QM2 wifi

[Whitters1961]

We are taking our first fairly long cruise on QM2 on the South American leg during February 2016. However, being self employed, it is important that I keep in touch with my Client's whilst away. Therefore, I am looking for tips please on how best to access wifi on the ship. I am a Gold member:-

• How much does wifi access cost?

• Where would I get the strongest signal on the ship?

• Are there good & bad times to use the wifi?

• Am I ok working off my laptop or should I use a computer within the Library; would that be quicker?

• Any other tips from seasoned travellers?

PS I don't intend work to take over & spoil my holiday! I intend to only check emails maybe once or twice a day.

[Underwatr]

A two-hour Internet package is on the order of $50. A four-hour package is a little less than twice the two-hour. If you sign up by the end of the first full day there's a small addition of time given, like 10 minutes. As a Gold member you will receive a 2-hour package at no cost. Sign up as though you are paying and the charge will be refunded on your bill.

 

I've had a good signal on a laptop or my Android phone from my stateroom. Some say that Apple devices have weaker wireless signals for power saving reasons but I have little experience with them. One symptom of an overloaded system is an inability to remain connected to the Wi-Fi network, but I've seen that more on QV and seldom on QM2.

 

I get the best connectivity before 7 AM and after 10 PM.

 

I think the computers have been removed from the library but there is a computer center on Deck 2 forward called Connexions.

 

It's better to have a laptop because then you can read emails and compose replies offline without the Internet clock running. There's also no ability to connect a thumb drive to the public computers if you want to download or upload a file.

 

I've found that on a one-week cruise two hours is adequate for quick emails and occasionally looking at CruiseCritic but on a longer trip I'm likely to need to dip into my wife's Gold Internet package as well.

Edited December 2, 2015 by Underwatr

[BobBranst]

I've had a good signal on a laptop or my Android phone from my stateroom. Some say that Apple devices have weaker wireless signals for power saving reasons but I have little experience with them.

 

I've never had a connection problem with the QM2's wifi with either my Macbook Air laptop, iPad, or iPhone. We are taking a 28 day WC segment beginning in January and I've decided to only carry an iPad and iPhone (used mainly for photos) on this cruise.

 

However, regardless of what type or brand of laptop or mobile device you take, the internet connection is SLOW. It often reminds me of the dial up 2400 baud modem days of old.

 

Bob

[jimmybean]

My experience agreees with BobBranst: best connectivity seems more a matter of how many people are using the internet than a specific location on the ship.

 

Less people use the internet early in the morning or during dinner or when there is a good show at the theater.

 

DH and I circled South America in 2009 on the QM2. Best voyage ever! Have a wonderful time! Happy Sailing!

[Whitters1961]

Thank you all for your helpful responses.

Having checked Cunard's 'Gift Brochure' this morning I see that they give a few extra mins if you book prior to the cruise. I think that I will be doing that.

Thank you jimmybean for your comments on a South American cruise. I'm getting even more excited now!

[electra2008]

Most has been well covered if you get to use your wife/ partners you can just sign in under a different signin name on the same machine.

I have never had a problem on QM2 in the suite recently on QV our suite was in a deadish area so went either the in the hall or get this on the balcony I could get a connection then I just went back into the cabin! Sometimes would kick out I think you get the free mins whatever as it can take a bit to get connected first time. All connections on all ships ipad or ipad mini

For checking emails I would think both allowances should be enough. Many people do quite a bit of internet in Port, most Ports have a wifi hotspot, just look at the crowd of crew as you get off and there is the spot. You will be fine on your laptop, better as you can do most offline.

Edited December 3, 2015 by electra2008

[Underwatr]

Having checked Cunard's 'Gift Brochure' this morning I see that they give a few extra mins if you book prior to the cruise. I think that I will be doing that.

That looks like the same deal you get if you buy the time on the first day. I wonder if pre-purchasing would interfere with them reimbursing your Gold minutes package (actually I sort of suspect it would...). Plus you'd pay upfront to a credit card rather than out of any onboard credit.

 

We just do it once we're onboard.

Edited December 3, 2015 by Underwatr

[milamber]

Sorry to hijack this slightly, but I have a couple of questions regarding the free internet for Gold members.

 

Is the free 2 hours per passenger with gold status or per cabin? We are both gold members, but will be in the same cabin.

 

Does anyone now how it works on longer voyages. We are doing around half of the world cruise in January so weren't sure if we just got 2 hours for the whole 60 days or whether our free allocation might be renewed for each segment? Everything else seems to be repeated regularly - balls, shows etc so half hoped that we might get the free 2 hours repeated as well! 2 minutes a day won't go very far :)

Edited December 3, 2015 by milamber

[Underwatr]

Per person, so each person with Gold status gets their own allotment. I don't know the answer about the longer voyages.

[BlueRiband]

FWIW, I observed the slowest speeds after breakfast and before dinner as these are prime times for checking email and other things online.

 

And now, I will don my flame retardant suit: I also noticed that people with Apple devices were frequently sitting on the stairway steps, presumably because they had problems getting signals in their staterooms. A table mate who brought an iPad claimed that she could only get a signal if she opened her door. Those where my observations and you're free to believe or disbelieve it. (One offends the Disciples of Jobs at their peril.) I've never had a signal problem with my old XP travel laptop.

[Matelot60]

Per person, so each person with Gold status gets their own allotment. I don't know the answer about the longer voyages.

 

Should be per person per segment of World Voyage. 60 days sounds like 2 segments

Edited December 3, 2015 by Matelot60

[kelly3399]

We were on the November Caribbean cruise and brought our Apple iPad. We were on deck 5 aft and did not have a great signal from our room. It was slow and sometimes would drop out and then come back on. A few times I could not sign in at all. As I wanted to use the imessage feature i could not use the ships computers but found if I took my iPad to the computer room on deck 2, I always had a full strong signal. Speed, although still slow, was better than in my room as well. Kelly

[lannp]

It is definitely faster early in the morning and late in the evening. With people now using personal computers, etc. you have no idea how many are online. I have had really good luck prior to 8 am. and can generally be found in the Golden Lion between 7:30 - 8 am before heading into breakfast. I never had a problem connecting from that area but did a few times in my deck 4 forward cabin.

[BobBranst]

I noticed that a person on another thread mentioned that they were installing a new Satellite dish on the ship while in Southampton. Hopefully, this is to improve the ship's internet connection speeds.

 

Bob

[BobBranst]

Should be per person per segment of World Voyage. 60 days sounds like 2 segments

From the Cunard World Club Benefits page:

 

* During World Voyages your benefits will be reset at the end of each segment, as defined by Cunard. We will invite you to one Cunard World Club Party and one Senior Officers Party, where applicable, during your time on board. On longer voyages (which are made up of multiple voyages) or back to back voyages we may for operational reasons need to restrict the number of invitations you receive, where applicable to the Cunard World Club party and Senior Officers party to one during your time on board.

[milamber]

From the Cunard World Club Benefits page:

 

* During World Voyages your benefits will be reset at the end of each segment, as defined by Cunard. We will invite you to one Cunard World Club Party and one Senior Officers Party, where applicable, during your time on board. On longer voyages (which are made up of multiple voyages) or back to back voyages we may for operational reasons need to restrict the number of invitations you receive, where applicable to the Cunard World Club party and Senior Officers party to one during your time on board.

 

Thanks, missed that on there. Think it's three, possibly four segments we are doing, judging by the Balls being repeated, so that will help a lot.

[electra2008]

FWIW, I observed the slowest speeds after breakfast and before dinner as these are prime times for checking email and other things online.

 

And now, I will don my flame retardant suit: I also noticed that people with Apple devices were frequently sitting on the stairway steps, presumably because they had problems getting signals in their staterooms. A table mate who brought an iPad claimed that she could only get a signal if she opened her door. Those where my observations and you're free to believe or disbelieve it. (One offends the Disciples of Jobs at their peril.) I've never had a signal problem with my old XP travel laptop.

Oh if only our XP 's had not died , Win 8 and hubby's win7 are often verbally attacked and bring back XP heard a lot.

You are right about ipads see my prevoius post?

Re segments intesting post above will check at pursers on Caribbean trip coming up as that is tech 3 trips

Edited December 3, 2015 by electra2008

[rsquare]

No problem with my iPod Touch in deck 5 aft balcony room, or anywhere else on the ship (it lives in my eyeglass case and goes with me everywhere).

 

One thing to be careful of is not trying to set up your internet password before boat drill on the day you board. On several voyages I was told that my combination of name and cabin number did not match their records, and finally figured out that they don't flush the debarking passengers out of the system until around 7pm the first day of a new voyage (or presumably, segment).

[Darcie2]

How much is the best value package with two teenagers and myself needing to keep in touch with the business back home what is the best options. Also if our phones o2 hook up to the maritime satellite do we pay the charges applied to the home town of the satellite. For instance we sailed on the Queen Victoria in the summer and my 02 phone hooked up to a satellite in the Netherlands by accident my bill was horrendous. It was our first cruise so not aware of this charge... we are now but just wondering what is the best way forward. Many thanks for taking the trouble to reply...

[Host Hattie]

Here is the page on the Cunard website about internet access,

120 minutes - $47.95

240 minutes - $89.95

480 minutes - $167.95

You get a few extra minutes if you buy in advance or on the first couple of days.

I usually turn roaming off, the Maritime Satellite rates can be very high, you would need to check with O2 what they would be.

[Underwatr]

You don't want to pay for the maritime satellite data. As expensive as ship's WiFi seems, using the cellphone data connection is really expensive.

 

Your rate will vary with your carrier. Thankfully my carrier (T-Mobile USA) doesn't connect to Cunard ships for data, but as an example on a Carnival ship I'd be charged US$15 per megabyte.

 

The safest thing is to go to your phone settings and turn Data Roaming off before you get to the ship. Otherwise any time you go out of Airplane Mode the apps will start downloading over whatever cellular signal they can connect to.

 

Starting with your third Cunard voyage (Cunard World Club Gold level) you'll be given a complimentary 2-hour internet package which should be sufficient for daily email checks on a 7-10 day cruise.

Edited December 6, 2015 by Underwatr