DCL cell phone app and messages

[TiggerBouncy]

it's been a while since we were on our last cruise....

Did they fix the instant messaging on the cell phone application?

the problems as I recall last time is that you didn't get your ID until you got on the ship - which meant there was no way to tell someone in advance how to get a hold of you until you actually were on the ship - and then you had a short window to grab all the ID's before you were out of cell range.

Second - the notification was horribly broken. It never seemed to alert you that there was a new message unless you opened the app and looked.

So - is there any better way now to find someone else on the ship? Or do you still need to find them first to exchange ID's? AND does it alert you now?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

it's been a while since we were on our last cruise....

Did they fix the instant messaging on the cell phone application?

the problems as I recall last time is that you didn't get your ID until you got on the ship - which meant there was no way to tell someone in advance how to get a hold of you until you actually were on the ship - and then you had a short window to grab all the ID's before you were out of cell range.

Second - the notification was horribly broken. It never seemed to alert you that there was a new message unless you opened the app and looked.

So - is there any better way now to find someone else on the ship? Or do you still need to find them first to exchange ID's? AND does it alert you now?

Not sure what you mean by ID?

Texting via the app, there's no alert, like on a regular text application. I've read that it's supposed to vibrate, but I'm not sure about that. They don't want the random sounds bothering others, so you just have to keep checking the messages to see if you've gotten any. It's the same on Princess - no alert sound/vibration.

 

[disneyeek]

There is a way to go into the settings for the app and make it so you get notifications, I can't remember if it was just a vibrate or sound though. We did it on cruise in March. My DH and the people we were with are the techy ones, so I'm not sure how they did it, but it can be done.

 

[Weedy]

It’s still the same you can’t log onto the app until you get to the port.
What time do you plan to arrive? The terminal opens at 10:30am. They start boarding at 11:30am and the ship doesn’t leave port until 4pm.
We usually all meet up at lunch to get our phones set up so we can text each other.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Not sure what you mean by ID?

Texting via the app, there's no alert, like on a regular text application. I've read that it's supposed to vibrate, but I'm not sure about that. They don't want the random sounds bothering others, so you just have to keep checking the messages to see if you've gotten any. It's the same on Princess - no alert sound/vibration.

They may have changed it - but when I first went on a Disney Cruise, you had to have the number to text someone in the app. That number was one you got from the app itself - and there was no way to get it until you were on the ship. There was no way to text someone just from their cabin number or name.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

It’s still the same you can’t log onto the app until you get to the port.
What time do you plan to arrive? The terminal opens at 10:30am. They start boarding at 11:30am and the ship doesn’t leave port until 4pm.
We usually all meet up at lunch to get our phones set up so we can text each other.

What I was hoping to do was give my number out to - for example - our facebook group so anyone can reach me on the ship. I didn't want to have to get all of them together. We do have a meetup, but sometimes people miss those. Last cruise we posted our number on the facebook while still in port, but that only helped if people remembered to check it before the ship left and write them all down and late arrivals had the short end.

 

[AquaDame]

In October it was working the same way - can't see your number until you are on the ship and there is no notification unless you are in the app. It may do a sound or vibrate but if so I never noticed... in an entire week... when I frequently use my phone for pics/checking out the navigator and such.