Internet Advice, Please

[canadiansnowbird]

Hi All:

 

We are sailing next week on the Sapphire for 30 days, San Francisco to Sydney, our second Princess cruise.

 

I have not used Princess Internet before, but plan to take my IPad and use my GMail account for messages to and from my family only. (Set up the GMail account for this trip especially)

 

Any advice for using the ships internet? How many minutes should be sufficient for this cruise? Our cabin is aft, would we be able to receive wireless? Any tips would be appreciated.

 

Snowbird

[jotabecu]

Hi All:

 

We are sailing next week on the Sapphire for 30 days, San Francisco to Sydney, our second Princess cruise.

 

I have not used Princess Internet before, but plan to take my IPad and use my GMail account for messages to and from my family only. (Set up the GMail account for this trip especially)

 

Any advice for using the ships internet? How many minutes should be sufficient for this cruise? Our cabin is aft, would we be able to receive wireless? Any tips would be appreciated.

 

Snowbird

 

 

 

See below

http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/onboard/in_touch.jsp

[jotabecu]

See below

http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/onboard/in_touch.jsp

 

 

 

Sorry, forgot message.

 

Hope this helps you. I always carry my laptop and have always had a fairly good connection, last trip I was almost in the last cabin in Ocean Princess.

[donscomp]

Hi All:

 

We are sailing next week on the Sapphire for 30 days, San Francisco to Sydney, our second Princess cruise.

 

I have not used Princess Internet before, but plan to take my IPad and use my GMail account for messages to and from my family only. (Set up the GMail account for this trip especially)

 

Any advice for using the ships internet? How many minutes should be sufficient for this cruise? Our cabin is aft, would we be able to receive wireless? Any tips would be appreciated.

 

Snowbird

 

 

We were aft of the ship on Golden. Were able to hook in wireless no problem. JUST MAKE SURE YOU LOG OFF. I go as far as killing the wireless on my laptop when not using it. Seen a few people with BIG internet bills because of it.

We also use gmail as it loads real quick and I forward my other emails TO it.

 

Mins. used? We are in a suite so we buy mins then are credited back.

 

Internet can be slow.

 

Start with a 250 min block and see how fast you go through it. Or I think now for 103.00 it is 300+ mins.

[GracefulOceanWaves]

How many minutes would be sufficient for ME on a 30 day cruise would be different than the number for YOU.

 

It totally depends on what your typical usage is like when you travel. Some people use it a lot, some people use very very little. Some people compose emails while connected to the internet, some people compose offline and just connect to SEND. Some people shop online, some people don't. Some people read the news online, some people don't. Some people upload their photos to online storage places, some people don't.

 

I'm not sure there's an answer to your question.

Enjoy your cruise.

[lbryant]

My husband will be "working" during our 10-day on the Emerald in the Eastern Carib. Any advice on the best site for the WiFi signal (best in your room? - we're inside on Baja deck far forward), Piazza? any particular lounge better than others)? are certain times of day better than others? Since his office is on Pacific time, working early mornings may not be possible.

Also, how can we sign up pre-cruise to take advantage of the bonus minutes offered? I don't see a place in the cruise personalizer to buy the internet package.

 

Thanks

[Loonbeam]

No way to tell which location will be best without testing, too many factors. Different antenna types can handle different signals better, also it will depend on how many other connections are using the same wireless access point (as an example, even if you have the fastest wap on the ship, if 10 people are using it at that moment, the overall slower one that one person may use at the other end will have more bandwith). Mix into that the inherent instability of a satellite connection and it will be hit or miss.

 

My husband will be "working" during our 10-day on the Emerald in the Eastern Carib. Any advice on the best site for the WiFi signal (best in your room? - we're inside on Baja deck far forward), Piazza? any particular lounge better than others)? are certain times of day better than others? Since his office is on Pacific time, working early mornings may not be possible.

Also, how can we sign up pre-cruise to take advantage of the bonus minutes offered? I don't see a place in the cruise personalizer to buy the internet package.

 

Thanks

[geoherb]

On the Sapphire last month, we did not have very good reception in our cabin. We were on the Plaza Deck beside the art gallery area. The Internet host suggested leaving the cabin door open when we wanted to connect. My DH did that some, and said it helped. But I would just carry the laptop to the atrium area when I was ready. I'd compose all my emails and Cruise Critic postings in Word and have them ready to go. I had minutes left at the end of the week from our Platinum package even after letting DH use some of mine. I started with 150 and he started with 250. We're Platinum, so the first 150 each were free.

[Hlitner]

The well-known secret to getting the most for your minutes is having your own laptop with e-mail software. Instead of wasting valuable time (40 - 50 cents a minute) while on the internet you then log on, open your e-mail software and quickly download your e-mails, and then immediately log-off. While off-line you can then read your e-mail, compose replies and take your time. When you are ready you simply log back on and repeat the process (also sending your e-mails). We recently used this method on a 41 day Prinsendam cruise and managed to make a $100 package (about 240 min) last for the entire cruise. The folks who use the internet cafe and/or a web browser to get their e-mails (such as hotmail, g-mail, etc) waste an awful lot of time just sitting on the internet while they read and respond to e-mails. On a long cruise this amounts to hundreds of dollars.

 

Hank

[Essiesmom]

My husband will be "working" during our 10-day on the Emerald in the Eastern Carib. Any advice on the best site for the WiFi signal (best in your room? - we're inside on Baja deck far forward), Piazza? any particular lounge better than others)? are certain times of day better than others? Since his office is on Pacific time, working early mornings may not be possible.

Also, how can we sign up pre-cruise to take advantage of the bonus minutes offered? I don't see a place in the cruise personalizer to buy the internet package.

 

Thanks

I was just on Emerald last week. Reception was not very good in my cabin (inside aft, Aloha deck) but I took my laptop down to the International cafe, snagged a table and had wonderful reception.

Go to the Princess home page, down toward the bottom is Gifts & Services. There you can 'gift' yourself internet time. I did it for my Diamond Alaska cruise. EM

[Colo Cruiser]

Hi All:

 

We are sailing next week on the Sapphire for 30 days, San Francisco to Sydney, our second Princess cruise.

 

I have not used Princess Internet before, but plan to take my IPad and use my GMail account for messages to and from my family only. (Set up the GMail account for this trip especially)

 

Any advice for using the ships internet? How many minutes should be sufficient for this cruise? Our cabin is aft, would we be able to receive wireless? Any tips would be appreciated.

 

Snowbird

 

Apparently there has been some issues with the use of an Ipad onboard, specificaly the Sapphire live thread (PamCa).

[canadiansnowbird]

Apparently there has been some issues with the use of an Ipad onboard, specificaly the Sapphire live thread (PamCa).

 

What Live thread is that? No PamCa

 

Snowbird

[canadiansnowbird]

The well-known secret to getting the most for your minutes is having your own laptop with e-mail software. Instead of wasting valuable time (40 - 50 cents a minute) while on the internet you then log on, open your e-mail software and quickly download your e-mails, and then immediately log-off. While off-line you can then read your e-mail, compose replies and take your time. When you are ready you simply log back on and repeat the process (also sending your e-mails). We recently used this method on a 41 day Prinsendam cruise and managed to make a $100 package (about 240 min) last for the entire cruise. The folks who use the internet cafe and/or a web browser to get their e-mails (such as hotmail, g-mail, etc) waste an awful lot of time just sitting on the internet while they read and respond to e-mails. On a long cruise this amounts to hundreds of dollars.

 

Hank

 

That is the way I have decided to get my e-mail also. Compose on Apple Mail, log on, send and pick up my gmail. I just have to remember to LOG OFF, or as donscomp says "turn off your wireless"

I wouldn't do it the other way either. I just have to figure out approximately how much i would need for 30 days and buy it beforehand thru Princess.

 

Snowbird

 

Snowbird

[gooch47]

I thought if you forgot to log off that after some number of inactive minutes you were logged off automatically. Not that the "some number" wouldn't add up.

[GracefulOceanWaves]

My husband will be "working" during our 10-day on the Emerald in the Eastern Carib. Any advice on the best site for the WiFi signal (best in your room? - we're inside on Baja deck far forward), Piazza? any particular lounge better than others)? are certain times of day better than others? Since his office is on Pacific time, working early mornings may not be possible.

Also, how can we sign up pre-cruise to take advantage of the bonus minutes offered? I don't see a place in the cruise personalizer to buy the internet package.

 

Thanks

 

My answer - someplace off the ship in an internet cafe.

 

To quote a member of the current Emerald's Cruise Director staff in conversation with me last month "in the Caribbean a ship has the worst internet coverage anywhere - even developing third-world countries have better". And they were right. I've cruised more than 15 times in all parts of the world and a ship's internet connectivity is always the worst on Caribbean voyages.

 

I honestly can't imagine even considering trying to depend on a ship's internet connectivity to get actual work done. It can take 10 minutes to successfully log in and check a single email. And it's not just how ridiculously sssssllllloooooooooow it moves, it's the total frustration factor associated with it.

 

I can't even imagine giving serious consideration to the idea.

 

To the best of my knowledge, you cannot sign up ahead of time. When you are onboard, sign up the first day and you can take advantage of the extra minutes offered :)

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[GracefulOceanWaves]

I used my iPad on the Emerald last month with very very very few issues. We were on Dolphin deck w/balcony. I never had to move around to a specific place in the cabin to get a signal or anything. Not once did I have to go out to the Piazza or a public area.

 

As an aside, I love my iPad. For me and what I do, it's a near perfect device for traveling. I love watching movies on it, reading books, playing Scrabble, doing email, listening to music, using various apps, etc. It's compact and lightweight with a fabulous screen. Love it love it love it!

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[caribill]

To the best of my knowledge, you cannot sign up ahead of time. When you are onboard, sign up the first day and you can take advantage of the extra minutes offered :)

 

 

 

Yes, as others have posted, you can pre-purchase Internet packages on the Princess web site. If you do, you get twice as many bonus minutes than the first day onboard purchase would give you.

[Colo Cruiser]

What Live thread is that? No PamCa

 

Snowbird

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1268318