WiFi hot spot

[SueMLewis]

We will be going on the Coral to Panama and would like to take our tablet does anyone know if it can be used on the ship. Or anytime at port? Thank you

[Putterdude]

They can be used on the ship or in your cabin but you will need to purchase an internet package. There are free hot-spots in many cruise terminals.

[Captain Canuck]

just to be careful...you have to actively sign off from wifi on the ship..or your time and the bill keeps chugging along

 

starbucks, mcdonalds and lots of other places have free wifi..and WAY faster than ship service

[Pam in CA]

If your tablet also has cell coverage, make sure you turn that off as well, particularly on the ship, as the tablet might attempt to use the cell network and it's $2.49/minute.

[Captain Canuck]

our ipad is wifi only so we don't worry about cell but vital to point that out

[SueMLewis]

thanks

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

On the ship it will be very slow ...

[Putterdude]

I have a Toshiba Thrive tablet which is only WiFi as well.

[5:00_Somewhere]

just to be careful...you have to actively sign off from wifi on the ship..or your time and the bill keeps chugging along

 

starbucks, mcdonalds and lots of other places have free wifi..and WAY faster than ship service

 

As stated above, (in addition to using free wifi while ashore) you can purchase an internet package granting you a specified number of minutes (you can also always buy more) and you will have wifi access throughout the ship. As with any such set-up, of course, the signal will be better in some places and weaker as you move farther away from a wifi "hotspot". We have rarely had difficulty getting a decent signal in our cabin on any ship, though.

 

I do note that many people -- my Hubby included -- have said that they seem to experience extremely slow connections with their iPads. I do not seem to have the same problem with my Dell laptop. To clarify, as someone else mentioned above, it is a satellite connection (even in port), so it will be significantly slower than a home connection in any event; but many iPad users report even more significant speed issues with the ship-based wifi network (I do not know whether this might be related to older vs newer iPads.)

 

Also, with respect to iPads and iPhones, you may need to use an "older" log off protocol. The current on-board web access provides a screen with a "Log Off" button that you can use when you're ready to terminate your session. This always works on my laptop. However, we noticed this button did not appear on the Hubby's iPad or on my iPhone. However, in the alternative, you can simply type "1.1.1.1" in the address bar of your web browser, hit "return" and it will log you off (this is how we used to have to do it for years.)

 

Finally in this regard, it IS important to remember to log off when you're done with a session so you don't inadvertently burn up the minutes you've paid dearly for, however you can also be somewhat reassured in that the system will automatically log you off once your connection is idle for more than 3 minutes. We have been told this for years, and I have tested it (both intentionally and unintentionally) in recent trips and found this to be true.

 

One last piece of advice - that we received by the good folks here at CC - one great tip for saving minutes when responding to email is to log on; download your received emails (via app or by coping and pasting the content into a word processing document, for instance); log out of the wifi system; compose your responses off-line; then log back in when you're ready to send your responses. Here, you can also just copy and paste the text you drafted while off-line. I was amazed how many minutes this saves.

 

Hope that's helpful. Best of luck, and happy cruising!

[0bnxshs]

As stated above, (in addition to using free wifi while ashore) you can purchase an internet package granting you a specified number of minutes (you can also always buy more) and you will have wifi access throughout the ship. As with any such set-up, of course, the signal will be better in some places and weaker as you move farther away from a wifi "hotspot". We have rarely had difficulty getting a decent signal in our cabin on any ship, though.

 

I do note that many people -- my Hubby included -- have said that they seem to experience extremely slow connections with their iPads. I do not seem to have the same problem with my Dell laptop. To clarify, as someone else mentioned above, it is a satellite connection (even in port), so it will be significantly slower than a home connection in any event; but many iPad users report even more significant speed issues with the ship-based wifi network (I do not know whether this might be related to older vs newer iPads.)

 

Also, with respect to iPads and iPhones, you may need to use an "older" log off protocol. The current on-board web access provides a screen with a "Log Off" button that you can use when you're ready to terminate your session. This always works on my laptop. However, we noticed this button did not appear on the Hubby's iPad or on my iPhone. However, in the alternative, you can simply type "1.1.1.1" in the address bar of your web browser, hit "return" and it will log you off (this is how we used to have to do it for years.)

 

Finally in this regard, it IS important to remember to log off when you're done with a session so you don't inadvertently burn up the minutes you've paid dearly for, however you can also be somewhat reassured in that the system will automatically log you off once your connection is idle for more than 3 minutes. We have been told this for years, and I have tested it (both intentionally and unintentionally) in recent trips and found this to be true.

 

One last piece of advice - that we received by the good folks here at CC - one great tip for saving minutes when responding to email is to log on; download your received emails (via app or by coping and pasting the content into a word processing document, for instance); log out of the wifi system; compose your responses off-line; then log back in when you're ready to send your responses. Here, you can also just copy and paste the text you drafted while off-line. I was amazed how many minutes this saves.

 

Hope that's helpful. Best of luck, and happy cruising!

 

Excellent write-up! I've never heard about being automatically logged out after 3 idle minutes and haven't ever tested it. I've seen a lot of folks on board who might argue with this. Of course, it could be new too, haven't cruised Princess for several years now. If I'm not mistaken, they use MTN though, which supplies satellite communication to several cruise lines and I've not heard of this other lines either.

 

One other thing to note is that the WiFi connection on board ship is NOT a secure connection, it is an open WiFi connection. If your device has the sense to ask, identify the network as a Public Network and not as a Home or Trusted Network. Don't confuse a secure web site with a secure network connection though. Any web site that uses HTTPS protocol is secure; a secure network (identified as WEP, WPA, etc.) is just another layer of protection for you. By identifying the network connection as a Public Network, your device won't allow certain types of network traffic to probe it for information it doesn't need. Lastly, the biggest difference between devices and WiFi connection strength are things like signal strength, RF noise, antenna locations and such.

 

By all means, bring your tablet and enjoy your cruise!

[Protirees]

We took our iPad on our cruise to the Panama in the fall. We used it onboard some (slow, as others have commented) as well as onshore. The port lecturer will identify the best spots for WiFi and you can always ask/follow the crew. They usually head for WiFi or Internet Cafe's as soon as the ship docks.

 

We found a great spot in Costa Rico (I think, if I recall correctly) at the dock where you got free WiFi if you bought a coffee. That's the nice thing about a tablet--you can always take it with you and find a spot somewhere. We usually download the WiFi hot spots in advance, which also helps us find them when travelling. Finally, depending on what type of tablet you have, you may be able to buy a local SIM card and get good coverage but that's not as valuable on this cruise as others.

[dickinson]

OBNXSHS - What happens if your device (in my case a laptop) doesn't have the sense to ask if it is a public network? I have yet to use mine outside of my house so I don't know if mine will or not.

[Protirees]

OBNXSHS - What happens if your device (in my case a laptop) doesn't have the sense to ask if it is a public network? I have yet to use mine outside of my house so I don't know if mine will or not.

 

My laptop doesn't ask that question but my husband's does. I own opinion is that as long as you have the appropriate firewalls and virus protection on your computer (and are careful which sites you visit online and what information you provide), then you will be fine.

 

Barbara

[0bnxshs]

OBNXSHS - What happens if your device (in my case a laptop) doesn't have the sense to ask if it is a public network? I have yet to use mine outside of my house so I don't know if mine will or not.

 

My laptop doesn't ask that question but my husband's does. I own opinion is that as long as you have the appropriate firewalls and virus protection on your computer (and are careful which sites you visit online and what information you provide), then you will be fine.

 

Barbara

 

I know that Windows 7 and Vista based computers will generally ask the question or give you an option under network options. I can't answer for Apple products. Generally, you don't need to be too concerned, especially if you have up-to-date security software as Protirees mentions. It will leave your computer "discoverable" to the network and other computers on it, plus a few other network-level protocols that are largely benign. It just gives you another level of protection if you can define a network as a Public network. If yours doesn't ask, don't sweat it and just make sure you have the latest updates to security and operating system software.

[SiBreeze]

just to be careful...you have to actively sign off from wifi on the ship..or your time and the bill keeps chugging along After 2 mins of inactivity you are automatically logged off. You will not lose your minutes.

 

starbucks, mcdonalds and lots of other places have free wifi..and WAY faster than ship service

 

:-)

[Cruisin' granny]

I'm a bit confused by all this. Can I bring my mobile broadband wireless device and use my laptop without having to purchase time on the ship's system?

[Protirees]

I'm a bit confused by all this. Can I bring my mobile broadband wireless device and use my laptop without having to purchase time on the ship's system?

 

Yes, if your mobile broadband connector is capable of picking up a signal at sea (on a moving vessel), then you would not have to purchase time on the ship's system. It would be as slow as the ship's system though at sea but much faster on land. My general understanding, however, is that most of the repeaters for these types of systems are only good on or near land and not capable of picking up a satellite signal at sea. But I've never tried this at sea though so others may have a more informed answer than I am able to provide here.

 

You might also wish to check with your mobile broadband provider and ask them about the range for your mobile broadband connector (including questions you may have about roaming charges).

 

Barbara

[Cruisin' granny]

Thanks! That makes sense now. If I need to purchase internet minutes on the ship, I want to do it now to get the better rate! A penny saved ......

[gooch47]

I've even connected my Kindle Fire to the ship's internet in our cabin. Like they say, though, remember to log out.

[CMcG]

I'm a bit confused by all this. Can I bring my mobile broadband wireless device and use my laptop without having to purchase time on the ship's system?

 

Doesn't that device connect using cell phone system? If so it will connect to the ship's cell phone tower at $2.49/minute. In port it should connect to your carrier if they have coverage in that area.

[TipsyT]

Not sure which ports you're going to be making but there's a Starbucks in Aruba, coffee shop in Cabo, and for-fee wifi at the pier area in Cartagena.

 

We bought a subscription to Skype telephone service (for $3 a month) and used our phones via wifi to make calls back to the states. Great way to make cheap phone calls.

[paddingtonbear]

I'm a bit confused by all this. Can I bring my mobile broadband wireless device and use my laptop without having to purchase time on the ship's system?

 

No your mobile broadband wireless device will not work at sea. You need a satellite connection.

 

Depending on which ports you travel to your service provider may have coverage but you would have to check with them for specific ports.

 

Since you have been to Alaska before you will know if your service provider covers that area on land. It will not cover you at sea.