Internet access and stations - Viking Lomonosov

[LeDemonBlond]

My wife is going on the Viking Lomonosov ship in a few weeks for a Ukraine river boat cruise. I understand that internet is free and there are internet workstations on board. I'm wondering how reliable was the internet on the ship and best times to use it? How many internet workstations? I read in some older posts that surfing the web was not great due to limited bandwidth and its really only good for basic e-mail.

How was your experience?

[CJcruzer]

we were just on the Lomonosov July 2010 ---- the internet is NOT FREE - they have laptops which you sign out and there is a charge per hour (you can accumulate multiple usages to add to the hour)... peopl who had just been on their Moscow/St. petersburg route said the internet was free, but they had to pay for beer - it was just the reverse for the Lomonosov.....

 

Reception in between ports is almost non-existent, especially when you are up the Dnieper - the Black Sea ports were a little better....best to use the internet while still docked - not at sea.....

 

Also beware that you are charged for internet from TIME you sign out the laptop to TIME YOU BRING it back to front desk....there was one couple who kept the laptop in their room when they were finished:eek: not realizing that they weren't being charged just for log-in and log-out but for physically having the laptop....!!!!!

[Sgt. Pepper]

Just returned from the Ukraine. Internet is free if you bring your own laptop. Ship is wired for WIFI. Best reception is in the library. Virtually no reception when sailing. Connection is usually good when docked. There is a charge to rent laptops. Two are available.

[LeDemonBlond]

Difficult to find people who have gone on this ship. So thanks again for replying, very appreciated.

 

We had called Viking about the rental of the laptop. I think they quoted 5 euros per hour. Good to know that you should return as soon as your done.

 

We are seriously thinking of getting a netbook so my wife can stay in touch with e-mail and I'm looking at skype as an instant message option.

 

I get the impression from talking with Viking that wireless worked best in the library however, I suspect if your cabin is close to the library, you might be able to pick it up reasonably well.

 

That is too bad that it doesn't work well when the ship is moving (during the evening for the most part) as I suspect that would be the best time to check e-mail.

[LeDemonBlond]

My wife/father-in-law are on the ship now and we have been e-mailing each other which is great. Today we actually did skype ( Video/audio calls ) and that worked. It was really good to hear and see her. I suspect Microsoft messenger will also work. The video is not the best but certainly viewable. The audio was very clear. So the bandwidth is certainly capable. She sent a couple of pictures to us but said they took along time to load for anyone thinking of doing something like that.

 

As mentioned, in port works the best. I think she did try once or twice while the ship was cruising and the connection was spotty.

 

Found that she could use the wireless internet from her room. She isnt't on the same deck as the library but is above it and a few cabins down from it so that is probably why she can pick up the connection. :)