# Cruise tips (ocean, big ship) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** vacation-travel\ **Created:** [February 28, 2024, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255 "2024-02-28T22:19:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2024, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/81 "2024-03-06T03:36:18Z")
Is there a way you can use your phone to text others on the ship while at sea? (not in range of a cell tower) The boat I will be on is very big. It would be nice to be able to tell people I am traveling with that I am in X-place on the ship so they can meet me. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2024, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/82 "2024-03-06T03:40:58Z")
They probably have an app for that. Plus whatsapp and lots of othet apps. On wifi you can send conventional txts too. That’s a long-solved problem. Or just call them using the phone-over-wifi feature built into your phone. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2024, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/83 "2024-03-06T03:48:19Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Or just call them using the phone-over-wifi feature built into your phone. I am unclear if my provider will still try to charge me for roaming in the middle of the Atlantic despite using WiFi. WhatsApp and Skype and the like will avoid that but if using the phone as normal I worry my cell provider will attach charges (Verizon in my case). I tried looking it up on the Verizon website (not too hard to be honest) and didn’t see anything. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2024, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/84 "2024-03-06T04:12:39Z")
Every cruise line has a messaging system built into their app, which is free to use. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2024, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/85 "2024-03-06T04:20:58Z")
Cunard does not have an app (Cunard is owned by Carnival so there is really no excuse for not having one). They have a webpage. Not sure what can be done on it but, since it is not an app, I can’t see how you could text someone using it. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2024, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/86 "2024-03-06T04:26:45Z")
It’s not always free - I know NCL charges for messaging /calling between people onboard. There’s sort of a glitch where people can send and receive iMessages without being signed into an internet package and I think you can use What’s App and Messenger if you are signed into an internet package - but that won’t be useful if more than one person is sharing a one device at a time package. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2024, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/87 "2024-03-06T12:58:36Z")
Is the glitch that imessages, whatsapp, and messenger all work over Wi-Fi? ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2024, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/88 "2024-03-06T13:36:02Z")
Going to try to explain - the ship has an app which can be used if you are logged into the ship’s Wi-Fi. You can make reservations , see the schedule, etc using this app. But the ship’s Wi-Fi is supposed to only allow you to use the app and a few specific websites - any other websites or apps require you to be logged in to an internet package. The glitch is that iMessages work without the internet package as long as you are connected to the Wi-Fi network so that when my husband and I are sharing an internet package we can iMessage each other even though only one us can be signed in to the internet plan at a time. I’m 100% sure this was not intentional on the part of the cruise line What’s App and Messenger require logging in to an internet package so if my husband and I are sharing a “one device at a time” package we can’t communicate with each other using them, at least not in real time. I could log in to my package and send him a message through Messenger - but he won’t see it until the next time he logs in. And if he then replies, I won’t see it until the next time I log in. And we can never both be logged in at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2024, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/89 "2024-03-06T16:00:00Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Is the glitch that imessages, whatsapp, and messenger all work over Wi-Fi? I can only speak to one line (Disney), but it seems to be pretty consistent with what @doreen is saying, except it actually works with no paid internet packages. We have never paid for internet on our cruises but have been able to communicate via iMessage pretty consistently. Basically, when you are on the ship your device (iPhone, Android, whatever) will connect to the ships WiFi. This allows to use the app, which may include a messaging service (free or paid - on Disney it’s free, if not 100% reliable) in addition to seeing scheduled events, making reservations, buying things, etc. However, additionally, iMessage and WhatsApp _often_ work as well, bypassing whatever service is used to require a paid internet package to access “the Internet”. Basically, services which use the “local network” to communicate tend to work even without paid access. Finally, this is not fool-proof. iMessage in particular, for me at least, works for awhile and then stops working at some point. This tends to happen when your Apple ID attempts to re-verify credentials, which only works with internet access. At that point iMessage stops working. It may also be tied to time zone changes, but I don’t think that has been confirmed. WhatsApp is reportedly more reliable, but I cannot personally vouch for that. The workaround is one of two things: 1) Some passengers have reported being able to go to Guest Services and get a temporary (10 minute or something) free internet access period to re-enable iMessage by logging back in with their Apple ID or 2) Get internet access either by turning on cellular data in a port (possibly roaming fees apply) or buying the ship’s internet package ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2024, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/90 "2024-03-06T19:33:06Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I am unclear if my provider will still try to charge me for roaming in the middle of the Atlantic despite using WiFi. WhatsApp and Skype and the like will avoid that but if using the phone as normal I worry my cell provider will attach charges (Verizon in my case). I tried looking it up on the Verizon website (not too hard to be honest) and didn’t see anything. I use Verizon, and before I went to Europe I set up an international calling plan that would charge me $10 a day if I used it. I never did. If you keep your phone in airplane mode with wifi turned on you won’t have to worry. My texting app worked with wifi, so I got text messages over the ship’s wifi for free. Viking had an app to let you remind yourself of packages, but I don’t think it had messaging, but since wifi was free I never checked. I don’t know what Cunard does. The last time I took a Cunard ship cellphones and wifi were scifi. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/91 "2024-03-07T00:06:16Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > WhatsApp and Skype and the like will avoid that but if using the phone as normal I worry my cell provider will attach charges (Verizon in my case). Just go to settings and turn off roaming. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/92 "2024-03-09T14:26:03Z")
Are they regulated on their odds they must meet or do they have to advertise those odds? Or can they do as they please with no regulation on the casino (international waters and/or flagged to a country that is really lax about this stuff)? ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/93 "2024-03-09T15:48:42Z")
I’m not sure. They are usually only open once they’re in international waters, so I suspect it’s open season. I’ve certainly never seen them advertise their odds, but if they were too spectacularly awful, I think that would come out on the cruise discussion fora. So probably worse than Vegas, but not too low. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/94 "2024-03-09T16:01:21Z")
FWIW, on our first cruise (Princess, Mexican Riviera) on our first night on the ship, my wife won enough in a slot machine to pay for the cruise (for one of us). Just an anecdote, but payoffs do happen. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/95 "2024-03-09T16:54:05Z")
I won a lot on a penny slot my last cruise - enough to pay for at least two cruises for both of us. They do issue a W2g ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/96 "2024-03-09T16:58:53Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > They do issue a W2g Is it only a piece of paper or do they report it back to the IRS (or whatever tax collector who goes after you?). When I won money at a US casino they made me fill out a form and reported taxes for me cuz they are nice like that (I know). But, if a ship is flagged in another country, in international waters and not beholden to any laws on minimum odds it seems weird they’d be diligent in helping you report your taxes. (To be clear, I almost never gamble and I am not going to break a law evading taxes to save a few dollars…just saying). ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/97 "2024-03-09T18:07:22Z")
They send it to the IRS - no point in them using that form if they aren’t going to send it to the IRS. Don’t know if they would do it on a cruise that didn’t start or end at a US port. But that’s a national thing and I assume the US could prohibit them from operating in US ports if they didn’t. Odds and most other gambling regulations are state by state, not national. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/98 "2024-03-11T09:55:47Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > FWIW, on our first cruise (Princess, Mexican Riviera) on our first night on the ship, my wife won enough in a slot machine to pay for the cruise (for one of us). Just an anecdote, but payoffs do happen. Cousin got a Royal Flush in video poker. She won about $1500. They paid out in cash on the spot. A friend walked her back to her room to stash it. It was pretty obviously a big payout. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2025, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/99 "2025-04-29T18:31:26Z")
Don’t do this: > **[Massive Brawl Erupts Among Carnival Cruise Passengers, Landing 24 People on...](https://www.aol.com/massive-brawl-erupts-among-carnival-165232713.html)** > > “We will not tolerate such behavior, and 24 people have been placed on our Do Not Sail list,” a spokesperson for Carnival told PEOPLE in a statement following the massive brawl that erupted in a Galveston, Texas cruise terminal. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2025, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/100 "2025-04-29T18:40:36Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > It’s intended primarily for smaller boat owners, but you might want to give your cruise ship captain a copy of [his book](https://www.amazon.com/Avoid-Huge-Ships-John-Trimmer/dp/0870334336/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1A6BI4MHHZ1A1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ZZb_6wZrxSfa_zPJ-xA-xeJs-oNomSfBXEDAgHzi1PFC2fXziXNe6ln0ZLJJhLcEQ0z6aM4NJKV-KF32mIoOLjaLbiJ9tlkdp88vDCi1J_CGnVvSyLcQ2Tntip2ckw0xeOKM3VqFnDaScNam1nvOxSEz0YnKzkxjRmpqLnRgFMVhSlJyH_0iD1J_EKq2RAqdys5J5sQSgRx-Cx9CJfQOwOi5gR5VcPg8ydGpUcR2jwU.ikYHqCWJurTIBdy292narOn1VJIxVxFEqW0jpQuzRBY&dib_tag=se&keywords=how+to+avoid+huge+ships&qid=1709163253&sprefix=how+to+avoid+huge+shi%2Caps%2C393&sr=8-2t) just in case. The captain might be more worried about the front falling off. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255.md?page=6)