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How important is WiFi? How well does it work?


mj_ewing
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On 10/10/2021 at 2:46 AM, Z'Loth said:

Here is the factor in my decision making... according to Celebrity's web page, their "Xcelerate Surf" is $13 per guest per day, while their "Xcelerate Stream" is $30 per guest per day. For my upcoming ten day cruise, that is more than what I pay for my mobile service and my gigabit internet service combined. And I don't know how Celebrity's "All Included" WiFi fits into this.

 

From my perspective, the cost/benefit just isn't there. If my employer wants me to remain connected during my cruise (unlikely), then I would have to expense it, or deal with me connecting while I am in port. 

 

When I was still working my company wanted me connected and covered the wifi expense.   On board wifi wasn't good for much more than communicating by email.  File transfers were agonizing.  I waited to be in port if that was needed.   

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WiFi is important to me because I like to be able to 1. keep in touch with my son 2. keep in touch with the pet sitter and 3. download books if I run out or get bored with the ones I downloaded before I left home (I read on a Kindle most of the time).  Everyone is different though and I see many people saying to just "unplug" or whatever.  Well I rest easier knowing I can connect with those at home if needed so I enjoy my vacation so much more.

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23 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Bluntly:   for a lot of people it is nice to have -- but really not necessary

You equate importance with necessity. They are not the same. At least not in every case for every person. Some things can be of great importance to a person, even though they can exist, or even manage quite well, without them. So I would moderate your statement, and say that for SOME people it's just nice to have, while for others it holds importance. . And I think that should come as no surprise to anyone.

Edited by mom says
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6 hours ago, MandyMooToo said:

WiFi is important to me because I like to be able to 1. keep in touch with my son 2. keep in touch with the pet sitter and 3. download books if I run out or get bored with the ones I downloaded before I left home (I read on a Kindle most of the time).  Everyone is different though and I see many people saying to just "unplug" or whatever.  Well I rest easier knowing I can connect with those at home if needed so I enjoy my vacation so much more.

We don't keep in touch with anyone or download books but definitely NEED the petsitter to be able to contact us.

 

Also has anyone mentioned needing to hear from banks, credit card companies, etc. Twice we've had fraudulent use of our credit card (and that was back in the US not on the trip). We pay every bill we can via our credit card or at least online so periodic online checking is really absolute for us.

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On 10/14/2021 at 12:46 PM, MandyMooToo said:

WiFi is important to me because I like to be able to 1. keep in touch with my son 2. keep in touch with the pet sitter and 3. download books if I run out or get bored with the ones I downloaded before I left home (I read on a Kindle most of the time).  Everyone is different though and I see many people saying to just "unplug" or whatever.  Well I rest easier knowing I can connect with those at home if needed so I enjoy my vacation so much more.

 

I think you cover it well.  I like knowing I can be in touch with family.  This ability for immediate contact/communication is a 21st century technology that I have totally adopted.  Ain't looking back.   😀

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3 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

I think you cover it well.  I like knowing I can be in touch with family.  This ability for immediate contact/communication is a 21st century technology that I have totally adopted.  Ain't looking back.   😀

We have a daughter with family of husband and boys 5 and 9. They are major outdoors people and I'd guess at least once a year they go completely off the grid. It make me realize that I don't need to be in touch at all. I'll send occasional photo or maybe tell them about something interesting we experienced but that's it. 

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10 hours ago, clo said:

We have a daughter with family of husband and boys 5 and 9. They are major outdoors people and I'd guess at least once a year they go completely off the grid. It make me realize that I don't need to be in touch at all. I'll send occasional photo or maybe tell them about something interesting we experienced but that's it. 

 

I guess as long as I know I can reach out or be reached I'm happy.   Pretty easy these days.   

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On 10/14/2021 at 8:51 PM, mom says said:

You equate importance with necessity. They are not the same. At least not in every case for every person. Some things can be of great importance to a person, even though they can exist, or even manage quite well, without them. So I would moderate your statement, and say that for SOME people it's just nice to have, while for others it holds importance. . And I think that should come as no surprise to anyone.

Sort of dancing around definitions.  There is a pretty clear relationship between importance and necessity.  Something with zero importance is unlikely to be necessary;  and anything which is necessary to someone has its own importance.

 

Some interesting statistics re:  US high school students - who appear to spend about 7 hours per week on homework - while logging about 2 hours a day (much of it on “social media”) connected time not related to academics.  They seem to have well defined views about importance and necessity

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Let’s talk about “how well does it work?”  There is no single answer other then it depends on many factors including the WiFi bandwidth on a particular ship, atmospheric conditions, how many are accessing the system at a particular time, the location of the ship vis-a-vis the satellite, etc.  Bottom line is that shipboard Internet is not dependable and really varies.

 

Hank

P.S.  This is sent from a ship anchored off St Kitts 

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yep ... to be technical the WiFi part of the equation is not the most important part.  WiFi usually refers to the 'in house wireless' stuff so concerns IN a ship how good the connectivity to the SHIP's network is.  But what most are concerned with is really the connection to "the internet" <off the ship> and this means a satellite data connection back to shore.   Some ships offer BETTER than others . . . 

Edited by Capt_BJ
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We do not need it.  Even when we use it in port it is only as an afterthought once we have returned to the ship an hour or so prior to the boarding time. 

 

We might grab our ipads, get off the ship, and find a bar or restaurant to log in.  Or we might stay on the ship and forget about logging on. 

 

So for us....not important, not necessary.  Which is why we will not pay big bucks for slow/substandard internet service on a cruise ship. 

 

Truth be known not being able to connect was one of the principal reasons why my spouse convinced me to take cruises prior to retirement.

Edited by iancal
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Every one's priorities vary but we did a 2 month trip in Australia and a 2 1/2 month trip in AK and never turned used WiFi once.  We did use the mapping features on the phones but that was all off line so it doesn't count.  We also told people in advance that if someone or anything died while we were on the trip - don't tell us.  It would ruin the trip and it wouldn't make them any less dead.

 

DON

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12 hours ago, donaldsc said:

Every one's priorities vary but we did a 2 month trip in Australia and a 2 1/2 month trip in AK and never turned used WiFi once.  We did use the mapping features on the phones but that was all off line so it doesn't count.  We also told people in advance that if someone or anything died while we were on the trip - don't tell us.  It would ruin the trip and it wouldn't make them any less dead.

 

DON

Ditto.   With one exception.  IF we won the lottery, the big one, we wanted to know so that we could extend our travels instead of returning home.

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10 minutes ago, iancal said:

Ditto.   With one exception.  IF we won the lottery, the big one, we wanted to know so that we could extend our travels instead of returning home.

 

LOL!!  I buy lottery tickets every few weeks and especially when the prize is really big when we are in Colorado for the the summer.  I can't buy them at our primary residence in Las Vegas as they don't allow lotteries here.  The most that I have ever won was $12.  That wouldn't buy me more than a 2 minute trip extension,  Sob!!

 

DON

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