Wi fi streaming on Explorer?

Has anyone tried to stream a TV show on wifi? Since there is no televised sports on Regent, we hope to stream our university's game.

Thanks for your help with this!

No streaming on Regent (intentional) You are lucky if you can view a 30 second video. There is an interesting thread on the Oceania board as to why Oceania (sister company to Regent) does not carry sports. I found it interesting!

We've used the ESPN play-by-play feature when we've been in Europe and couldn't get a game. It's not as good as actually watching the game (not even close) but it's sooo much better than missing the game completely.

what i did was i downloaded a couple of seasons from amazon video

in preparation for the bad internet and this worked out fine for me

internet is very bad on the explorer they have had months to fix this.

Constant disconnects unacceptable coming from the most luxurious cruise ship:)

what i did was i downloaded a couple of seasons from amazon video

in preparation for the bad internet and this worked out fine for me

 

internet is very bad on the explorer they have had months to fix this.

 

Constant disconnects unacceptable coming from the most luxurious cruise ship:)

I agree about the continuing internet problem. It works (slowly). It doesn't work. It hesitates. It will make you waste time trying to figure out if it is working or if there is a problem with your device. It is definitely not anything remotely in the realm of luxurious.

Regent promises on their website:

"Connect from the privacy of your suite or from the comfort of your lounge chair on the Pool Deck for as long as you like and visit the sites you frequent the most. We have quadrupled our bandwidth to enhance your browsing experience with high-speed WiFi that is similar to that of your fiber-optic network at home.

With our expanded bandwidth, you can now consume content, post to social media, view videos and photos, and stay in touch with family and friends on your ship’s network just as you would on land."

Regent does not deliver on its promise. In November guests could not even update apps on their devices because that kind of download was blocked.

What Regent "promises" is pretty much what we experienced onboard the Explorer. On sea days, when everyone was onboard, it was a bit slower and we did lose the connection a couple of times - not sure if that has to do with the satellite, the area we were sailing in or Regent.

IMO, when Regent talks about enhancing your browsing experience, it means what it says - it doesn't address streaming, uploads, etc. Actually, having written that, is it possible that passengers attempting to steam or upload slowed down the system for those of us simply trying to send emails or post on CC?

What Regent "promises" is pretty much what we experienced onboard the Explorer. On sea days, when everyone was onboard, it was a bit slower and we did lose the connection a couple of times - not sure if that has to do with the satellite, the area we were sailing in or Regent.

 

IMO, when Regent talks about enhancing your browsing experience, it means what it says - it doesn't address streaming, uploads, etc. Actually, having written that, is it possible that passengers attempting to steam or upload slowed down the system for those of us simply trying to send emails or post on CC?

I totally agree

I noticed that if you go to the library or the fifth floor like where the coffee shop and in front of reception you get good internet connection i was able to do work, surf websites etc

from penthouse room that we had get disconnects

not to bad though get reason to get out of room and try their awesome coffee

frap latte is awesome :)

ss of speed

ss of speed

Interesting but, unfortunately, I have no clue what it means (guess I'm a bit technically challenged).

Your suggest of the areas where Wi-Fi is the best is great. Our suite was as far forward as you could go on deck 12 and I only lost the signal a couple of times.

What Regent "promises" is pretty much what we experienced onboard the Explorer. On sea days, when everyone was onboard, it was a bit slower and we did lose the connection a couple of times - not sure if that has to do with the satellite, the area we were sailing in or Regent.

 

IMO, when Regent talks about enhancing your browsing experience, it means what it says - it doesn't address streaming, uploads, etc. Actually, having written that, is it possible that passengers attempting to steam or upload slowed down the system for those of us simply trying to send emails or post on CC?

Do you seriously believe that guests "can now consume content, post to social media, view videos and photos, and stay in touch with family and friends on your ship’s network just as you would on land” or that Regent "wifi is similar to your fiber-optic network at home”? There is no way to do the things that Regent promises you can do without uploading and downloading data (including streaming), so I don't understand the point about not addressing these areas.

It is obvious from reading CC threads that there are continuing and sometimes serious internet deficiences on the Regent ships. How many times have Regent travelers posted that they can’t upload or download a file, or connect at all, or access a website or upload photos, etc.? The complaints are numerous and ongoing.

My internet at home (and I don’t even have fiber-optic) lets me easily upload and download files. It doesn’t slow to a crawl for hours of the day or stop working several times a day. I can update apps on my phone, view videos and photos, and stay in touch with family and friends.

If the internet slows because guests are using it, then the problem is not enough bandwidth. Why blame passengers for consuming too much bandwidth when Regent promises that they can have it? The guests did not make the promise. Regent made the promise.

Regent doesn’t deliver what it promises. If Regent wishes to be honest about the matter, it has two choices—increase the internet performance or be truthful about what it delivers.

+1

Perfectly put, CtheCs

It is fairly obvious that the IT Dept decided to enhance the Internet experience for their loyal guests and those paying for the service (a service that was often lacking)

Meanwhile the Marketing Dept decided it would be good to offer "free" Internet for all guests; thereby swamping any improvements made by the IT Dept

Now that no-one is paying extra for their Internet connection, no-one at Regent has any incentive to improve....................rather just continually blame 'satellite coverage' or 'unexpected excessive use by guests' :rolleyes:

[quote name=flossie009;51834898

Now that no-one is paying extra for their Internet connection' date=' no-one at Regent has any incentive to improve....................rather just continually blame 'satellite coverage' or 'unexpected excessive use by guests' :rolleyes:[/quote]

For clarification purposes, Regent crew members did not make excuses about 'unexpected excessive use by the guests' - a contractor did - one with extensive expertise in the area of Wi-Fi at sea. In terms of 'satellite coverage', and once again I will quote Cruise Critic "Internet via satellite will never be as reliable as your broadband at home".

Below are excerpts of the article which may (or may not) help:

But the biggest limitation to reliability continues to be a clear path between the ship and the satellite. All the data being sent from the ship to the satellite and back (for example, pages loading on a browser) has to traverse this pathway. In order for there to be a connection, the antenna needs to be pointing at, and have an unobstructed line of sight to, the satellite. But sometimes that pathway between the antenna and the satellite is blocked. In port, it might be that a tall building is directly in between the ship and satellite. In the Norwegian fjords, the tall mountains often block satellites, so don't count on satellite reception there. However, it is true that the ship itself can block a signal -- on certain courses, the funnel or mast might be between the antenna and satellite.

Furthermore, when the ship has to change course quickly, it isn't uncommon for the signal to be temporarily lost. (Consider this yet another reason to frequently back up what you're writing.) Barring any obstructions, you can still get an Internet signal down in Antarctica and as far as 80 degrees north latitude in Svalbard.

Congestion within the path also can be a problem. As more people are on their computers or cell phones requiring data, congestion can build up and passengers could notice slower speeds".

A couple of other quotes from Cruise Critic's article:

"There are work-arounds for travelers who must get online during vacation.

For those searching for the fastest Internet connection, try to use the Internet when few people are online, such as late at night or in port when most passengers are ashore. The first is especially important while sailing far out to sea. The more people online sharing limited bandwidth, the slower the connection will be. Another tip, because some ships switch to terrestrial (land-based) towers when sailing close to shore, try saving the bulk of your Internet usage for times when you're nearest land.

Unfortunately, there isn't much else an individual cruiser can do. Users won't find any difference between connecting through Wi-Fi or through a cable to a potential data port in their cabin, nor will the ship's Internet cafe offer any difference in connection.".......

"..........over the next several years, these improvements will roll out to even more cruise ships. Passengers will be able to send emails, stream movies and Skype or FaceTime with friends almost as easily as they do at home. But -- and this is key -- there will always be some level of unreliability, especially the farther out to sea you sail."

 

Now that no-one is paying extra for their Internet connection, no-one at Regent has any incentive to improve....................rather just continually blame 'satellite coverage' or 'unexpected excessive use by guests' :rolleyes:

Indeed, I agree. It appears to me that often Regent's infrastructure-caused internet problems are simply attributed to the satellite connection.

For clarification purposes, Regent crew members did not make excuses about 'unexpected excessive use by the guests' - a contractor did - one with extensive expertise in the area of Wi-Fi at sea. In terms of 'satellite coverage', and once again I will quote Cruise Critic "Internet via satellite will never be as reliable as your broadband at home".

 

I don’t understand your point. The article you quote says that internet via satellite will never be as reliable as your broadband at home. Regent says its internet is like your fiber-optic cable internet at home (which presumably is better than broadband that CC is referring to.) So the article says what Regent promises won't happen.

You continue to bring up concepts about “excessive" usage or guests using the internet too much. The fact that an “expert" in Wi-Fi at sea uses the term “excessive” is to be expected. Yes, the usage on Regent ships exceeds the capacity of Regent's systems. Everyone is presumably aware of that. So one can say the guests use excessive data or one can say that the system has inadequate capacity.

The situation is similar to a cruise line that promises unlimited wine for guests, but then only provides the ship with a limited supply each day so they run out. You can say that the guests drink too much or you can say that the ship’s supply is inadequate. In either case, the cruise line's promise is not kept.

But once a business promises unlimited wi-fi that is just like your home wi-fi, it makes no sense to me to blame the guests for using too much data. Regent (the business) is failing to provide the infrastructure to enable guests to obtain what Regent says they provide. A reputable company provides what it promises.

You quote from one CC article, but there is also a CC review of “Voom” internet on Royal Caribbean Line’s Harmony of the Seas. The CC writer’s conclusion is that "By the cruise's end, it was quite clear that Royal Caribbean's Voom is well ahead of other options at sea, and at least as fast as a really high quality hotel connection on solid ground. It's probably faster than most of us have at home.”

If RCL can make internet the work for over 5000 passengers on a ship, I think Regent ought to step up to the plate and either keep their promise to passengers or provide an honest description of what they provide.

Great ad for Royal Caribbean! Guess they don't use a satellite. Good for them!

 

If RCL can make internet the work for over 5000 passengers on a ship, I think Regent ought to step up to the plate and either keep their promise to passengers or provide an honest description of what they provide.

Will give ya an update :)

Going on harmony of seas in march

Explorer is a beautiful ship top notch service john the cruise director did an awesome job very talented he is.

Great ad for Royal Caribbean! Guess they don't use a satellite. Good for them!

Actually, they DO use a satellite. A constellation of satellites, actually, 12 of them in a lower earth orbit than standard comsats. It reduces latency and provides faster service. If you're interested in the specifics, Google 'O3b Networks'.

I also like the wine analogy posted earlier - my biggest gripe isn't the crappy internet service (I'd come to expect that at sea) but rather Regent's bragging about how great their service is now. It is NOWHERE near as fast or reliable as home internet. And until they get it closer in speed and reliability, they need to quit marketing it as being something that it's not.

But now that raises a question - if RCI can provide the Voom service, why can't Regent?

Actually, they DO use a satellite. A constellation of satellites, actually, 12 of them in a lower earth orbit than standard comsats. It reduces latency and provides faster service. If you're interested in the specifics, Google 'O3b Networks'.

 

I also like the wine analogy posted earlier - my biggest gripe isn't the crappy internet service (I'd come to expect that at sea) but rather Regent's bragging about how great their service is now. It is NOWHERE near as fast or reliable as home internet. And until they get it closer in speed and reliability, they need to quit marketing it as being something that it's not.

 

But now that raises a question - if RCI can provide the Voom service, why can't Regent?

While you and I do not agree on this issue, I appreciate the way you explain the more technical details of internet at sea -- you are very tolerant of people with less expertise - thank you!

In terms of RCI's "Voom" service, aren't they the largest cruise line in the world (or maybe it's Carnival)? And here comes my lack of expertise again......a question: Some RCI ships hold upwards of 6,000 passengers/crew so wouldn't they need more bandwidth than Regent's largest ship with approximately 1,200 passengers and crew)?

I'm guessing that RCI passengers have to pay for internet usage but still, it is possible that they could have 1,200 people online at the same time (20% of total passengers and crew). However, if the number of people does not matter on "Voom", it might be a solution for Regent.

NOTE: Taking into consideration my lack of technical knowledge, kindly look at the map that this link will take you to https://www.o3bnetworks.com/technology/service-coverage/ . It appears that the countries below the orange line can get Voom but not countries above it? Sorry if this is a stupid question.

Just got off the Explorer this morning with 50 kids under 18, all using cell phones. (I was one of them.) The internet was surprisingly very fast with apps and while streaming and YouTube didn't work, I was able to Facetime actually quite a bit. Depending on when and where depends on the strength of the signal. You could maybe do a live play-by-play of the game!

Bill, I've verified that "Voom" is not available in half of the world (yet).

Good reason for Regent not using it.

It sounds as if The Explorer's Wi-Fi in the Caribbean is very good. If the kids are satisfied, it can't be all that bad.

Bill, I've verified that "Voom" is not available in half of the world (yet).

Good reason for Regent not using it.

 

Are you saying that Royal Caribbean is only going to provide internet coverage on its ships in half the world?

How was this verified?

I don't know - except for the NWP and Baltic, looks like pretty extensive coverage to me...

 

I don't know - except for the NWP and Baltic, looks like pretty extensive coverage to me...

Bill, I went to the website you suggested and naturally assumed that this is what "voom" was. Apparently, whatever website you gave only services half of the world.

Reading this thread, I suddenly realised we had been here before:

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2351654

This was at the time RCI were rolling out 'Voom' across their fleet and Regent were promising fast internet on all their ships

RCI have delivered, whereas Regent are still promising...........:rolleyes:

The lack of a reliable internet connection on-board is also an issue for crew-members

Our Butler recounted that when he first joined Regent he naively paid $20 for an Internet connection. On receiving no decent service for his outlay, and his money running out within an hour, he now joins other crew members in the cruise-terminals and on-shore bars/cafes which provide free Wi-Fi

The lack of a reliable internet connection on-board is also an issue for crew-members

 

Our Butler recounted that when he first joined Regent he naively paid $20 for an Internet connection. On receiving no decent service for his outlay, and his money running out within an hour, he now joins other crew members in the cruise-terminals and on-shore bars/cafes which provide free Wi-Fi

I'm a bit confused. This thread is about the Explorer but I suspect that you are referring to the Mariner or Voyager. Most crew members get free internet in port so the newbie was definitely naïve. We have found the internet on the Explorer to be fine (most of the time) and since passengers receive "free" or include internet, I don't see this as a problem.