Are the wave phones still widely used?

[Keri Barker]

Does the app work best with iPhones or a Samsung? My husband has a Samsung phone (so it would use google play) and I have iPhone but plan on getting a Samsung in a few months and give my DD my old iPhone for the cruise...would we have any issues using either one?

 

[rhinodadz]

Does the app work best with iPhones or a Samsung? My husband has a Samsung phone (so it would use google play) and I have iPhone but plan on getting a Samsung in a few months and give my DD my old iPhone for the cruise...would we have any issues using either one?

We have a mixed marriage (iPhone and Samsung Galaxy) and the app works equally well on both.

 

[bumbershoot]

We have a mixed marriage (iPhone and Samsung Galaxy) and the app works equally well on both.

Same!

 

[jrabbit]

Since I don't have kids in the Clubs, I do NOT use the Wave Phones. Many, Many, Many, many, many years ago we tried to use the wave phones for texting each other. Couldn't get it to work.

So the new DCL Navigator App with the texting feature is nice.

NOTE: The App does NOT USE SOUND - only vibrates. So it can be easy to miss a text or a favorite activity unless you actually feel the vibration. There is NOT any follow up vibrations for missed / ignored texts.

I really enjoyed putting the phone in the safe for the duration of the cruise, but "unfortunately" Disney has made the app pretty useful.

One thing that I noticed was that I "favorited" an activity that went all day (Anna's Chocolate Challenge) and the phone freaked out and would not stop vibrating. After restarting it continued to vibrate like a humming bird on crack, so I turned off the phone for several hours. Somewhere in the day, DCL must have been able to fix the issue. However on my last cruise (July 2017) several different activities caused the phone to vibrate non stop. This time restarting the phone stopped the continuous vibes.

 

[NS8VN]

Has anyone ever seen whether the app notifications will get pushed to a Pebble watch?

 

[Carrie in AZ]

Thank you all!! I am the OP and greatly appreciate knowing what to expect on our upcoming cruise!

 

[islandsnoopy]

Back from the 8/26 cruise on the Fantasy and the app worked fine on Castaway Cay.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

We didn't use them bc we used the app A LOT . And even before the app, when we tried to use them to text, it was too difficult. I will say after our cruise a few weeks ago, we got a survey from DCL that, among other items, asked if we used the wave phone (no), if we had kids that went to the clubs (yes), if our kids had an iPhone, Droid or tablet on board (yes), and if our kids brought their devices to the kids clubs (yes). My guess is that they are going to try to phase out the wave phones if the app continues to be well received or maybe have guests that want them to sign for them or something to that affect bc I understand they are expensive to replace and are becoming redundant.

 

[cmph]

My guess is that they are going to try to phase out the wave phones if the app continues to be well received or maybe have guests that want them to sign for them or something to that affect bc I understand they are expensive to replace and are becoming redundant.

That would be GREAT! Even if the kids don't carry their own devices (which mine did/will continue to do), it would be SO much nicer if the CMs could just message parents on the app. I doubt anyone prefers to carry those wave phones these days, although I get that there is likely still a small percentage of families without smartphones who need them. It would almost seem cheaper for them to have a stock of crappy old cell phones loaded with nothing but the app to lend out!

 

[Conceptualice]

Just wanted to mention this:

We were on the Disney Fantasy for the September 2nd cruise that was rescheduled and shortened from Irma. (just got off on our way back home via hurricane Exodus)

The kids club sent a message through the app to my mum's cabin, but not to us? We did however get a message via our wave phone, but we had left them in our cabin. (Nothing serious, just siblings being siblings so the crew was kind enough to inform us)

However, our last 'day' of the cruise, which was chaotic, the cruise app suddenly without warning shut off. (No one was told this was going to happen. It could be automatically programmed once you hit a certain distance from the port, but we would still be on the ship for several more hours and not within cell tower range. Also, with everything else going on, I think there were more pressing matters that needed attention. Luckily, our kids were accounted for when it happened to us, but I know some fellow passengers who had to go searching for kids. ) Mine ended first, and luckily my husband was beside me, so we contacted other members of our party to expect the same thing. (The app wasn't great at adjusting for major scheduling changes - to be fair crazy circumstances. The app on my phone was having a hard time refreshing.) We dusted off the wave phones and used them as alternative communication for the rest of the time.

So, while the app is great, it was really nice to have a backup method with the wave phones! They still have their uses!

 

[olafLover]

.

 

[pdizzle27]

I still used the wave phone. The text from the app were hit or miss. I usually noticed those when it's too late. I never missed a phone call though.

 

[Trera]

Only carried wave phones for when DS went to kids club, other than that app only

This was us also.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

Just wanted to mention this:

We were on the Disney Fantasy for the September 2nd cruise that was rescheduled and shortened from Irma. (just got off on our way back home via hurricane Exodus)

The kids club sent a message through the app to my mum's cabin, but not to us? We did however get a message via our wave phone, but we had left them in our cabin. (Nothing serious, just siblings being siblings so the crew was kind enough to inform us)

However, our last 'day' of the cruise, which was chaotic, the cruise app suddenly without warning shut off. (No one was told this was going to happen. It could be automatically programmed once you hit a certain distance from the port, but we would still be on the ship for several more hours and not within cell tower range. Also, with everything else going on, I think there were more pressing matters that needed attention. Luckily, our kids were accounted for when it happened to us, but I know some fellow passengers who had to go searching for kids. ) Mine ended first, and luckily my husband was beside me, so we contacted other members of our party to expect the same thing. (The app wasn't great at adjusting for major scheduling changes - to be fair crazy circumstances. The app on my phone was having a hard time refreshing.) We dusted off the wave phones and used them as alternative communication for the rest of the time.

So, while the app is great, it was really nice to have a backup method with the wave phones! They still have their uses!

Glad it all worked out! I can envision for the future when checking your kid into the kids clubs, the CMs handing you a wave phone, kind of like when you are handed a buzzer when waiting for a table at a restaurant, if they decide to phase them out in all rooms. Or maybe having to state your preference for wanting one at check in if you don't have a device or just don't want to use their app. I wonder what other cruise lines do in this regard.

 

[abuck75]

We didn't use them bc we used the app A LOT . And even before the app, when we tried to use them to text, it was too difficult. I will say after our cruise a few weeks ago, we got a survey from DCL that, among other items, asked if we used the wave phone (no), if we had kids that went to the clubs (yes), if our kids had an iPhone, Droid or tablet on board (yes), and if our kids brought their devices to the kids clubs (yes). My guess is that they are going to try to phase out the wave phones if the app continues to be well received or maybe have guests that want them to sign for them or something to that affect bc I understand they are expensive to replace and are becoming redundant.

I am a bit curious about kids bringing their devices to the kids club. Our 9 and 5 year old both have iPads, and it would be nice for them to have them to text, but it seems like it would be very easy to lose in club.

 

[bbel]

I am a bit curious about kids bringing their devices to the kids club. Our 9 and 5 year old both have iPads, and it would be nice for them to have them to text, but it seems like it would be very easy to lose in club.

There's no rules (apart from if it has a camera they're not allowed to take photos/videos) but kids are encouraged not to bring anything into the clubs. Whether that's something of high value, like and iPad, or something from the dollar store.
With things that are of value: iPads, iPods, phones, if a child leaves it unattended, even just for a minute for a game of gaga ball then it will usually get taken down to guest services right away, it's not kept in the clubs like other lost and found is, which would mean if that happens and you're relying on them to message you, it's not gonna happen.
Remember there can easily be 300+ kids (on the smaller ships alone) checked in at one time, so it can be very easy for something to go missing or get broken, especially if it's not pocket sized.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

I am a bit curious about kids bringing their devices to the kids club. Our 9 and 5 year old both have iPads, and it would be nice for them to have them to text, but it seems like it would be very easy to lose in club.

My daughters said there was a place they were asked to store them. I am not sure that they used them, but they brought them. I thought it was very interesting in the survey, it specifically asked if our kids brought their devices to the clubs.

 

[Carrie in AZ]

I am the OP, and I greatly appreciate everyone who has shared their experience. So helpful. Thank you!

 

[mcd2745]

Don't know if this has been mentioned before, but all the CMs on the ship(s) still seem to use Wave Phones to communicate with each other. So, I don't see them or the network/technology they work on going away completely any time soon. They are obsolete for a lot of guests at this point. Only if we had kids still in the Club/Lab (ours are now Vibe & Edge ages) would we carry them.

 

[hanscarlet]

We still use Wave phones when the kids are in the clubs, looking forward to the day when the kids club starts texting to the smart phone but lots of folks make it a priority to not carry smart phones so perhaps they never will. Just glad they are small.