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Wind surf on board computer access


Sal Paradise
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I was wondering - are there computer terminals on board Windsurf for passenger use?? I did not buy a wifi plan. But if I can send an e-mail or two from a ship internet enabled computer that would be convenient.

 

Also, will our cell phones work on board?

 

Thanks

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Hi,

 

There were 2 workstations last time we took the Surf. As for cell. phone, as long as you are within shouting distance of the island you should receive a signal. Watch those roaming charge. Get in touch with your carrier.

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The computers are limited unless you purchase wifi package. They take you to Windstar site and airlines only. As Dandee said, phones work but you better get package from your carrier and read their rules. We did and as long as we were in a port on Verizon list we were good but even a mile offshore got hit with extra charges from the ships that pick up cell signals and charge exorbitant fees.

 

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The computers are limited unless you purchase wifi package. They take you to Windstar site and airlines only. As Dandee said, phones work but you better get package from your carrier and read their rules. We did and as long as we were in a port on Verizon list we were good but even a mile offshore got hit with extra charges from the ships that pick up cell signals and charge exorbitant fees.

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

We have a global service plan that works for voice, text and data. And it has changed out lives (for the better) no more scrambling to the closest coffee shot in hopes that their WiFi is working.

 

But, yes, only when close to shore. We just turn off the phones from the time we depart port until we're nearing shore the next morning, with no issues. The service to watch for is "On Waves". That's the tremendously expensive cruise ship service, my phone has a way to disable connecting to various providers, and I must remember to do that before the next trip.

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We've been burned by them a couple of times. Verizon keepa changing their deal out of USA so we take different ones depending on how long we're going for and where. It should be easier!

 

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We've been burned by them a couple of times. Verizon keepa changing their deal out of USA so we take different ones depending on how long we're going for and where. It should be easier!

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

I think it is no longer offered in quite the same way, but we're thrilled with our grandfathered T-Mobile Simple Choice plan. 2 phones on a single account, everything included in the US, free data almost everywhere else in the world along with very low cost texts and phone calls. The monthly bill for us is just over $100. It has worked everywhere we've been, including some fairly unusual locations. Emailing pictures (or texting one for like 20 cents) from the Great Wall in real time was amazing! I could probably cobble together something less expensive, but just throwing the phones in the carryons without having to worry about it is worth something. No SIM purchasing and swapping. I just turn on my phone when I land and see a "welcome to xxx country" text. Local carriers are picked up automatically and it just all works. We were cruising close to shore through the straights of Gibraltar and had the phones on since we were picking up good signals from land, and my phone briefly flipped from the Spanish carrier to a Moroccan system. I now brag that my phone has been to Morocco but I haven't.

 

 

The plan includes tethering, so if I want to use my laptop I can turn the phone into a WiFi hotspot using the data side, and then connect the laptop to that. A bit slow, but usable for normal email and web browsing.

 

Haven't used a hotel phone or sought out a WiFi hotspot since. Like I said, changed my travel life.

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Verizon works great everywhere but their charges are ridiculous. Keep that old plan because there's nothing else out there that doesn't charge extra for just about everything.

 

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  • 2 months later...

Just got off the WindSurf after sailing from Civitavecchia to Venice and there are actually three computers available for use plus a printer. As someone has pointed out they can only be used to access Windstar's website and I think airlines unless you have a wifi package.

 

If your cell provider does not offer a good plan, (we are Canadian and Bell Canada do not) there are other options. We went with Knowroaming, an interesting solution of occasional, unlimited data. Using an unlocked iPhone they provide a "sticker" which mounts on your SIM card which self-activates when needed and links to cell providers in most areas. At hone your phone works as normal but when overseas we can buy individual days of wifi data as needed. We've used it in Spain, Italy, Montenegro, Croatia and France just when needed and it has worked well for us. It has other telephone "tricks" up its sleeve but wifi data is why we got it.

 

 

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We have Verizon and signed up for the International package when we sailed from Venice to Athens. We had the cheapest wifi plan on the ship. What I did not realize was that when I turned on my iphone is that if the wifi signal was weak, the phone would connect to the nearest cellular phone network. Imagine my surprise when we had extra data charges even though we only turned the phones on when we were hooked up to wifi. I contacted Verizon and they did refund some of the data charges and told me about the wi-fi assist feature on the iphone. The long and short of this post is, make sure you turn wifi assist on your iphone off. It is located on the cellular tab under settings at the bottom.

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Verizon has a plan called TravelPass for a lot of countries. In Mexico & Canada, it is $5 per day and in other countries, it is $20. You get your plan data, talk & text allowance for that.

 

If you want to use it, you have to get it activated for your plan. Otherwise you will get outrageous pay as you go pricing.

 

On our cruise from Lisbon to Portugal, I used that. It worked on the ship at times when we were close to land but next time,

Ifs​

I'd avoid using it from the ship. There is also a cruise ship celluar network. On Star Legend, sometimes my connected to it when we got out of reach of land. I didn't realize that until I saw a message that I'd gotten used over $50 of data on it.

 

I'd recommend putting your phone into airplane mode when on board to avoid running up charges on the ship celluar.

 

On our port intensive cruiser, they were discouraging buying the on board wifi saying that using WiFi from cafes on land would be more satisfactory.

 

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We have Verizon and signed up for the International package when we sailed from Venice to Athens. We had the cheapest wifi plan on the ship. What I did not realize was that when I turned on my iphone is that if the wifi signal was weak, the phone would connect to the nearest cellular phone network. Imagine my surprise when we had extra data charges even though we only turned the phones on when we were hooked up to wifi. I contacted Verizon and they did refund some of the data charges and told me about the wi-fi assist feature on the iphone. The long and short of this post is, make sure you turn wifi assist on your iphone off. It is located on the cellular tab under settings at the bottom.

One can avoid connecting to cellular when you are intending to only use WiFi by putting the phone in airplane mode and then turning WiFi ( and Bluetooth) back on. Or you could turn cellular data off if you still want to receive calls via it.

 

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Just got off the WindSurf after sailing from Civitavecchia to Venice and there are actually three computers available for use plus a printer. As someone has pointed out they can only be used to access Windstar's website and I think airlines unless you have a wifi package.

 

If your cell provider does not offer a good plan, (we are Canadian and Bell Canada do not) there are other options. We went with Knowroaming, an interesting solution of occasional, unlimited data. Using an unlocked iPhone they provide a "sticker" which mounts on your SIM card which self-activates when needed and links to cell providers in most areas. At hone your phone works as normal but when overseas we can buy individual days of wifi data as needed. We've used it in Spain, Italy, Montenegro, Croatia and France just when needed and it has worked well for us. It has other telephone "tricks" up its sleeve but wifi data is why we got it.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Cruzer- I just bought KnowRoaming for our trip. Good to hear your take. Did you pay as you went or did you buy unlimited data per day?

 

I understand too that any activity using WhatsApp is free now.

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  • 5 months later...
Cruzer- I just bought KnowRoaming for our trip. Good to hear your take. Did you pay as you went or did you buy unlimited data per day?

 

 

 

I understand too that any activity using WhatsApp is free now.

 

 

 

Sorry for the delay, but we purchased a few days and used them from time to time as we went along. It was a good solution when visiting a series of different countries, each briefly. When we got to Barcelona it made sense to just buy a local SIM card because we were there for weeks.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
Just returned from Star Pride in Italy. Our Verizon plan charges $10 day in Europe and $5 day in Canada, Mexico. Kept phone on airplane mode on ship, turned it on on land, and used it after returning to ship when near land.

 

 

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Did you get hit with any other "unexpected" charges from Verizon when turning phones on "near land"? We've been burned a couple of times with this. New rule for us is no phones unless we are on land. Last cruise was $20 a day from Verizon (2 phones), WS wifi, and then these pirate ship connections that roam looking for idiots like us! Too much! I remember going to NZ and using pay phones 25 years ago, coming home and developing photos to show. Facebook posts are expensive! [emoji23] [emoji23] Much more civilized then.

 

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We get on the WS ship and thrilled to be turned off. No phone, no internet, no nothing. On land we might and I say might go into a connected area, but rarely. My sisters know how to get a hold of me for an emergency that is all I need. I love being liberated and on a WS sailing vessel. I know I am a minority and it is imperative for people to be connected but I feel grateful for a few weeks a year to be free of it all. Happy Sailing.

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We get on the WS ship and thrilled to be turned off. No phone, no internet, no nothing. On land we might and I say might go into a connected area, but rarely. My sisters know how to get a hold of me for an emergency that is all I need. I love being liberated and on a WS sailing vessel. I know I am a minority and it is imperative for people to be connected but I feel grateful for a few weeks a year to be free of it all. Happy Sailing.

Believe me, when I can claim status "retired" I'm right there with you. It's my DH who is compelled to share every photo with those on dry land!

 

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I use AT&T. They offer several plans. I use a plan that costs $10 per 24 hours period for unlimited phine, internet and texts. It only charges you when you use it. During a 2 week trip, I use it 2-3 times. Only use it on land or very close to it. Do not use at sea. On land, there are hotspots where there is usually free wifi. Ask the crew where to find it. I love Windstar cruises. They are good except for the high fees for using wifi on the ship. I sail on other cruise lines that offer free internet...... Viking, Oceania, Azamara and Celebrity. It seems rather odd that Windstar charges for internet. The fees are extremely high. I keep hoping that Windstar will update by offering free wifi.

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We have the current T-Moblie plan called T-Mobile One. We get free texts and data with voice calls at twenty cents per minute in 140+ countries around the World. We recently spent three weeks in the Med on Azamara and land. We put our phones in airplane mode while on the ship and used them as we normally would while while we were on land. When we got home our bill was only around five dollars more than it normally is. As Milepig has also pointed out, the T-Mobile thing has really changed the way we travel with our phones.

 

We switched from Verizon to T-Mobile about a year ago and we will never switch back. Our bill is about 30% less and the coverage where we live is just as good.

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  • 11 months later...

Does anyone know in Windstar blocks WiFi calling? For the first time we'll be in an area that our  T-Mobile worldwide calling plan doesn't cover (French Polynesia).  Both our phones allow calling and text over WiFi, but some WiFi services block it. If WS doesn't we're all set with their wireless plan as we can just put the phones in Airplane mode, switch on the WiFi and calling should work over the WiFi. If the block it, we'll be out of luck.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 3/16/2017 at 9:45 AM, milepig said:

 

I think it is no longer offered in quite the same way, but we're thrilled with our grandfathered T-Mobile Simple Choice plan. 2 phones on a single account, everything included in the US, free data almost everywhere else in the world along with very low cost texts and phone calls. The monthly bill for us is just over $100. It has worked everywhere we've been, including some fairly unusual locations. Emailing pictures (or texting one for like 20 cents) from the Great Wall in real time was amazing! I could probably cobble together something less expensive, but just throwing the phones in the carryons without having to worry about it is worth something. No SIM purchasing and swapping. I just turn on my phone when I land and see a "welcome to xxx country" text. Local carriers are picked up automatically and it just all works. We were cruising close to shore through the straights of Gibraltar and had the phones on since we were picking up good signals from land, and my phone briefly flipped from the Spanish carrier to a Moroccan system. I now brag that my phone has been to Morocco but I haven't.

 

 

The plan includes tethering, so if I want to use my laptop I can turn the phone into a WiFi hotspot using the data side, and then connect the laptop to that. A bit slow, but usable for normal email and web browsing.

 

Haven't used a hotel phone or sought out a WiFi hotspot since. Like I said, changed my travel life.

Same plan as you have for a week around Iceland, with a decent signal nearly the entire time, costing me absolutely nothing extra. I did get frantic messages that I had racked up megabucks, but those were in error. 

 

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