Wifi in port??

[Jennifer8719]

How accessible/ reliable is wifi in ports?

 

In April we will be on the ncl getaway and we won't be buying wifi on the ship, so I will be relying on the wifi in ports. We are stopping at Great Stirrup Cay, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. My 8 month old daughter is staying with my mother and I'm starting to get very anxious about leaving her with very little means of communication.

 

Any tips or experiences regarding wifi availability/cost/signal strength in these ports?

 

Thanks so much!!!

 

 

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[Keith1010]

You can google locations to create a list of where wifi is available.

 

Also I find that while on board you can ask members of the crew where to go.

 

And if you visit each of the ports of call boards for these islands you can ask where others went for wifi.

 

Keith

[fishywood]

Very unlikely there will be internet or even cell service at NCL's private beach on Great Stirrup Cay.

 

You should check out the cost of international roaming from your cellular carrier. Might be very reasonable from Mexico, and texting from on board the ship through Cellular at Sea could be as little as five cents per text. You would have near-continuous access to communication from home and not have to spend your limited time in port searching for a wifi connection.

Edited March 22, 2016 by fishywood

[Clarea]

How accessible/ reliable is wifi in ports?

 

In April we will be on the ncl getaway and we won't be buying wifi on the ship, so I will be relying on the wifi in ports. We are stopping at Great Stirrup Cay, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. My 8 month old daughter is staying with my mother and I'm starting to get very anxious about leaving her with very little means of communication.

 

Any tips or experiences regarding wifi availability/cost/signal strength in these ports?

 

Thanks so much!!!

We have had good luck asking crew members about reliable WiFi in a port.

[paul929207]

Some cruise terminals will have free wifi. In most ports you can find restaurants with free wifi if you make a purchase. Many McDonalds and Starbucks do this.

 

Another option is to follow the crew.

[LaHas2016]

I have a silly question. If I use my cell phone to access the internet using Wi-Fi in port, will I be charged roaming charges or anything like that? This is my first time out of the country in YEARS and I have no idea how all this works. lol

[GUT2407]

We have had good luck asking crew members about reliable WiFi in a port.

 

Or just follow them, they know.

[OCruisers]

Agree with those saying to ask or follow crew members! They always know! :D

[Clarea]

I have a silly question. If I use my cell phone to access the internet using Wi-Fi in port, will I be charged roaming charges or anything like that? This is my first time out of the country in YEARS and I have no idea how all this works. lol

If you put your phone in Airplane mode, then turn on WiFi, you won't get any roaming charges.

[dsrdsrdsr]

Email is cheap on board ship, as long as you have your own laptop. Log on, download your emails, log off. Read the emails, type your reply, log back on and press send, log off. Two minutes internet time used, and you haven't wasted port time on looking for wifi.

[klfrodo]

free wifi hotspots are the best way I know of to get hacked and have all of your information stolen.

 

Be wise how you use free hotspots

[Flatbush Flyer]

free wifi hotspots are the best way I know of to get hacked and have all of your information stolen.

 

 

 

Be wise how you use free hotspots

 

 

Yes - check out the NBC Today Show segment (done last year) on "free WiFi" in tourist areas - particularly cruise ports. While you're at it, look for their equally troubling segment on jewelry stores in cruise ports.

[Jennifer8719]

What exactly would they steal from me on my cell phone? (Serious question I'm not too tech savvy)

 

 

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[Clarea]

What exactly would they steal from me on my cell phone? (Serious question I'm not too tech savvy)

If your phone is set up to send plain text passwords, for example, to a POP mail account.

[Kissmya63]

If your phone is set up to send plain text passwords, for example, to a POP mail account.

 

The wifi that you pay for on ship is secure, correct?

[klfrodo]

What exactly would they steal from me on my cell phone? (Serious question I'm not too tech savvy)

 

 

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Most people have 1 password for all their accounts.

Sign on to e-mail, they have your password.

Sign on to Facebook, they have your password.

There is just a tremendous amount of personal and private information available if I hack into a Facebook account.

Many people do personal banking on their cell phone. A hacker can get into that account.

Many people have the apple accounts tied to their cell phone, a hacker now has it.

Many people have auto pay with cell phone tied to a credit card, a hacker now has it.

 

All of these features a great technologically speaking. Just have to be secure and aware of your surroundings

[Clarea]

The wifi that you pay for on ship is secure, correct?

Nope, not on Royal Caribbean. It's not encrypted.

[Jasalth]

It also depends on who your wireless carrier is if you even need to bother with wi-fi in a port.

 

T-Mobile for example has free data and texting in all those ports, and over 120 other countries if you have simple choice plan with them.

 

Most cell phone companies will give you pro-rated or even reasonably priced plans for temporary international costs. Verizon has a $40 and $80 plan I believe it was that was talked about recently on the NCL boards. Those who used it said that they were given a pro-rated amount for the month after they got back.

 

Great Stirrup Cay is going to be your biggest issue since it's a private island and there isn't going to be wi-fi available if it isn't threw the line. Even if you use cell data/texting I would assume it would probably be iffy if you would be able to even get that there.

 

Like was said, public wi-fi isn't the most secure thing in the world. If you do use a public wi-fi I suggest changing the password to what communication method you plan on using (Skype, Email, App) for the duration of your trip to something that isn't on any other account. Don't do anything other than that method and turn off all pushing for email and other apps so nothing connects automatically.

[navybankerteacher]

Rather than use up port time hunting up (non-secure wifi sites) you can sign up for some ship's internet time and discipline yourself to being on line for just a minute or two each day to see if there is important communication.

[ocav]

Nope, not on Royal Caribbean. It's not encrypted.

 

 

Royal Caribbean is not encrypted via password, however creates a mini network for each device, so a "hacker" would have to physically break the way the onboard wifi works to be able to access any other devices connected, which would be very noticeable to the IT guys who manage the network.

 

 

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[Clarea]

Royal Caribbean is not encrypted via password, however creates a mini network for each device, so a "hacker" would have to physically break the way the onboard wifi works to be able to access any other devices connected, which would be very noticeable to the IT guys who manage the network.

WiFi is radio, and anyone with the right program on a nearby device can also receive the packets.

[ocav]

WiFi is radio, and anyone with the right program on a nearby device can also receive the packets.

 

 

By that sense, any wifi is insecure, it wouldn't take much to hack a password for your home wifi if you are clever enough to be able to catch data travelling through radio waves

 

 

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[Clarea]

By that sense, any wifi is insecure, it wouldn't take much to hack a password for your home wifi if you are clever enough to be able to catch data travelling through radio waves

No, if the WiFi is using WPA2, the packets are encrypted and gibberish to the scanner.

[ocav]

No, if the WiFi is using WPA2, the packets are encrypted and gibberish to the scanner.

 

 

Only encrypted to the strength of the password you've got though

 

 

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[Clarea]

Only encrypted to the strength of the password you've got though

True, but way better than totally unencrypted.