Heads Up on the Basic Internet package that comes with All Included

[Ken the cruiser]

10 minutes ago, Barwick Cruiser said:

I’m thinking that we haven’t heard of many issues with the basic package because it seems the majority of the “live” posters so far have been in suites which come with the faster stream wifi? Just a possibility 🤔 

 

At any rate I’m enjoying your posts and wish you happy cruising! 😊

That’s my guess as well. I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I wasn’t so addicted to cruising and very much enjoy sharing experiences and lessons learned with folks on cruise critic! I know, I need to get a life. But at 69 for us cruising is a major part of our life together. 😎

[t18c97]

I wonder is using a VPN connection/service would help get around the issue since their bandwidth management system wouldn't know what type of traffic is in the packets?

[verizon]

I guess you didn't follow the thread on the Transatlantic  cruises on Apex.

The internet is almost not working the whole time even you have the stream package.

Its the Apex ship internet problem.

Bring this up to Lisa's she will fix it.

Edited November 6, 2021 by verizon

[Ken the cruiser]

Just confirmed with @NutsAboutGolf currently cruising on the Equinox that you cannot access the cruise critic forums using the basic internet package. You need to upgrade to streaming to be able to do that as well as many of the other applications mentioned in the Xcelerate advertisement.

 

Not sure if a VPN connection/service would work. When we were on a 30 day HAL cruise around Australia a few years back, we brought a travel router with us which worked quite well when we were in the cabin. But then again there weren’t the limitations back then like we’re experiencing with the Basic service we’re dealing with today on the X ships. But you can always give it a try on your next cruise.

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

That’s my guess as well. I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I wasn’t so addicted to cruising and very much enjoy sharing experiences and lessons learned with folks on cruise critic! I know, I need to get a life. But at 69 for us cruising is a major part of our life together. 😎

I definitely enjoy reading CC while we are cruising, and also posting if appropriate. I’ll be pretty ticked off when we are on the Silhouette a month from now if the included surf WiFi doesn’t allow this. Thanks for the heads up. 
 

(We were just on the NCL Breakaway, and as slow as their “included” surf internet sometimes was, there wasn’t any site I could not access, including CC.)

[Ken the cruiser]

39 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

I definitely enjoy reading CC while we are cruising, and also posting if appropriate. I’ll be pretty ticked off when we are on the Silhouette a month from now if the included surf WiFi doesn’t allow this. Thanks for the heads up. 
 

(We were just on the NCL Breakaway, and as slow as their “included” surf internet sometimes was, there wasn’t any site I could not access, including CC.)

For us, luckily we just made Elite+, which gave us 240 minutes of streaming or 35% off to upgrade, so it wasn’t too painful to upgrade. However, we met someone today at lunch who booked through a Big Box TA where an upgrade to streaming was included on their TA confirmation which they showed us, but she was having issues with sending email. We asked her what was listed as the Service Type when she logged onto her shipboard internet account, and when she checked it was Voucher_GS (or Basic). Apparently she selected the wrong option, which was very easy to do when they first boarded and created her account. After lunch they’re heading to the iLounge to get her account upgraded to what she was promised by their TA. As it goes, her husband upgraded yesterday to full streaming and wasn’t having any issues. 
 

Lesson Learned: If your TA has upgraded your All Included package to include the unlimited streaming service as part of their promotional offerings, make sure when you create your account once you board to use the applicable Service Type option. As you may have guessed, the first one listed is Voucher, which is the Basic option that comes by default with AI.

[AngryDog77]

Hi Ken, did we just have lunch together in the Cosmopolitan restaurant? This is John and Jeannie.  Nice to meet you and thanks for the internet info! 

[Ken the cruiser]

6 minutes ago, AngryDog77 said:

Hi Ken, did we just have lunch together in the Cosmopolitan restaurant? This is John and Jeannie.  Nice to meet you and thanks for the internet info! 

That be us! Hopefully I got most of what we learned from your experience correct that I posted above. If not, please let me know. 😎

Edited November 6, 2021 by Ken the cruiser

[DUTRAVEL]

7 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Just confirmed with @NutsAboutGolf currently cruising on the Equinox that you cannot access the cruise critic forums using the basic internet package. You need to upgrade to streaming to be able to do that as well as many of the other applications mentioned in the Xcelerate advertisement.

 

Not sure if a VPN connection/service would work. When we were on a 30 day HAL cruise around Australia a few years back, we brought a travel router with us which worked quite well when we were in the cabin. But then again there weren’t the limitations back then like we’re experiencing with the Basic service we’re dealing with today on the X ships. But you can always give it a try on your next cruise.

I had to go down to the iLounge during our Millennium cruise because I could not access the internet at all on my iPhone on the surf package (it was working fine for my husband on his iPhone). Turns out that I had to disable my VPN to get it to work (my husband doesn't have a VPN). I still had the issue with cruise critic even after disabling the VPN, but I could access other websites.

[canderson]

8 hours ago, t18c97 said:

I wonder is using a VPN connection/service would help get around the issue since their bandwidth management system wouldn't know what type of traffic is in the packets?

Goofysmom has reported some success with TunnelBear on Android, so VPN may help.

[Ken the cruiser]

5 minutes ago, canderson said:

Goofysmom has reported some success with TunnelBear on Android, so VPN may help.

So for us folks that have been out of the tech loop for some time now, would someone please explain how you would implement in simple terms a VPN while on a Celebrity cruise using the Basic Internet package provided with All Included. 

[downsmead]

We had the same experience on Silhouette this summer - WiFi fine when in SS using the premium WiFi, but when using surf WiFi from an Aqua class cabin we had issues. I actually ‘managed’ to view CC scrolling through the list of pages but could not access roll calls. We could not upload or open pictures in WhatsApp but could send and open pictures in FB messenger.

[hiccups]

23 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Thanks. Well it sounds like your old android is just the ticket to bypass the issues we are seeing when using the basic Xcelerate Surf Wi-Fi package. What I find kind of interesting is that no one else on either the Apex or the Edge or any other Celebrity ship currently at sea has chimed in yet saying they’re not seeing any issues logging into CC either using the basic unlimited internet service provided with the AI package. I’m guessing because, unlike your android, they’re iPads and iPhones are having issues logging on to the CC boards. But that’s just a guess. 😎

We were on Edge 10/9-10/16 and I had trouble with CC, too.  Checking my posting history, I was able to reply to a thread on 10/11, but after that, I couldn't.  CC said I was logged in, but any time I tried to post, it said I wasn't, and I kept getting an error message.  I just assumed it was the CC site and just stuck to reading, not replying.

[brockmom]

So we will have unlimited surf and our 240 elite plus minutes.

How is this set up so I can switch between the two …depending what 

I need?
thanks 

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, hiccups said:

We were on Edge 10/9-10/16 and I had trouble with CC, too.  Checking my posting history, I was able to reply to a thread on 10/11, but after that, I couldn't.  CC said I was logged in, but any time I tried to post, it said I wasn't, and I kept getting an error message.  I just assumed it was the CC site and just stuck to reading, not replying.

You may have already tried this, but I’ve found clearing the “Yesterday and Today” cache from my browser’s History section and then signing back into CC seems to solve that problem for me, which seems to be happening more often these past few months.

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, brockmom said:

So we will have unlimited surf and our 240 elite plus minutes.

How is this set up so I can switch between the two …depending what 

I need?
thanks 

Once you get onboard and activate your internet account using the unlimited basic email and surf plan that comes with AI (which will be the first option), go to the iLounge and they will help you create the second option using your 240 Elite+ minutes so you can switch back and forth under your one account.

[sayvan]

Curious… with the basic are you able to use Snapchat or Instagram? Deciding whether to upgrade 

[spammie]

Question - We are Elite+, can we upgrade using our discount to Streaming once we are onboard?  The thought of having to call and be hold forever..........is something I would like to avoid.  Thank you!

[Ken the cruiser]

8 hours ago, sayvan said:

Curious… with the basic are you able to use Snapchat or Instagram? Deciding whether to upgrade 

Not sure about uploading photos as that appears to be a limitation with the Basic service. My DW can see videos and photos on Instagram, but I’m not sure about Snapchat because neither of us us it. Maybe someone else can shed some light on that application. 

[brockmom]

8 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Once you get onboard and activate your internet account using the unlimited basic email and surf plan that comes with AI (which will be the first option), go to the iLounge and they will help you create the second option using your 240 Elite+ minutes so you can switch back and forth under your one account.

Thank you !

[Ken the cruiser]

2 hours ago, spammie said:

Question - We are Elite+, can we upgrade using our discount to Streaming once we are onboard?  The thought of having to call and be hold forever..........is something I would like to avoid.  Thank you!

Yes, with the help of the iLounge staff. For example, when we initially activated our accounts in our cabin, we selected the Basic (voucher) option which comes with AI (unless you’re in a suite) and then later went down to the iLounge to update our 2 accounts once we discovered its shortfalls. On one account we had them keep the unlimited Basic plan and add the Elite+ 240 minute plan as a second option. On the other account we simply had them upgrade the Basic account to unlimited streaming and paid the $117 (9 day) charge. It doesn’t take long at all.
 

Just make sure you don’t wait a day or two; otherwise there may be a wait as others start to wonder why they can’t do everything like they used to do before.

[esther e]

Right from the start I will have a problem because I'm blond!  I will bring my iPad and Android phone because the phone is a lot lighter and easier to use than my iPhone.  I really hate to bring along my laptop, but will if necessary, to be able to post photos both on FB and on personal emails to friends.  Am I correctly understanding that I won't be able to do photos or FB without purchasing an additional package?  I was hoping to be able to use my iPad for photos too, but now not so sure.

[Ken the cruiser]

4 minutes ago, esther e said:

Right from the start I will have a problem because I'm blond!  I will bring my iPad and Android phone because the phone is a lot lighter and easier to use than my iPhone.  I really hate to bring along my laptop, but will if necessary, to be able to post photos both on FB and on personal emails to friends.  Am I correctly understanding that I won't be able to do photos or FB without purchasing an additional package?  I was hoping to be able to use my iPad for photos too, but now not so sure.

I believe you are correct. You will need to upgrade to streaming if you plan on doing all those uploads unless you have an android as old as the one @kwokpotmentioned on post #2.

[Bellfree Bat]

11 hours ago, spammie said:

Question - We are Elite+, can we upgrade using our discount to Streaming once we are onboard?  The thought of having to call and be hold forever..........is something I would like to avoid.  Thank you!

I called earlier today and was not on-hold long at all. I just looked at my call history and it was less than 9 mins to hold and upgrade my husband's plan. Cost was $88.20 with the 30% Elite discount. This was for a 7 night Apex Cruise in December.

[jelayne]

20 hours ago, hiccups said:

We were on Edge 10/9-10/16 and I had trouble with CC, too.  Checking my posting history, I was able to reply to a thread on 10/11, but after that, I couldn't.  CC said I was logged in, but any time I tried to post, it said I wasn't, and I kept getting an error message.  I just assumed it was the CC site and just stuck to reading, not replying.

I think that was a Cruise Critic problem as we were at home and had the same problem daily for a week to 10 days.