"You are required to download the mobile app prior to sailing"

[fshagan]

Background: We usually cruise NCL, Princess and Disney. But on our last Princess cruise, the required Princess app was so bad that we will not sail them again. It is that bad. (I may be more sensitive than most due to my work in a software company as a product manager).

 

Now I see the notice "You are required to download the mobile app prior to sailing" at the top of my check in page for my December X cruise. Does the app work for Android phones? What have been your experiences with it? Because I absolutely dread having to fight with my phone every day if the app is anything like the Princess app.

 

[agape01]

41 minutes ago, fshagan said:

Background: We usually cruise NCL, Princess and Disney. But on our last Princess cruise, the required Princess app was so bad that we will not sail them again. It is that bad. (I may be more sensitive than most due to my work in a software company as a product manager).

 

Now I see the notice "You are required to download the mobile app prior to sailing" at the top of my check in page for my December X cruise. Does the app work for Android phones? What have been your experiences with it? Because I absolutely dread having to fight with my phone every day if the app is anything like the Princess app.

 

The app works for both Android and iOS.

 

Fire online check-in, I find the celebrity site a little more reliable and certain that my data for check-in is confirmed.

 

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by agape01

[cruisestitch]

“Required” is a pipe dream.  You can happily cruise without it.

[HeddaGarbled]

It works fine. On Beyond, you can use it to turn your cabin lights on and off which I found childishly fun.

[prmssk]

I have cruised Princess along with many of the other lines and I agree with you that Princess's app was that bad (we also had issues with the medallion itself which didn't help things).  Celebrity's app on the other hand has always worked really well for me.  My only issue with it is that menus lately haven't always been completely accurate.  So I wouldn't depend on all the content on it.

 

That said, the app is not mandatory.  You can completely get by without it.

[dazey]

We do have the app on our cell phone and use it the day(or day before) the cruise while in Ft. Lauderdale to do health checkup.  Very easy.  However, one time I could not do it and we were just questioned about health when we arrived at the ship.

 

We do not use our cell while sailing(except maybe for pictures if I ever remember to bring it with me) and it is not a problem for us or does not seem like a problem for Celebrity.

 

I thought during the Covid years it was going to be that we had to view the menu on our cell but a paper menu was always offered.  Thank goodness.

 

 

[deliver42]

My phone goes in the safe. No problem.

[markeb]

The app is fine, at least on iOS. It does run on Android phones, but not Android tablets apparently.

 

I suspect the note is more akin to the airline telling you to download their app before boarding because you can't download it on their Wi-Fi in flight. I've never tried to download an app on the ship's Wi-Fi; I'd think you could reach your app store, but I don't know.

 

If you're going to carry your phone for its camera, but app will give you some functionality on the ship. I've had a package when traveling with, but I believe you can use it without paid Wi-Fi and it includes a limited native messaging capability. 

[love to cruz]

We have very few problems with the Princess app, and prefer Princess over all as our cruise line.

[Jeremiah1212]

Online check-in and check-in at the pier on the app with the Express Pass loaded into your mobile wallet could not be any easier. 

[spearmint]

For those of us with no cell phone, it was disconcerting to say the least to read the instruction that you mention. Nowhere on the Celebrity page is there another option to using the app.  Finally, I called Celebrity and found out the following for completing check-in online.

 

Scroll down and find your name.

Click on your name (who knew?) and then you can "continue" from there.

Skip the part requiring your photo. (From these boards I found out that you can do that at the pier. The same is true of the health form.)

You can print your boarding pass and you are set to go.

 

Even with the two calls to Celebrity for two different pieces of information, it was still easier to get even more information from the guys and gals on these boards, including the fact that we no longer get our Seapass at the pier!  Yay, CC'ers!

Bill

 

[HSBC]

39 minutes ago, spearmint said:

For those of us with no cell phone, it was disconcerting to say the least to read the instruction that you mention. Nowhere on the Celebrity page is there another option to using the app.  Finally, I called Celebrity and found out the following for completing check-in online.

 

Scroll down and find your name.

Click on your name (who knew?) and then you can "continue" from there.

Skip the part requiring your photo. (From these boards I found out that you can do that at the pier. The same is true of the health form.)

You can print your boarding pass and you are set to go.

 

Even with the two calls to Celebrity for two different pieces of information, it was still easier to get even more information from the guys and gals on these boards, including the fact that we no longer get our Seapass at the pier!  Yay, CC'ers!

Bill

 

spearmint,

You mentioned that no Seapass at the pier.  After boarding the ship, how can we open our cabin door, order drink or buy things at the ship?  

Thanks!

[lostchild]

3 minutes ago, HSBC said:

spearmint,

You mentioned that no Seapass at the pier.  After boarding the ship, how can we open our cabin door, order drink or buy things at the ship?  

Thanks!

Last time we board, the seapasses were outside our cabin under the room number where they put your reminders for specialty restaurants.

[DaKahuna]

3 minutes ago, HSBC said:

spearmint,

You mentioned that no Seapass at the pier.  After boarding the ship, how can we open our cabin door, order drink or buy things at the ship?  

Thanks!

 

When you board the ship and proceed directly to your cabin.  Your Seapass card with be in a sealed envelope on the room number sign on your door. 

[jelayne]

5 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

When you board the ship and proceed directly to your cabin.  Your Seapass card with be in a sealed envelope on the room number sign on your door. 

And you can drop off any items you carried on and put valuable’s in the safe.  They ask that you not stay in the cabin until that announcement that cabins are ready.  
 

 

[DaKahuna]

 The one thing that having the app really does help with for us is to watch the mandatory safety video prior to going to your muster station.  If you do not watch it on a laptop the morning before boarding, then you have to watch it on the TV in your stateroom before going to your muster station and completing the muster drill.  

 

My DW and I usually sit and watch it on my laptop or tablet in the hotel before grabbing a ride to the terminal.  On our last cruise we went to our muster stations immediately upon boarding, even before going to our rooms to drop off our carry on luggage. 

 

[hcat]

2 hours ago, deliver42 said:

My phone goes in the safe. No problem.

yup.. our android tablet and husb's  phone  are too old for the app..never bothered with it on my phone.  Not needed on board.. except to take a few photos.

 

We are able to get our cruise docs ,  luggage tags, and can easily do  the check in from our home computer.  X rep takes the photo at the pier check in..Many of those who upload have to re do anyhow

 

Much of the info about menus and activities is  not up date..not  overly reliable from what we have heard.  The daily gives a full schedule and list of the  hours for  bars, dining  and spa etc.

App not needed for drink.oders  opening your cabin door etc.

 

Some enjoy the app and tech but NOT REQUIRED to enjoy Celebrity.

[dazey]

If you do not want to do the "app" thing, you can easily watch the muster video(takes a couple of minutes at most) when you go to your cabin and drop off your luggage and then continue to muster station and to lunch.  Celebrity makes it easy to meet this requirements either way.

[hcat]

14 minutes ago, dazey said:

If you do not want to do the "app" thing, you can easily watch the muster video(takes a couple of minutes at most) when you go to your cabin and drop off your luggage and then continue to muster station and to lunch.  Celebrity makes it easy to meet this requirements either way.

thats what we do.. easy!

[Jim_Iain]

Not required but recommended.     Many do not have smart phones and or no phone and enjoy themselves equally as those with an App.    I'm a techno Nerd from Silicon Valley so I'm always connected.

[mauimary]

7 hours ago, HeddaGarbled said:

It works fine. On Beyond, you can use it to turn your cabin lights on and off which I found childishly fun.

Fun  So does this mean you have to use your valuable internet time for those of us who have limited internet?  

[NutsAboutGolf]

1 hour ago, jelayne said:

And you can drop off any items you carried on and put valuable’s in the safe.  They ask that you not stay in the cabin until that announcement that cabins are ready.  
 

 

 

Who exactly has said this and in your experience, you've heard this on ALL your sailing?  Guessing the terminal check in person?  Checked with Ms. Nuts, and we can't recall ever hearing this and most of the time, they occasionally don't tell us anything about the keycard

Edited October 26, 2023 by NutsAboutGolf

[Jeremiah1212]

11 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

Who exactly has said this and in your experience, you've heard this on ALL your sailing?  Guessing the terminal check in person?  Checked with Ms. Nuts, and we can't recall ever hearing this and most of the time, they occasionally they don't tell us anything about the keycard

 

Some ships use a sign on the cabin door that says something like drop your bags then go enjoy the ship. I'd say we're 50/50 with cabins being ready whenever we board, even if it's early. 

[CNSfromHI]

We use the Celebrity app on our iPhones and highly recommend it. Some of the features, such as the room-key and stateroom controls, are putzy and I don't use them, but it's made the check-in process a breeze on our last two cruises.

 

As some have noted, you're not required to upload your photo, watch the safety video, listen to the warning sound, etc., in advance, but if you can get that stuff out of the way beforehand, I recommend doing it. You'll just be that much closer to sliding into "cruise mode."

 

Also, I find the deck maps handy if you're unfamiliar with a ship, and the app makes it easy to find restaurant/bar hours, menus, etc.

 

In the past year or so, Celebrity has put more effort into the app and introduced some nice enhancements. We'll definitely be using it again next May.

 

Hope this helps,

 

cjr

[lostchild]

The app is nice for onboard communication when you met new friends.   Not everyone got WiFi and the app messaging app works for everyone.