VOOM on Solstice, aft cabin, streaming, urgent

[NoWhiners]

Hi All

 

We will be taking our first cruise with RC on Radiance next March, around New Zealand. They are offering internet for 50% off now as part of the Cruise Planner sale. I have read conflicting posts about how well streaming works on the ships. We are in an aft cabin and I am wondering if streaming will work--at all, OK, not so much? FYI, I only plan on streaming late at night or early am if I can't sleep, and I want to use Netflix.

 

Anyone have any recent experience to share? And, before the sale ends :)

 

Thanks for any help

ML

[reedl]

If you purchase it now, and cancel later, you can get all your money back. If it is within three days of travelling, you can get it back as an OBC.

 

I would purchase it, and if it does not work, then ask for your money back on the ship.

[NoWhiners]

If you purchase it now, and cancel later, you can get all your money back. If it is within three days of travelling, you can get it back as an OBC.

 

I would purchase it, and if it does not work, then ask for your money back on the ship.

 

Oh, that's a good idea. never thought of that--thanks! Not so urgent now but still good to know.

 

ML

Edited October 30, 2016 by NoWhiners

[Biker19]

A little off on the title....but back the original question, yes, if things are operating normally you should be able to stream. But, it seems that with the cost of internet on the way down, lots more packages are being sold and therefore lots more folks are competing to use that precious bandwidth on the ship. Your idea of using it at off peak hours is good but realize that even then you might have enough folks on to make performance sluggish.

Edited October 30, 2016 by Biker19

[NoWhiners]

A little off on the title....but back the original question, yes, if things are operating normally you should be able to stream. But, it seems that with the cost of internet on the way down, lots more packages are being sold and therefore lots more folks are competing to use that precious bandwidth on the ship. Your idea of using it at off peak hours is good but realize that even then you might have enough folks on to make performance sluggish.

 

Yes, thanks, this is a good point.

 

I'm surprised more people don't have experience with this by now but maybe not.

 

Thanks again.

ML

[NoWhiners]

A little off on the title....but back the original question, yes, if things are operating normally you should be able to stream. But, it seems that with the cost of internet on the way down, lots more packages are being sold and therefore lots more folks are competing to use that precious bandwidth on the ship. Your idea of using it at off peak hours is good but realize that even then you might have enough folks on to make performance sluggish.

 

Bolding is mine. Oooooohhh, now I get the problem. I am confusing my cruises. We are on Solstice the week before we get on Radiance. I am such a dope :o

 

But I still want to know how well internet will stream, so at least that part is consistent ;).

 

Thanks for trying to help (clearly I shouldn't be allowed out by myself)!

 

ML

[Biker19]

Speed wise you may have a bit more on Radiance if you get the Stream package, but you'll likely have similar performance on both ships. Streaming anything will likely be sluggish.

[NoWhiners]

Speed wise you may have a bit more on Radiance if you get the Stream package, but you'll likely have similar performance on both ships. Streaming anything will likely be sluggish.

 

Hi Biker

 

Thanks for coming back with more help. It sounds like it will be sluggish due to so many pax using it, not due to our cabin location or general low performance. I'll have to mull this over. If Netflix won't work, there's no point in getting surf and stream.

 

Thanks

ML

[Biker19]

If Netflix won't work, there's no point in getting surf and stream.

 

This argument may not work on Solstice, but on Radiance you can buy the Stream package and then on board if something won't stream to your satisfaction you can ask for a refund (since they advertise Stream to be able to do that).

[NoWhiners]

This argument may not work on Solstice, but on Radiance you can buy the Stream package and then on board if something won't stream to your satisfaction you can ask for a refund (since they advertise Stream to be able to do that).

 

Biker

 

Thanks, this is something I didn't know and wouldn't have thought of. I'll keep the service and if it doesn't work, ask for a refund. A related question--will the refund will be provided as OBC or a credit back to my credit card?

 

Thank you for your help

ML

[Clarea]

Biker

 

Thanks, this is something I didn't know and wouldn't have thought of. I'll keep the service and if it doesn't work, ask for a refund. A related question--will the refund will be provided as OBC or a credit back to my credit card?

 

Thank you for your help

ML

An onboard refund will be in the form of OBC.

[NoWhiners]

Hi all

 

So, I can sign up, and if it doesn't meet my needs, I can get an OBC. Is this a refundable or non-refundable credit? Sorry if this doesn't makes sense, but it seems as though some cruise lines give the money back via cc, some via OBC, refundable or not.

 

Sorry for so many questions, new to RCI but not cruising.

 

Thanks

ML

[Clarea]

Hi all

 

So, I can sign up, and if it doesn't meet my needs, I can get an OBC. Is this a refundable or non-refundable credit? Sorry if this doesn't makes sense, but it seems as though some cruise lines give the money back via cc, some via OBC, refundable or not.

 

Sorry for so many questions, new to RCI but not cruising.

 

Thanks

ML

It would be a refundable OBC.

[NoWhiners]

It would be a refundable OBC.

 

Thank you! I have all I need to know now. Wish we were closer.

 

Thanks everyone for your help

ML

[Biker19]

This argument may not work on Solstice, but on Radiance you can buy the Stream package and then on board if something won't stream to your satisfaction you can ask for a refund (since they advertise Stream to be able to do that).

 

Having done a bit more research, Xcelerate is being marketed as VOOM so the refund due to lack of performance should work on Solstice as well. It seems that both RCI and Celebrity simply may have simply tweaked the existing internet on board (no real changes) and started marketing under some made up name. Xcelerate seems equivalent to VOOM Stream (with a much higher price) so Netflix and other things should work. It could be that RCI is seeing no benefit to having two tiers for RCI and revert back to a single tier (Stream - that's the only thing available at the moment).

[NoWhiners]

Having done a bit more research, Xcelerate is being marketed as VOOM so the refund due to lack of performance should work on Solstice as well. It seems that both RCI and Celebrity simply may have simply tweaked the existing internet on board (no real changes) and started marketing under some made up name. Xcelerate seems equivalent to VOOM Stream (with a much higher price) so Netflix and other things should work. It could be that RCI is seeing no benefit to having two tiers for RCI and revert back to a single tier (Stream - that's the only thing available at the moment).

 

Hi Biker

 

Yes, I did some research too after reading these posts and looking at Radiance Internet prices. X definitely charges a lot more, I assume for similar service. I booked Stream for Radiance but won't touch X, too costly for uncertain service.

 

I give credit to RCI for being a lot more reasonable about this than X. None of this would be an issue if they both offered anything approaching decent TV choices while onboard. I just need something to fall asleep to, and maybe a movie or 2 in the wee hours of the morning to go back to sleep to. Not clear from what I have read that this will be available oj either line, so I need a backup plan. And I can't download movies to my PC. DH says we should bring a small DVD player, a HDMI cable, and some DVDs. This seems like a lot to do to me, but not hard.

 

Anyway, thanks for all your help.

 

ML

[Biker19]

DH says we should bring a small DVD player, a HDMI cable, and some DVDs. This seems like a lot to do to me, but not hard.

Be advised that the cabin remote will typically not work to change the input to the TV to the HDMI input, you need your own programmable remote to do that. So if you go the portable player route, figure on adding a remote to the pile of stuff to bring.

[NoWhiners]

Be advised that the cabin remote will typically not work to change the input to the TV to the HDMI input, you need your own programmable remote to do that. So if you go the portable player route, figure on adding a remote to the pile of stuff to bring.

 

Biker

 

I think if we use an HDMI cable, we can just unplug the one they use for the regular TV service and use that input? Unless they use something other than an HDMI cable to deliver the signal to the TV? Do you know?

 

ML

[Biker19]

I think if we use an HDMI cable, we can just unplug the one they use for the regular TV service and use that input? Unless they use something other than an HDMI cable to deliver the signal to the TV? Do you know?

The TV typically uses the coax input, not HDMI.

[shirazcruiser]

Just returned from 2 weeks on Allure with free VOOM & Stream internet. We hooked up our iPad with a HDMI cable and Apple Digital AV Adapter to stream TV (major network apps via our cable subscription) and Netflix. You need a Samsung remote or program Samsung codes in a universal remote. It worked great. RCCL TV is not as good as Celebrity.

[NoWhiners]

The TV typically uses the coax input, not HDMI.

 

 

Wow, really? Are these flat screen TVs? Hard to believe they use coax not almost any other cable connection. We can bring a converter but gee, it is 2016 and we need to bring something that gives lower resolution??? I am starting to wonder about this ship...

 

 

Just returned from 2 weeks on Allure with free VOOM & Stream internet. We hooked up our iPad with a HDMI cable and Apple Digital AV Adapter to stream TV (major network apps via our cable subscription) and Netflix. You need a Samsung remote or program Samsung codes in a universal remote. It worked great. RCCL TV is not as good as Celebrity.

 

Good to know this, thanks for the info. Can you access the inputs from the TV itself, not just the remote (I know these are often disabled, but just asking)? Did you try this? Easy to get a universal remote, hard to know which Samsung remote might work.

 

When you say RCI TV not as good as X, do you mean the actual TV or the content they provide?

 

Who knew hooking up to a TV could be this hard :) People are travelling with better capability to watch movies and such, but RCI ships don't appear to be keeping up very well.

 

Thanks

ML

[ColoradoGurl]

Wow, really? Are these flat screen TVs? Hard to believe they use coax not almost any other cable connection. We can bring a converter but gee, it is 2016 and we need to bring something that gives lower resolution??? I am starting to wonder about this ship...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good to know this, thanks for the info. Can you access the inputs from the TV itself, not just the remote (I know these are often disabled, but just asking)? Did you try this? Easy to get a universal remote, hard to know which Samsung remote might work.

 

 

 

When you say RCI TV not as good as X, do you mean the actual TV or the content they provide?

 

 

 

Who knew hooking up to a TV could be this hard :) People are travelling with better capability to watch movies and such, but RCI ships don't appear to be keeping up very well.

 

 

 

Thanks

 

ML

 

 

I travel often for work and I bring my Amazon Fire Stick with me to watch tv. I have found that it's hard to find how to change the input on some remotes, or maybe the option isn't available, who knows, but there's always a button on the side or back of the tv to do it. Whether you'd be able to get to it is the question (like if it's mounted to a wall).

 

I have also found that it is sometimes not possible to connect the device to the hotel wifi because the wifi requires going online and accepting terms and conditions and entering info etc, which the fire stick remote isn't capable of doing (or I haven't figured out how). I get around this by using my cell phone's wifi hotspot, which is already programmed into my fire stick, so it picks up the signal automatically. I don't think I'm saying anything that will help you, but maybe it will give you tips on what issues you might come across beforehand.

 

I am someone who needs the tv to fall asleep at night too, but the programming on the tv channels that they provide on the ship works fine for me. Sometimes I even set it to the cartoons, I'm not really watching it anyway.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Edited November 6, 2016 by ColoradoGurl

[shirazcruiser]

Wow, really? Are these flat screen TVs? Hard to believe they use coax not almost any other cable connection. We can bring a converter but gee, it is 2016 and we need to bring something that gives lower resolution??? I am starting to wonder about this ship...

 

 

 

 

Good to know this, thanks for the info. Can you access the inputs from the TV itself, not just the remote (I know these are often disabled, but just asking)? Did you try this? Easy to get a universal remote, hard to know which Samsung remote might work.

 

When you say RCI TV not as good as X, do you mean the actual TV or the content they provide?

 

Who knew hooking up to a TV could be this hard :) People are travelling with better capability to watch movies and such, but RCI ships don't appear to be keeping up very well.

 

Thanks

ML

 

We were in a Grand Suite and the tv pulls away from the wall to turn towards the bed which easily allowed me to access the HDMI port. Also, we have several Samsung TV's and I checked the remotes to ensure they were interchangeable for each tv we own before we left and they were. We stayed in 2 different B2B Grand Suite cabins and when I hooked up the iPad on one, I had to change the input on the tv to the HDMI connected to my iPad; however, when connecting the HDMI cable in the 2nd cabin, the tv automatically changed to the iPad HDMI input. FYI: anyone taking a universal remote should ensure it has an INPUT button or it's useless and the Samsung setup codes.

 

I meant the tv content and not the actual tv. RCCL shows are repetitive EVERY day.

[Biker19]

Can you access the inputs from the TV itself, not just the remote (I know these are often disabled, but just asking)?

 

Typically, the buttons on the TV are disabled as well.

[NoWhiners]

 

I don't think I'm saying anything that will help you, but maybe it will give you tips on what issues you might come across beforehand.

 

I am someone who needs the tv to fall asleep at night too, but the programming on the tv channels that they provide on the ship works fine for me. Sometimes I even set it to the cartoons, I'm not really watching it anyway.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

LOL--we don't use Apple anything but the info is good, there are equivalents for PC and Android. Never thought about cartoons, but that could work!

 

Thx

ML