Kindle Alert

[joan021]

I am just back from a transatlantic cruise and learned the hard way that Regent's internet does not support downloading books on a Kindle. This may not be a problem on a port laden cruise but I discovered this on the second day of seven sea days. I did have a couple of full books downloaded but had mostly downloaded samples which I had intended to check out and download the book if I liked what I read. I got some books from the library but not my favorite reading.

[Lonedaddy]

DW downloads all them at home before we leave as she had some trouble downloading some magazines on the first cruise.

[papaflamingo]

I may be totally wrong, but it may have more to do with being in a foreign region than bandwidth. I found I was unable to download kindle books when overseas.  Haven't tried again in years as I learned pretty quickly to pre-load books.  So don't know if that's changed or not.   .  

[GMIAC]

It’s definitely a region issue, not a bandwidth issue. If you use a VPN, you’ll bypass that issue. 

[welshfamily]

This may help

Not sure if this only works in Europe as that is the only place I have tried it as I usually download all my books at home.

However if I need to this is how I download books onto my kindle on a cruise.

I attach my kindle to my phones personal hotshot, and download on my phones Wi-Fi. You do have to have a signal.

 

In the  home screen access the 3 dots on the upper right hand side of the Kindle - choose settings - then Wireless - make sure your phone hot spot is turned on - open Wi-Fi settings - if your phone isnt on the list hit RESCAN (bottom right of your screen - select your phone.

 

Of course it depends where you are but surprisingly I have had a decent signal on a sea day. 
 

Hope you are having a great cruise.

 

[PaulMCO]

3 hours ago, GMIAC said:

It’s definitely a region issue, not a bandwidth issue. If you use a VPN, you’ll bypass that issue. 

It is not a region issue because the IP address of the satellite system is Miramar, Florida (sometimes Miami).

 

It is Regent blocking downloads and streaming. @joan021 Did you pay to have a streaming upgrade??

 

Alternatively - if you had a VPN and used an iPad for the Kindle APP, it would work.  Did that on my last cruise in Japan.

 

 

 

Edited April 23 by PaulMCO

[Maybelline True]

Can you explain a little about how to use a VPN, please?

[Lonedaddy]

2 hours ago, Maybelline True said:

Can you explain a little about how to use a VPN, please?

You can download on kindle or phone like Nord vpn and it makes it seem as you are a location other than you are but Amazon does have software that sees through it so prime video doesn’t always work ymmv

[Gcto]

it's a Kindle issue which can't login as a device into the ship's wifi... you can enter all the info, name, date of birth etc...but then the last step doesn't work. The kindle browser is very limited and flakes out (technical term). 

What you can do is:

1. Establish a personal hotspot on your laptop (if you have one). Settings, Network and Internet, Mobile Hotspot

2. Create a mobile hotspot on your phone (which is connected to the ship's wifi)

3. Mobile Hotspot on your ipad. 

 

Once you created that on either device, you connect your kindle to the hotspot and you circumvent the necessary login... your pc/phone/ipad connects to the ship's wifi and your kindle connects to that hotspot without having to login to the ship. 

It is not region dependent, I did it in Japan, Caribbean, etc. It's the limited browser on the Kindle. 

 

 

[Portolan]

Have used Kindle Fires for years on Regent (most recently January 2024) with never a problem in downloading books via Amazon from our library (using Libby and Overdrive earlier).

 

1, Hope this isn't a new thing

2. Perhaps a Kindle and not Kindle Fire issue

 

[Gcto]

54 minutes ago, Portolan said:

Have used Kindle Fires for years on Regent (most recently January 2024) with never a problem in downloading books via Amazon from our library (using Libby and Overdrive earlier).

 

1, Hope this isn't a new thing

2. Perhaps a Kindle and not Kindle Fire issue

 

yes, the Kindle Fire is pretty much like a tablet computer... with Kindle features. The "regular" kindle is more an e-reader with a very limited browser. I have a Kindle Fire and no problems downloading...my wife's Kindle Oasis is a no go....thus...the steps outlined above. 

 

[GMIAC]

5 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

It is not a region issue because the IP address of the satellite system is Miramar, Florida (sometimes Miami).

 

It is Regent blocking downloads and streaming.

 

Oh yes. This is correct. 
 

Using the VPN does override the ship’s blocks with the sites/apps I’ve tried (YouTube, Kindle, Apple Music) on both my iPhone and iPad. 

Edited April 23 by GMIAC

[douginct]

I always make sure I have lots of books downloaded before a trip. If I do need to connect my Kindle to the internet I do it in a port where I can use my phone’s hotspot capability. I always have difficulty getting the Kindle to connect through hotel or ship WiFi. Can’t get to the sign in screen on these public WiFi’s. 

[bookbabe]

This is one of the other issues that using a travel router avoids…we make sure ahead of time that my kindle has the router username and password saved, and then once on board it just automatically connects after the router is set up.  See the wi-fi thread for more info.

[never2home]

I selectfully "stockpile" books between cruises so I don't have to worry about downloading or running out of books to read.  No reason to stress over books being available.

[Lonedaddy]

7 minutes ago, never2home said:

I selectfully "stockpile" books between cruises so I don't have to worry about downloading or running out of books to read.  No reason to stress over books being available.

There are plenty of books sitting around on loungers on warm weather cruises, it's a second library sometimes. 😉

[Smitty A]

I don’t use a kindle, I download them to my kindle app on my iPad.   Never had a problem…..Argentina, the Arctic, all over the world.   Sometimes it takes 3 minutes instead

of one or two, but that is it.    Just thought I’d let you all know in case this might help.

Edited April 24 by Smitty A

[douginct]

8 hours ago, Smitty A said:

I don’t use a kindle, I download them to my kindle app on my iPad.   Never had a problem…..Argentina, the Arctic, all over the world.   Sometimes it takes 3 minutes instead

of one or two, but that is it.    Just thought I’d let you all know in case this might help.

Clearly that would work. My issues with that option are that, unless an iPad mini, the iPad is much larger and heavier than my Kindle.  And, it is much harder to read an iPad outside in the sun.

[labonnevie]

14 hours ago, Smitty A said:

I don’t use a kindle, I download them to my kindle app on my iPad.   Never had a problem…..Argentina, the Arctic, all over the world.   Sometimes it takes 3 minutes instead

of one or two, but that is it.    Just thought I’d let you all know in case this might help.

Just hard to read my iPad outside. 

Sorry, didn’t see post#18. 

Edited April 24 by labonnevie
Clarity

[Maybelline True]

On 4/22/2024 at 7:44 PM, Lonedaddy said:

You can download on kindle or phone like Nord vpn and it makes it seem as you are a location other than you are but Amazon does have software that sees through it so prime video doesn’t always work ymmv

 

So maybe this could be used for someone who wants to have two members logged-in to cruise critic at the same time?