During recent Disney Fantasy sailings from Port Canaveral, Disney Cruise Line has been testing free iMessage service for passengers using an Apple iOS device. Guests are receiving a Disney Cruise Navigator App handout in the terminal upon embarkation check-in with instructions to download and or update the app to the latest version before setting sail.

The handout includes important reminders on how to use the free to use app once onboard and notice that guests may receive push notifications from other apps.

Guest who received push notifications form other apps will not be counted against a data plan if you do not have a data plan. From past experience, I’ve never had push notifications impact my data plan when I am logged out of my internet data plan while still connected to DCL-GUEST.

The most notable bit of information on the Disney Cruise Navigator App handout is a mention of complimentary text messages via iMessage between guest onboard and back at home without needing an internet data plan.

At this time, we’ve heard the complimentary iMessaging is just an intermittent test on the Disney Fantasy and may or may not expand to all sailings across the fleet.

Let me know in the comments below if you’ve encountered complimentary iMessaging on a recent Disney Cruise. I’d be interested to see if they are testing this on any other ship. Additionally, for those that have been using the service, have you been able to easily sent and receive photos and video?