Internet packages

[mad4cruising]

Can anyone tell me how much the internet package is when using your own lap top? Are there hot spots around the ship, or can the internet only be used in your cabin. Also, would you know how fast or slow the internet is -is it worth taking a lap top?

[lawsoncd3]

I read on one of the posts here that it was/is .50 cents per minute.

 

Dona :)

[wrp96]

Depends on the ship. The ships I've been on in the last 4 months, Rhapsody, Brilliance, Serenade, and Monarch all had hotspots available for using the laptops. Internet access that way started at $.50 per minute but there were packages available. I did not use my laptop in the hotspots even when it was available though.

 

I actually found that the CyberCabin which was available on board Brilliance and Serenade was worth it. What that is is a modem connection in your stateroom (they give you the cord) and you are charged a flat fee for the entire cruise. This worked out well for me on the Brilliance as I was able to log on whenever I wanted and not worry about how many minutes was I using on the slow connections onboard. It also meant that I didn't have to drag my laptop out around the ship looking for the hotspots.

[wraithe]

Can anyone tell me how much the internet package is when using your own lap top? Are there hot spots around the ship, or can the internet only be used in your cabin. Also, would you know how fast or slow the internet is -is it worth taking a lap top?

 

Here's a link to the RC FAQ where I posted an email I got from C&A, to sum it up, all RCL ships have at least 6 hot spots, 802.11b, 50 cents/min, or packages to as low as 33 cents/min (150 minutes for $50).

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=294633&page=3

 

My understanding is that cyber cabin is the same speed as the on board computers, and when I used them on Grandeur last year, it took 7 minutes to just connect to Yahoo. It was about like I remember from 300 baud. Horribly slow. I've been told that WI-FI is faster, I'll know in about 65 hours! Hope this helps.

[stlrboo]

Please let us know, as we'll be on the Jewel of the Seas (sister of Brilliance) in 20 days, and am trying to figure out my best options.. I'm sure your experience will be beneficial to me.. Thanx & Happy Cruising..! :)

[mad4cruising]

Thanks for the info. YesWraithe, please let us know about your experience with the computers.

[movieguy]

I posted info regarding the Mariner here as well as hotspot locations. Other ships might be similar. You can walk up to guest services and ask them for a printout on the ship you are on.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=323973&highlight=wifi

[gambler]

Anyone know the "hotspots" for the Brillance?? Thanks

[cruisincath]

We were recently on the Sovereign of the Seas and I used the Internet Cafe on the ship. Cost was .50 cent per minute but crown and anchor members that receive a coupon book usually have a coupon for $5.00 off. This coupon must be brought to Help Desk to register the coupon.

 

Wanted to share a great idea I had for our cruise. We left our boys home alone (they are young adults) for the first time for the 6 days we were gone. As you know we have no way on the ship to be in daily contact with them. And yes, I am an overbearing Italian mother. I opened a separate yahoo account just for the cruise. I insisted that my boys send me a daily note touching base with me. I checked my emails daily and sent them a quick "how is it going and I love you" off to them nightly. This worked out perfectly. I didn't have to rummage through the hundreds of emails that I constantly get which cut down on my internet time. I was only on the internet about 5 minutes a day checking their emaiils and sending mine off.

 

For $2.50 a day to have a tiny bit of peace of mind it was well worth it.