Best way to communicate with family onboard

[Marthasor]

Hi everyone! We have an upcoming cruise and my DS14 would like to try out the tween/teen clubs. On previous cruises, we were always all together or DS would be in the younger kids' club without check-out privileges, so we never really needed to call or text each other onboard. I am technically challenged! We all have iPhones and AT&T - can we just text each other onboard? Do we turn on international calling, buy an onboard wifi package? I just want to make sure he can text or call me when he leaves the club so he knows where to meet us. Thank you for any info and advice!

 

[Kwami]

Since you all have iPhones, you can use iMessage to communicate with each other freely.

But, there's no need to do so. You can also text each other through the DCL app. That's also free and doesn't leave the ship's network. The only downside here is that you'll lose those texts when your cruise ends.

 

[Marc D]

You do not need to turn on your cell service or buy the onboard wifi package. Just connect to the ship’s wifi network and use iMessage. The service is free to text onboard and to other iMessage devices on land. You can only send text. Pictures and other multimedia items will not be sent.

 

[dishee]

Since you all have iPhones, you can use iMessage to communicate with each other freely.

But, there's no need to do so. You can also text each other through the DCL app. That's also free and doesn't leave the ship's network. The only downside here is that you'll lose those texts when your cruise ends.

Is there a setting on iPhones so that it’ll vibrate/ring/ding for incoming messages on the DCL app? Last time I’m pretty sure I had notifications on but I wasn’t getting any. After I had missed a couple, I had to constantly check. What a pain!

 

[Marc D]

Is there a setting on iPhones so that it’ll vibrate/ring/ding for incoming messages on the DCL app? Last time I’m pretty sure I had notifications on but I wasn’t getting any. After I had missed a couple, I had to constantly check. What a pain!

You need to enable both background refresh and notifications. Even then, unlike iMessages, the messages from the app are rarely shown instantly and they often do not show up in notifications at all.

 

[squirk]

The problem with messaging through the DCL app - at least, in the past - was that you had to have the app "surfaced" in order to receive notifications of incoming messages. So, if you were, like, reading the Kindle app or playing a game on your phone, you wouldn't know anyone was trying to message you.

There was also the problem of messages being seriously delayed in delivery.

I found both of those problems really diminished the usefulness of the app as a messaging platform.

My issue with using iMessage is that I do not want to get texts from anybody shoreside while on my cruise - nothing asking for political donations, nothing about an upcoming doctor's appointment, etc. I know iOS 15 has those new Focus modes, but I haven't had a chance to mess with them yet. I hope they can be tweaked to give me what I want.

 

[KVH]

For those of us who were smart enough to buy Android instead, is there and equivalent RCS-based app that will utilize the local network?

 

[Kwami]

For those of us who were smart enough to buy Android instead, is there and equivalent RCS-based app that will utilize the local network?

Sadly, no. I really wish that they'd enable Google's app to work.

 

[Rob1872]

The problem with messaging through the DCL app - at least, in the past - was that you had to have the app "surfaced" in order to receive notifications of incoming messages. So, if you were, like, reading the Kindle app or playing a game on your phone, you wouldn't know anyone was trying to message you.

That happened to us; I was trying to get my 17 year old to meet us earlier than planned, and he didn't realize he had a message because the DCL app wasn't open at the time.

 

[JWelch62]

For those of us who were smart enough to buy Android instead, is there and equivalent RCS-based app that will utilize the local network?

You can use WhatsAPP on Wifi. But it will use data on the DCL plan. Make sure to disable multimedia downloads.

I've also found that the Google Messages app will use WIFi. I've sent and received text messages in the google app while on board.

 

[Marthasor]

Since you all have iPhones, you can use iMessage to communicate with each other freely.

But, there's no need to do so. You can also text each other through the DCL app. That's also free and doesn't leave the ship's network. The only downside here is that you'll lose those texts when your cruise ends.

That's great, thank you! I think we will just use iMessage - I seem to recall having issues with the DCL app the last time we sailed - it was a few years ago, but it sounds like iMessage may be more reliable in terms of getting messages in a more timely manner. Thanks!