Regatta "High Tech" Disappointment

[Kalena2704]

Just got off my first Oceania Cruise on the Regatta.

I give them a 9 for the entire cruise experience but a 0 for their "high speed" internet access.

We booked a 16 nt cruise basically because all their brochures advertise "high tech" internet access, email from your stateroom, etc. Read the brochure. Why don't they give the internet speed in their brochure?? 56K is not "high tech" in 2009. It is a 15 year old dial up system and gets slower as more try to sign on. Shame on us for not asking the speed! We were told by fellow cruisers that other cruise lines offer a real "high tech" internet. If we knew what we know now, we would not have booked Oceania.

We signed up for 800 min at a cost of $400. We figured this would be sufficient as my husband likes/needs to be in touch with his office at least 15 min a day. Boy were we SHOCKED when after running thru 400 min in 3 days that the "high tech" access is a 56K system!!! It took 15-20 minutes just to get on Yahoo...before any emails can be read. Forget about emailing pixs home of our great excursions, we couldn't even get on snapfish or shutterfly(too much info to open on such an old system). Opening pages today requires a faster connection.

We did complain, nicely, to the Oceania@Sea manager, later met with the

second in command and finally an email to Oceania Guest Services. The second in command suggested that we find an internet cafe while ashore! That was unacceptable to me. We were on the ship far longer than the time in ports!

The cruise line gave us an additional 80 minutes admitting their speed was slow. Trust me 80 minutes would allow you on yahoo two times to check email!

If anyone expects to be able to check stocks, bank accts, pay any bills online or go to your pc online....forget about it. Find another line.

You can email ONLY from their computer room at $2 an address, plus you are charged for incoming emails and attachments after a certain size,if that's all you want to do.

 

Our total experience otherwise was a "9". All personnel were friendly and professional. Our cabin stewardess, Ruslana was wonderful! All restaurants were clean , well managed and yes..delicious. Our weather was fantastic. The lectures and recipe presentations were informative and very enjoyable.

 

If Oceania wants to live up to their "high tech" image ,they better do a major speed update,FAST.

 

Also, check out a cruise critic site called Avid Cruiser. He was on our cruise and was going to do a write up. We were not the only passengers complaining. Many bought new mini laptops and iphones to use! Too slow for skype!

I am in a hotel in Rome and using their FREE real high speed internet!! My husband spent 15 min online too.

Kalena

[StanandJim]

It sounds as if you have not cruised very often elsewhere, either.

The kind of high speed connection that you describe just does not exist from a mobile base.

 

Granted, if you sail on a true "ultra luxury line" the smaller passenger load makes the same connection seem faster, but it is never as fast as a land connection.

 

Yes, the internet is slow, but I'll use this analogy, the food on Oceania is very very good, what makes it phenomenal is the fact that it is just as good in Bankok as it is in Miami. So too, the internet service has to be provided worldwide.

 

I'm sorry, but any expectation that you have of an Oceania cruise has to be put through the filter that you are ON A SHIP. The ship rocks, it creaks, the moving pieces sometimes make noise, and if they run out of raspberrys, they cannot send a busboy to Stop & Shop.

[KIWP]

It sounds as if you have not cruised very often elsewhere, either.

The kind of high speed connection that you describe just does not exist from a mobile base.

 

Granted, if you sail on a true "ultra luxury line" the smaller passenger load makes the same connection seem faster, but it is never as fast as a land connection.

 

Yes, the internet is slow, but I'll use this analogy, the food on Oceania is very very good, what makes it phenomenal is the fact that it is just as good in Bankok as it is in Miami. So too, the internet service has to be provided worldwide.

 

I'm sorry, but any expectation that you have of an Oceania cruise has to be put through the filter that you are ON A SHIP. The ship rocks, it creaks, the moving pieces sometimes make noise, and if they run out of raspberrys, they cannot send a busboy to Stop & Shop.

I totally agree with StanandJim!!! If you cruise, then cruise and enjoy the experiences to be had from such a mode of travel. If you are so inflexible and absolutely need what you have at home THEN STAY HOME!!!

[LHT28]

WOW if your main criteria is internet connection.... cruising may not be for you !!!

 

I have done banking, emails etc...on O & yes getting into Yahoo is slow... even here at home it is slow some days to the point where I could have a nap while waiting to get my mail. We have high speed cable .

 

Glad you were able to enjoy the rest of the ship

 

Lyn

[Oslo Dutch]

Internet speed on cruise ships is always very slow. Mainly because it's a satellite connection and it has to be shared with the rest of the ship's operational services. Nevertheless you are right it is a damn expensive service.

 

I never used it on board but I noticed that usually they had free Wifi in the ship's terminal when the ship is in port. I used that a lot. Just look out if you see crew with their own laptops and you are fine. :-)

 

But being on vacation I felt it was very nice not to be online :D

[Paulchili]

I totally agree with StanandJim!!! If you cruise, then cruise and enjoy the experiences to be had from such a mode of travel. If you are so inflexible and absolutely need what you have at home THEN STAY HOME!!!

 

In all fairness, not all people that cruise are retired. Some people simply must keep in touch with their business while away. That is not an unreasonable demand and certainly no reason to stay at home.

I have recently cruised on Princess (Crown with 3000 passengers) and the internet connection was very good - so it is doable on a ship.

Moreover, we had 500 free minutes as Platinum Princess cruisers - loyalty reward programs are very nice! This is a not so subtle hint for FDR.

PS It is much more enjoyable to use the internet from your room/the ship than rely on the port terminal - you can do it at your leisure and not cut into your port time.

[Rickey 88]

Just got off my first Oceania Cruise on the Regatta.

I give them a 9 for the entire cruise experience but a 0 for their "high speed" internet access.

If Oceania wants to live up to their "high tech" image ,they better do a major speed update,FAST. /quote]

 

You need to understand that Oceania (or any other cruise line, for that matter) does not own or operate any satellite communication system. They, and the others, pay for time on the system, but do not own it.

For years, others, before you, have suffered the same slow problem, and for a while, there was hope as Boeing announced they would develop a "high-speed" satellite network for use at sea. Later, it was announced that Boeing had dropped the idea.

I say this only to assure you that if it were in their power, Oceania and everyone else would love to provide faster access. However, it is not in their power, and you should really avoid words like "do a major speed update, FAST"

[cruzmaven]

I have to chime in here and say I agree with the OP. The internet service on the Regatta was the one criticism we had on our cruise last July. The service is so slow as to be unusable. I understand the limitations of providing internet service on a moving ship but I have been on other cruiselines that offered much better quality of service.

 

Agreed that quality of internet service should not be the deciding factor in choosing a cruise but it is a factor. For those of use who are not retired and who need to be able to stay in touch with the office during an extended period away, internet today is not a luxury, its a necessity.

 

To add insult to injury, the fees O charges for internet cannot be justified given the poor quality of the service. We paid for a 200 minute plan and were out of minutes by the 3rd day or 4th day of a 14 day cruise - just trying to check and respond to email. After that we gave up and used other land based options.

 

If O truly cannot improve the quality of the service they are providing, they need to greatly reduce the per minute and package charges or even make it included in the price of the cruise. I could struggle with spending 15 - 20 minutes to open my email account if I knew I wasn't being charged outrageous per minute charges. If they cannot improve the service or reduce the price they should eliminate it as on option. As a customer I would rather have a service not be offered than to pay a premium price for a poor quality service.

[ebobh]

We've sailed Oceania twice, and are booked for another cruise next year. We also sailed Regent this year. Since they have the same parent company, the hope is Oceania can step up to the (moderate) quality of Internet service on Regent. The speed to connect, send and receive was better, and the cost was lower. When hiccups occurred (disconnects) they were willing to give ample time added to the account to make up for it.

 

Concur with those who say it is slow everywhere; it is. Also concur that on-shore hotspots are a better option most of the time; they are. It is also a money-generator for the lines (which means they have little incentive to change the status quo unless other options pop up). The cost does seem unreasonably high given the slow speed and lack of options otherwise. I'm certain pay phone operators thought they would be there forever, too...

 

If it was a great connection, the charges would be reasonable (like for a satellite phone, which is a suitable alternative for someone needing to be in contact daily with others to exchange e-mail bits of info). If it sloooow, the cost should be looooow to match IMHO. Also, no need to shout when disagreeing, also IMHO.

 

Thanks, Bob H

[StanandJim]

If it sloooow, the cost should be looooow to match

Now Bob, if they did that, human nature being what it is, some people would never log off, and we'd be back to square one.

 

Oceania spends much more money buying bandwidth than they ever recoup from internet charges to pax. They keep the price high to limit usage.

 

The fact that these people expect to be able to skype from a ship should tell you all you need to know.

 

Geez Luise

[Wineart]

Thank you, Paulchili, I totally agree. I am not retired, and internet access is essential for me to keep in touch with my business. I do enjoy cruising very much, so to say that maybe cruising is not for me because I need internet access is not a statement I can agree with. The speed on Oceania is frustratingly slow, and it is impossible to download large files because the connection keeps dropping. I was on Azamara for the first time this year, and I had no problems with their connection and their rates were significantly cheaper than O's. So it is totally possible to cruise and have a decent internet connection at the same time.

[SunDapple]

We brought our own laptop, which was a bit of a hassle but in the end proved the smart thing to do because we have AOL Desktop loaded on it, so we didn't have to open a browser every time we wanted to get to our e-mail. We wrote our e-mails off line and then set up Auto AOL to work when we signed on. Auto AOL downloaded our incoming new mail and sent out our out-going, and then signed off. No web browsing due to the slow speed, but we were able to keep in touch multiple times per day. We even had minutes left over on the O internet package, which we then used on the last day to Google some burning questions we had about things we had seen or wondered about on our trip.

 

Yes, the slow speed is not what we're used to at home, but I would never give up a cruise on Oceania because of internet speed. Never. But I'll gladly give up cruising on mass-market ships that may or may not have faster internet speeds, but also have 2000 other passengers sharing that "speed" and everything else.

 

[tak2]

I was on this cruise too. In fact, I'm at the airport waiting for connecting flight.

Internet on this cruise was not any slower than my other Oceania cruises. Certain times of the day it's slower due to number of users.

I've seen some passengers, such as Ralph, publisher of Avidcruiser, using his hand held device to write his daily blogs for his online publication, and others using iPhone/blackberry to be in touch with their offices in USA, so those are options that are available. Ralph even posted pictures daily, so large files can be sent that way.

[nparmelee]

We were disappointed with the internet speed on our cruise, but we knew it would be slow before we left home. We also still need to keep in touch with our jobs at home, the internet speed was just good enough for that. Doing anything else was painful. I was able to upload a daily blog, but waited until port days when I could find another internet connection to do any photo uploads. Annoying as the internet speed was, it by no means ruined our trip!

[Paulchili]

I've seen some passengers, such as Ralph, publisher of Avidcruiser, using his hand held device to write his daily blogs for his online publication, and others using iPhone/blackberry to be in touch with their offices in USA, so those are options that are available. Ralph even posted pictures daily, so large files can be sent that way.

 

I am sure you can do all that and more - but at what price? Ralph probably has a business account and it's a business expense. Just like you can make ship to shore calls anytime if you don't have a cell phone (and are willing to pay for it).

[PVCruiser]

Oceania listened to their customers several years ago and was the first cruise line to upgrade to the Boeing satellite internet system. The system was also in use by a couple of airlines (I think Singapore was one), and several merchant ship companies. It was much faster than the preceding (and current system) supplied by SeaMobile.

 

Unfortunately, Boeing failed to make money with the venture and turned the system off.

 

The current link is only 256KB and is shared with the ship's other systems including telephone.

 

(-: Jack

[chicagogal]

Just got off my first Oceania Cruise on the Regatta.

I give them a 9 for the entire cruise experience but a 0 for their "high speed" internet access.

We booked a 16 nt cruise basically because all their brochures advertise "high tech" internet access, email from your stateroom, etc. Read the brochure. Why don't they give the internet speed in their brochure?? 56K is not "high tech" in 2009. It is a 15 year old dial up system and gets slower as more try to sign on. Shame on us for not asking the speed! We were told by fellow cruisers that other cruise lines offer a real "high tech" internet. If we knew what we know now, we would not have booked Oceania.

We signed up for 800 min at a cost of $400. We figured this would be sufficient as my husband likes/needs to be in touch with his office at least 15 min a day. Boy were we SHOCKED when after running thru 400 min in 3 days that the "high tech" access is a 56K system!!! It took 15-20 minutes just to get on Yahoo...before any emails can be read. Forget about emailing pixs home of our great excursions, we couldn't even get on snapfish or shutterfly(too much info to open on such an old system). Opening pages today requires a faster connection.

We did complain, nicely, to the Oceania@Sea manager, later met with the

second in command and finally an email to Oceania Guest Services. The second in command suggested that we find an internet cafe while ashore! That was unacceptable to me. We were on the ship far longer than the time in ports!

The cruise line gave us an additional 80 minutes admitting their speed was slow. Trust me 80 minutes would allow you on yahoo two times to check email!

If anyone expects to be able to check stocks, bank accts, pay any bills online or go to your pc online....forget about it. Find another line.

You can email ONLY from their computer room at $2 an address, plus you are charged for incoming emails and attachments after a certain size,if that's all you want to do.

 

Our total experience otherwise was a "9". All personnel were friendly and professional. Our cabin stewardess, Ruslana was wonderful! All restaurants were clean , well managed and yes..delicious. Our weather was fantastic. The lectures and recipe presentations were informative and very enjoyable.

 

If Oceania wants to live up to their "high tech" image ,they better do a major speed update,FAST.

 

Also, check out a cruise critic site called Avid Cruiser. He was on our cruise and was going to do a write up. We were not the only passengers complaining. Many bought new mini laptops and iphones to use! Too slow for skype!

I am in a hotel in Rome and using their FREE real high speed internet!! My husband spent 15 min online too.

Kalena

 

WOW! Sorry your cruise was ruined by this.

 

A suggestion is that for the same $400 you could have bought a Blackberry or (I assume) an iphone and several months of service. I have used my Blackberry with AT&T e mail service on ships all over the world inclusing Oceania (South America, Russia, China, Costa Rica, Baltic etc) and almost always have connectivity with no speed problem whatsoever. I checked and sent e mail multiple times daily and never have had more than a $150 bill. I always get the international roaming plan before I leave. When you are closer to shore, but still on the ship, and pick up a signal from shore, it is less expensive.

 

Obviously I am not retired, either ... :)

[chicagogal]

Sorry for my double post - "high speed" internet at home doesn't always work right either! Seriously though - some of you may want to check out the Blackberry option. It is not as expensive as you may think.

[tak2]

WOW! Sorry your cruise was ruined by this.

 

A suggestion is that for the same $400 you could have bought a Blackberry or (I assume) an iphone and several months of service. I have used my Blackberry with AT&T e mail service on ships all over the world inclusing Oceania (South America, Russia, China, Costa Rica, Baltic etc) and almost always have connectivity with no speed problem whatsoever. I checked and sent e mail multiple times daily and never have had more than a $150 bill. I always get the international roaming plan before I leave. When you are closer to shore, but still on the ship, and pick up a signal from shore, it is less expensive.

 

Obviously I am not retired, either ... :)

 

I believe that was what my friend did. He said he signed up for the plan just before the cruise, and only use it for a month. Your cost sounds about right.

[caribbeansun]

Used my blackberry throughout our 3+ week trip to Greece and Turkey in 2007. We would pick up a signal from a land based service whenever we got closer to land (virtually every day) - email in, email out - done, no worries. Roaming charges on data can be a bit heavy compared to home use but as I'm self-employed it worked quite well and I stayed in touch with customers throughout. I wasn't receiving or pushing out big files mind you but for email communications it was perfect. We waited until we got back home to post pics of the trip. My costs for the duration were dramatically less than the $400 internet fee quoted by the OP.

[Dreps]

Just a quick reply. As was said by another replier, Regent and Oceania have the same parent company, and apparently Regent provides a somewhat better Internet expeirience (haven't been on Oceania yet). The other aspect one should note is that after 20 days on Regent cruises, you qualify for free internet service. Many find this the greatest single loyalty perk. We certainly use it a lot.

[brian_uk]

I have decided I am going to make a film

 

" Cruise Defenders "

 

The plot is that anyone anywhere who dares to make any criticism of a Cruise Line is quietly disposed of.........

 

G+D forbid you name names or quote the Brochure which highlights "High Speed Internet Connection and actually expect to receive that !!!! "

 

It is absolutely no comfort to the Poster to say that all Cruise Lines are the same......they expected to receive what was advertised.

 

Anyway....back to the Film

 

Brian played by Dustin Hoffman

 

Dream on..........

 

Brian

[StanandJim]

Brian-

 

I hear what you are saying about receiving what is advertised, however, once one realizes that some aspect of a trip is not what one thought it would be, the experienced traveler will reconnoiter. To continue to push through with the original plan, to the point where it ruins ones trip is ridiculous.

 

A cruise passenger is a paying guest, so I suppose that it could be argued that there is a lesser obligation to be gracious, yet the OP's represented themselves as business people of some experience which implies a certain level of sophistication.

 

In business, as in life, I suppose, one must adapt, allow and amend constantly to have any degree of success.

 

You're much better off with a first class sherry in Spain, for example, than a third rate dry martini.....even if you were promised that dry Martini's would be available.

 

To insist on the martini and then grouse about its' quality.....well....... I'm repeating myself. :p

 

 

Have a wonderful Day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Btw, in the film, I really should be played by Robert Wagner circa 1964:

It's not a physical resemblance so much as an artfully tousled simpatico......

[orchestrapal]

Love your reply as usual! Remember the years when there was no communication when at sea and no one seemed to mind. What a shame that something like slow Internet can ruin someones trip. We'll deal with it and be happy to have it at all!:D

[A Knitter]

Brian-

 

I hear what you are saying about receiving what is advertised, however, once one realizes that some aspect of a trip is not what one thought it would be, the experienced traveler will reconnoiter. To continue to push through with the original plan, to the point where it ruins ones trip is ridiculous.

 

A cruise passenger is a paying guest, so I suppose that it could be argued that there is a lesser obligation to be gracious, yet the OP's represented themselves as business people of some experience which implies a certain level of sophistication.

 

In business, as in life, I suppose, one must adapt, allow and amend constantly to have any degree of success.

 

You're much better off with a first class sherry in Spain, for example, than a third rate dry martini.....even if you were promised that dry Martini's would be available.

 

To insist on the martini and then grouse about its' quality.....well....... I'm repeating myself. :p

 

 

Have a wonderful Day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Btw, in the film, I really should be played by Robert Wagner circa 1964:

It's not a physical resemblance so much as an artfully tousled simpatico......

 

 

You missed your calling as a screenwriter. I would love to see how you write an episode of Law and Order.:)

 

An Orcehstrapal is so right, how did we function without internet and cell phones. I have decided this trip not to use the internet onboard. We have enough port days to find a internet cafe.