QM2 Internet, WiFi access and charges

[pb82]

FYI I've scanned the May/June 2006 handouts about QM2 internet charges and access and WiFi availability to http://s102.photobucket.com/albums/*****. You also can get to it from http://www.photobucket.com/ by searching there for pb82.

 

Paul

[dramktg]

Greetings, We are on the New England / Canada cruise of Sept 30Th. Are there any comments available concerning the reliability & use of the wireless services on board? We would be using our own notebook ( need to upload & download attachment ) and blackberry (sorry!).

Regards,

Michel

[travel-to-go]

Greetings, We are on the New England / Canada cruise of Sept 30Th. Are there any comments available concerning the reliability & use of the wireless services on board? We would be using our own notebook ( need to upload & download attachment ) and blackberry (sorry!).

Regards,

Michel

Michel,

When you are near enough to land you should be able to pick up Rogers Cantel. Otherwise, I would suggest buying a data package (1/2 hour, 1 hour, etc) and use the ship's data links. Unfortunately, they are very slow, (and expensive) because they use the satellite links. Wireless (802.11) is available in most public areas. Most of the bartenders can point out where the antenna is so you can get better signal.

There is no cellular service on board (yet) Princess has wired all of her ships, as well as Carnival and Royal Caribbean with a cellular switch, and site distributed throughout the ship through the ceilings. No sign of the Cunarders being so-designed yet. Might take away their monopoly on printing money!

 

Karie,

who just returned from the 4 day labor day NY to Halifax, and used her Cingular Sierra Wireless air card leaving Halifax.

[pb82]

Are there any comments available concerning the reliability & use of the wireless services on board? We would be using our own notebook

I bought the two-hour internet access package for $47.95 (20% discount) and had no trouble getting to the internet with my notebook as long as the link to the ship was up. Unfortunately, it did go down frequently, sometimes all day. The helpful folks at the ConneXions desk got me a partial refund and said that the problems were with the service provider Cunard uses to supply internet access. That link is not the Cunard corporate link that they use for CUNARDMAIL.

 

When I could connect, my favorite WiFi "warm spot" was the starboard hall just aft of ConneXions, it has tables for four along a wall of huge windows just 20 feet above the water.

 

Paul

[dramktg]

Thank you Karie & Paul for the information. Much appreciated. One mondaine little question - the QM2 info. advise that they supply 220v. round pin & 120v. 2 slot pin. As most of our equipment is 120v. 2 pin & ground, should I provide for a 3 to 2 pin adapter?

Best regards,

Michel

[pb82]

As most of our equipment is 120v. 2 pin & ground, should I provide for a 3 to 2 pin adapter?

The 2 pin+ground plug on my notebook charger fit the outlet by the desk in our cabin without an adapter. If you have a lot of stuff to plug in at once, bring a power strip. And bring the adapter anyway, it's small and you never know.

 

Paul

[dramktg]

Thanks for the info Paul - will do -

Regards,

Michel

[travel-to-go]

T 120v. 2 slot pin. As most of our equipment is 120v. 2 pin & ground, should I provide for a 3 to 2 pin adapter?

Best regards,

Michel

Michel, it is a standard grounded plug. However, some of them are recessed and transformers won't fit inside the recess. I always bring a power strip (fits neatly in my laptop case) That way I can charge the laptop, cell phone, Blackberry ,camera batteris, etc all at once. Oh yeah, and if you bring a CD player (Which we have been known to do) and of course, we bring one of those small portable printers. What a hit those are on board when you can give people pictures from the day at dinner that night! People just LOVE it!

Karie,

Have fun, Michel!

[dramktg]

Thank you for the info. Karie. Based on Paul's & your comments, we'll provide for the acessories. The best bet for e-mail uploads & downloads appears to be with the AirCard when we are in the different ports along the way.

Tks again

Michel

[jgsmuzzy]

Thanks for this thread. We sail on QM2 on Sunday and I was wondering whether it was worth me taking my laptop with me. I think I will now! :)

[pb82]

Hey, jgsmuzzy, that's what these threads are for. Looking forward to your posts from the ship. Bon voyage,

Paul

[YankeeClippr]

Hi ...

I took my laptop with me this summer on both the QE2 and the QM2 ... had great luck with both ... no problems at all.

 

To cut down on the expense, I composed my e-mails in my word processing program (it was word, actually); then logged on, went to my company's e-mail site, opened an e-mail, addressed it, and cut/pasted the pre-composed text into the window.

 

For my more sophisticated friends, I just sent the long word text as an attachment.

 

This took a little "planning ahead" but meant I got the biggest bang for my buck. (It is kinda expensive ... but a lifesaver this summer as there was a small crisis at work ...)

 

Hope this is useful ... enjoy ... both great ships!

 

YankeeClippr

[pb82]

To cut down on the expense, I composed my e-mails in my word processing program (it was word, actually); then logged on, went to my company's e-mail site, opened an e-mail, addressed it, and cut/pasted the pre-composed text into the window.

Exactly right! Compose off line at leisure, send on line quick and cheap.