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Cell phones and WiFi on riverboat
We have Apple iPhones and an iPad paired with ATT. After reading about the weak WiFi signal on boat, wondering if we should get the global ATT plan. They offer a day to day plan ($10 for days you use it) or a one month plan which covers entire time period. Has anyone used a data plan on boat, and if so, did you find that useful versus fighting with dropped WiFi signals? I don’t want to spend my time trying to find cafes with WiFi signals and spending time there instead of seeing the towns. We plan to use our iPhones to take pictures and then stream them to the cloud to preserve and share - that allows us to delete the pics from our camera and free up the Gigs for more picture taking the next day.
I researched this link and found some info - mostly dated back to 2015 or later. Wondered if things had improved since. Any thoughts or info you can provide would be appreciated.
I researched this link and found some info - mostly dated back to 2015 or later. Wondered if things had improved since. Any thoughts or info you can provide would be appreciated.
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I'm not sure how the tower issue is on the Danube but maybe someone who has taken a cruise there with pipe up.
We've never had our cells phones to use for calls or text - didn't think it was worth it for what Verizon was going to charge. Even if you have, you may run into the same lack of a close tower that the ship can run into. Unless you want to be able to call or text one another while on shore, I wouldn't bother.
FYI, we've recently switched to Tmobile (they have a pretty good plan for seniors) and will be able to use our phones in Ireland without paying extra.
The Apple instructor said that photos taken on the iPhone or iPad are automatically submitted to the iCloud if you set the device to upload and backup to the cloud. In doing so, the photos on the device are displayed but in a much lower resolution. The full resolution version is stored in the cloud and available on all of your apple devices for download in the future. He said that the lower resolution photo files on the device do not take up very much space. I have over 13,000 photos on my iPhone 6 and only half the space is used.
One caveat is that you have enough iCloud storage in your plan. There are three levels of storage and they are not costly.
This information is from my notes, but I get information overload easily when it comes to computers. If you have an apple store near you it might be beneficial to take the photo management course and they can answer all your questions. The class is free.
That is good to know about the wi-fi restriction on the boats. In previous trips we have used an international plan with AT&T and don't use wi-fi too much. (I am not a trusting soul)
As to dolciani's concerns with AT&T, they have two plans really. The International Day Pass is $10 per day per device and is charged if you use talk, text, or data. VERY EXPENSIVE They have another plan, AT&T Passport, which we use. It is $60 a month per device and is good for 30 days at a time. Not cheap, but it works when wi-fi is not available or restricted. We were very pleased with the reliability of signals under the Passport plan. Check with AT&T before traveling because there are a few settings on your phone which will enhance reliability and coverage. I can't remember what they are.
Keep in mind that the app doesn't need wifi/cell coverage for most of it's features. You'll need them if there are daily updates like changes to the Daily Agenda but you can generally do that using the hotel or ships wifi. I haven't actually used it on a Tauck trip but the features like the maps don't function the same way google maps works on my smart phone - pin pointing my location, giving me directions, etc.
Try turning airplane mode on and see what features you can still use.
Does anyone who has actually used the app on a trip see it differently?
Yes, I have had an app on a trip but as I have mentioned previously, it was not updated when there was considerable changes of order and times for the itinerary so therefore I found that part of the app useless.
Hope you enjoy the cruise. It is Unbelievably beautiful, and the staff on board treat you, like the rich and famous. You will love it!
what type of plugs are on the savor? does it have usb or which european plug? any us style? what about wifi? trying to figure out if i send chargers with my kids what kind of plug and if they can text me or do i get them an international plan? Reading above it sounds like they will be able to plug into wifi and text/facetime us. what chargers do they need?
All the Tauck river cruise ship staterooms have both US and European (2 round pin) outlets. It may also have USB ports too. They have started adding those to the ships during upgrades. The exact number and location somewhat depend on which stateroom category.
I always carry my Samsung USB to micro USB cable, my fast charge US plug and an adapter. For convenience or if you will also have hotel stays, bring a European adapter. The convenience part is If multiple people are charging multiple devices and/or the outlet location isn't convenient it gives you more flexibility. Some European hotels are adding US outlets and USB but not all and they definitely aren't always where you'd like them. The tour buses are starting to have outlets as well.
If you look on Amazon they have loads of choices for European adapters from inexpensive (6 in a pack for $9) to bells and whistles. For our last cruise I bought a two pack of the ones with what looked like blue or green stripes on the white plug. Turned out those are lights they stay on when plugged in. Incredibly bright at 2 am if the plug is on your night stand.
They generally have pretty good Wi-Fi on the ship though don't count on a lot of speed. With Tmobile we could text and use the internet off the ship for free. Calls there is a charge. Just like at home it depends on proximity to a tower.
We were on the Savor in mid May this year. I don't recall USB outlets. There are both US and European outlets, but we found the European ones most conveniently placed for chargers, and they worked fine for standard iPhone chargers with inexpensive adapters from Amazon.
The Inspire (same ship class as Savor) didn't have USB ports in our staterooms in 2015 but that's a few years ago so I wasn't sure if they'd been added. The older ships that have been redesigned in the last few years (Emerald, Saphire, Treasure, Esprit) did get USB ports in addition to the usual outlets.