Cruise Talk & Text Packages

[Dizzydizney]

We will be on the WBTA next month. Normally I would not worry about being able to contact family while on a cruise, but since this is a ten night cruise, I may get the package from my carrier, AT&T. It's $50, plus tax, for unlimited texting and 50 minutes of call time. If you have used this service, could you share your experience? I realize it has to somehow be reliant on the DCL service. I also realize I can sign up for the "free" small package of internet service once on board (which I'll use also). Does the service via AT&T actually work while at sea?

Also, I've seen something about imessage on some of the ships. This is only for communicating with family/friends that are on board with you, correct? It doesn't work for communicating with family/friends back in the US, correct?

Thanks in advance.

 

[MouseinMelbourne]

The free Internet that they give you is worthless. Don’t even bother considering that as an option. iMessage is to communicate with anyone with iMessage. Whether they’re on the ship or not. It was wonderful to be able to text my adult daughter who was caring for our house while we were onboard last month. I have AT&T also but I didn’t even bother since we had the iMessage option. It worked perfectly.

 

[ghtx]

The free Internet that they give you is worthless. Don’t even bother considering that as an option. iMessage is to communicate with anyone with iMessage. Whether they’re on the ship or not. It was wonderful to be able to text my adult daughter who was caring for our house while we were onboard last month. I have AT&T also but I didn’t even bother since we had the iMessage option. It worked perfectly.

On my last cruise I used only the free internet, and it worked just fine. We basically had to just check email a couple of times. If that's all you need then it's fine. (Or at least it was for us 2 years ago )

 

[Dizzydizney]

We did utilize the "free" internet on our last cruise, on Fantasy. Same thing just needed to check e-mails, as we were having family issues going on back home. We also used a "free" internet cafe on St. Thomas (it was covered under our regular plan as it is part of the US). Will have to check and see if Nova Scotia is on our plan too.

I will check into the imessage thing.....thank you for that. Either way, AT&T or imessage, it all depends on whether or not DCL's service is working.

Thank you both for the info.

 

[MouseinMelbourne]

On my last cruise I used only the free internet, and it worked just fine. We basically had to just check email a couple of times. If that's all you need then it's fine. (Or at least it was for us 2 years ago )

When I boarded the Fantasy last month I had copied a blog post with instructions on how to lock down your phone so that you would not waste Internet service on Disney Cruise. I followed every single instruction. When I logged in for the first time to the free Internet, we were playing bingo. In less than 90 minutes the free 50 MB were eaten up. I never touch the phone, it just sat on the table.

I took my phone to the desk for Internet help, I forget what it’s called. I had him look at every setting I did and try and figure out what went wrong. It took him quite awhile but he finally realized that my iPhoto‘s were trying to sync to the cloud. So all 50 MB were gone. “

We had a discussion about it because I’m coming back in December and didn’t want it to happen again. Now, this is the guy who runs and sells the Internet packages on the Fantasy. He told me don’t bother - especially since I’m bringing a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old. He said that what DCL gives you is negligible and if you buy another package you can eat it up super fast and end up paying a bunch of money if you don’t realize what you’re doing. Kids and teens just click for more access. He told me a story about one family who had the worst bill he’d ever seen - $5000. So I said to him, “Basically what you’re telling me is to turn around and run the other way? Just stick with iMessage for texting my daughter at home?” He said, “Exactly.”

 

[mmmears]

I used this same service from AT&T last summer on the Norway/Iceland/Scotland cruise and, yes, it did work. I needed to check up on family and the 50 mins was perfect for that. It also worked on those days at sea in the North Sea, so I would hope it would work for the WBTA. I hope you have a great cruise!

 

[MomOTwins]

I took my phone to the desk for Internet help, I forget what it’s called. I had him look at every setting I did and try and figure out what went wrong. It took him quite awhile but he finally realized that my iPhoto‘s were trying to sync to the cloud. So all 50 MB were gone.

I would just like to point out that the instructions they give you do clearly state you need to turn off icloud syncing for photos. The other and most important thing to do is that you need to log out of the internet when you are not using it--if you leave it on the table with the internet running as you mentioned, it is going to keep using internet. When you follow all of the instructions correctly, and log out when not in use, the free internet lasts a good long time. I used it to check work email and send whatsapp messages to my family at home including sending photos and I still had free internet left at the end of the cruise.

 

[lilsonicfan]

I used the free 50mb package on my 13 night transatlantic cruise and it lasted 9 days. The only reason it didn’t last longer was because I uploaded a pic or two to FB at the end (I had a European SIM card for when we reached ports). I was able to check emails and send whatsapp messages and briefly even checked Instagram.

 

[Larry]

I take it you are not in concierge. We are Gold members and we went full and total splerge on our last cruise and got the Walter E Disney Suite...AWESOME. It came with unlimited wifi. Not sure if it is that way in all of concierge or not, our first and probably last time too.

 

[MouseinMelbourne]

I would just like to point out that the instructions they give you do clearly state you need to turn off icloud syncing for photos. The other and most important thing to do is that you need to log out of the internet when you are not using it--if you leave it on the table with the internet running as you mentioned, it is going to keep using internet. When you follow all of the instructions correctly, and log out when not in use, the free internet lasts a good long time. I used it to check work email and send whatsapp messages to my family at home including sending photos and I still had free internet left at the end of the cruise.

I would like to point out that I was sharing my personal experience and the response from the DCL internet rep. Glad everything was perfect for you. Have a magical day!

 

[MomOTwins]

I would like to point out that I was sharing my personal experience and the response from the DCL internet rep. Glad everything was perfect for you. Have a magical day!

You said you followed all the instructions on the form, which was not accurate, and I did not want people to be confused that if they follow the instructions their data will be used up quickly.

 

[katellynne]

I just went on the 11 day Southern Caribbean and I don't recommend the at&t cruise talk and text unless imessage won't work for you to reach the people you need to-its anyone with imessage no matter how near or far! If you do need to call/text other than imessage then the $50 one is fine. But don't waste your money on the $100 option with data. I know that sea days are different, but what I recommend for ports is the International Day Pass. We used that in Northern Europe and the Southern Caribbean. You pay a one time $10 per 24 hour period for unlimited talk/text/data (if that is the service you currently have not sure if you don't have unlimited you might be restricted to what your plan is). So $10 per port for full access to your phone is pretty reasonable. It worked far better in port than the cruise talk and text plan did on board.
as for the internet package I followed all the instructions and had a decent experience this time. The largest package ($89 if I remember) lasted almost the whole 11 days...and I had a teen and 2 college age kids using it. The key is to log out every time you use it IMO.

Have fun!!

 

[MomOTwins]

I take it you are not in concierge. We are Gold members and we went full and total splerge on our last cruise and got the Walter E Disney Suite...AWESOME. It came with unlimited wifi. Not sure if it is that way in all of concierge or not, our first and probably last time too.

An ordinary concierge verandah room doesn't get the unlimited wifi.

 

[Dizzydizney]

I just went on the 11 day Southern Caribbean and I don't recommend the at&t cruise talk and text unless imessage won't work for you to reach the people you need to-its anyone with imessage no matter how near or far! If you do need to call/text other than imessage then the $50 one is fine. But don't waste your money on the $100 option with data. I know that sea days are different, but what I recommend for ports is the International Day Pass. We used that in Northern Europe and the Southern Caribbean. You pay a one time $10 per 24 hour period for unlimited talk/text/data (if that is the service you currently have not sure if you don't have unlimited you might be restricted to what your plan is). So $10 per port for full access to your phone is pretty reasonable. It worked far better in port than the cruise talk and text plan did on board.
as for the internet package I followed all the instructions and had a decent experience this time. The largest package ($89 if I remember) lasted almost the whole 11 days...and I had a teen and 2 college age kids using it. The key is to log out every time you use it IMO.

Have fun!!

Thank you! This is extremely helpful. And the Southern Caribbean cruise is on my wish list!


Thank you everyone for all of your input and experiences. I think I am leaning towards using imessage, the free wifi thing on board, and free internet cafes at the various ports. I will save my $50 plus tax that I won't be paying to AT&T and buy some "drinks of the day". It's just the two of us and we don't really have anything going on at home to worry much about. All of our pets have gone to the rainbow bridge recently, and that was usually what we worried about most. Our kids are grown and on their own. And neither of us do social media, so I think we will be fine.

Thank you again everyone.

 

[mmmears]

Thank you! This is extremely helpful. And the Southern Caribbean cruise is on my wish list!


Thank you everyone for all of your input and experiences. I think I am leaning towards using imessage, the free wifi thing on board, and free internet cafes at the various ports. I will save my $50 plus tax that I won't be paying to AT&T and buy some "drinks of the day". It's just the two of us and we don't really have anything going on at home to worry much about. All of our pets have gone to the rainbow bridge recently, and that was usually what we worried about most. Our kids are grown and on their own. And neither of us do social media, so I think we will be fine.

Thank you again everyone.

If you don't "have" to call home, you're right, you really don't need it. Other than the $50 AT&T calling thing, I did just fine with the free 50MB thing on board. I had to call pretty much every day, but if not necessary, unplug and relax and enjoy your cruise!

 

[m&m's mom]

We are on the WBTA as well. We will leave kids (in college) and elderly parents at home so we will have the international plan - which works extremely well- and well as iMessage and the largest internet package.
The sea days are the time I have used the most internet in the past.

 

[ajgardner]

It’s probably unlikely to happen again and definitely can’t count on happening, but somehow from the very first day of our recent 10 night cruise my daughter’s guest WiFi (the one you connect to for the navigator app) allowed her to access all WiFi (internet, email, texting, social media...). 4 nights into the cruise my husband’s and son’s also suddenly started working. On night 5 my internet and email started working, but no social media or texting other than iMessage. We were always on the guest WiFi and had zero charges.