Unlimited internet package -partial?

[trvlfan]

We will be on a 14 day transatlantic next spring on the Riviera, and was thinking of not using the internet until we were passed our first port (Bermuda), which wouldn't be until day 5. Can we sign up for the unlimited package then, and only pay for the 9 days remaining, or would we have to pay for the full 14 days?

Also, do you have to "sign up/prepay" prior to boarding, which would then eliminate my first question?

[Paulchili]

We will be on a 14 day transatlantic next spring on the Riviera, and was thinking of not using the internet until we were passed our first port (Bermuda), which wouldn't be until day 5. Can we sign up for the unlimited package then, and only pay for the 9 days remaining, or would we have to pay for the full 14 days?

Also, do you have to "sign up/prepay" prior to boarding, which would then eliminate my first question?

 

You do not have to sign up prior to boarding.

You can sign up later - on shorter cruises it is up to third day (?) and on longer cruises even later.

Just check once onboard. By signing up later you do save some money.

[JimandStan]

We will be on a 14 day transatlantic next spring on the Riviera, and was thinking of not using the internet until we were passed our first port (Bermuda), which wouldn't be until day 5. Can we sign up for the unlimited package then, and only pay for the 9 days remaining, or would we have to pay for the full 14 days?

Also, do you have to "sign up/prepay" prior to boarding, which would then eliminate my first question?

 

The official Oceania position is that the Unlimited Internet Package must be purchased for the entire Cruise, or not at all.

 

That said, they do allow "two or three days" at the start of each Cruise for the Passengers to get themselves sorted out as far as Internet is concerned, but even if they are very generous in interpreting that, five days would seem to be pushing it.

 

Prepaying is not necessary, and it takes less than ten minutes to sign up. :D

[trvlfan]

 

That said, they do allow "two or three days" at the start of each Cruise for the Passengers to get themselves sorted out as far as Internet is concerned, but even if they are very generous in interpreting that, five days would seem to be pushing it.

 

:D

 

You do not have to sign up prior to boarding.

You can sign up later - on shorter cruises it is up to third day (?) and on longer cruises even later.

Just check once onboard. By signing up later you do save some money.

 

 

Thanks - good to know there is a little leeway! Not sure if we will really need our "fix" of keeping in touch, but if the obsession arises, at least we can reassess a couple of days into the cruise!

[Paulchili]

The official Oceania position is that the Unlimited Internet Package must be purchased for the entire Cruise, or not at all.

 

That said, they do allow "two or three days" at the start of each Cruise for the Passengers to get themselves sorted out as far as Internet is concerned, but even if they are very generous in interpreting that, five days would seem to be pushing it.

 

Prepaying is not necessary, and it takes less than ten minutes to sign up. :D

 

I have used this service three times and each time I signed up later. If my memory serves me right (alas, it often does not anymore :() once it was as late as day 7 on a longer cruise.

Things do change, however - best to check once onboard.

[Benita]

I used it on two ten day cruises - both required me to sign up by day 3 (wait until after 12 noon, as they use that time as the start of a 24 hour period). If you go log on before noon on that day, you will be charged for an extra day.

[Andromeda93]

Does anyone know whether the package per-day pricing is adjusted when no service is available (e.g. on the TA days far from shore)? Someone commented in a post a while back that satellite coverage in remote ocean locations (north Atlantic, mid-South Pacific) could be quite scarce because the operating companies typically point the satellites at more populated areas. I wasn't sure if the resulting service disruptions in those areas are minor or if they are more profound.

 

If there was no internet service available for a day or more it would seem unfair to charge passengers with 'unlimited internet per day' packages for those days when no service was available. But if the interruptions were only an hour here or there, perhaps no concessions would be warranted. Just wondering...

[Paulchili]

Does anyone know whether the package per-day pricing is adjusted when no service is available (e.g. on the TA days far from shore)? Someone commented in a post a while back that satellite coverage in remote ocean locations (north Atlantic, mid-South Pacific) could be quite scarce because the operating companies typically point the satellites at more populated areas. I wasn't sure if the resulting service disruptions in those areas are minor or if they are more profound.

 

If there was no internet service available for a day or more it would seem unfair to charge passengers with 'unlimited internet per day' packages for those days when no service was available. But if the interruptions were only an hour here or there, perhaps no concessions would be warranted. Just wondering...

 

Once signed up, you will get charged for each day whether the internet is used or not or whether it is available or not. I don't imagine it would be unavailable for any extended period on a TA cruise - more so closer to either pole (?).

We had no problems in mid South Pacific.

[trvlfan]

I used it on two ten day cruises - both required me to sign up by day 3 (wait until after 12 noon, as they use that time as the start of a 24 hour period). If you go log on before noon on that day, you will be charged for an extra day.

 

Wow -another excellent suggestion! I could see myself logging on at 11:45am, and wondering why I got charged an extra day! good to know- thanks Benita!

[Benita]

Once signed up, you will get charged for each day whether the internet is used or not or whether it is available or not. I don't imagine it would be unavailable for any extended period on a TA cruise - more so closer to either pole (?).

We had no problems in mid South Pacific.

 

Actually, I signed up for the full package on a Mediterranian cruise last September. The Internet then went down for two days. I gave my cabin number to the computer supervisor who said he would credit my account. He did not, but I sent an email to customer service when I returned home and they replied with an apology and refunded about $45 to my AMEX card.

[Paulchili]

Actually, I signed up for the full package on a Mediterranian cruise last September. The Internet then went down for two days. I gave my cabin number to the computer supervisor who said he would credit my account. He did not, but I sent an email to customer service when I returned home and they replied with an apology and refunded about $45 to my AMEX card.

 

I guess it just goes to show you - nothing is written in stone and rules CAN be changed.

Good to know and for you!

[CAG]

On our recent trip from Beijing to Bangkok, the daily rate was adjusted for the entire cruise because the Japanese government would not allow any satellite reception within their territorial waters.

[Paulchili]

Good to know - thank you.

Somehow I don't remember that problem on our Princess cruise in Japanese waters but it must have been so, unless it's new?

[Emperor Norton]

On our recent trip from Beijing to Bangkok, the daily rate was adjusted for the entire cruise because the Japanese government would not allow any satellite reception within their territorial waters.

 

I wonder if that was more aimed at GPS satellites.

[CAG]

I wonder if that was more aimed at GPS satellites.

 

I can only tell you that effected the ships ability to connect to the internet as well. No service for anyone.

[Paulchili]

I can only tell you that effected the ships ability to connect to the internet as well. No service for anyone.

 

Is it safe? I really cannot see why the ship (not the passengers) would be unable to use the satellite connection while in Japanese waters (which can be for several days :confused:).

Admittedly, I know very little about the ship's navigation and communication capabilities and functions but somehow feel that internet connection might a part of it these days (everything else seems to be).

[bbwex]

One thing to really note is that whatever Internet package you buy, you are going to find that you are really overpaying for the quality of the service on the best days! On our last cruise, I had a client for whom I had to do some work. It was, in the end, totally impossible due to the slow connection times (remember the old 56 baud connections via an old-fashioned landline -- well things are much worse that that!!!). Ultimately, I just did the work from a shore Internet cafe.

 

Some online services, AOL for example, sense the slow connection and give you a stripped down version of their portal. Verizon does no such thing, and the time to load all of the graphics and other content made the connection very close to totally useless.

 

So, I had given up on my work, and then I gave up on my email. Prepare for a lot of frustration!

[computerworks]

One thing to really note is that whatever Internet package you buy, you are going to find that you are really overpaying for the quality of the service on the best days! On our last cruise, I had a client for whom I had to do some work. It was, in the end, totally impossible due to the slow connection times (remember the old 56 baud connections via an old-fashioned landline -- well things are much worse that that!!!). Ultimately, I just did the work from a shore Internet cafe.

 

56k ..corrected ;)

 

As a computer scientist who is never off duty, I understand what you say.

 

FWIW, when we travel, we leave a PC on a high speed line in the office, set up for remote access.

 

When a client contacts us for service when we are at sea, we remote into that machine to do the work. It relieves the shipboard internet from the burden of complex processing and transfers. Once we completely rebuilt a client's server while on a Panama Canal transit. :cool:

 

On our recent trip on the Riviera, the shipboard internet was quite usable 98% of the time. We had no problem with mail, photo uploading and social media.

 

The unlimited package was a delight for our handheld devices. No complaints and probably will never travel without that package on future Oceania cruises.

[Emperor Norton]

56k ..corrected ;)

 

As a computer scientist who is never off duty, I understand what you say.

 

FWIW, when we travel, we leave a PC on a high speed line in the office, set up for remote access.

 

When a client contacts us for service when we are at sea, we remote into that machine to do the work. It relieves the shipboard internet from the burden of complex processing and transfers. Once we completely rebuilt a client's server while on a Panama Canal transit. :cool:

 

On our recent trip on the Riviera, the shipboard internet was quite usable 98% of the time. We had no problem with mail, photo uploading and social media.

 

The unlimited package was a delight for our handheld devices. No complaints and probably will never travel without that package on future Oceania cruises.

 

Are you remoting via RDP, SSH or VNC? I'm curious as to what's best from a ship.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

...remember the old 56 baud connections

 

56k ..corrected ;)

 

 

I certainly remember the 300 baud modems. I was working at home at the time, in 1981. We were so thrilled a year later when we bought our first 1200 baud modem (and it cost about a dollar a baud, as I remember.) Of course, 9 years later I was thrilled to have an entire 500 MG disk to myself, for our QA department (how times have changed!)

 

If this is really the speed we can expect on our transatlantic on Riviera, I'm wondering if I can go cold turkey for 14 days. Or perhaps just pay a la carte for a few hits of email, FB and CC.

[cutiepie43]

We are 9 days into our 18 day cruise aboard Marina and the unlimited package is still available for purchase for the remaining 9 days. Internet speed has been fine. Not blazing fast but better than I expected.

[computerworks]

Are you remoting via RDP, SSH or VNC? I'm curious as to what's best from a ship.

 

Depending on the project... Remote Desktop or LogMeIn Pro

[Paulchili]

I certainly remember the 300 baud modems. I was working at home at the time, in 1981. We were so thrilled a year later when we bought our first 1200 baud modem (and it cost about a dollar a baud, as I remember.) Of course, 9 years later I was thrilled to have an entire 500 MG disk to myself, for our QA department (how times have changed!)

 

If this is really the speed we can expect on our transatlantic on Riviera, I'm wondering if I can go cold turkey for 14 days. Or perhaps just pay a la carte for a few hits of email, FB and CC.

 

Wendy,

The speed is fine for e mail reading, some browsing, etc - just not up/downloading huge files.