T-Mobile USA WiFi Calling on HAL

[bchandler02]

Has anyone recently tried using T-Mobile Wi-Fi calling while onboard HAL? If so, which phone, ship, and which internet plan did you have and what were the results? 

 

On my last Carnival cruise pre-covid, I did not expect it to work, but was surprised when it did. I kept the phone in airplane mode but with Wi-Fi on and was able to make and receive calls just as if I was on land in the USA. Trying to figure out what to expect on HAL. 

[richwmn]

On Zuiderdam with premium package I have completed several wifi calls, including two today without any problems.

 

[81Zoomie]

What’s App works as well.  We spoke to our son who is in Germany from the Nieuw Amsterdam in the Caribbean yesterday.

[terrydtx]

Last year on the Oosterdam in the Mediterranean our ATT Wi-Fi calling worked fine, but we had upgraded to the premium Wi-Fi as the standard service would not allow us to Wi-Fi call, It worked great for outgoing calls but incoming calling was spotty at best. Because of Covid issues and post cruise quarantine in Venice, I spent a lot of time talking with our TA for the last 5 days of our cruise with Wi-Fi calling.

[VMax1700]

I think we need to be a bit careful here, as 'Wifi' calling is not 'Free'.   Instead of using the cellular network, it uses the internet to make a connection to your own network and makes the call through that network.  So, if you have an unlimited call bundle, then yes it will be a free call.  But if you are at Sea and call a number based in Spain, then the call will, in theory, be chargeable, unless you have an International Call package.

I have been told that the best way to think about it is to compare to a Skype call.  Skype to Skype over data is free, but if you make a call to a landbased number, then it is chargeable.

 

I will be honest and say that I had always considered Wifi calls as 'free' mostly because I have never been charged for them.  But reading up on how it works I can now see that my mobile bundle of data, calls and international calls, covered all the options that I needed and that is the only reason that I was not charged for the wifi calls.

[gregma60]

1 hour ago, VMax1700 said:

I think we need to be a bit careful here, as 'Wifi' calling is not 'Free'.   Instead of using the cellular network, it uses the internet to make a connection to your own network and makes the call through that network.  So, if you have an unlimited call bundle, then yes it will be a free call.  But if you are at Sea and call a number based in Spain, then the call will, in theory, be chargeable, unless you have an International Call package.

I have been told that the best way to think about it is to compare to a Skype call.  Skype to Skype over data is free, but if you make a call to a landbased number, then it is chargeable.

 

I will be honest and say that I had always considered Wifi calls as 'free' mostly because I have never been charged for them.  But reading up on how it works I can now see that my mobile bundle of data, calls and international calls, covered all the options that I needed and that is the only reason that I was not charged for the wifi calls.

Here is a link to the appropriate section on the tmobile site that details these charges:

 

https://www.t-mobile.com/support/coverage/wi-fi-calling-from-t-mobile#secondheading

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, VMax1700 said:

I think we need to be a bit careful here, as 'Wifi' calling is not 'Free'.   Instead of using the cellular network, it uses the internet to make a connection to your own network and makes the call through that network.  So, if you have an unlimited call bundle, then yes it will be a free call.  But if you are at Sea and call a number based in Spain, then the call will, in theory, be chargeable, unless you have an International Call package.

I have been told that the best way to think about it is to compare to a Skype call.  Skype to Skype over data is free, but if you make a call to a landbased number, then it is chargeable.

 

I will be honest and say that I had always considered Wifi calls as 'free' mostly because I have never been charged for them.  But reading up on how it works I can now see that my mobile bundle of data, calls and international calls, covered all the options that I needed and that is the only reason that I was not charged for the wifi calls.

Last year on the Oosterdam at sea in the Mediterranean, I made Wi-Fi calls over the ships Wi-Fi to both Venice and back to the USA and was never charged for any of the calls, with my ATT account.

[Real NHDOC]

Wifi calling with T-Mobile works on both Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam. 

[M&L-Colorado]

Have any who have T-Mobile or other done wi-fi calling with the surf internet package?

[bchandler02]

37 minutes ago, M&L-Colorado said:

Have any who have T-Mobile or other done wi-fi calling with the surf internet package?

Wondering the same as that's what I will have in a few weeks due to HIA. 

[VMax1700]

 

3 hours ago, M&L-Colorado said:

Have any who have T-Mobile or other done wi-fi calling with the surf internet package?

 

3 hours ago, bchandler02 said:

Wondering the same as that's what I will have in a few weeks due to HIA. 

 

It has only worked for me (on recent cruises) with the top Premium level.  Pre- shutdown it worked on the Surf package.

Not a T-mobile customer, but it is not carrier dependant, but HAL settings dependant.

[M&L-Colorado]

Thanks VMax1700 for that info.

 

Since I already have the surf plan with HIA I may just do whatever voice calls I need with short, cheap (25cents/minutes) calls when in the Caribbean ports since my T-Mobile plan covers that or possibly with land based wifi at a restaurant or bar.

 

Do you know if wifi texting works with the surf plan on the ship?

[VMax1700]

7 hours ago, M&L-Colorado said:

Do you know if wifi texting works with the surf plan on the ship?

Others have reported success with sending SMS/text messages via wifi, but it does not work with my carrier, even on the Premium level.  I mostly use 'WhatsApp' to make contact via messaging (and also for voice if bandwidth permits a reliable connection).