Kindle downloads aboard ship?

[casavaha]

I just purchased a kindle and was wondering if anyone downloaded content aboard

ship. I have a few newspaper subscriptions and was hoping they would download each day.

 

 

Greg

[Pam in CA]

I just purchased a kindle and was wondering if anyone downloaded content aboard ship. I have a few newspaper subscriptions and was hoping they would download each day.

I haven't tried it with my Kindle since I download books ahead of time but you'd have to purchase a Internet plan in order to use the WiFi. As long as you have WiFi, you can download books and newspapers.

[casavaha]

Since I am Platinum I have the access to wi-fi aboard ship. But do you need to change

the wi-fi source on the Kindle?

[LucyDiamond]

I would think that if you can use any wi-fi source on land without changing the source you could do the same on the ship??? Just a guess.

[JimmyVWine]

Using your kindle on the ship is no different than, say, using it at Starbuck's, once you have paid for minutes. Your device will search for an open channel and once found, you connect. Then, to open the web, you will get a pop-up that tells you that you need to sign in with a password. The password is given to you by the internet manager on board. Once you sign in the first time, you are asked to create you own password, which you use from then on. Once you are fully logged on, your kindle works exactly as it would on land. Only slower.

 

As for downloads, like Pam, I did all my downloading on land. On the ship, I got tossed off the internet system so frequently that I am not certain that I could have downloaded anything that would have taken more than 10 seconds. If you have a long download (like a book), you may very well lose your signal mid-way and have to start over. Others may be able to tell you if there are areas on the ships that have stronger signals, but in my cabin and on my balcony (the only places I connected), my signal was sporadic. I would not have wanted to try a download from there.

[Mrterryl]

If you are outside the united states you have to purchase an international down loading plan.

[UT-Volsfan]

If you are outside the united states you have to purchase an international down loading plan.

 

So far we've not run into any issues using our Kindles overseas to download books or to read newspapers and news sites in the U.S. We even used their 3G connection while we were in China last year and thought the connection was about as good as we see at home. We've never needed any international down loading plan.

[JimmyVWine]

If you are outside the united states you have to purchase an international down loading plan.

I don't think this is correct. My kindle (Fire) works off of wifi only, not a phone line and requires no cell phone connection. Since it is working off of wifi, as long as I am connected to the ship's internet, I can download stuff. No special plan needed, other than ship's internet minutes.

[Pam in CA]

If you are outside the united states you have to purchase an international down loading plan.

Not sure where you heard this but WiFi is WiFi, no matter where in the world you are, at sea or on land.

[Underwatr]

If your Kindle is 3G capable it will work in ports, but you have to pay $5 per week to download subscriptions over 3G outside of the US. If you have an internet plan on the ship you can connect the Kindle to the ship's WiFi and download your daily papers that way.

 

I'm not positive of how it works on Princess but in general my experience is that you have to be careful to log off of the WiFi before disconnecting or your time clock will continue to run (and shipboard WiFi isn't cheap). Know how to do this and you'll be fine.

[-Lew-]

 

The password is given to you by the internet manager on board. Once you sign in the first time, you are asked to create you own password, which you use from then on.

I have not come across this procedure on Princess. All you need to do is access Wi-Fi with your device and a sign-on screen will appear. Fill in the information required on the sign-on screen, select a plan and you're good to go.

 

Lew

[PescadoAmarillo]

Downloading a Kindle book takes only 5-7 minutes, even on the ship's slow WiFi. I successfully downloaded several from my library's e-books website while I was on the Emerald.

[Pam in CA]

I have not come across this procedure on Princess. All you need to do is access Wi-Fi with your device and a sign-on screen will appear. Fill in the information required on the sign-on screen, select a plan and you're good to go.

Here are screenshots of the login from my Star cruise last month:

 

 

[Pushka]

If you are outside the united states you have to purchase an international down loading plan.

 

Yes if you are purchasing periodicals and using the Amazon 3g service to download them.

 

Not needed if you are using a wifi service, for either books or periodicals.

 

If you are purchasing BOOKS from the Amazon store then you can use 3g for free.

 

I have a USA kindle, not an Australian one, so I am always overseas as far as amazon is concerned so I get these notices from them every time I download a book!

[-Lew-]

 

Here are screenshots of the login from my Star cruise last month

Interesting Pam...

 

When we were on the Emerald in February, the login process had be streamlined for handheld devices. It appears as though they have done so again.

 

Downloading to my Kindle Touch should be interesting. Mine has Wi-Fi and worldwide 3G service at no charge from most countries. When you turn on wireless, both Wi-Fi and 3G turn on...there's no way to turn them on individually.

 

I'm wondering whether I'll be billed an up-charge by Amazon since the 3G will probably connect to the Cellular at Sea service and that may not be included in Amazon's worldwide service. Anybody know? If not, I may just have to contact Amazon before our Venice → FLL TA in October.

 

Lew

[Pam in CA]

Lew, I don't know. I often use my iPhone for checking mail on a cruise. For the first half of my Star cruise, the login was just like using a netbook except there was no link to the free services, such as going to Princess.com. Suddenly, I got a mobile version one morning. Very strange. :) My Kindle has only WiFi so I don't know about the 3G.

[casavaha]

Thanks to all for the great answers. I will be on the Star in two weeks, so will have

lots of fun finding the best way to deal with Princess Wi-fi.

 

Greg

[JimmyVWine]

I have not come across this procedure on Princess. All you need to do is access Wi-Fi with your device and a sign-on screen will appear. Fill in the information required on the sign-on screen, select a plan and you're good to go.

 

Lew

 

On the Crown last week, I got the same screens posted by Pam. I prepaid for Internet minutes, got a card in my stateroom advising me that I needed to check in at the Internet Cafe to activate it, and once there, was given a default password to start out and told to establish my own password during my first session. I can't attest to the procedure throughout the entire line, but this is what I was told and what I did last week. YMMV.

[Pam in CA]

On the Crown last week, I got the same screens posted by Pam. I prepaid for Internet minutes, got a card in my stateroom advising me that I needed to check in at the Internet Cafe to activate it, and once there, was given a default password to start out and told to establish my own password during my first session. I can't attest to the procedure throughout the entire line, but this is what I was told and what I did last week. YMMV.

The difference here is that you pre-paid it and I'm assuming the initial set-up is different. If its not pre-paid, it doesn't matter whether you're on the ship's computers, a laptop, netbook, iPad or iPhone: you get the initial sign on screen more or less like the one shown above only your initial password is your date of birth. You're then taken to a "Change your password" screen to choose your PW. If you're using WiFi, you log your device into the ship's WiFi, open Internet Explorer and the log-in screen appears. Doesn't matter which ship you're on.

[whitearrow]

OP, if your Kindle has 3G, you should be able to connect, though you may be required to pay the international-download extra fee for subscriptions. It will give you a warning and you can decide if it's worth it.

 

If the Kindle has wifi only, then you may have to log onto the wifi using the web interface after connecting to the network, which, given the eink Kindle's limitations, would be time consuming and irritating (plus, you need to remember to log back out). I'd skip the subscription for a week, myself, rather than deal with that. It would be easier on a smartphone, laptop or tablet Kindle app, which you can use instead.

[Eyeore2007]

Has anyone tried taking their own hotspot devise on board and did it work okay?

[Genessa]

Yes if you are purchasing periodicals and using the Amazon 3g service to download them.

 

Not needed if you are using a wifi service, for either books or periodicals.

 

If you are purchasing BOOKS from the Amazon store then you can use 3g for free.

 

I have a USA kindle, not an Australian one, so I am always overseas as far as amazon is concerned so I get these notices from them every time I download a book!

 

 

I received the messages when I bought books using the 3G service, too. Never purchased periodicals.

 

I was able to buy books (for free- other than the cost of the book, if any) everywhere my cell phone got a signal - and they download as quick as they do at home - in seconds.

[J & G]

Has anyone tried taking their own hotspot devise on board and did it work okay?

 

It should work by connecting to the ship's wifi or by using your own data plan (yipes...expensive outside the US on Verizon). It will only be as fast the data or wifi it is attached to, however. The size of the pipe determines the flow of the water.....

[cruiselvr1]

I just purchased a kindle and was wondering if anyone downloaded content aboard

ship. I have a few newspaper subscriptions and was hoping they would download each day.

 

 

Greg

Our Kindle has it's own WiFi. I guess some of the cheaper models don't have it. If your kindle has WiFi, you you will have no problem. We were able to download on a Mexican trip.

[Underwatr]

All Kindles currently sold have WiFi. The more expensive ones have 3G plus WiFi capability. The older ones that didn't have WiFi had cellular (3G) capability. Any Kindle can be connected to a computer by its USB connection.