Reasons for Wifi

I do not understand paying for wifi. What ways will you use it? first time cruiser.

There was a time when going on a cruise meant no wifi, no cellphone signal, no telephones in the cabin, and no television. The only ways to stay connected with the world would be a daily printed sheet of world news headlines, and if you absolutely needed to contact someone ashore, you'd head to the ship's radio room to place a (very expensive) call.

 

Needless to say, things have changed and most people want all of the means of communication listed above. As much as I would like to go back to that level of blissful "disconnect", I like to at least have access to wifi in order to stay in touch, specially if our elementary school aged kids are not traveling with us. Also, to periodically check my email for any important communication. I don't spend more than 15 minutes a day using the wifi, but I'm glad that it's available in case I do need it.

 

 

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I do not understand paying for wifi. What ways will you use it? first time cruiser.

Email, text messages, voice calls.

We use wifi to keep in touch with family back home using VoIP.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

I use it for the same things I use it for at home. For example, listening to music on Spotify.

 

(I hope we're moving past the "I don't understand why people can't unplug on vacation" era, but probably not quite yet. I don't understand why people have to spend their cruise highly intoxicated, but it's their time, money and bodies and they can do what they like, so I don't bust into the drink packages threads and criticize them.)

Online school. My 1st grader and brandy new K are both seasoned cruisers. They don't miss a day of school!

 

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I write a blog on every cruise and also pay my bills online.

Even though I'm a grown woman, I plan to check in with my family throughout the cruise because they are prone to paranoia and will assume something terrible has happened if they don't hear from me. Lol

 

 

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Work. We have our own business and have to keep in touch. If we couldn't, we'd never go in vacation.

The last few years we have had to stay connected due to elderly parents, although we mostly just posted once a day and read any posts sent to us. Unfortunately for us, all kinds of disasters have happened at home while we were on cruises, including two grandparents dying, multiple hospitalizations of elderly parents, etc. etc. I think we are jinxed.:o

 

We are down to one parent now (91), but she broke her hip last year when we were cruising so I guess we'd better still check in every day.

 

PS: my husband does like to keep up on various sports teams. Otherwise, we are not of the 'always have to be connected generation'.

You cruise to get away from it all. So don't pay for the expensive WiFi package

It's helpful to be able to use your phone to message other people in your travel party to touch base about where you are, when to meet up, etc. It's much easier than relying on dry erase boards on your cabin door :) You can message (text) over wifi without worrying about roaming or using data.

 

 

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It's helpful to be able to use your phone to message other people in your travel party to touch base about where you are, when to meet up, etc. It's much easier than relying on dry erase boards on your cabin door :) You can message (text) over wifi without worrying about roaming or using data.

 

 

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But just for that, is it worth paying the exorbitant WiFi charges?

It's better to plan each person's full days schedule the previous night from the daily bulletin. So everyone knows where each person is. Some activities will be common.

And all meet up for meals.

The major reason why we use it is to access the internet and check things like our credit card on line statements (watching for fraud) and to access e-mail to communicate with others.

 

Keith

The major reason why we use it is to access the internet and check things like our credit card on line statements (watching for fraud) and to access e-mail to communicate with others.

 

Keith

 

Exactly the same reason we use the internet. Never use it to play games, but if towards the end of the cruise there is some time left over I might log into Cruise Critic to see if I've missed anything :D

Princess provides free minutes based upon loyalty level combined with length of the cruise cruise.

 

I use my free minutes to place VoIP calls to check on family.

 

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We find the minutes e get as repeat customers with Princess are enough, so we do not buy any

The Wi-Fi on the cruise ship if you need any type of text messages especially with Verizon you want it only charges when you return I kept my phone on airplane mode and as long as I have been to the Royal Caribbean WiFi there was no charges at all I was also able to connect with Facebook Messenger and also use the Skype option as well again it's a small piece to pay for not coming back with a lot of thought

 

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You cruise to get away from it all. So don't pay for the expensive WiFi package

 

Different people have different definitions of what they're "getting away" from. It's fine.

I do not understand paying for wifi. What ways will you use it? first time cruiser.

 

 

same reasons you pay for it at home. if those reasons are considered necessary/vital, you will pay for them on board. if not, you won't.

same reasons you pay for it at home. if those reasons are considered necessary/vital, you will pay for them on board. if not, you won't.

 

 

 

That is the right answer [emoji6]

 

 

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I do not understand paying for wifi. What ways will you use it? first time cruiser.

It is a question we need to ask ourselves (i.e., myself and my spouse). My spouse, especially, feels compelled to be accessible to work via email because of the critical nature of the work my spouse does. For myself, I am under the impression that sharing parts of my cruise with others (family on social media, and here on Cruise Critic) while I'm on the cruise would somehow enhance my experience. In addition, we like to check on the security cameras in our home (because we often can catch a view of our pets) and at the very least check our security system to verify that our house sitter is visiting each day for the agree-on amount of time, rather than something having come up unexpectedly and our pets being left alone too long.

You cruise to get away from it all. So don't pay for the expensive WiFi package

 

It is free for me so no expense.

Use it to touch base with family when on long cruises all over the world. :)

primary cause for the confusion is the term WiFi

 

what folks are really paying for is INTERNET ACCESS. WiFi or a wireless connection is just the portion from your device to the ship's interface to the internet which is happening via a maritime satellite system .....

 

and in general time on a maritime satellite system is EXPENSIVE and not nearly as 'robust' as even the most limited DSL or cable system in your house. It is not unusual for response and capacity to be more like dialup systems of old.

We do not buy internet on board. Too slow, too expensive and we really have no need for it.

 

We do use our ipads on shore though. We are retired so no job requirements.

 

Despite being in the IT business for my career we are not in any way married or joined at the hip to on board internet. We can live without it for a few days.