Navigator VOOM Wi-Fi

[xpcdoojk]

Just did a couple of Ookla speed tests in my cabin on Navigator (SURF package):

 

1. Ping 767 ms

Download 0.39 Mbps

Upload 0.04 Mbps

 

2. Ping 777

Download 0.23

Upload 0.04

 

No wonder it take forever to upload a pic...

 

Those numbers are pretty much you don't have WiFi.

 

Sigh...

 

JC

[John&LaLa]

I was on the same cruise as the OP. I bought the Voom package for 3 devices. Actually, the company paid for it. I figured I could do work on my laptop and the wife and I could both use our IPads. VOOM on the Navigator is simply horrible at least while sailing in the North Sea or in Norway. Completely useless. It is just as bad as it was in 2007 when I first sailed the Navigator of the Seas.

 

$200 bucks wasted.

 

I was hopeful, despite my typical cynicism after the experience on the Oasis the last two years that they might have upgraded the entire fleet. They have not. Horrid.

 

JC

 

Look at map, does it look like you should have good coverage in Norway.

 

Red is good, orange not so good, yellow is bad :o

 

[Biker19]

It's sad that despite reporting from folks on board and experienced cruisers' advice, some folks cling to the thought that maybe, just maybe, what that RCI CSR or web site told them about VOOM on their sailing would be true. No, unless you are on one of the ships confirmed on the VOOM roll call thread as having O3B internet, you have old school internet which will be anything from passable to as was described above, "horrid".

Edited June 10, 2016 by Biker19

[A&L_Ont]

Those numbers are pretty much you don't have WiFi.

 

Sigh...

 

JC

 

JC, since the wifi for was non-existent how was the flow riding. I hope much better. :)

[Biker19]

Look at map, does it look like you should have good coverage in Norway.

 

Red is good, orange not so good, yellow is bad :o

That coverage map is for a ship with O3B installed - it doesn't according to those ping times.

[John&LaLa]

Here is another map from O3B website

 

[John&LaLa]

That coverage map is for a ship with O3B installed - it doesn't according to those ping times.

 

I have no idea if the equipment is installed on Navigator. If you recall, I was one of the Original naysayers that shared the extended installation time of Freedom. Regardless, the system should not perform well in Norway.

[xpcdoojk]

JC, since the wifi for was non-existent how was the flow riding. I hope much better. :)

 

I will start a new thread for flowrider.

 

I really think that VOOM is just marketing hype on most of the fleet. VOOM on Oasis is great.

 

For John in Cocoa Beach. One of our group has posted here that they are on the Navigator for 50 plus days, including a TA and a cruise south to Spain and now on a cruise to the Canary Islands. They are not reporting here that they have magically gotten better internet since leaving Norway and heading south. We had virtually no Internet when we were in Southampton. It didn't improve as we headed north, nor as we headed south.

 

It is not any better than it was in 2007, when I sailed the Navigator from Southampton to Spain and then across to Fort Lauderdale.

 

In other words VOOM is a BS marketing ploy on the Navigator. I was stupid and thought it might be useable it was not for anything beyond minimal email interaction.

 

I am regularly called a RCI cheerleader. I simply always try to express the "truth" as I see it. I have two more RCI cruises booked, one on the Anthem and one on the Ovation. Your maps show that I should have fair service on the Anthem, versus poor on the Navigator, I am betting my service on the Anthem will be well beyond useable even in the part of my cruise where the coverage is listed as poor. The Navigator doesn't have the same internet as the Oasis. Period.

 

JC

[A&L_Ont]

I will start a new thread for flowrider.

 

I really think that VOOM is just marketing hype on most of the fleet. VOOM on Oasis is great.

 

For John in Cocoa Beach. One of our group has posted here that they are on the Navigator for 50 plus days, including a TA and a cruise south to Spain and now on a cruise to the Canary Islands. They are not reporting here that they have magically gotten better internet since leaving Norway and heading south. We had virtually no Internet when we were in Southampton. It didn't improve as we headed north, nor as we headed south.

 

It is not any better than it was in 2007, when I sailed the Navigator from Southampton to Spain and then across to Fort Lauderdale.

 

In other words VOOM is a BS marketing ploy on the Navigator. I was stupid and thought it might be useable it was not for anything beyond minimal email interaction.

 

I am regularly called a RCI cheerleader. I simply always try to express the "truth" as I see it. I have two more RCI cruises booked, one on the Anthem and one on the Ovation. Your maps show that I should have fair service on the Anthem, versus poor on the Navigator, I am betting my service on the Anthem will be well beyond useable even in the part of my cruise where the coverage is listed as poor. The Navigator doesn't have the same internet as the Oasis. Period.

 

JC

 

JC, your frustration is 100% understandable and 100% acceptable. I would never call you a cheerleader, I'd call you a realist. You are telling the truth in regards to the title of Voom internet and RC misrepresentation of their product fleet wide. I know what my experience was with wifi on Indy in the Caribbean so I can only guess how poor it was on Navigator in the fijords of Norway.

 

I can only hope your other thread regarding my question topic has a better outcome than the "reliability";) of Voom Wifi.

 

Andrew

[John&LaLa]

All I can repeat is that the process of adding O3B antennas took several weeks of turn around days for Freedom. If no one can confirm these installs, these ships don't have it.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 10, 2016 by John&LaLa

[SPacificbound]

We boarded Navigator May 8, 2016 today is June 11. Still here.

 

For checking email or other piddily stuff on my iPad mini, it's worked....at times.

I am on the iPad now.

 

For doing actual things that need to be done on my laptop, it is a bunch of hogwash.

 

In over a month I have actually gotten lucky three times- about one hour each, segments out of it and then it is gone again. So yes, I got lucky three times.

I try different times of day, from different decks etc.

 

Customer "care" insists it is Voom and it is working wonderfully. We tried to get "IT" to take a look at the laptop with us, first time they refused, second time

"IT" was a no show.

 

I would be really interested to hear what anyone else's experiance with a laptop has been. Maybe there is some magic foo-foo dust I should have been sprinkling on it?

 

What I brought is a 2016 Dell with all the bells and whistles.

 

I have given up on hoping Voom, zoom, spailt or whatever it is will work, but I would like to hear others experiences.

[Biker19]

There's no magic dust to be sprinkled - the only way to fix it is to install the O3B antennae and associated systems. IT on the ship can't do anything about it - even the BW off the ship is controlled from Miami.

 

Biker, who thinks that at this point RCI is not willing to spend the money on O3B upgrades on the rest of the ships until other major work (like a dry dock).

[xpcdoojk]

We boarded Navigator May 8, 2016 today is June 11. Still here.

 

For checking email or other piddily stuff on my iPad mini, it's worked....at times.

I am on the iPad now.

 

For doing actual things that need to be done on my laptop, it is a bunch of hogwash.

 

In over a month I have actually gotten lucky three times- about one hour each, segments out of it and then it is gone again. So yes, I got lucky three times.

I try different times of day, from different decks etc.

 

Customer "care" insists it is Voom and it is working wonderfully. We tried to get "IT" to take a look at the laptop with us, first time they refused, second time

"IT" was a no show.

 

I would be really interested to hear what anyone else's experiance with a laptop has been. Maybe there is some magic foo-foo dust I should have been sprinkling on it?

 

What I brought is a 2016 Dell with all the bells and whistles.

 

I have given up on hoping Voom, zoom, spailt or whatever it is will work, but I would like to hear others experiences.

 

I have a 17 month old MacBook Pro, which had everything possible when I bought it. For actual work it was atrocious as I have previously mentioned. My IPad Pro 12.9 about 45 days old, was the same. I could read basic email and send basic email with either, but do try to do anything requiring an actual Internet connectivity, was pointless. I gave up trying after about day 3 trying various spots all over the ship. So, I focused on riding the flowrider instead of trying to work.

 

VOOM on NOS is BS.:D

 

JC

[jefarl]

I write an email to C&A to complain as I spent almost $300 for surf and stream on the TA and it was useless

Been a week without a response ???

[Biker19]

As is the case with any issue on the ship, the time to address it is on the ship (if you didn't like the product ask for a refund). Complaining afterwards, especially to C&A does not usually yield results - if you get a reply at all.

[jefarl]

As is the case with any issue on the ship, the time to address it is on the ship (if you didn't like the product ask for a refund). Complaining afterwards, especially to C&A does not usually yield results - if you get a reply at all.

 

 

The ship was saying it was VOOM and nothing was wrong!!!

I fully expect a response and will let you know how it goes

[Biker19]

Every ship has VOOM and anyone you ask from CEO on down to the IT guy on the ship will say it is VOOM. That doesn't matter, if you don't feel you got the product you thought you were getting ask for a refund. Neither the ship nor RCI can fix the crappy internet on their ships until O3B internet is installed (and you sail in the O3B coverage area).

[A&L_Ont]

We boarded Navigator May 8, 2016 today is June 11. Still here.

 

For checking email or other piddily stuff on my iPad mini, it's worked....at times.

I am on the iPad now.

 

For doing actual things that need to be done on my laptop, it is a bunch of hogwash.

 

In over a month I have actually gotten lucky three times- about one hour each, segments out of it and then it is gone again. So yes, I got lucky three times.

I try different times of day, from different decks etc.

 

Customer "care" insists it is Voom and it is working wonderfully. We tried to get "IT" to take a look at the laptop with us, first time they refused, second time

"IT" was a no show.

 

I would be really interested to hear what anyone else's experiance with a laptop has been. Maybe there is some magic foo-foo dust I should have been sprinkling on it?

 

What I brought is a 2016 Dell with all the bells and whistles.

 

I have given up on hoping Voom, zoom, spailt or whatever it is will work, but I would like to hear others experiences.

 

When we were on Indy with pitiful wifi I and others that I know got our wifi refunded. I had mine done by the concerige in the SL but the people we were cruising with went to guest services and got it refunded there. At both locations no questions were asked.

 

I know it is a different ship and we were pre-Voom but I'd try asking for a refund. Maybe take a speed test as well to help prove your point.

Edited June 12, 2016 by A&L_Ont

[John&LaLa]

Every ship has VOOM and anyone you ask from CEO on down to the IT guy on the ship will say it is VOOM. That doesn't matter, if you don't feel you got the product you thought you were getting ask for a refund. Neither the ship nor RCI can fix the crappy internet on their ships until O3B internet is installed (and you sail in the O3B coverage area).

 

You tell Em Skippy. ;)

 

I wonder if the antenna say O3B? I may look and see if I have a pic of the old antenna layout and the new layout.

[Biker19]

Maybe take a speed test as well to help prove your point.

 

Two issues with that; RCI doesn't promise any kind of speed and even if the speed test showed 25MB, if the WiFi doesn't do what you need it's no good to you (like someone on the Harmony now can't make WiFi calls even though WiFi calling worked on land).

[Biker19]

I wonder if the antenna say O3B? I may look and see if I have a pic of the old antenna layout and the new layout.

 

Those radome covers seem pretty generic - if it's on there it might in real small print.

[John&LaLa]

Those radome covers seem pretty generic - if it's on there it might in real small print.

 

I don't get back on till August anyway. Hopefully we'll get some facts before then.

[jefarl]

I couldn't request full refund as I needed Internet for work

I am more upset that they were marketing surf +STREAM for the faster speeds

[Biker19]

I couldn't request full refund as I needed Internet for work

I am more upset that they were marketing surf +STREAM for the faster speeds

 

The reports we have had is that STREAM does provide higher speeds (up to 4MB vs. .5MB for SURF) but the high ping rates (which makes doing anything real sluggish) associated with the old internet system stay the same (as SURF) with STREAM - only an O3B install can improve that (lower the ping significantly and improve performance).

[BigGuy25]

Getting onto this thread late ... BUT ... we were also on the May 8th Trans-Atlantic on the Navigator (Ft. Lauderdale to Southampton) and VOOM worked flawlessly for me. We did pay for the $17/day higher speed version. I had both my MacBook and iPad Pro and used them every day. The speed was VERY fast ... not as fast as at home but so much better than I had ever experienced at sea. Not frustrating at all! It worked well all the way across and in the Azores, Portugal, Spain and France. I would upload 6-12 pictures at a time to Facebook and it maybe took a minute. I could even stream Netflix and YouTube with no problem. I was surprised to read here that other on the voyage found this just a marketing hype. In my opinion, it was a wonderful new feature and I'd purchase it again in a heartbeat!