Texting home from Dream w/o internet package, how is this working?

[Stinasmom]

My daughter is currently on the Dream with her DH. I am house/cat sitting for her.
She and I have been able to text this whole time! No pictures, tho
She is on Airplane mode so to use the DCL app on board.
We both have iPhones...

I've certainly loved keeping in touch! This is her 9th cruise with DCL but her DH's first.

Thanks!

 

[brentm77]

My daughter is currently on the Dream with her DH. I am house/cat sitting for her.
She and I have been able to text this whole time! No pictures, tho
She is on Airplane mode so to use the DCL app on board.
We both have iPhones...

I've certainly loved keeping in touch! This is her 9th cruise with DCL but her DH's first.

Thanks!

You can use iMessage or WhatsApp without an internet package. It has been that way for some time and works with the new internet plans too. It's how many of the crew keep in touch with friends and family for free.

 

[soniam]

Technically, you are not texting/using SMS, which uses the cellular network. You are using Apple iMessage. It uses the free ship wifi, which usually only lets you access the app and Disney websites. Disney has given access to this network for iMessage and Facebook Messenger. It should still work, barring the internal wifi going down, which does happen temporarily sometimes.

 

[soniam]

Technically, you are not texting/using SMS, which uses the cellular network. You are using Apple iMessage. It uses the free ship wifi, which usually only lets you access the app and Disney websites. Disney has given access to this network for iMessage and Facebook Messenger. It should still work, barring the internal wifi going down, which does happen temporarily sometimes.

I should qualify that Facebook Messenger only allows you to receive the text part of message, no website links, and you also cannot respond to messages. iMessage allows sending and receiving.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

barring the internal wifi going down, which does happen temporarily sometimes.

Or, if you're in Alaska, for entire days, regularly.

 

[Stinasmom]

Thanks for the replies!
It's been fun to get messages from her.
So glad for this!
They took so long on the first day to sail away from Miami that we were getting pictures too.
That likely was cellular...

 

[BamaGuy44]

Or, if you're in Alaska, for entire days, regularly.

Hopefully within a few years cruise ships will be using Starlink or something similar. Though DCL will be the absolute last one to adopt it, no doubt

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Hopefully within a few years cruise ships will be using Starlink or something similar. Though DCL will be the absolute last one to adopt it, no doubt

I don't know, I kind of like the disconnected nature of it all. I don't mind using my phone for the Navigator app, but I like that my mom and my boss can't call me.

 

[BamaGuy44]

I don't know, I kind of like the disconnected nature of it all. I don't mind using my phone for the Navigator app, but I like that my mom and my boss can't call me.

I get that. It’s just such a part of life for people now the lines have to offer good connections or be rejected. FINALLY DCL is getting away from the ridiculous antiquated pay by MB plan at least.

With Starlink, being disconnected totally from internet access really won’t be a thing anywhere, except by choice. Which is good and bad I guess

I choose to just selectively block certain alerts from popping up on my phone during vacations. “I’ll be at sea, can’t promise I’ll be reachable. See ya in a week!”

 

[soniam]

Hopefully within a few years cruise ships will be using Starlink or something similar. Though DCL will be the absolute last one to adopt it, no doubt

Starlink isn't very deployed yet and is still pretty expensive. I think it would cost guests a lot to access it on the ship, because I know the cruise lines aren't going to pay for it.

I don't know, I kind of like the disconnected nature of it all. I don't mind using my phone for the Navigator app, but I like that my mom and my boss can't call me.

You can always put your phone in airplane mode anyway to ignore people

With Starlink, being disconnected totally from internet access really won’t be a thing anywhere, except by choice. Which is good and bad I guess

Don't give my husband's boss any ideas. He's crazy enough to give it the cruise lines, so that employees could still work while on vacation. Plus, it would sort of be free for him.

 

[BamaGuy44]

Starlink isn't very deployed yet and is still pretty expensive. I think it would cost guests a lot to access it on the ship, because I know the cruise lines aren't going to pay for it

That’s the case now, that’s why I said “within a few years”. The tech will improve and the price will come down. Cruise industry will embrace it, it’s a just a matter of when.

 

[BamaGuy44]

Hopefully within a few years cruise ships will be using Starlink or something similar. Though DCL will be the absolute last one to adopt it, no doubt

I guess within a few years is sooner than thought! Come on Disney, be an early adopterfor once haha

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/30/roy...th-spacexs-starlink-for-onboard-internet.html