Please help with On board communicating with others

[bcirish]

Our family of 4 want to be in contact while on fantasy.suggestions? Some said walk ie talkies and someone else said some ships have phone program. Have a tween and a teen and a wandering spouse . Thanks

[30scruiser]

The hub app has an option to text other people on the cruise for $5/per person. I think that is easier than walkie talkies

[CruizCuz]

I have found the Hub app to be the most beneficial.  However, I never seem to get notified when someone messages me, despite doing all the correct actions to notifications happen.  But what we do is to check our app whenever we want to change locations and send a simple text.  Often I will see that someone has already messaged me.  It does work, but there simply isn't a perfect system that works as well as when you are on shore.

[Tyhunt]

Use the Hub app works great. 5$ pp per cruise.  download the app at home then activate it onboard  and your good to go. unlimited texts to your friends and family on the ship.   Phones are in airplane mode so no surprises from the kids:)

[K&RCurt]

We cruised with a group of 8 and the hub app worked great at coordinating dinners and activities.  The $5.00 was well worth it.  Walkie Talkies really don't work well on the ships anyway.

[teknoge3k]

+1 for the Hub app. 

[mackenzie80]

I would suggest the Hub App.  Much easier to use, just make sure it stays open or notifications won't  come through.  $5.00 per person.  Walkie Talkies don't work super well on the ship, and it is so loud many times may not hear them.

[skrufy]

For $5.00 a person the hub app is the way to go.

[dmdiver]

I like the hub app messaging.  We have walkie talkies, but if you're in a crowded, noisy area, you may not hear it - that was our experience.  Now, we just use them in port if we are doing different activities.  At least with the app, you can check for messages.  I did notice that some messages were delayed, while others came immediately.  Also, the app lets you keep track of your spending account.  You can also view your pics on it & purchase them for download.  Not sure if all ships have the photo feature or not, but Magic had it back in May.

[ProgRockCruiser]

The Hub app is indeed the best solution - not ideal, as other have noted, but the best available, since ships are full of metal, so walkie-talkies don't work well when on different decks or sections (Faraday cage, anyone). That metal also inhibits the phone/wifi connection too, but the wifi system has antennas "everywhere" (at least in the public spaces - it is in the cabins where things don't get through, I suspect, because there isn't a wifi connection point in each cabin, probably just in each section of each hallway).  The message apps data eventually "leaks" its way through (doesn't need to be a continuous signal), whereas walkie-talkies just have the transmitter (you/them) and the receiver (them/you), and if you are far apart, well then the signal just might not get through.

[Saint Greg]

 

[FijiFlip]

We definitely like the Hub app and have used it on our last 2 cruises. Because it has a hiccup every once in a while we also got the social media WiFi package on our last cruise on the Vista. We used the text message app on our phones in addition to the hub. We have iPhones and the social media WiFi package runs our text message just fine. Between the 2 , we were able to communicate with everyone in our group with pretty consistent results.

 

Also, if you have anyone in your group with a different cabin/reservation, call carnival and have your reservations linked. That way when you start the hub app to text, the other people in your group will already be available as a contact. Too link a reservation you will need the other cabins reservation number, names of people in the cabin, and their reservation PIN number. Have fun on your cruise!

[teknoge3k]

12 minutes ago, FijiFlip said:

We definitely like the Hub app and have used it on our last 2 cruises. Because it has a hiccup every once in a while we also got the social media WiFi package on our last cruise on the Vista. We used the text message app on our phones in addition to the hub. We have iPhones and the social media WiFi package runs our text message just fine. Between the 2 , we were able to communicate with everyone in our group with pretty consistent results.

 

Also, if you have anyone in your group with a different cabin/reservation, call carnival and have your reservations linked. That way when you start the hub app to text, the other people in your group will already be available as a contact. Too link a reservation you will need the other cabins reservation number, names of people in the cabin, and their reservation PIN number. Have fun on your cruise!

 

Just to add, you don't need to have any reservations linked to chat with people. All you have to do is simply search for their names and add them to your chat. We've done it multiple times when cruising with friends. 

[FijiFlip]

6 minutes ago, teknoge3k said:

 

Just to add, you don't need to have any reservations linked to chat with people. All you have to do is simply search for their names and add them to your chat. We've done it multiple times when cruising with friends. 

Yes, that is correct. We link the reservations so we can have linked dinner reservations for the same table. Having everyone in your group already linked as a contact on the HUB app is just an added bonus. 😎

[Sauer-kraut]

Sticky notes are good.   I, for one, don't care to walk around with a mobile telephone with me all day on a cruise.   Also, you can figure out where people are if you let them know what activities you are interested in listed in the Fun Times.

[dmdiver]

When we first started cruising, we didn't carry our phones around - they stayed locked in the safe.  However, the phones that a lot of people use these days are also used for taking pics.  Then, the app is an added bonus to keep up with your onboard account & the daily activities.  I especially like being able to download the pics we have had made on board the ship.  For lots of people, carrying their phone is easier than carrying a camera and the funtimes as well as only checking their account at a kiosk or their cabin.

[Eahiser]

So the Hub app works in airplane mode?  I want to be able to communicate with my kids (ages 14 & 12), but don't want a huge cell phone bill.  

[teknoge3k]

2 minutes ago, Eahiser said:

So the Hub app works in airplane mode?  I want to be able to communicate with my kids (ages 14 & 12), but don't want a huge cell phone bill.  

 

 

Yes. You put your phone in airplane mode, then turn wifi on and connect to The Hub app. Be sure to download it before you set sail.

[serene56]

the ship may sound huge but your family will be either on the sun deck playing golf  or Lido deck pool or eating at the buffet 

 

the other decks are cabin space.   With the free hub you can all mark where you will be at any given hour marking your stuff as favorites.

 

Cabin telephones are equipped to get voice mail-- leave a message using a public house phone located at any elevators

[obx_fintoo]

On 10/24/2018 at 5:42 PM, Sauer-kraut said:

Sticky notes are good.   I, for one, don't care to walk around with a mobile telephone with me all day on a cruise.   Also, you can figure out where people are if you let them know what activities you are interested in listed in the Fun Times.

The OP has kids to keep track of.  In that scenario, the Hub texting app comes in very handy.   When we cruise with my daughter, she and I both carry our phones in a wristlet everywhere.  When it's just hubby and me, I don't take my phone unless I need it for pictures.