Alexa in cabin

[Mslmesq]

Anyone brought their alexa with to stream music, etc?  Was it difficult to set up?

[c-boy]

good question,  inquiring minds wanna know. 

[K.T.B.]

While I've never done it, nor do I know of anyone who has done it, I'd think it most likely wouldn't work because of the wi-fi constraints on cruise ships.  Best way to find out is to either try it yourself or call Princess to see what they say about it.

[MarcusRex]

To be clear, I haven't done it. However, I can see how it could be done.

 

First, you would need a USB travel router to share your Internet connection over wifi. Essentially, your laptop connects to the Wifi. The travel router then shares the laptop's connection over a different wifi network (yours).

 

You would then connect your phone to your private Wifi, gain access to the Internet and then configure your Alexa (or google home) to use your private wifi to access the Internet.

 

What the performance would look like is a good question though.

[Mslmesq]

9 minutes ago, MarcusRex said:

To be clear, I haven't done it. However, I can see how it could be done.

 

First, you would need a USB travel router to share your Internet connection over wifi. Essentially, your laptop connects to the Wifi. The travel router then shares the laptop's connection over a different wifi network (yours).

 

You would then connect your phone to your private Wifi, gain access to the Internet and then configure your Alexa (or google home) to use your private wifi to access the Internet.

 

What the performance would look like is a good question though.

Really?  Why would you need all of that?  If you are paying for multiple stream devices (4 devices), why can’t you just reconfigure Alexa to that network?

 

i guess i better call princess. 

[Haboob]

2 hours ago, Mslmesq said:

Anyone brought their alexa with to stream music, etc?  Was it difficult to set up?

Generally speaking, onboard internet plans now include a bytes-per-day download cap.  Read the fine print.

[voljeep]

5 minutes ago, Mslmesq said:

Really?  Why would you need all of that?  If you are paying for multiple stream devices (4 devices), why can’t you just reconfigure Alexa to that network?

 

i guess i better call princess. 

that would be hilarious ...

 

can I have your booking number and date of birth ? thank you... what can I help you with today ?

 

Alexa ... I'm not seeing an Alexa on the booking ... are you trying to add a person ?

[Colorado Coasty]

I welcome the chance to "unplug". I guess that some can't, too sad.

[HoneyBubba]

You could just stream from your device (phone) to a bluetooth speaker rather than some complicated setup.

 

Your phone can do most of what Alexa does esp with the Alexa app.

[jennybenny]

No, nor do I want to hear my neighbor's Alexa :) lol

 

My phone can steam music I've downloaded to it, and be an alarm.  It doesn't give me all of Alexa's "perks", what time/day is it, remind me to XYZ, Alarm at XYZ... but can't say I've ever thought to bring her along and I can survive 15 days without her. 

 

Please share how it goes for you if you decide to bring Alexa.

[Yehootu]

22 minutes ago, HoneyBubba said:

You could just stream from your device (phone) to a bluetooth speaker rather than some complicated setup.

 

Your phone can do most of what Alexa does esp with the Alexa app.

This is what we do.

[MarcusRex]

52 minutes ago, Mslmesq said:

Really?  Why would you need all of that?  If you are paying for multiple stream devices (4 devices), why can’t you just reconfigure Alexa to that network?

 

i guess i better call princess. 

The reason is that the way you connect to the Princess Wifi is through a Web page. You go in and login in to their web page to access Internet on that device. You can't do that on the Alexa. What the Alexa does (assuming it works as a Google Home does) is that is clones the Wifi information of your phone over to the Alexa. 

 

In the hotspot setup that Princess uses, there is a 'server side' element where the Princess Wifi accepts Internet traffic from the device based on either the physical address of the device and/or a identification token stored on the device when you login to the webpage.

 

Alexa can't do that, therefore it won't be permitted to connect to the Internet. You'll be able to connect to the ship's Wifi, but you won't have access to the Internet as you will lack the correct permissions.

[c-boy]

26 minutes ago, HoneyBubba said:

You could just stream from your device (phone) to a bluetooth speaker rather than some complicated setup.

 

Your phone can do most of what Alexa does esp with the Alexa app.

wonderful, I can drown out my neighbors whinning about the food, no straws, no bar soap, no barrel chair. Alexa play smooth jazz 

[Papa Yoda]

 

We have a travel router and it just works, but it helps to have a laptop (but you can use your phone) to get to the login.com page to sign up / sign in and connect the router to the ship WiFi internet plan.  The travel router is now one device on your plan, any other devices such as Alexa then use the Travel Router as your "home" WiFi network.  With MedallionNet Unlimited this works great - more of a chore to manage logon/logoff on the older plans.  I think I'd get the 4 device plan, that way the router can be always on, and phones/tablets can access ship's internet when not in the cabin.

 

There is no need to use a laptop to create an internet sharing setup, the laptop is just one more device on your "home" WiFi.

 

Edited November 20, 2019 by Ferd Berfle

[MarcusRex]

8 minutes ago, c-boy said:

wonderful, I can drown out my neighbors whinning about the food, no straws, no bar soap, no barrel chair. Alexa play smooth jazz 

Don't forget the whining about formal nights dress code, either complaining about the requirement or the lack of enforcement of same.

[Lady Arwen]

We have Alexa at home and I can assure you we will not be taking her on our cruise.  

[voljeep]

20 minutes ago, c-boy said:

wonderful, I can drown out my neighbors whinning about the food, no straws, no bar soap, no barrel chair. Alexa play smooth jazz 

looking forward to having a few single malts in Take 5 jazz lounge on the SKY in a couple of weeks ... maybe a little John Coltrane ...  but will still miss Crooners

 

on some Sunday mornings at our local ( Publix ) a dude is sitting in his pickup truck with the doors open and playing some Jazz ... I asked him if he was just waiting for someone inside, and he stated , no, just wanted to introduce this type of music to some who have not heard it before ...  way cool

 

 

 

 

Edited November 20, 2019 by voljeep

[c-boy]

Marcus I have yet to hear whinning about such things .... Alexa play Big Band Swing 

[skynight]

Could Alexa be one of those blocked sites? Just wondering. 

[Bollycats]

4 hours ago, voljeep said:

that would be hilarious ...

 

can I have your booking number and date of birth ? thank you... what can I help you with today ?

 

Alexa ... I'm not seeing an Alexa on the booking ... are you trying to add a person ?

This cracked me up,  thanks for the much needed laugh! Although, sadly, this is how a lot of customer service phone calls go these days!

[john watson]

If I was your cabin steward and realised what you were doing to spy on me, I should say "Alexa three o'clock in the morning; play 'I Predict a Riot' by the Kaiser Chiefs at maximum volume" just as I turned down your sheets and left you a chocolate.

 

Regards John

Edited November 20, 2019 by john watson

[gwhitti]

6 hours ago, HoneyBubba said:

You could just stream from your device (phone) to a bluetooth speaker rather than some complicated setup.

 

Your phone can do most of what Alexa does esp with the Alexa app.

Ah. The simple, direct solution. Love it. We have been doing that long before Alexa became such an annoyance. 

[Katwoman007]

We did not bring our "alexa" but we did bring a wireless speaker and stream our own music while in the cabin. Quietly of course. lol

 

[CruiseVA]

A legitimate question, followed by some informative answers as well as the usual "I'm better than you & what is wrong with you" replies. Just keep your stoopid "what is wrong with you" replies to yourself. What is wrong with some people? Oh, right, it's CruiseCritic! 

[Chianti Cowboy]

28 minutes ago, CruiseVA said:

A legitimate question, followed by some informative answers as well as the usual "I'm better than you & what is wrong with you" replies. Just keep your stoopid "what is wrong with you" replies to yourself. What is wrong with some people? Oh, right, it's CruiseCritic! 

Thank you for your informative and non-judgemental  answer to OPs legitimate question. Oh, right, it's CruiseCritic!