Navigator on kids smartwatch

[blueant315]

Has anyone been able to use Navigator on a smartwatch? I'd love to be able to send messages to my 10 and 8 year old while they're in the kid's club on our upcoming trip and was hoping this would be a good solution. But I haven't been able to find where anyone's done this - just where they've given their kids an old phone, which I don't want to do. They don't currently have smartwatches, so open to any brands.

 

[soniam]

The DCL app doesn’t have an Apple Watch version, so it doesn’t work on that. I doubt it works on any other brands.

 

[sjuncfan]

We just got off the Dream. My DS (age 12) has an apple watch but no phone. He and I could send iMessages to each other (his watch to my phone - my husband was cut out of the loop because he has an android). iMessage worked better/more consistently on this cruise than it had on previous cruises. We also brought an old Android phone of my husbands for DS with the navigator app loaded. He liked being able to check the daily schedule to decide what he wanted to do.

 

[kteach]

The DCL app doesn’t have an Apple Watch version, so it doesn’t work on that. I doubt it works on any other brands.

Hi. I will be on the Dream in February. Did imessage work consistently during the whole cruise?

 

[soniam]

Hi. I will be on the Dream in February. Did imessage work consistently during the whole cruise?

No. It’s mostly reliable. No pics if you don’t have paid wifi. Not sure if What’s App works without the paid wifi. The DCL app chat feature is flaky too.

 

[randumb0]

We just got off the Dream. My DS (age 12) has an apple watch but no phone. He and I could send iMessages to each other (his watch to my phone - my husband was cut out of the loop because he has an android). iMessage worked better/more consistently on this cruise than it had on previous cruises. We also brought an old Android phone of my husbands for DS with the navigator app loaded. He liked being able to check the daily schedule to decide what he wanted to do.

Next time you should all use WhatsApp

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Next time you should all use WhatsApp

depending on where they are from they would already have it. As it's pretty common for people outside of the US to use WhatsApp, however in the US there seems to be a problem with people not wanting to download an separate app to communicate with other when iMessage works just fine. Don't forget the solution from Tim Cook for other phone users wanting access to IMessage was to just buy an iPhone, instead of apple just allowing other phones to access it.

 

[randumb0]

depending on where they are from they would already have it. As it's pretty common for people outside of the US to use WhatsApp, however in the US there seems to be a problem with people not wanting to download an separate app to communicate with other when iMessage works just fine. Don't forget the solution from Tim Cook for other phone users wanting access to IMessage was to just buy an iPhone, instead of apple just allowing other phones to access it.

I am in the US and everyone in my circle has Whatsapp. I guess it depends on where you live

 

[blueant315]

We just got off the Dream. My DS (age 12) has an apple watch but no phone. He and I could send iMessages to each other (his watch to my phone - my husband was cut out of the loop because he has an android). iMessage worked better/more consistently on this cruise than it had on previous cruises. We also brought an old Android phone of my husbands for DS with the navigator app loaded. He liked being able to check the daily schedule to decide what he wanted to do.

These sound like great options. I didn't realize imessages would work in airlpane mode. I'm fairly certain my kids would misplace phones based on how many other items they lose, but will look into ways to make this work. Thanks!

 

[sjuncfan]

Next time you should all use WhatsApp

The problem with WhatsApp is you can't set up an account without a phone number. Now DS has a phone number on his watch but when we cruised over the summer (not Disney) he didn't have the watch yet. We were traveling with friends and once we got on board we were scrambling to figure out the best option for communicating amongst all of us (4 iphones and 2 androids, we thought we'd communicate through the app but that cruise line, MSC, didn't allow kids to message through the app). WhatsApp was our second choice til we realized we couldn't get DS set up without a phone number. Our solution on that trip was Google Chat (but we had free wifi in Yacht Club).

 

[supergirl04]

Side question, my kids are underage and will be using my navigator app on another phone. Anyone know if we'll be able to text each other using the app with the same login? The phone does not have cellular service and will only use WiFi.

 

[NekoHunter]

Having sailed several times on 4 of the 5 ships, my experience with chatting via the navigator app has been mediocre. Messages would either be delayed or not come through. The notifications from the app very often would not show up, even when they were turned on in settings.

iMessage worked well, until it didn't. Every so often a phone would de-register from iMessage and would stop working. If the phone's user slipped up and tried to send a picture or to open a picture someone had sent them, it would break their iMessage connection until they logged on a full wifi or cell connection or it spontaneously re-enabled itself sometime later. iMessage would also spontaneously de-register itself at times too such that it would just stop working.

I'm not sure if this is still a thing or not, but we would save the free 100MB that you get on day 1 just for re-registering iMessage.

WhatsApp seemed pretty reliable by comparison, though. It wound up being our go-to for coordinating, even though all of us have Apple devices. Messages and notifications were both prompt and present.

Overall, I'd say WhatsApp worked 90+% of the time, iMessage about 75%, and Navigator about 30%.

 

[Mommb]

Side question, my kids are underage and will be using my navigator app on another phone. Anyone know if we'll be able to text each other using the app with the same login? The phone does not have cellular service and will only use WiFi.

If your kids are all both the same phone, they might be able to share a login, but it should be different from yours so they can send you messages. Once you are on the ship (or in the boarding area), you and your kid(s) can log into the Navigator app using your name, room number, and birthdate. (The app works differently once you're on the ship WiFi, so they don't need a Disney account/password.) You may need to give your kids permission to text after the first time they login.

 

[randumb0]

Having sailed several times on 3 of the 5 ships, my experience with chatting via the navigator app has been mediocre. Messages would either be delayed or not come through. The notifications from the app very often would not show up, even when they were turned on in settings.

iMessage worked well, until it didn't. Every so often a phone would de-register from iMessage and would stop working. If the phone's user slipped up and tried to send a picture or to open a picture someone had sent them, it would break their iMessage connection until they logged on a full wifi or cell connection or it spontaneously re-enabled itself sometime later. iMessage would also spontaneously de-register itself at times too such that it would just stop working.

I'm not sure if this is still a thing or not, but we would save the free 100MB that you get on day 1 just for re-registering iMessage.

WhatsApp seemed pretty reliable by comparison, though. It wound up being our go-to for coordinating, even though all of us have Apple devices. Messages and notifications were both prompt and present.

Overall, I'd say WhatsApp worked 90+% of the time, iMessage about 75%, and Navigator about 30%.

That has been my experience as well. WhatsApp in my opinion has been the most reliable. Also, someone earlier mentioned that you need a phone number to create an account but all you have to do is just use a Google voice number to activate or Whatsapp account. You don't need a cell phone

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

Side question, my kids are underage and will be using my navigator app on another phone. Anyone know if we'll be able to text each other using the app with the same login? The phone does not have cellular service and will only use WiFi.

The neat thing about the app when afloat is that there isn't really a login for the DCL app. The chat function is by person - Big Brother DCL Info Tech knows who's in your stateroom and you can add them easily. Before our kiddos got their own phones, we would routinely dig out the old phones for them to use on the ship. Of course, they also found the *magic* of games on the phones

 

[Girl of the South]

That’s what happened to me with iMessage on a 7 day. Someone sent a photo and I got kicked off. Luckily I had a 2nd iPhone (no cellular) as a backup. I quit What’sApp after Facebook bought it. But that’s just me.

 

[blueant315]

That has been my experience as well. WhatsApp in my opinion has been the most reliable. Also, someone earlier mentioned that you need a phone number to create an account but all you have to do is just use a Google voice number to activate or Whatsapp account. You don't need a cell phone

So you can use whatsapp while in airplane mode if you're connected to the ship's free wifi? I'm leaning toward not purchasing a wifi package since it doesn't seem that reliable.

 

[randumb0]

So you can use whatsapp while in airplane mode if you're connected to the ship's free wifi? I'm leaning toward not purchasing a wifi package since it doesn't seem that reliable.

Yes you can use WhatsApp in airplane mode with their free wifi. Only texts work. Picture and video does not

 

[RedHead0186]

I'm not sure if this is still a thing or not, but we would save the free 100MB that you get on day 1 just for re-registering iMessage.

It's not a thing anymore. As DCL moved their WiFi plans to date-based instead of by usage, the free 100MB on the first day doesn't exist anymore.