Internet in Atlantic crossing

[cl.klink]

For those who've done a TA before, what's your experience for how reliable internet access is during the crossing? I know it's all done by satellite, so should be available. But, how true is that? Also, since people cannot wait for a wifi connection in a port at that time, more people may want on the system at sea, making it less available or slower, yes?

 

- Joel

[Kevnzworld]

I've done four Atlantic T/A's on Celebrity.

They new internet provider is much better than the earlier one. The speeds are not fast, but often usable....especially on port days or late at night.

There is one small dead area where the ship loses one satellite and acquires another. There was one area once where there was a lot of ship traffic so the internet lounge guy said it was effecting the speed.

Mostly ok though....

[Surrey_Pirates]

For those who've done a TA before, what's your experience for how reliable internet access is during the crossing? I know it's all done by satellite, so should be available. But, how true is that? Also, since people cannot wait for a wifi connection in a port at that time, more people may want on the system at sea, making it less available or slower, yes?

 

- Joel

 

Hi its fine for emails etc much the same as the old dial up services. We were on the Eclipse TA this year and we used it each sea day to send our kids an email with a few photos attached.

[cl.klink]

Hi its fine for emails etc much the same as the old dial up services. We were on the Eclipse TA this year and we used it each sea day to send our kids an email with a few photos attached.

 

Thanks.

 

It seems I recall that a newer system was going in for some ships. True? What is status of Equinox for that?

 

- Joel

[ghstudio]

deleted by poster

Edited July 21, 2014 by ghstudio

[Algebralovr]

While the Internet cafe was upgraded and now has all new Macs, I do not recall if her Internet is up to the new standards of Reflection or not. In the Med, in June, there were a number of times we could not establish a connection. On the other hand, there were not reports of a total outage on her last TA. I would expect at least some basic coverage.

[grandgeezer]

We did the T.A. On the Silohuette this spring and the internet was awful for the first week or so. Some people didn't get online for over a week. All kinds of excuses about the number of users and the satellites but the problems mysteriously disappeared. The last day of the cruise, the computer lab was busy all day with no problems A lot of people couldn't get on enough to use up their minutes. We had free minutes and it wasn't that big of a deal, but the people who bought packages were really upset, understandable. No refunds. I think they were supposed t get online late at night, the last few days.

[Dame Delilah]

On our April 2014 TA on the Equinox it was acceptable. Not good--but acceptable. We would take our tablets to Café Baci in the mornings and the service was actually pretty good--from our cabin, not so much. We only used it to post photos, send eMails and check facebook and it was fine for that. Internet service on Princess TransAtlantics was worse. We will be doing a TA on the Constellation again in April 2015 and will see if it is any better.

[BosoxI]

I don't believe we ever lost contact on the Eclipse's TA this past Spring. On other TAs we have lost the internet and TV for a day or two. I don't know whether the systems have improved or we were just lucky this last trip. We'll be on the Constellation in November, so I'll be interested to see.

[JanineM]

We did a TA last spring and I had zero problems connecting and the connection speed seemed not too different from a Caribbean cruise. There were a couple of days when the connection was spotty - but I believe there was heavy cloud cover.

 

The internet cafe doesn't get crazy busy because people are able to access all the time, unlike a cruise where you have several port stops and many people try to check their email right after the ship sails.

[cl.klink]

Thanks everyone.

 

- Joel

[Ex-Airbalancer]

We did the T.A. On the Silohuette this spring and the internet was awful for the first week or so. Some people didn't get online for over a week. All kinds of excuses about the number of users and the satellites but the problems mysteriously disappeared. The last day of the cruise, the computer lab was busy all day with no problems A lot of people couldn't get on enough to use up their minutes. We had free minutes and it wasn't that big of a deal, but the people who bought packages were really upset, understandable. No refunds. I think they were supposed t get online late at night, the last few days.

 

The poor people working lounge, people were yelling at them, it not if they had any control over what was happening, it was very sad

[british betty]

Internet on Reflection Spring TA was very patchy.

 

I heard a man complaining to the IT guy that he'd bought the most expensive package as he was needing to be involved in business meetings and he (we all) either had no signal or kept losing it.

 

Personally I wouldn't bank on having a decent signal and then if you have a good connection, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

[cl.klink]

I heard that Equinox had an internet upgrade in recent dry dock (when Gastropub also added). For anyone who's been on her since then, is the internet working well?

 

- Joel