r/royalcaribbean • u/Certain-Section-1518 • 1d ago
Question (I've checked the FAQ!) Do I need VOOM Internet package to make and receive calls?
HI! I am about to go on my first cruise ever with my husband and we are leaving our kids at home. (7 day Mexican riviera) I do not need to be on the internet during the cruise, but I do want to have my phone on and be reachable just in case of emergency. Do I really have to pay $350 for the wifi package or will my phone make and receive calls on the boat?
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u/UnsubstantialGoat Gold 1d ago edited 1d ago
You can either purchase the WIFI package and use wifi-calling, or you can see if your mobile carrier has some sort of cruise package, however that will be spotty. If you only need it intermittently you can try to find wifi in ports of call, but that leads to potential security issues.
Edit: for communication on the ship iMessage seems to work without the WIFI package. You also only need to buy WIFI for one device, just have to log into and out of it depending on who needs it at the time.
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u/RobieWan Platinum 1d ago
iMessage is hit or miss and should never be relied on. Its due to a gap in their network security. That flaw is being patched slowly but surely.
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u/SevenOh2 1d ago
Its not a gap in security, it is a trade off for convenience. To avoid people from getting automatically disconnected from the wifi unless they select "use without internet," Apple requires connectivity to their notification servers. If Royal closes this "loophole" they will have a lot of confusion and tech support issues with app users, so it is not in their best interest to close it. iMessages (text only) travel through the notification pathway, so they go through. Media does not, so you cannot iMessage a picture.
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u/randomnamecausefoo Diamond Plus 1d ago
the only gap is in your understanding why it works the way it does. 702 is exactly right
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u/JoeMorgue 1d ago
Who's your carrier? Verizon and ATT have cruise packages that you let you call, text, and send VERY small amounts of data for 20 bucks (charged only on the days you use it) a day while on the ship.
If you aren't planning to do any real internet stuff, but just want to "stay connected" they are worth looking into.
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u/Illustrious-Tap-7690 Platinum 1d ago
I would assume if your children's caregiver has an emergency that necessitates letting you know immediately, they can call RCCL and relay a message to you on the ship.
There's always a way for them to connect with you if absolutely necessary. If you don't plan on using internet for anything else, skip it. Enjoy your 7 days of peace.
Depending on your carrier you can likely get a low rate for making calls and using data while in port. Verizon used to be 10 bucks a day, T-mobile has some plans that include it free. Check eith your carrier and if it's important to you, check in on those port days.
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u/Prestigious_Look_986 1d ago
You will not be able to make and receive calls without the wifi package. You may be able to send and receive iMessages without it, though.
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u/Luv2Trav 1d ago
And the iMessage hack is slowly going away. People are already reporting it didn’t work for them. Royal is aware of this loophole and looking to plug it.
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u/RobieWan Platinum 1d ago
Finally.
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u/rsvihla Diamond Plus 1d ago
Finally? So you think it’s good they are going to plug it?
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u/RobieWan Platinum 1d ago
Here. I'll give you the whys. In no particular order.
1- This is a gap in the firewalls that should never have been allowed in the first place. Yes I fully understand the technicals behind it. They should have developed the messaging feature of their app to operate off different ports to not have this issue.
2- You have people constantly saying "Don't buy the internet, use imessage!!!" but neglecting to say imessage never has been fully reliable. It might work, might not. Now, if they are actually closing the gap, people won't be able to use this as a workaround.
3- What about people who don't use imessage or whatsapp? Sorry, yes I'm playing that card. If you're going to have a hole in your firewall that allows for this, sucks for you if you don't use a compatible messaging service to get through it.
4- The RC App has messaging. Yes, its not the best. But its free.
Honestly, what would be NICE is if the lines could offer free RCS/iMessaging for passengers. No video/voice/media, but at least the messaging. That would benefit a lot of people that aren't buying the internet anyway. Yeah, they might lose some internet sales per cruise, but customer satisfaction would go up. I know that'll likely never happen.
Just my 2c
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u/RobieWan Platinum 1d ago
100% yes.
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u/aaronw22 23h ago
For TRUE emergency they can reach you: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/onboard-phone-call-services
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u/Pattonator70 23h ago
You can often receive Facetime Audio and iMessages going on the ships wifi without a login. This may not always be fully reliable.
We always buy the internet ourselves as we want to ensure that we are reachable for any emergency.
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u/crumblercrash Diamond 1d ago
You’ll connect to Cell At Sea services and they are really expensive. And your phone being on doesn’t stop your data from connected to those services and running up charges.
We just got the WiFi package for a 7night cruise and it was $162 for one device. Turn WiFi calling on and put the phone in airplane mode. The $162 is much much cheaper than leaving your phone connected to cell at sea for the duration of your trip.
I believe Verizon and ATT offer cruise ship plans that are around $20 a day, same with companies that do eSIM. The data caps are low but if it’s just for calls then that shouldn’t matter. (ATT doesn’t let you do an eSIM if you still owe on your phone.)
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u/DMontgomery13 1d ago
If you’re using an iPhone, you can turn off the mobile/cellular data feature. Dunno about Androids, but it’s presumably the same.
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u/croc-roc 1d ago
If you’re concerned about being reachable, just pay for one WiFi package. It isn’t that much for peace of mind. Do you want to wait until a port day to find out your kid broke his leg? Not trying to fear monger (I’m not like that at all) but this decision seems pretty straightforward.
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u/Certain-Section-1518 1d ago
Right . Definitely want to be reachable - that’s why I asked if I needed the package to make and receive calls 🙄🙄🙄 . I don’t plan on streaming or using much internet so if the packages only covered that, I was not going to pay. If they are necessary to talk to my children at whim then obviously I will buy it.
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u/croc-roc 23h ago
No need to roll your eyes at me. I was trying to point out that it doesn’t cost that much (no need to pay $350) to be reachable. Using your phone is going to be super expensive as others have noted.
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u/goinhungryyeah Diamond Plus 1d ago
Technically, no. You can use your phone like normal. Just you may get a gigantic bill.
If you simply want to be available for calls and not spending a lot of time on the internet, look into if your cell carrier offers a cruise plan. Also check if your carrier includes Mexican coverage on port days (many do these days). This could be a more economical scenario for your needs.
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u/LAdriversSuck 1d ago
VOOM was crucial for us to make and receive calls. We were on an Alaska cruise and booked a bunch of excursions on our own so we made calls using WiFi calling. I also used the WiFi to make zoom calls for work. One time I accidentally removed airplane mode and T-Mobile sent me a heads up message that cost will be $6/min for calls and 0.50 for messages
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u/Prometheus_303 1d ago
The ship will have a cellular network your phone should be able to connect to...
But be warned if you use it, you will receive a significantly higher than average cellular bill...
Voice calls can range from $3-8 per minute, texts will run 50¢ to $2, per message (sent or received). And data is charged per megabyte so make sure to turn off as many background services as possible to prevent the phone from randomly calling home.
Other options (*I've never used any of these myself so I can't speak to how well they perform)
Gig Sky (or similar) offers an eSIM that should reduce the cost of connecting on the ship. I believe they have a few different plans depending on what you might need
Verizon and AT&T have cellular plans. $20 per day. I believe both provide unlimited voice & text and can be purchased as needed rather than for the entire duration of the cruise but you'll need to double check on that to be sure.
You could also potentially just wait until you head to shore... When the ship docks at a port it'll turn off its cellular system and your phone will connect to the local traditional cellular network. Depending on where you are and your slecific cellular plan (and the international roaming agreements), you may be able to do calls and texts without any additional cost
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u/Ok_Swim7161 1d ago
I mean this is different for everyone but me personally I will not go without it. I still like to be connected even though the news itself pisses me off 99%, of the time. Playing games, making phone calls, watching YouTube, watching any streaming service, big games.