NCL turns off WiFi in port?? Specifically Epic in the Med?

[forgotmyCCname]

I was up late reading a thread about the new WiFi packages; upgrading on ship, etc.

One post stated that the WiFi does not work while in port, that the system is shut down once in port. I cannot find this post . We are on Epic in a few weeks with only one sea day.

 

Can anyone with first hand knowledge confirm this? I dont recall the system being closed down during our Caribbean cruises.

 

Thanks so much

[DMH15]

It worked for me last March.

 

 

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[shof515]

mostly likely it might be down for maintenance work. like upgrading the access point controllers and other backend/server related features. most business do this stuff after hours, however a ship is 24/7 with no real after hours. a port day is better when pretty much half the ship is on land

[forgotmyCCname]

I was curious because we have several ports that we may just do " on the fly" and might want to do some planning the morning of arrival and use the internet. Also, if we have a short day ashore and want to use the wifi it would stink if it is always "off" in port.

 

Thanks!!

[Son of a son of a ...]

For $10/day, DW was able to get Verizon International plan, which worked in port. She then popped a WiFi hot spot and I could latch on for Internet access. We liked this option because we had a few pre-cruise days that were covered. The only drawback was no service at sea, but that wasn’t much of a problem given the time zone difference and only one sea day.

[ElaineKeagy]

Got off the Sun on Monday and had WiFi in all the ports

 

 

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[KeithJenner]

I was up late reading a thread about the new WiFi packages; upgrading on ship, etc.

 

One post stated that the WiFi does not work while in port, that the system is shut down once in port. I cannot find this post . We are on Epic in a few weeks with only one sea day.

 

 

 

Can anyone with first hand knowledge confirm this? I dont recall the system being closed down during our Caribbean cruises.

 

 

 

Thanks so much

 

 

The WiFi is kept on when in port. There is no difference from what you have experienced during your other cruises.

 

Maybe there were maintenance issues that someone experienced, but my guess is that it was a confusion between the WiFi and the ships cellular service. They turn off the cellular when in port, which is useful so that passengers can pick up the local signal which will be cheaper or even free (depending on the port).

 

 

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[zqvol]

I was up late reading a thread about the new WiFi packages; upgrading on ship, etc.

One post stated that the WiFi does not work while in port, that the system is shut down once in port. I cannot find this post . We are on Epic in a few weeks with only one sea day.

 

Can anyone with first hand knowledge confirm this? I dont recall the system being closed down during our Caribbean cruises.

 

Thanks so much

 

This is completely untrue. I suspect that what the person meant was that the ship's cell phone system is turned off in port so that it does not interfere with land based systems. The upside is that this allows you to access the land based towers from the ship.

[Mistizoom]

I experienced the ship's Wi-Fi being turned off in port in Nassau on Escape in March. The departure time was 5 pm, at 4:30 pm I tried to get on the Wi-Fi (I had the Premium Unlimited Package) and it wouldn't log on. I went down to the internet cafe. As I got to the front of the line at 5 pm, I was able to log in. The internet cafe manager said that it was because the satellite internet just got turned back on because we were leaving port. He specifically told me it is turned off in port. I did not notice any other day of the cruise if it was true or not, and as that was the last day I had no further opportunity to test it.

[BirdTravels]

I was up late reading a thread about the new WiFi packages; upgrading on ship, etc. One post stated that the WiFi does not work while in port, that the system is shut down once in port. I cannot find this post . We are on Epic in a few weeks with only one sea day. Can anyone with first hand knowledge confirm this? I dont recall the system being closed down during our Caribbean cruises. Thanks so much

Nope, don't believe everything you read. Just because it is on the internet, doesn't make it real.

 

WiFi is always up. In fact, it is the best time to use the satellite wifi since everyone is jumping off onto land cell towers. NCL has contracts in several ports (don't know if any are in the Med) for the ship to connect to land-based internet when in port.

[forgotmyCCname]

For $10/day, DW was able to get Verizon International plan, which worked in port. She then popped a WiFi hot spot and I could latch on for Internet access. We liked this option because we had a few pre-cruise days that were covered. The only drawback was no service at sea, but that wasn’t much of a problem given the time zone difference and only one sea day.

 

 

 

Excellent! My husband and kids have Verizon - we will do this !

[emoji4] thank you!

 

 

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[kochleffel]

Keep in mind that, in a Western Med itinerary, the ship is in several ports quite a while before it's possible for passengers to go ashore. Wi-fi was certainly on at breakfast time every day we were in port last week on Epic, and late in the afternoon when we returned from shore excursions, even though that was a couple of hours before leaving the dock. I don't know about the middle of the day, as I was ashore then.

[forgotmyCCname]

Keep in mind that, in a Western Med itinerary, the ship is in several ports quite a while before it's possible for passengers to go ashore. Wi-fi was certainly on at breakfast time every day we were in port last week on Epic, and late in the afternoon when we returned from shore excursions, even though that was a couple of hours before leaving the dock. I don't know about the middle of the day, as I was ashore then.

 

 

 

Thanks so much. We are counting the days- hope you enjoyed your vacation!

 

 

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[JohnIreland]

It's the cell tower that is turned off in port. The wifi is left on 24/7.