A while back I wrote about my planned trip on a Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship. Being an avid Watch user, I wondered about the WiFi setup and how it would potentially benefit/hinder my cruising experience.
From when I posted until Day 1 of sailing, I was under the impression that the Wi-Fi here would be a captive portal network, leaving me out to dry with no possibility of Wi-Fi working on the ship. I did all my research and even emailed some Royal Caribbean Executives about my planned trip.
The whole idea was, carry watch with me and allow me to be phone-less and enjoy an "untethered" vacation. 1 week prior to sailing I got an email back from an executive saying that they would be more than happy to help me out with my Apple Watch and sure enough when I got on the ship, the IT manager knew exactly who I was and what my situation was. He added my Apple Watch's MAC Address to his admin portal and I was on my way.
Day 1: I had my iPhone with me. I was in the middle of the ocean and I still have AT&T Wi-Fi calling on my iPhone.
Day 2: I went to a show and left my iPhone in my room. Still at sea with no cell service, but AT&T Wi-Fi calling remained. My Watch said "Connected" with the cloud icon so I thought t was a good sign. Sure enough, NORMAL phone calls, FaceTime audio calls, and iMessages came through to my Watch!
So far I am very happy about how everything is setup here. Today I entered into the Belly Flop Competition and I left my phone in my room and had my Watch on me the whole day. Didn't miss anything.
I was thinking about making a video explaining everything and demo-ing a real life use without an iPhone with AT&T Wi-Fi calling. Let me know what you guys think. Sorry for the long read.
From when I posted until Day 1 of sailing, I was under the impression that the Wi-Fi here would be a captive portal network, leaving me out to dry with no possibility of Wi-Fi working on the ship. I did all my research and even emailed some Royal Caribbean Executives about my planned trip.
The whole idea was, carry watch with me and allow me to be phone-less and enjoy an "untethered" vacation. 1 week prior to sailing I got an email back from an executive saying that they would be more than happy to help me out with my Apple Watch and sure enough when I got on the ship, the IT manager knew exactly who I was and what my situation was. He added my Apple Watch's MAC Address to his admin portal and I was on my way.
Day 1: I had my iPhone with me. I was in the middle of the ocean and I still have AT&T Wi-Fi calling on my iPhone.
Day 2: I went to a show and left my iPhone in my room. Still at sea with no cell service, but AT&T Wi-Fi calling remained. My Watch said "Connected" with the cloud icon so I thought t was a good sign. Sure enough, NORMAL phone calls, FaceTime audio calls, and iMessages came through to my Watch!
So far I am very happy about how everything is setup here. Today I entered into the Belly Flop Competition and I left my phone in my room and had my Watch on me the whole day. Didn't miss anything.
I was thinking about making a video explaining everything and demo-ing a real life use without an iPhone with AT&T Wi-Fi calling. Let me know what you guys think. Sorry for the long read.
