Question about the WiFi onboard

[NYIceQueen]

Hi - so I know you can buy certain packages for emails, etc...but in looking at the App for DCL, it seems like the basic wifi is free to access on the ships.

So here's the question. A good number of smartphones have a feature called Wifi calling. As long as there is service in the area, you can use the wifi to make/receive phone calls via wifi and, therefore, not incur a ton of fees. This is what we use with Tmobile whenever my husband goes overseas on business.

Has anyone tried this? Is there a charge for even the base wifi?

TIA

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Hi - so I know you can buy certain packages for emails, etc...but in looking at the App for DCL, it seems like the basic wifi is free to access on the ships.

So here's the question. A good number of smartphones have a feature called Wifi calling. As long as there is service in the area, you can use the wifi to make/receive phone calls via wifi and, therefore, not incur a ton of fees. This is what we use with Tmobile whenever my husband goes overseas on business.

Has anyone tried this? Is there a charge for even the base wifi?

TIA

The DCL app is the only thing that will work without paying for wifi access. In order to do anything else, you will need to pay for a wifi package, which is priced by the amount of data you use.

I believe a package for 1GB of data is $89.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Hi - so I know you can buy certain packages for emails, etc...but in looking at the App for DCL, it seems like the basic wifi is free to access on the ships.

So here's the question. A good number of smartphones have a feature called Wifi calling. As long as there is service in the area, you can use the wifi to make/receive phone calls via wifi and, therefore, not incur a ton of fees. This is what we use with Tmobile whenever my husband goes overseas on business.

Has anyone tried this? Is there a charge for even the base wifi?

TIA

When I was in Europe on the Magic I did have Wifi packages for the ship, but I used my WiFi settings to bounce off free internet in the ports, I was on my verandah and deselected DCL and selected the free port Wifi and used the services you mention, however if it dropped it bounced back to DCL.

 

[NYIceQueen]

When I was in Europe on the Magic I did have Wifi packages for the ship, but I used my WiFi settings to bounce off free internet in the ports, I was on my verandah and deselected DCL and selected the free port Wifi and used the services you mention, however if it dropped it bounced back to DCL.

Something like that would work for us - frankly it's to check in with the folks. We are all agreeing to leave work for the week...but both his parents are in poor health and my dad and grandmother aren't in great shape either, so it would be nice to have a quick "everything's okay how about you guys" moment.

I know Tmobile has a Mexican telecom partner per their site...I've emailed them about the details of coverage in Jamaica/Grand Cayman/CC. Hopefully it'll just be cheaper to go through Tmobile - that's a lot of money for 1 gb


EDIT: Just got back from them the following: Depending on your plan (mine has this) there's unlimited international data coverage at no charge from certain countries. For the W. Car. route, Mexico, Cayman, Jamaica are included. (Surprised not to see Bahamas there, but oh well). So basically, if I have a carrier signal I can use my data plan to email my family

I love Tmobile

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Yes you have to check what network you are getting on your smartphone deselect DCL and select the local one, but the phones can go back if the signal your using drops.

 

[xlxo]

@NYIceQueen... To clarify... What is the make and model of your phone? Phones might have options/settings to control which carrier to handle voice/data to control roaming charges.

For myself... I just paid for one of the data packages and then just used economical emails to touchbase with home.

 

[hardis5]

Our November cruise we never could get the DCL app to work properly on the Dream but did buy the 300 meg package for internet access (and as a PP mentions, the free WiFi is only for the Navigator app itself that you can also use with your phone to replace the rooms wave phone).

We only ended up using about 25 meg a day in light surfing, email checking and VOIP calls home using the client within Androids Hangouts with the calls being "free" outside of internet access, sounding fine and clear with no shutter at all (we were surprised).

 

[NYIceQueen]

@NYIceQueen... To clarify... What is the make and model of your phone? Phones might have options/settings to control which carrier to handle voice/data to control roaming charges.

For myself... I just paid for one of the data packages and then just used economical emails to touchbase with home.

I have a Note 4. Husband has a Note 3, and he's used that overseas. It does have a setting on the Wifi section where you can select (or deselect) automatically signing on to the nearest available network. This makes you have to do it by hand. There is also a setting to turn off all automatic updates. This way you can sync when you're ready to receive any emails.

Sometimes he's there for a week or so, and we learned about the automatic data/roaming the hard way (before this program) when he came back to a $500+ phone bill

Incidentally, I have had an S3 and S4 and all have had those features.

I guess I'm just so "extra'd" out that if I can find a way to save a buck or two and still function I'm all over it.