Travel WiFi routers…?

[BrentD]

I’ve brought along a travel WiFi router on previous cruises in Carnival, Royal and NCL. This could have been in their rules before and I just didn’t notice it, but I just happened to notice this in Carnival’s prohibited item list:

 

”Satellite disk, routers and other internet related equipment”

 

Has anyone had any issues bringing one along lately? First time I’ve ever seen anything about it. 

[mz-s]

Be prepared to leave it at the pier if they find it. 

[BrentD]

Just now, mz-s said:

Be prepared to leave it at the pier if they find it. 

Is this personal experience or advice? I’m looking for personal experience here. 

[mz-s]

6 minutes ago, BrentD said:

Is this personal experience or advice? I’m looking for personal experience here. 

 

Advice. I haven't heard of any of them getting confiscated on here. But considering people on here ask if they should put their phone in airplane mode, I don't think many folks on here even know what a travel router is. So this may not be the best place to ask.

 

The last time I tried to use a travel router on carnival in 2019 I don't think they were prohibited. Or if they were I didnt notice. 

[BrentD]

Just now, mz-s said:

 

Advice. I haven't heard of any of them getting confiscated on here. But considering people on here ask if they should put their phone in airplane mode, I don't think many folks on here even know what a travel router is. So this may not be the best place to ask.

 

The last time I tried to use a travel router on carnival in 2019 I don't think they were prohibited. Or if they were I didnt notice. 

Fair point. But I’ve seen them mentioned many times on all the cruise line forums, so I’m hoping someone can give some personal experience. Considering what they charge would pay for 4-7 months of my home internet plan, a single plan should be covering every device to start with. 

[jb58]

The best place to look on these boards is 
Cruising Technology - Cruise Critic Community

[Essiesmom]

32 minutes ago, jb58 said:

The best place to look on these boards is 
Cruising Technology - Cruise Critic Community

Perhaps, if you are asking whether it will work.  But apparently the OP has made it work in the past, but now finding it might not be permitted.  Most of the questions about routers on the boards are ‘will it work?’, not ‘is it permitted’.  One cruiser seemed to be able to use it on one or more lines, but could not connect on MSC.  EM

[mz-s]

They should work fine on Carnival (unless they've started blocking them as they've upgraded to Starlink which I wouldn't doubt). But they could absolutely confiscate it at the pier, or sniff it out onboard and confiscate it if it causes issues. I haven't heard reports of that happening yet but it certainly can.

[jimbo5544]

13 hours ago, BrentD said:

I’ve brought along a travel WiFi router on previous cruises in Carnival, Royal and NCL. This could have been in their rules before and I just didn’t notice it, but I just happened to notice this in Carnival’s prohibited item list:

 

”Satellite disk, routers and other internet related equipment”

 

Has anyone had any issues bringing one along lately? First time I’ve ever seen anything about it. 

What are you trying to do with it

[salty dingo]

Carnival wants to limit you to one device per Internet plan. If you use a router, then that router may be the device and it would allow simultaneous Internet access to multiple devices for the price of one plan. Obviously this is not something Carnival wants their guests to do.

[Old Fart Cruisers]

15 hours ago, BrentD said:

Carnival’s prohibited item list:

 

”Satellite disk, routers and other internet related equipment”

 

Has anyone had any issues bringing one along lately? First time I’ve ever seen anything about it. 

 

It is clearly against Carnival's rules.  Is it any different than sneaking alcohol on board so you don't have to pay for drinks on Carnival's ship, or what's the best way to smuggle illegal drugs without getting caught.  Carnival has rules, why not just follow them or find a cruise line with rules that you like?

[bafinegan]

Many laptops can be used as wifi "hotspots" too

[ninjacat123]

10 minutes ago, bafinegan said:

Many laptops can be used as wifi "hotspots" too

Wouldn't you need the ship's wifi to access your "hotspot" when at sea?  My DH brings his laptop just in case of work and I always buy the ship's wifi so he can use his laptop if needed.  Do I not need to do this?  I'm confused🤷‍♀️

[Old Fart Cruisers]

6 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

Wouldn't you need the ship's wifi to access your "hotspot" when at sea?  My DH brings his laptop just in case of work and I always buy the ship's wifi so he can use his laptop if needed.  Do I not need to do this?  I'm confused🤷‍♀️

Yes you would need the ship's wifi to access the internet.  the difference is if you are than using the computer's hotspot so that multiple other devices can access the internet while only paying for one device.

[BrentD]

37 minutes ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

 

It is clearly against Carnival's rules.  Is it any different than sneaking alcohol on board so you don't have to pay for drinks on Carnival's ship, or what's the best way to smuggle illegal drugs without getting caught.  Carnival has rules, why not just follow them or find a cruise line with rules that you like?

Man, what a fitting username. 

[bafinegan]

23 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

Wouldn't you need the ship's wifi to access your "hotspot" when at sea?  My DH brings his laptop just in case of work and I always buy the ship's wifi so he can use his laptop if needed.  Do I not need to do this?  I'm confused🤷‍♀️

Yes,but you would connect your laptop to the ships wifi and then use your laptop to connect other devices.  Like an ipad or your phone

 

[ninjacat123]

21 minutes ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

Yes you would need the ship's wifi to access the internet.  the difference is if you are than using the computer's hotspot so that multiple other devices can access the internet while only paying for one device.

 

8 minutes ago, bafinegan said:

Yes,but you would connect your laptop to the ships wifi and then use your laptop to connect other devices.  Like an ipad or your phone

 

Got it!  We usually say "can I boot you off so I can check something on my phone?" but I can see how this router would eliminate this.  Thanks for the explanation!

[salty dingo]

2 hours ago, bafinegan said:

Many laptops can be used as wifi "hotspots" too

And just about every smartphone can as well.

[mz-s]

4 minutes ago, salty dingo said:

And just about every smartphone can as well.

 

Not iPhones...

[BrentD]

23 minutes ago, salty dingo said:

And just about every smartphone can as well.

Most smartphones cannot share a WiFi connection. They can share a cellular connection over WiFi, but not a WiFi connection they are already connected to. Further, laptops can share a wired connection wirelessly, but cannot rebroadcast a WiFi network without a second network card/interface. 

Edited March 24 by BrentD

[mz-s]

14 minutes ago, BrentD said:

Most smartphones cannot share a WiFi connection. They can share a cellular connection over WiFi, but not a WiFi connection they are already connected to. Further, laptops can share a wired connection wirelessly, but cannot rebroadcast a WiFi network without a second network card/interface. 

 

Post #4...

[bafinegan]

1 hour ago, BrentD said:

Most smartphones cannot share a WiFi connection. They can share a cellular connection over WiFi, but not a WiFi connection they are already connected to. Further, laptops can share a wired connection wirelessly, but cannot rebroadcast a WiFi network without a second network card/interface. 

My laptop can.  Have done it before ( shrugg)

[Sabalon]

2 minutes ago, bafinegan said:

My laptop can.  Have done it before ( shrugg)

Same.  Did it so I could capture my father-in-laws login credentials to his email from is iPad to recover his password for him.   And then when we corrected that, set it up to not use plain text!!!

[BrentD]

20 minutes ago, Sabalon said:

Same.  Did it so I could capture my father-in-laws login credentials to his email from is iPad to recover his password for him.   And then when we corrected that, set it up to not use plain text!!!

 

23 minutes ago, bafinegan said:

My laptop can.  Have done it before ( shrugg)

Like I said, not without a second wireless interface. So yours has two. 

[bafinegan]

23 minutes ago, BrentD said:

 

Like I said, not without a second wireless interface. So yours has two. 

ok. and...