Explorer of the seas starlink

[proposal]

Does anyone know if the dry dock updated the internet on the cruise to starlink?   I hate to be connected but I have to for work on one day(my understanding is I need to buy the entire package and can't get just one day).  

Thanks in advance! 

[Biker19]

2 hours ago, proposal said:

my understanding is I need to buy the entire package and can't get just one day

A 24 hour package is available, but only on board. Even with old style sat internet, working on the ship was possible depending on the specifics of the needs. Assume Starlink will be installed by the time you sail. 

Edited March 16, 2023 by Biker19

[proposal]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

A 24 hour package is available, but only on board. Even with old style sat internet, working on the ship was possible depending on the specifics of the needs. Assume Starlink will be installed by the time you sail. 

Is it worth waiting for the 24 hour package or is it overpriced ? 

[smarterman64]

5 hours ago, proposal said:

Does anyone know if the dry dock updated the internet on the cruise to starlink?   I hate to be connected but I have to for work on one day(my understanding is I need to buy the entire package and can't get just one day).  

Thanks in advance! 

i have read they have had starlink since about january on explorer of the seas which was prior to drydock. 

 

[Biker19]

8 hours ago, proposal said:

Is it worth waiting for the 24 hour package or is it overpriced ? 

The 24 hour package is $28-30 - you can compare that to the price in the planner now. 

[proposal]

2 hours ago, Biker19 said:

The 24 hour package is $28-30 - you can compare that to the price in the planner now. 

I'm currently showing 18 dollars a day for the full cruise package.  So maybe better to hold out for the 24 hour package.  Thank you.   I assume it's not quick enough for having a zoom meeting? 

[Biker19]

9 minutes ago, proposal said:

 I assume it's not quick enough for having a zoom meeting? 

Assuming the service is working as it should, any Zoom or video based teleconferencing app should work just fine.

[nascartony20fan1]

14 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Assuming the service is working as it should, any Zoom or video based teleconferencing app should work just fine.

Will Wi-Fi enabled calling with Verizon work? Thx

[Biker19]

4 hours ago, nascartony20fan1 said:

Will Wi-Fi enabled calling with Verizon work? Thx

Yes, though you should ensure you try it at home first (plane mode, Wi-Fi only). 

[Ret MP]

How widespread is Starlink, now?  I seem to remember reading an article not long ago, within a year, that said that is still only available to certain locations and it had a color-coded map of the U.S. and surrounding seas/countries.  My impression is that it's not yet available on Transatlantic/pacific cruises, at least not for the entire cruise, only when within XX miles of certain countries.  If that is correct, is there a secondary system to cover the, not yet available areas?

 

The article also said that Starlink was working aggressively to make its services more and more available to the merchant marine, military, and other sea-faring entities.  

 

[Biker19]

14 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

How widespread is Starlink, now?

It worked, most of the time, on the Symphony TA this week, so the Atlantic is covered - not sure about other remote areas. The ships have the old geo sats system as a back up.

[Ret MP]

2 hours ago, Biker19 said:

It worked, most of the time, on the Symphony TA this week, so the Atlantic is covered - not sure about other remote areas. The ships have the old geo sats system as a back up.

That's good news and hope the transpacific cruises are the same.  I've never wanted to go to Hawaii, but I'd like to do a B2B Hawaiian cruise.  I'm waiting on the day that the Oasis Class, or larger, ships cruise regularly like that and the financial situation is right.  

[Ret MP]

3 hours ago, Ret MP said:

That's good news and hope the transpacific cruises are the same.  I've never wanted to go to Hawaii, but I'd like to do a B2B Hawaiian cruise.  I'm waiting on the day that the Oasis Class, or larger, ships cruise regularly like that and the financial situation is right.  

BTW, I'd like to do a round trip B2B to Europe also.  But, I've been informed that it's not likely to find a cruise like that.  The same may hold true for Hawaii, as well.  

[nascartony20fan1]

13 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Yes, though you should ensure you try it at home first (plane mode, Wi-Fi only). 

I have been reading reviews of the current sailing of Explorer and the consensus so far is that the internet is terrible, patchy at best. Also read it might have to do with the older wiring of Explorer. Not sure what problem is but many people stated the internet didn’t work in their cabin. Probably going to have to cancel Explorer. 

[Biker19]

19 minutes ago, nascartony20fan1 said:

Not sure what problem is but many people stated the internet didn’t work in their cabin.

Other maybe one or two ships, when a ship is upgraded to Starlink the on board networking is not upgraded. So if a cabin had poor reception before, the Starlink upgrade won’t fix that. I would take the reports with a huge grain of salt, the reception is probably fine in most cabins. Also, if you get closer to the cabin door and maybe even crack the door a bit, it will work much better. Folks expecting great reception throughout the ship and even on the balcony are in for a disappointment. 

[tcneal]

I just disembarked the Explorer today.  I don't know if they had Starlink but I will say that the internet was the worst of any Royal ship that I had been on.  My previous cruise was on the Radiance and that was even better.  We had constant dropouts in our stateroom.   We like to use WhatsApp for calls and never had an issue before.  It was dropping and reconnecting every 15 to 20 seconds.  It seemed to better on the top open air decks.  But it was bad in the dining room and lounges throughout the ship.

[kurtp13]

I was on Explorer in Oct 2023.   The internet coverage throughout the ship is terrible.   The worst I've experienced.   The staff is aware and will refund a portion of the cost.   The Voom desk noted there was an improvement coming in November 2023 but I don't know if that's accurate or what it is.

[Billy Baltic]

Agreed and the current performance is even after the dry dock earlier this year. 

[Biker19]

4 hours ago, kurtp13 said:

 The Voom desk noted there was an improvement coming in November 2023 but I don't know if that's accurate or what it is.

Royal has been upgrading the ship internal networking coverage to provide a more reliable wifi signal - that may be happening next month.