check my account, make reservations and see the daily schedule are what I'm interested in. Are these the "free" functionality that you mention?

Kevin, not knowing the specifics of DW's flip (one of those earlier generation Motorola/Nokia non-smartphone phone with the giant dials & small screen ? You cannot download and use the free iConicerge App (software that runs on iOS and Android OS, nothing for Windows or Blackberry devices) to take advantage of the free functionality.

 

The mega-ships including the GA, BA and the newest Escape has stateroom interactive TV, and it will give you free & easy access to the same, identical functions on the bigger screen 24/7 in your cabin. No need to worry about Airplane Mode, WiFi settings and roaming, etc. - the TV's Remote Control is your "friend" to control, scroll back-n-forth, up-and-down and hit the "OK" key to Enter, etc.

 

You can use it to check on specialty dining availability and make reservations onboard (on the BA last month, we tried to but couldn't make MDR reservations, so it's a matter of just walking up or calling Ext. 50 on the house/in-room phone or seeing someone at the reservation desk in the "lobby" atrium area. So, you won't be missing out on the same functionalities.

 

The giant HDTV screens near the elevators are touch-screen enabled and on the BA, you can press the "Start" button to get interactive search help & direct you to the "Tabs" ... it's free & easy. Life is simple when you don't need or carry one of these fancy PDA, better known these days as smartphones :D - with all the fancy bells & whistles.

 

It is, however, a pretty darn good digital camera that also take good videos, LOL.

Edited June 17, 2016 by mking8288

[MaineYachtClub]

Kevin, not knowing the specifics of DW's flip (one of those earlier generation Motorola/Nokia non-smartphone phone with the giant dials & small screen ? You cannot download and use the free iConicerge App (software that runs on iOS and Android OS, nothing for Windows or Blackberry devices) to take advantage of the free functionality.

 

The mega-ships including the GA, BA and the newest Escape has stateroom interactive TV, and it will give you free & easy access to the same, identical functions on the bigger screen 24/7 in your cabin. No need to worry about Airplane Mode, WiFi settings and roaming, etc. - the TV's Remote Control is your "friend" to control, scroll back-n-forth, up-and-down and hit the "OK" key to Enter, etc.

 

You can use it to check on specialty dining availability and make reservations onboard (on the BA last month, we tried to but couldn't make MDR reservations, so it's a matter of just walking up or calling Ext. 50 on the house/in-room phone or seeing someone at the reservation desk in the "lobby" atrium area. So, you won't be missing out on the same functionalities.

 

The giant HDTV screens near the elevators are touch-screen enabled and on the BA, you can press the "Start" button to get interactive search help & direct you to the "Tabs" ... it's free & easy. Life is simple when you don't need or carry one of these fancy PDA, better known these days as smartphones :D - with all the fancy bells & whistles.

 

It is, however, a pretty darn good digital camera that also take good videos, LOL.

 

While DW still subscribes to the Jethro Gibbs theory of modern cell communication :), I have an electronic tether with all the bells and whistles. I only mentioned hers because I knew we would not be able to use iConcierge on her phone for texting and calls.

 

I'll have my smartphone with me anyway, because it is my camera and watch, also. If I can use iConcierge to help decide if I would be interested in one of the upcoming activities or to just roll over on my lounger, that would be great -- as long as I don't have to pay for those features.

 

Great information about the interactive TV. We will certainly be putting those features to use. Thanks!

[mraven]

It will only be my wife and myself on the Escape and she still uses a flip phone, so we have no need for texting. The ability to check my account, make reservations and see the daily schedule are what I'm interested in. Are these the "free" functionality that you mention?

 

Thanks,

Kevin

 

Just a warning about the account information in the app (and on the tv, too). I was on BW last week and while the account total was accurate, the activity screen was embarrassingly buggy. We had random charges for entertainment tickets and specialty dining (we had the grandfathered UDP) show up at least 25 times, but those charges were never present in the total.

 

Two in particular were funny. On the last night, we had Cagneys delivered to our aft balcony. A charge showed up on our bill for 69.82. I asked the Concierge about it and he said it was a room service charge. We also had a 9.68 charge for O'Sheehans from earlier in the week which turned out to be a draft Sam Adams. We had the UBP. He told me draft beer wasn't included. I straightened him out on both of those and he got the charges removed from the total, but the activity page then showed both of those numbers 3 more times as entertainment tickets (and none of them were credits).

 

I first questioned the mystery charges to an assistant. He told me it was the app and printed out our activity. That printout only had the real charges.

Edited June 17, 2016 by mraven

[LrgPizza]

Just a warning about the account information in the app (and on the tv, too). I was on BW last week and while the account total was accurate, the activity screen was embarrassingly buggy. We had random charges for entertainment tickets and specialty dining (we had the grandfathered UDP) show up at least 25 times, but those charges were never present in the total.

 

Two in particular were funny. On the last night, we had Cagneys delivered to our aft balcony. A charge showed up on our bill for 69.82. I asked the Concierge about it and he said it was a room service charge. We also had a 9.68 charge for O'Sheehans from earlier in the week which turned out to be a draft Sam Adams. We had the UBP. He told me draft beer wasn't included. I straightened him out on both of those and he got the charges removed from the total, but the activity page then showed both of those numbers 3 more times as entertainment tickets (and none of them were credits).

 

I first questioned the mystery charges to an assistant. He told me it was the app and printed out our activity. That printout only had the real charges.

 

Every single drink we've ever purchased under UBP shows up on our bill for a bit before being zeroed off. You probably just looked when that happened. The same has happened for meals a couple times, but they've always gone away without us ever having to say or do anything.

 

Regardless, what is or isn't on your bill certainly has nothing to do with iConcierge.

[mraven]

Every single drink we've ever purchased under UBP shows up on our bill for a bit before being zeroed off. You probably just looked when that happened. The same has happened for meals a couple times, but they've always gone away without us ever having to say or do anything.

 

Regardless, what is or isn't on your bill certainly has nothing to do with iConcierge.

 

Definitely did not happen that way with us. Only one drink ever showed up. And it stayed there from Tuesday noon until Saturday evening when I got it removed.

 

Even when our account was settled, the bogus charges remained in the activity tab. It's a bug in the app.

[LrgPizza]

Definitely did not happen that way with us. Only one drink ever showed up. And it stayed there from Tuesday noon until Saturday evening when I got it removed.

 

Even when our account was settled, the bogus charges remained in the activity tab. It's a bug in the app.

If it was merely in the app, then nothing to worry about, because the app isn't your account. Either it was on your actual bill, or it showed up on the app and wasn't on your actual bill. My point is that the app is not the ship's accounting system.

Edited June 17, 2016 by LrgPizza

[gmazz]

Has anyone used the app to call home? I have seen a few threads on the app but not much talk about using the call feature. Hoping to use it to contact my girls back home. I have Verizon all set up for when we reach Bermuda but wanted a backup in case of an emergency.

 

With a 22 and 17 year old back home taking care of the 3 dogs and the house you never know!

[mking8288]

Apps are buggy, it's the nature of programming & the code writers and hence, revisions are done ... iConcierge hasn't been "update" (last i've checked) by NCL. It is far more informative and useful, not 100% accurate - true - but you get a preview/good idea of what's been charged & ballpark figure of your credit card "damages" toward the end of your cruise.

 

It sure beat the heck out of getting that paper statement of itemized charges on the morning of disembarkation and for the lucky ones, joining the herd of dozens down at Guest Services in the altrium lobby to inquire & settle, resolve the discrepancies & ruining the chances for any priority or express self-disembarkation (if previously planned)

 

We had a few funny charges on it but they're zeroed out and or reversed on the following day (and, our friend's CruiseNext charges/credits).

 

It doesn't allow review of dining & show reservations already booked nor do reminders or alerts, well known to some of us for a while and I've written comments to NCL via the post-cruise eSurveys, 3X in 3 years - been smashing the brick walls and/or round filed. It is what is is and rather have that limited functionality than not ... without comparing what other lines are doing or offering, apples vs. organges vs. grapes. :eek:

 

Meanwhile, my Nexus (Androids 6.0.1) remained calm & offline with NCL's WiFi but iPhone 5S (9.3.x) somehow got "connected" to ship's WiFi again earlier this week, again - of course, when I click on it - couldn't find our "stateroom" and account info, etc. :D ... it's well establish facts that WiFi signal has a range of about 100 meters or 300+ ft. usually - the BA is quite a few dozens ++++ nautical miles away. :p Might be some sort of reflected HF signal ?? as I am doubtuful that it can do that, not even with my 70cm/2m HT radio on hi-power & hi-gain antenna hitting the repeaters and it's way-out-of-

band.

 

Has anyone used the app to call home? I have seen a few threads on the app but not much talk about using the call feature. Hoping to use it to contact my girls back home. I have Verizon all set up for when we reach Bermuda but wanted a backup in case of an emergency.

It's hit-n-miss, even on the BA lately ... maybe it will improve with the "expected" upgrade to even faster satellite signals promised this month ("fingers-crossed). Our friends used it call home to talk next month, he can hear his "kids" but they can't hear him or at least, they claimed that it was "choppy" & breaking off, not a case of 5 by 5 or even 4 by 4, maybe 2 by 2 or 3 by 3 ... but, it could also be "kids" not wanting to be "bothered" by their parents. Calling home at 79 cents a minute, it's reasonably cheap - over WiFi or VoIP with the APP, inbound calls are a lot more expensive as I'm sure you've researched it already.

 

Do let us know if you are the pioneer for the "newest" internet. Happy BDA with the single digit countdown for this weekend !

Edited June 17, 2016 by mking8288

[LrgPizza]

Has anyone used the app to call home? I have seen a few threads on the app but not much talk about using the call feature. Hoping to use it to contact my girls back home. I have Verizon all set up for when we reach Bermuda but wanted a backup in case of an emergency.

 

With a 22 and 17 year old back home taking care of the 3 dogs and the house you never know!

 

Yes, we have in an emergency. I wouldn't use it for any other reason. It's a really, really bad connection. The family member we were calling hung up on us 3 times after saying, "Hello? Hello? Hello?!" before we finally were able to get him to hear us the 4th time. Also keep in mind that it's not your phone number that shows up on the recipient's end - it will be an unknown number to them.

 

(Our phones were alerting us that our smoke alarms in our house were going off, hence the reason for the call. Thankfully it was just a false alarm.)

Edited June 17, 2016 by LrgPizza

[gmazz]

Yes, we have in an emergency. I wouldn't use it for any other reason. It's a really, really bad connection. The family member we were calling hung up on us 3 times after saying, "Hello? Hello? Hello?!" before we finally were able to get him to hear us the 4th time. Also keep in mind that it's not your phone number that shows up on the recipient's end - it will be an unknown number to them.

 

(Our phones were alerting us that our smoke alarms in our house were going off, hence the reason for the call. Thankfully it was just a false alarm.)

 

Thanks LrgPizza for the info. I will be downloading the app before we board on Sunday and will text my girls the phone number before we sail away.

[Jasalth]

IMO the thing I regretted spending money on the most for the ship was the iConcierge app.

 

Oddly enough it worked fine between my DH's and I's phones. Never had an issue with it. It did NOT work well where we needed it to though, which was Entourage the teen club. My son would get messages intermittently if at all in there. The phone part of the free app wouldn't work there either, it just kept saying searching for member until it went to voice mail. No he never closed the app, he never closes apps! His phone is actually a newer model iPhone than my DH who uses a 5, I use a 6s and my DS has my old 6.

 

What annoyed me the most about the app TBH is that you couldn't actually see any reservations you make. Or that you can't set up alerts or something for daily activates. Or that it doesn't have accurate dining times for the day.... okay a LOT of things made me not happy with the app!

 

Sure I would get the free app again if we do get back on an NCL ship. Would I pay the $10-12 per phone for it? Never again!

[stickey_mouse]

Does anybody know if the App allows for a large group chat? In other words, can all members of a group be in the same text string?

[mking8288]

Short answer, nope. Perhaps, a "maybe". Group Chat mode isn't a promoted feature of its funtions. App (Android Ver 3.0.20) has not been updated since 2015 and overdue for a # of fixes. OTOH, device registration fees has risen from $7.99 to as $9.99, $12.99 or $14.99 per device, as a requirement for simple onboard text messaging.

 

 

The App does not function (nor designed to) once disconnected from the ship's own inTRAnet network.

 

But, feel free to pay first and give it a try. I should also note that the iOS version is more "buggy" and continued to connect & disconnect to the ship's WiFi network, long after we disembarked ... in Airplane Mode (which I attribute to its "tracking" functions) & possibly flagged as a mobile security risk. Good luck & please report back to share your outcomes.

Edited July 7, 2016 by mking8288

[VideoTech]

Anyone use the NCL app to communicate while onboard? We are traveling with a large group in July and are curious about using the app to text each other. How much is it? How reliable is it? We don't really want to buy wifi, just to be able to communicate onboard to find each other when we need to. Thanks!

 

We just got off the Escape, and were not highly impressed with the iConcierge app. It seems to be very good at one thing: delivering sales pitch text messages. Other than that, it was very iffy and mostly useless.

 

Specifically: It seems to work better on some phones than on others. My DW has a new Samsung Galaxy 5 and the app would run on her phone regardless of whether or not the cell service was on or off (airplane mode). My phone is a Nexus 7, pure Google Android, latest Android version, and the app refused to connect unless I turned off my cell service.

 

Other issues: The first night I sent several text messages to my DW and tried to call her several times. None of the text messages were delivered until mysteriously, they showed up the next day. None of the phone calls went through, and none of the voice mails I left were delivered until, again, the next day, when everything showed up on her phone at once.

 

Then randomly throughout the cruise, the app would loose connection and the only way to get it to reconnect was to disconnect from NCL wifi, kill the app, reconnect to wifi and restart the app. This applied to both phones. I think it actually only worked as advertised a few times, and we only ever managed to make one phone call to each other during the whole cruise. Basically, we were never sure if it was working or not, which made it worthless.

 

Interestingly, I asked a couple of other people who I saw using the app what their experience with it was, and they all replied "Terrible." One person even said they'd gone and complained and had the charge refunded.

 

Basically, I'd say NCL needs to start over on this one.

Edited July 7, 2016 by VideoTech