Mariner- WiFi reception on ship

[ariannasstuff]

Can anyone tell me how the WiFi reception in the staterooms is on the Mariner? I am trying to determine whether to bring my laptop for communication back home to my kids.

 

Thanks.

[dfb]

You will find wifi variable around the ship and signal strength variable. For example, see notes below from a blog we kept onboard in 2008.

 

Some shipboard notes here. We are in cabins 736 and 738. The Internet signal in 738 is extremely low and unstable. It is better in 736, but the best place on this deck seems to be the chairs in front of the Main Atrium elevators before the spa and gym. Go figure. We cannot imagine the reason for the difference in signal quality just between the two cabins. But, if we only had 738 and basically no Internet access in suite, we would be very disappointed. Since we can walk across the opened balconies and get the signal in 736 it is not too bad, but it is bad.

[JMARINER]

Can anyone tell me how the WiFi reception in the staterooms is on the Mariner? I am trying to determine whether to bring my laptop for communication back home to my kids.

 

Thanks.

 

If all you are going to do is check a few emails, forget the laptop and use the computers on board.

 

J

[Pookie2]

We were on Mariner for two weeks this past Jan. in cabin 762 and had excellent reception. We were very glad we brought our laptop.

[AtMaui]

Does anyone know what the reception will be like trans-Atlantic? I'm thinking of bring my laptop because I have Skype. I also have a Blackberry. But I'm wondering how everything will work in the middle of the Atlantic. Or if I would be better off just using the computers on the ship.

[EZ99B5]

i believe someone has commented previously that the ship blocks bandwidth-heavy applications like Skype.

[scb]

Actually, a lot of people were using Skype on our Mariner Jan. 24 trip. Also, don't know how the connection will be mid-Atlantic, but it worked quite well in Antarctica! :)

[txladycruiser]

From reading the world cruise blogs, I know that there are people using Skype on that cruise.

 

 

Karen

[cruzndiz]

Skype works.

 

Also, I brought the laptop last year and alternated between using that when I was in the cabin and the computers by the coffee station when I wanted to get out of the cabin. I found them to be equally sloooooooooooooow but I can still remember dial-up so for me it felt kind of "retro" :p

[tallship]

I believe it used to be blocked but works now

[Dreps]

Just got off the 30-day cruise from Lima to Rio on the Mariner. We were in cabin 960. No problem with the Internet. During heavy usage times, it was definitely slower than at other times, and a couple of times we lost the connection completely. But by in large, it was as good as one would expect on the ship. One time, we had a lot of trouble with our Skype picture breaking up, the next time, it worked quite well. Having free Internet when you have sailed only 20 nights is probably the single best perk Regent provides to frequent cruisers.

[EZ99B5]

I believe it used to be blocked but works now

Great news!

[Grothj]

Wifi was very good in Cabin 761 this January/February.

[profpeabody]

I have never used Skype. Can it be used to check emails or is it strictly a voice phone device? Pardon my ignorance! I, too, am trying to decide if it is worth it to bring a laptop or stick with the blackberry.

[jhp]

Deleted. See below.

[jhp]

I'm sailing on Mariner now, and reporting to you that there is Wi-fi in the cabins! No need for anything else, but it is slow sometimes when a lot of people are on!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I have never used Skype. Can it be used to check emails or is it strictly a voice phone device? Pardon my ignorance! I, too, am trying to decide if it is worth it to bring a laptop or stick with the blackberry.

 

Skype is not about email. It's about talking on the phone, or chatting. You can "call" other Skype users for free, or subscribe cheaply and call anybody you like. If the latter, it would be a voice call. If the former, it could be anything from a chat, to talking as normal, to video (this is why it's so popular with families, especially grandparents, so they can see their kids, grandkids.)

[ABSCruiseLuvers]

I hate to bump something this old up but what is the fee for Wifi (only at Bronze level right now)? I'm thinking about at least bringing my NetBook on my Aug 19 cruise.

[dfb]

PRICING

 

 

 

Time Plan #1: $0.45 per minute - 100 minutes for $45.00

 

Time Plan #2: $0.35 per minute - 250 minutes for $87.50

 

Time Plan #3: $0.25 per minute - 800 minutes for $200.00

 

Pay As You Go: $0.75 per minute

 

 

 

One-Time Account Activation Fee - $3.95 (Applies to all users on first login only)

 

Please note that a Time Plan cannot be used on more than one computer at the same time.

[Responder]

We just finished a 10 day Black Sea cruise on the Mariner. I brought my netbook and had absolutely perfect reception from the cabin.

 

Only in Romania, did the Internet cafe post a notice that their satellite reception didn't work while in that port. This was nonsense, as I accessed the unsecured Port of Constanta WiFi and service was great.

 

We had the same situation last year on the Alaska to Osaka trip. That time, Japan really didn't allow any internet reception from the time we entered the port, and it was truly blocked.

 

Not the end of the world, but would be nice if Regent did list those ports where they actually block any access. In the rest of the world, there are spots where satellite communication is iffy. Makes me wonder about the ship's GPS used for navigation.

[rallydave]

In the rest of the world, there are spots where satellite communication is iffy. Makes me wonder about the ship's GPS used for navigation.

 

Different satellites. TV and phone reception is based on satellites in Geosynchronous orbits about 22,000 miles above the earth and these are single point failures in that one satellite either works or doesn't.

 

GPS is based upon a series of many satellites orbiting at lower orbits, around 800 miles up and since these satellites are actually passing over the earth and new ones come over the horizon as others go below the horizon, there are always satellites to gude the GPS. Most consumer GPS's pick up 6 or 7 satellites at a time (not sure how many the ship picks up but, for sure more powerful and better than a hand held) and use all to coordinate the position so if one or two aren't there, the GPS still works. Also, the TV satellite is in a specific spot so a mountain or building can block it while the GPS satellites are constantly moving overhead so while one may be out of range, there are always others in range and guiding the ship.

 

So, no worries regarding GPS satellite locations.

[mbpaul]

GPS satellites are in "half synchronous" orbits at about 11,000 nautical miles, about 20,000 km. Otherwise, rallydave's explanation is OK.

 

Although 4 satellites are needed to give a 3-D location, more will work even better. Actually, if you assume the ship is at sea level (hope it is), only 3 satellites are needed for location.

 

Also, the ship has other ways to navigate besides GPS so I would not worry too much.