Wifi in all Cabins

[Germancruiser]

Hi

boarding Connie in October and thinking of takeing our Laptop- so there comes my question, is there Wifi in all Cabins and how much do they charge each day?

Greetings and thanks

Michael

[Sail Girl]

Hi

boarding Connie in October and thinking of takeing our Laptop- so there comes my question, is there Wifi in all Cabins and how much do they charge each day?

Greetings and thanks

Michael

 

There is a per minute charge sold in packages. Wifi is not available in all cabins, but only in certain areas on deck 3 and deck 10 and in the area of Celebrity On Line on deck 6.

[kitty9]

In cabin wifi is very spotty on the M class ships. Your best bet is near to the computer center, either decks 4 or 5. If you go via the per minute route, it's $.65. If you purchase a block of minutes, it gets progressively less per mi ute.

[bigwalt0176]

I would suggest downloading and installing SSIDer. http://www.metageek.net/products/inssider/

 

It will tell you the strength of wireless communication spots without having to log in. You can find the strongest signals throughout the ship and position yourself accordingly.

[gracecarmo]

I plan to bring my new I Pad for our Alaska Infinity Cruise next week.

After I sign up with the computer folks, using my Elite minutes, am I correct that I can use the I Pad with these minutes? I assume I have to go to some sort of "WiFi Hot Spot" to get service?

We are in one of the aft cabins, and not sure if it will work there?

 

Ahhhh, technology.....too much for for me! But I love it!

[geepmaley]

$0.75 per minute for a slow satellite based (slower than landline) connection was a no go for me. WE found wifi hot spots in a couple ports to stay connected

 

Ship connection WAS available in the cabin and all over ship, though (Equinox)

[Germancruiser]

Thank you all for your kind answers- as I see it- there is no money saveing in takeing our own Laptop- seems to me the same price ad at Celebrity Online. Then I suppose we don´t bother to schlep it around!

Thanks again

Michael

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Thank you all for your kind answers- as I see it- there is no money saveing in takeing our own Laptop- seems to me the same price ad at Celebrity Online. Then I suppose we don´t bother to schlep it around!

Thanks again

Michael

 

You are correct in that it will be the same price whether you access the internet from your PC or from the Celebrity computer center. The possibility for saving money by taking your own computer arises from the ability to compose messages offline or to take your PC to wireless hotspots off the ship. Whether or not it is worth it to you depends on how much you plan to use your computer. Enjoy your cruise!

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I plan to bring my new I Pad for our Alaska Infinity Cruise next week.

After I sign up with the computer folks, using my Elite minutes, am I correct that I can use the I Pad with these minutes? I assume I have to go to some sort of "WiFi Hot Spot" to get service?

We are in one of the aft cabins, and not sure if it will work there?

 

Ahhhh, technology.....too much for for me! But I love it!

 

Hi Grace!

 

Yes, you will be able to use your Elite minutes with your new iPad. My guess is you won't be able to access the wi-fi in your aft cabin, but give it a try and see what happens. If that doesn't work, go up to the lido or somewhere close to the computer center. I've also had it work in the Cova Cafe (or its replacement) on M class ships. Enjoy Alaska!

[Lsimon]

We've used our laptop and iPad on the ship and they work fine, but very slow as all of the internet service on the ship is very slow.

 

On the M class ships there is no in-cabin service unless your cabin happens to be adjacent to one of the hot spots on the ship. In our aft cabin on the Constellation we had no signal at all.

 

We took our iPad to the buffet, one of the lounges or even one of the chairs by the mid ship elevators on our floor when we wanted service,

[Fixit2010]

Hmmm this links to a question I asked a while back. i think it was a little too technically worded for most and got little answer, anyway here is my question in a less techy geeky way.

 

Has anyone (UK) taken their own mobile broadband package and did they get it to work in their cabin when in port?

 

I took mine (which was set up for European services), with my laptop, but could never get a connection until I got back to the UK.

[Fixit2010]

With all the comms equipment on board and the big golf ball radar housings on the roof, does the ship block incoming internet connections, forcing you to subscribe to the very slow wi fi so they can squeeze more $$$ out of you?

[kat228]

With all the comms equipment on board and the big golf ball radar housings on the roof, does the ship block incoming internet connections, forcing you to subscribe to the very slow wi fi so they can squeeze more $$$ out of you?

 

No. Cell towers only have a range of about a mile. So seeing as how they're out on the ocean (or sea) there's nothing really to block. The fact they even have internet at all is pretty miraculous.

[Fixit2010]

What about in port?

[Lsimon]

What about in port?

 

We've never received local wifi on the ship in port, although we've frequently seen free or lower cost wifi service in port terminals or nearby businesses.

 

We've always been able to get local cellular signals and data in port, presuming we had the service. We're USA AT&T wireless customers and have been able to get cellular voice, text and data services in port in Florida, St. Thomas and San Juan. When we went to Europe we've been able to make calls and the time we had purchased an international data roaming package we were able to get cellular data in port and European cities as well. We probably could have gotten it without the package but didn't want to try due to the high costs.

 

Does this anwer your question? I wasn't compltely sure what you were asking.

[kat228]

What about in port?

 

As long as your service is set to receive signals from companies that are not just your home company, you should receive them (like the previous post stated.) It would be a little ridiculous for the ship to even have the technology to block the service. Now, I'm sure with the way it's designed, you might not have the best reception in your cabin.

 

Even though my cell phone is on a plan where I can pick up a signal in Canada when I travel here for work, there are times when I cannot get a signal and dial out because I'm not on the right network. So the problem lies with your provider, not with Celebrity.

[Germancruiser]

Thanks- I use the computer less every cruise I take- I am on vacation and go for a relaxing time. Just nice to be able to check e- Mail from time to time. So I guess I can survive without! LOL. Thanks again. Cruise Crtitic was again a BIG help.

Michael

[geepmaley]

No. Cell towers only have a range of about a mile. So seeing as how they're out on the ocean (or sea) there's nothing really to block. The fact they even have internet at all is pretty miraculous.

 

Ship internet is satellite based I believe, which explains the high cost and slow speeds. In port, I was able to see local hot spots from my port side balcony, but there were very few that were free. That being said, In parts of Santorini, Istanbul and Mykonos I found open signals long enough to sync email, but not to surf the Internet. I guess if I had stopped moving and stayed put inside one of these free zones I could have done more ;)

 

Most ports had a Starbucks and the Stabucks had wifi. Not free necessarily, but available. A lot of people had their laptops and used them in port.

 

I brought a laptop for our pre and post cruise stops and as a way to back up my SD cards each night to an external harddrive to make sure we didn't lose any pics.

[geepmaley]

We've never received local wifi on the ship in port, although we've frequently seen free or lower cost wifi service in port terminals or nearby businesses.

 

We've always been able to get local cellular signals and data in port, presuming we had the service. We're USA AT&T wireless customers and have been able to get cellular voice, text and data services in port in Florida, St. Thomas and San Juan. When we went to Europe we've been able to make calls and the time we had purchased an international data roaming package we were able to get cellular data in port and European cities as well. We probably could have gotten it without the package but didn't want to try due to the high costs.

 

Does this anwer your question? I wasn't compltely sure what you were asking.

 

Most major carriers have roaming agreements in place so you can use "partner" networks just like your home network. For instance, I have an iPhone with AT&T and have used it for calls, SMS and even occasionally data all over Europe. Costs a small fortune, but is able to be used.

[TLCOhio]

From our Solstice cruise earlier this month, I did a $200 plan that made the cost work out to about 36 cents a minute. That gave me lots of time to check e-mail, post many pictures, do a live blog, follow news back home, etc.

 

BUT, the wireless service in our room and other major places on the ship for my MacBook Pro was rather irregular and marginal. Many times, I used a cord to hook into the jack on my room phone in order to get service. The staff was very good and helpful, but there were some technical issues while on the ship. Nobody could explain it. For such a new, well-built ship, I was puzzled by this "reality". We all know that ship Internet is not that fast, but I was surprised by the mixed wireless connection quality while on this ship. Last summer, we were way up the Norway coast, above the Arctic Circle, etc. and had much better connections by wireless on the ship.

 

You can see more details and pictures from our experiences below. It was our first with Celebrity and we enjoyed the experience so much.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Just back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. These postings are now over 14,700 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2011, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now over 44,600 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

Appreciate those who have “tuned in” for these two posts. Don’t be shy and feel free to comment and/or ask any questions of interest.

[Fixit2010]

Most major carriers have roaming agreements in place so you can use "partner" networks just like your home network. For instance, I have an iPhone with AT&T and have used it for calls, SMS and even occasionally data all over Europe. Costs a small fortune, but is able to be used.

 

Last year, I partnered a T-mobile (uk) mobile broadband plan for £40 use and a further £40 for Europe. I received a USB modem that plugs in to my laptop.

It works great in the UK, however once we left the UK I could not pickup a signal. I realize at sea there is no coverage, but I had no connectivity in the ports either, though I had network connectivity on my phone, even roaming or connecting to another carrier. This is why I wondered if personal internet signals are blocked. You have to admit the have some serious radar and comms equipment, who know what it does.

[kat228]

Ship internet is satellite based I believe, which explains the high cost and slow speeds. In port, I was able to see local hot spots from my port side balcony, but there were very few that were free. That being said, In parts of Santorini, Istanbul and Mykonos I found open signals long enough to sync email, but not to surf the Internet. I guess if I had stopped moving and stayed put inside one of these free zones I could have done more ;)

 

Most ports had a Starbucks and the Stabucks had wifi. Not free necessarily, but available. A lot of people had their laptops and used them in port.

 

I brought a laptop for our pre and post cruise stops and as a way to back up my SD cards each night to an external harddrive to make sure we didn't lose any pics.

 

I was just responding to the post that claimed that Celebrity "blocked" incoming cell reception. And just saying they don't because cell reception only goes so far.

 

My fiance is an engineer in RF communications. I get earfuls everynight on how cell & satalite waveforms work. I showed him this thread to give him an idea on what we can expect if we wanted to connect onboard and he got fiesty because people were complaining about how slow the internet was, it was his line that it's miraculous that they even get internet service with the way it's designed.

 

I do believe you're right in that the ship is satalite based. We're not planning on connecting while onboard. I'll bring my iPad with me to back up our photos nightly, and we might bring it on shore to send out the odd email update, but we like to disconnect if at all possible on vacation!

[geepmaley]

Last year, I partnered a T-mobile (uk) mobile broadband plan for £40 use and a further £40 for Europe. I received a USB modem that plugs in to my laptop.

It works great in the UK, however once we left the UK I could not pickup a signal. I realize at sea there is no coverage, but I had no connectivity in the ports either, though I had network connectivity on my phone, even roaming or connecting to another carrier. This is why I wondered if personal internet signals are blocked. You have to admit the have some serious radar and comms equipment, who know what it does.

 

Sounds like an issue with the equipment you got only working on the UK network. While we were in port, my iPhone always linked to the local Cell service, even if I was on ship. Actually, while going through the Straits of Messina and in the Dardenelles (sp?) even while we were actually sailing I was getting "local" land based cell service not ship based. It was only when we were away from land when the ship cellular service, "Cellular at Sea" or something line that, showed up

[kat228]

Last year, I partnered a T-mobile (uk) mobile broadband plan for £40 use and a further £40 for Europe. I received a USB modem that plugs in to my laptop.

It works great in the UK, however once we left the UK I could not pickup a signal. I realize at sea there is no coverage, but I had no connectivity in the ports either, though I had network connectivity on my phone, even roaming or connecting to another carrier. This is why I wondered if personal internet signals are blocked. You have to admit the have some serious radar and comms equipment, who know what it does.

 

If you were in the ports, why would Celebrity have any control on your signals? I assume you mean ashore and not on the ship?

 

ETA: Even though my phone (plan is Verizon) is supposed to work in Canada, there are plenty of areas where I don't connect to the local carrier.

[Fixit2010]

Ok re the last 2 people,

 

I wanted to send some e-mails from my cabin, so while in port, I intended to use my laptop on the ship. Taking off and on board is too bulky with all the other things we take. I had hoped that my usb broadband modem would connect to a european carrier as told by T-Mobile.

 

If the equipment was and still is picking up in the UK then its working and communicates. For whatever reason it failed to connect out of the UK. I did try all the international providers listed but it would not connect to a non UK provider.

 

My phones had no problem in picking up roaming air time providers and even kept alternating when we had europe on one side of the ship and africa on the other.

 

Short of bringing my own satelite reciever, im not sure how I can get a faster than ship board internet connection from my cabin while docked in port.

 

Perhaps if the poster who's significant other is the wireless techie could ask if there are any workarounds?