Internet on the EPIC…buy streaming or just regular?

[Cruise Gopher]

For those who have sailed on the EPIC specifically recently can anyone share personal experience with the internet and if you had the streaming was it good/worth it?

 

I’m trying to figure out if I should pay the extra for the streaming. I think someone mentioned that the speeds really aren’t much different but that the streaming package just unlocks ports required for streaming services like Netflix etc. 

[hawkeyetlse]

It's hard to know for sure, because very few people will have been in a position to compare the two packages side by side, at the same time, doing the same things, on the same device. And specifically on the Epic in the last couple of weeks.

 

I tend to think that the other poster was correct, that premium streaming is not any faster, because otherwise they would surely advertise it as such, right? So pick this package if you need streaming, and if you're OK with the extra cost just for streaming.

[Warbird]

I would agree with your comments above.  Let me qualify by saying my experience was a couple of years ago.  Unless something has changed, which I'm not aware of the download signal is about the same. Slow!  Interesting side note.  Comcast is my ISP.  It was deemed a streaming service which I didn't sign up for.  I couldn't log into my email using Safari on my iPad.  I could on my Apple email app on my iPad.  I had an issue that i wanted to address so I typed up a note and went to the Internet Cafe to print it out.  At the Internet Cafe I couldn't log into my Comcast email account (streaming Service) so I could print it out.  The work around was to use my iPad Apple email account and send it to my wife's gmail account and then log into her gmail account at the Internet Cafe and then print it out.  Printing was another story for another day.  

[HowardK]

I upgraded to streaming the first time I went on the Escape- they talked me into it after I had consumed a few or four dark and stormies at O Shennans. I vowed to never do that again.

 

I went back on the Escape a few months later and it was easier for them to talk me into it as by then I had a few or five dark and stormies at O Shennans and a tasty burger.

 

I never streamed anything on either cruise. I think they open the internet cafe on purpose at 1:30 to take advantage of people that have been using the UBP. its wrong and unethical in my opinion. 

[Carnac767]

On our 2019 Transatlantic on Epic, I traded in our 250 minutes and splurged on the upgrade to the Premium streaming package, trying to see the last season of Game of Thrones.  Yes, that was a very stupid move on my part.  Not only was the last season atrocious but the streaming quality was a joke.   It would be great for ten minutes, then buffer for twenty minutes, stream for five more minutes, buffer again, and so on.

[Pieson]

I’m going on the Joy in 3 weeks and my brother just got a new job 2 weeks ago. I planned this out way far in advance.  He is able to do remote work. So we bought the premium internet package hoping that will be able to cut it. 
 

Mostly he has a few zoom meetings he just needs to be able to phone into voice only

 

any advice or input is greatly Appreciated 

[jwdental360]

Would I need the streaming package to FaceTime my family at home?

[Sailing12Away]

I've never had luck with the NCL wifi at all, so I don't bother trying to use it. We always found a better deal with our cell phone provider to connect with family/friends when we get to port in international travels. The few sea days we have are ours to enjoy. On the Encore this past summer I tried to connect to work email and it was too painful to go through the 200+ messages so I gave up. Was going to attempt to hop on a WebEx to check in with the team, but the free wifi wouldn't cut it so I went back to day drinking.

 

To each their own, but no, even with the most expensive streaming plan you will not be able to do the things you can do from home. 

[Pieson]

7 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

I've never had luck with the NCL wifi at all, so I don't bother trying to use it. We always found a better deal with our cell phone provider to connect with family/friends when we get to port in international travels. The few sea days we have are ours to enjoy. On the Encore this past summer I tried to connect to work email and it was too painful to go through the 200+ messages so I gave up. Was going to attempt to hop on a WebEx to check in with the team, but the free wifi wouldn't cut it so I went back to day drinking.

 

To each their own, but no, even with the most expensive streaming plan you will not be able to do the things you can do from home. 

It’s hard to know the truth and if it will be doable. 
I know the VOIP does not consume a ton of bandwidth.  He just needs to hop on the zoom with voice only a few times and he can do the rest of his work at his on pace. 
 

I know we are in a different port Monday - Thursday each day. Not sure if that makes a difference for the internet. 
 

our cruise consultant assured us the internet would be stable enough to do VoIP. 
 

Bad timing with him taking the new job and not being able to use his planned vacation like we thought. 

[HuliHuli]

15 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

We always found a better deal with our cell phone provider to connect with family/friends when we get to port in international travels.

Ditto!

[kylenyc]

Got of the Breakaway last week and the streaming package was 90% usable for VOIP and Zoom/Webex. I didn't try to screen share. I quickly noticed when watching videos (Sling), I had to turn the settings to "Low Quality 500 kbps" and often it would often take 15 seconds or so buffer and play. So I'm guessing with no real evidence that the connection is <1 Mbps download. I should have run speedtest on it but didn't 😞

 

Anecdotally, my voip would sometimes not work at all during poor weather -- Either it affected the satellite connection, or because on people tending to be indoors on their devices more in poor weather, or both.

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, Pieson said:

I’m going on the Joy in 3 weeks and my brother just got a new job 2 weeks ago. I planned this out way far in advance.  He is able to do remote work. So we bought the premium internet package hoping that will be able to cut it. 
 

Mostly he has a few zoom meetings he just needs to be able to phone into voice only

 

any advice or input is greatly Appreciated 

 

2 hours ago, jwdental360 said:

Would I need the streaming package to FaceTime my family at home?

Yes, you need streaming service to FaceTime or make wifi calls. 

 

Remote work may be hard since the bandwidth is so slow. The problem that I have is that now days, folks don't give a second thought about emailing large files/briefings around. I switch to web mail (vs. outlook) since once outlook starts sucking down a big file, you're toast. 

 

On our August cruise on the Encore, I held morning zoom calls with my team. If we were at sea, I would set up my phone on a tripod in the Observation lounge and have my coffee and pastries while issuing orders to my team back home. If we were in port, I set up on the Waterfront to tease the scenery around the ship. I stayed on the ship's satellite wifi because the local phone service in port was reallllllly bad with a 4000 passengers and crew hitting the cell towers at the port. 

[MoCruiseFan]

On 11/4/2021 at 1:45 PM, Cruise Gopher said:

For those who have sailed on the EPIC specifically recently can anyone share personal experience with the internet and if you had the streaming was it good/worth it?

 

I’m trying to figure out if I should pay the extra for the streaming. I think someone mentioned that the speeds really aren’t much different but that the streaming package just unlocks ports required for streaming services like Netflix etc. 

Don't buy either, unplug and enjoy your cruise.  Facebook will still be available when you get home.