Website offering me "Zoom Internet" on Rhapsody?

[Biker19]

At $20 a day I was thinking being unplugged was good, @30% off I would stay plugged in.

 

Actually, it's 50% off since a one device package is $9.99/day. And on ships without the Voom hardware, I don't see how they could tier the service.

[Miryam1234]

Actually, it's 50% off since a one device package is $9.99/day. And on ships without the Voom hardware, I don't see how they could tier the service.

 

I see you are soon cruising on Rhapsody. Would you please come back and report Voom status? I'm cruising in Oct, just before the drydocking.

 

I did go an purchase the 30% off package, although I had planned to go unplugged and just find a wifi once ashore. But the price of 57 EUR per week (for 1 device) was just too good. If it's not the advertised Voom high speed, I will go and complain.

[Biker19]

I can tell you with virtual certainty that we won't have real Voom and very likely you won't either. However, the current prices are very attractive if you wanted WiFi. You can experience it the first day and then ask for refund if you don't like it.

[BermudaBound2014]

I can tell you with virtual certainty that we won't have real Voom and very likely you won't either. However, the current prices are very attractive if you wanted WiFi. You can experience it the first day and then ask for refund if you don't like it.

 

 

I agree with Biker 100%. I don't expect Voom in August but purchased anyway because i do need to check email daily and the price was better than any internet specials I've seen on rhapsody.

 

Biker- i have a huge request on behalf of my beer drinking dh. Can you please report back the beer selection with prices? Also if you see draft pitchers anywhere? I am trying to decide if i should surprise him with select package. Thank

You in advance sooooo much!

[hellsop]

Biker- i have a huge request on behalf of my beer drinking dh. Can you please report back the beer selection with prices? Also if you see draft pitchers anywhere? I am trying to decide if i should surprise him with select package. Thank

You in advance sooooo much!

 

No pitchers anywhere. Draft beer in some places with usually a choice of two, usually Heineken and some other random Euro megabrew. Mostly bottles. Rhapsody has no beerpub, so the assortment available isn't extensive.

[WineEnthusiast1]

I am seeing this as well for my Sept 2016 cruise. I am going to purchase in hopes it is installed and if not, hopefully I will get a further discounted rate for the error. Does anyone know if I sign up for 2 devices, can I use one device for mine and the other for my roommate? It is cheaper for us to split the 2 device rate than for each of us to purchase a single device.

[Clarea]

I am seeing this as well for my Sept 2016 cruise. I am going to purchase in hopes it is installed and if not, hopefully I will get a further discounted rate for the error. Does anyone know if I sign up for 2 devices, can I use one device for mine and the other for my roommate? It is cheaper for us to split the 2 device rate than for each of us to purchase a single device.

You can use any number of different devices as long as you use only two at a time.

[WineEnthusiast1]

You can use any number of different devices as long as you use only two at a time.

 

Oh, this is even better than I thought. I'm thinking I was going to have to choose between my cell, ipad and computer for 1 device and I didn't know which would be most important! I'm very happy my roommate and I can each be logged into a device under my 2 device package purchase and we can interchange those devices throughout the cruise. It only saves about $10-15 for us to combine the package but hey, that's 1 drink :)

[John&LaLa]

I was under the impression that the instillation process of upgrading to voom was quite intensive. Can anyone add info on the processes involved in upgrading to zoom?

 

If, in fact they need a dry dock to upgrade, it seems highly unlikely they will have installed voom on both Rhapsody and Serenade within the next 10 weeks since neither are scheduled for dry dock in this period.

 

I'm "thinking" (which admittedly dangerous), that RCL is now referring to all internet packages "voom', regardless of the technology applied?

 

Any other thoughts?

Here are some pics of the antenna housings for Freedom. As Biker said, this process took a while when you only have a crane one day a week. This was early March and it may have been done by end of the month.

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

[bobmacliberty]

Just saw this thread and checked my June Adventure cruise. I am also being offered Voom. What's interesting is that there's a "Voom Surf Voyage" 1 device package for $9.99 per day, PLUS a "Voom Surf + Stream Voyage" 1 device package for $12.99 that specifically calls out the ability to stream movies and do video chat. I'd also be very surprised if streaming is actually available, and am guessing that RCI is using a standard web page and pricing across multiple ships. Still...think I'll take advantage of the 2 device package for $16.99/day.

[MayorAdamWest]

And here I am about to order the Voom + stream package that is being offered to me :( Jumping on Rhapsody in 19 days!

[Biker19]

If you want WiFI the current promo is a good price (get just SURF), just understand the speed will likely not be comparable to what's available on a ship with real Voom.

[Wine-O]

Hopefully they will have it on Rhapsody when we sail in October.

 

They installed a similar system (called Xcellerate) on Constellation in between cruises right before it departed for the transatlantic, so it doesn't have to go into drydock to get voom installed.

[Biker19]

Still no real VOOM on Rhapsody. The relative ease of install does not make availability in the near term any more likely.

 

 

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[Turbopaws]

I am seeing this as well for my Sept 2016 cruise....

I am signed up for the September 5th cruise and RCL is offering "Voom" for that cruise. If anyone has any experience with the Voom Internet on the Rhapsody, I would like to see it. Thanks.

[Biker19]

 

 

 

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[traveler279]

Just to provide some context for the Internet speed test shots provided by Biker19, here are the results of the same test on my home wifi.

 

 

The "ping" (which is the length of time it takes to get a response from the test server) is seriously slow on board the ship. The same thing for the amount of time it takes to download and upload data.

 

 

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[Clarea]

The numbers seem consistent for non-O3b internet.

[BermudaBound2014]

Thanks for the update Biker. I didn't have high hope for voom on Rhapsody. Is it even usable though? DH will need to answer cause he owns his own business.

[Miryam1234]

So it seems they are just calling the internet Voom and that's it?

[Clarea]

So it seems they are just calling the internet Voom and that's it?

Sort of. Even on those ships that have not gone to the fast O3b internet, they have added the two different options (surf and surf&stream) and made pricing changes.

[Turbopaws]

The "ping" (which is the length of time it takes to get a response from the test server) is seriously slow on board the ship. The same thing for the amount of time it takes to download and upload data.

 

That's disappointing. I wish that RCL would be a bit more honest in describing just what type of Internet service they are really offering. I pre-paid for "Voom" but now I'm wondering if I'll just end up with the same old slow Internet we usually see on cruise ships.

[BermudaBound2014]

That's disappointing. I wish that RCL would be a bit more honest in describing just what type of Internet service they are really offering. I pre-paid for "Voom" but now I'm wondering if I'll just end up with the same old slow Internet we usually see on cruise ships.

 

My guess is to keep your expectations for performance low. The good news is that the price of internet decreased :). My fear is that because price went down, more people will use the limited bandwidth, making the internet even slower than before phantom voom.

[WineEnthusiast1]

Has anyone bought the Voom Surf+Stream under the new package prices and if so, are you able to stream well? I am wondering if it is a waste of money to add the stream if its not really the faster Voom on Rhapsody. I would like to be able to facetime back home at some point, if possible.

[OhioCraig]

:mad: I was on Rhapsody on the May 3rd Med Cruise. It was apparently just put in. It was a disaster. You couldn't even sign up for it on the ship for several days due to a configuration issue. After I finally was able to register, I kept getting kicked off and I had the streaming package. It was very slow. I was told by Guest Relations that the IT staff were still trying to figure it out. I would think it should be tested and understood by them before rolling out to the guests. I know a lot of people who were getting money back due to the issues.