Just back from a TA on the Marina, Bcn to Mia.

[basenji56]

I am booked on Marina for NEXT YEARS transatlantic.  But I am very concerned if the internet doesn't work.  I cruise solo and rely on the wifi to keep in touch with people at home.

 

I wonder how I would be able to learn if it is fixed.  I know that wifi on a TA is always somewhat dicey but it sounds like it didn't work for almost the entire cruise.  I have an iphone and had no trouble with the internet on Royal last month on a TA.

 

[jonthomas]

Royal has the latest technology. O has a long way to catch up.

[basenji56]

10 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

Royal has the latest technology. O has a long way to catch up.

O can't even figure out how to create an app!  

 

[pinotlover]

20 minutes ago, basenji56 said:

I am booked on Marina for NEXT YEARS transatlantic.  But I am very concerned if the internet doesn't work.  I cruise solo and rely on the wifi to keep in touch with people at home.

 

I wonder how I would be able to learn if it is fixed.  I know that wifi on a TA is always somewhat dicey but it sounds like it didn't work for almost the entire cruise.  I have an iphone and had no trouble with the internet on Royal last month on a TA.

 

Sometimes there just isn’t any internet at all. Nothing you can do. In other situations in the past, when my wife needed wifi for work, she’d get up at 4:00 a.m. to get on line. Depending upon time zone, sometimes she’d stay up and be online between 00:00-02:00, if she needed replies with responses. Talk then about being cranky all day! 🥺

[susiesan]

On 12/6/2022 at 11:04 AM, Ride-The-Waves said:

Going to give Azamara a serious look.  Sailed with them many times pre-Covid and before they were broken off from RCCL.  Always enjoyed the ships, ambiance, crews, and felt it was truly "like coming home" again.  We don't enjoy the mega ships and carnival atmosphere.

Try Windstar for small ships. I've enjoyed my 3 cruises with them. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, MarkWiltonM said:

 

I am looking at the online scheduler and Marina has a 24-day cruise scheduled December 18, 2023 - January 11, 2024 (Lima to Buenos Aires) and another 24-day cruise scheduled January 21 to February 14, 2024 (Rio de Janeiro to Santiago de Chile). That leaves a gap of just 10 days and it's in South America, not a place known for ship refurbishments.

 

 

As aforementioned, there’s this 10 day gap and a Fincantieri facility in Brazil (they acquired Vard years ago). While I’m not sure what is the extent of the services provided, I assume that, at least, drydock structural/mechanical retrofits are on the menu.

That the “Horn” cruise starting on 1/21/24 has several “Antarctic drive-by” days in the mix may or may not involve work necessarily related to that. I’m not knowledgeable on changes to polar readiness requirements. So, this all may be coincidental. And, of course, that ten day gap could also be a charter or just some normal hull/mechanical work.

????

[pinotlover]

Easier for me to just accept “ it hasn’t been rescheduled yet”, than trying to invent dates in an existing schedule. 
 

Maybe in late Spring 2025, after she returns to Europe for the summer. That schedule isn’t out yet.

[susiesan]

I am reading this and replying from Marina now, docked in San Juan . I'm on the ship wifi on my tablet. The internet is working fine on our cruise. While in port on my phone, I use Tmobile for data, a bit faster. O must have beefed up wifi in Miami. 

[basenji56]

Just now, susiesan said:

I am reading this and replying from Marina now, docked in San Juan . I'm on the ship wifi on my tablet. The internet is working fine on our cruise. While in port on my phone, I use Tmobile for data, a bit faster. O must have beefed up wifi in Miami. 

Very good to know.  Thanks!

 

[CruiseLibra]

We were on the recent Sirena TA. The internet was fine with only occasional outages which didn't last long. We paid for the upgraded package and were able to stream video on most evenings after dinner. 

[jonthomas]

19 hours ago, basenji56 said:

Very good to know.  Thanks!

 

 

well they should have beefed it up much sooner....

[pinotlover]

19 hours ago, susiesan said:

I am reading this and replying from Marina now, docked in San Juan . I'm on the ship wifi on my tablet. The internet is working fine on our cruise. While in port on my phone, I use Tmobile for data, a bit faster. O must have beefed up wifi in Miami. 

Or most people have gone ashore sightseeing and you’re on a near empty ship not competing for bandwidth.

[MarkWiltonM]

 

23 hours ago, 1985rz1 said:

Does anyone know the latest on when Marina will be refit? I dont want to sail on it before then. Water pressure in showers was poor, cabins look worn out. The rest of the ship was ok.

 

Not sure how much chance there is of increasing water pressure through a refit, but we can always hope. We just got off Sirena and the water pressure was surprisingly excellent.

 

We are scheduled on Marina for November 2024. Will cancel if the refit hasn't happened by then. Celebrity canceled (postponed?) some of their refits on their older ships, and in the case of their ship Equinox, they started the update in some of the public rooms and then stopped; the difference in the decor on some levels was quite noticeable (old carpet patterns versus new, etc.). And the staterooms just got new curtains and maybe carpet (can't remember exactly but it was disappointing, especially having just been on a sister ship, Silhouette that had been updated). 

[basenji56]

2 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Or most people have gone ashore sightseeing and you’re on a near empty ship not competing for bandwidth.

Yes, am very interested to see how it is on sea days.  I would be surprised if they were able to upgrade the internet on a turnaround day following a TA.

 

[basenji56]

1 hour ago, MarkWiltonM said:

 

 

Not sure how much chance there is of increasing water pressure through a refit, but we can always hope.

 

Disappointing to have to use the public showers in the spa every day because the water pressure in the cabins is so low.

 

[arima22]

24 days on Marina, Oct/Nov, no problem with our room water pressure, deck 8.

[1985rz1]

3 hours ago, MarkWiltonM said:

 

 

Not sure how much chance there is of increasing water pressure through a refit, but we can always hope. We just got off Sirena and the water pressure was surprisingly excellent.

 

We are scheduled on Marina for November 2024. Will cancel if the refit hasn't happened by then. Celebrity canceled (postponed?) some of their refits on their older ships, and in the case of their ship Equinox, they started the update in some of the public rooms and then stopped; the difference in the decor on some levels was quite noticeable (old carpet patterns versus new, etc.). And the staterooms just got new curtains and maybe carpet (can't remember exactly but it was disappointing, especially having just been on a sister ship, Silhouette that had been updated). 

Not sure why you listed me as the source of your quote, as the quote is actually from  a post by @jonthomas

[susiesan]

2 hours ago, basenji56 said:

Disappointing to have to use the public showers in the spa every day because the water pressure in the cabins is so low.

 

As of today, in an outside cabin on Marina water pressure has been fine. We are mid ship deck 7.

[susiesan]

2 hours ago, basenji56 said:

Yes, am very interested to see how it is on sea days.  I would be surprised if they were able to upgrade the internet on a turnaround day following a TA.

 

I'll let you know, the last 2 days of this sailing are sea days. 

One of the problems with free wifi is people log on, check their email or a few things, and don't log off. They stay connected all day. When you get limited time you will log off and on so as to not waste your minutes. 

[basenji56]

1 hour ago, 1985rz1 said:

Not sure why you listed me as the source of your quote, as the quote is actually from  a post by @jonthomas

Sorry.  Duly noted.

[1985rz1]

54 minutes ago, basenji56 said:

Sorry.  Duly noted.

No problem...just confused, as normal🙂

[ORV]

5 hours ago, basenji56 said:

Sorry.  Duly noted.

 

4 hours ago, 1985rz1 said:

No problem...just confused, as normal🙂

This just keeps getting funnier. It was MarkwiltonM that did that, not basenji56. 

[1985rz1]

49 minutes ago, ORV said:

 

This just keeps getting funnier. It was MarkwiltonM that did that, not basenji56. 

Weird. I didn't notice, but yes.  Is CC purposely jumbling the quotes...another conspiracy theory is invented. 🔎

Edited December 9, 2022 by 1985rz1

[godfreyb]

We had no problem with water pressure on this cruise - if anything it was too much pressure!  For what it's worth, I noticed the dining room staff writing orders down instead of using their tablets.  They confirmed that there was an internet problem which would be fixed when we reached Miami.  From a previous poster it appears that they did fix it.  I too, rose at 5 .a.m. to download my newspapers - which took a while! As to comments about food, while there were some quirks, particularly with some of the dishes being cooked sous vide and finished on ordering in the specialty restaurants, in the main, a judicious look at the menus for the dining room and Terrace cafe before eating, meant that we were in the main very satisfied with the food - our weight gain will confirm that!

[jonthomas]

Perhaps not the water pressure, just old shower heads. But several people did say, they went to the spa to shower. 

 

Anyway, we are on the refitted Riviera next month. In Nov of 2023, we wiil again be on the Marina. Hopefully it will also be refitted by then, but no one knows. 

 

As for food, mainly ate in Terrace, where if I didnt recognize the concoction, I could have something made in the grill. 

 

Also, everything that was BBQd, had the same smoky, bgq sauce, which I dont like. How about honey garlic,  or something else. Why every rib and chicken etc, the same smoky sauce? Yeah I know I am being picky. But that is why we pay for and  sail O, so I can be picky.