Really really bad wifi

[grouchomarx]

41 minutes ago, FlaMariner said:

 

My experience is you cannot rely on ship internet no matter what they say.....If you choose to rely on ship internet for work, you are making a very bad decision, IMO.

 

 

The problem is, if you’ve had good internet on all your other cruises, you would tend to think another cruise wouldn’t be terribly different, especially on a newer ship.  

[Florida_gal_50]

3 minutes ago, grouchomarx said:

The problem is, if you’ve had good internet on all your other cruises, you would tend to think another cruise wouldn’t be terribly different, especially on a newer ship.  

Exactly.  This isn't a new concept after all.  I have cruised on princess quite a lot.  Never had an issue.   

[Guest ldtr]

14 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Exactly.  This isn't a new concept after all.  I have cruised on princess quite a lot.  Never had an issue.   

On my last Princess (Ruby) one could reach all of 30kbs during the day, a bit better than the old dial up modems, and maybe twice that at 2 am.  Modern interactive browsing needs more like 1 MB +.

 

Seem like the CCL owned lines performance have fallen dramatically since the start of the year.  Performance was much better on the same ship last year.  Before some one says the different is due to Capacity.  Last year the ship was 70% occupied, this year 65%.  Same cruise route.

 

My HAL cruise was a bit better, but again not as good as last year.

 

 

Edited October 30, 2022 by ldtr

[VMax1700]

2 hours ago, Iamthesea said:

Do both passengers in a stateroom have to purchase the "upgrade"?  My DH does nothing on the Internet when we travel, and I do very little, but do like to check email and message my children.  My daughter will send photos of the grandchildren.  Sometimes videos that I will not even bother trying to upload.

It  is possible to upgrade just one passenger as the offer comes to each individual device/passenger.  We both had Have It All, but I was able to upgrade myself without problem, DW was upgraded later.

[Wakepatrol]

Geez, no internet and no laundry room, what will I do on my next cruise?

[julia]

4 hours ago, FlaMariner said:

 

One couple left the ship before the cruise ended because they were so internet deprived.

 

Hmmmm....  while I can't formally dispute this happening, I am throwing down the bs flag on it.  "Leaving the ship before the cruise ends" is not possible... you can't just roll your luggage off in a port and say "the internet blows, buh-bye!"  😯🤣🤔

[FlaMariner]

5 minutes ago, julia said:

Hmmmm....  while I can't formally dispute this happening, I am throwing down the bs flag on it.  "Leaving the ship before the cruise ends" is not possible... you can't just roll your luggage off in a port and say "the internet blows, buh-bye!"  😯🤣🤔

 

More details....It was the Princess Sky Eastbound Trans Atlantic cruise this past March....We met them when in line at the castle we were touring from our Lisbon port stop. They told us they were Philly, he needed internet for his business and it had not worked since they boarded.  He said they almost left the ship in Fort Lauderdale because it was not working at embarkation.  

 

He was on the tour of Lisbon but they had been given permission to disembark in Lisbon and were heading to a hotel in Lisbon for a few days.  The ship's next stop was debarkation in Southampton in 2 days. 

 

I agree it was nuts but there was much frustration from many passengers regarding the internet on that trip.  

 

I learned from our roll call that the previous Princess Sky cruise had nil internet and when we boarded, folks were given a letter telling them their internet fee would be credited.  

 

I understand you questioning this passenger experience but that was what I heard and also what we experienced. 

 

I'm glad I do not need internet when cruising and I would certainly not put my job at risk thinking ship internet will support me working remote. 

 

[ChinaShrek]

4 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Wow just wow.  There are people that actually work.  People that have their own business, people that have to run payroll, nurses that have to book their shifts.  How very judgmental.

Then why are they on a cruise ship? 

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, ChinaShrek said:

Then why are they on a cruise ship? 

Yes, only people that are retired or trust fund babies should be on a ship 🙄.  Working people don’t deserve a vacation.  I’m constantly amazed and not in a good way.  I don’t think anyone is talking about working 24/7.  That said I do remember a thread right around the start up about a Covid experience where this person was working remotely the entire time with zero issues.  I want to say it was on Royal but I could be wrong.  I will not be working on my cruise but I get that people do.  It’s very easy to understand.

Edited October 30, 2022 by Florida_gal_50

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, FlaMariner said:

 

More details....It was the Princess Sky Eastbound Trans Atlantic cruise this past March....We met them when in line at the castle we were touring from our Lisbon port stop. They told us they were Philly, he needed internet for his business and it had not worked since they boarded.  He said they almost left the ship in Fort Lauderdale because it was not working at embarkation.  

 

He was on the tour of Lisbon but they had been given permission to disembark in Lisbon and were heading to a hotel in Lisbon for a few days.  The ship's next stop was debarkation in Southampton in 2 days. 

 

I agree it was nuts but there was much frustration from many passengers regarding the internet on that trip.  

 

I learned from our roll call that the previous Princess Sky cruise had nil internet and when we boarded, folks were given a letter telling them their internet fee would be credited.  

 

I understand you questioning this passenger experience but that was what I heard and also what we experienced. 

 

I'm glad I do not need internet when cruising and I would certainly not put my job at risk thinking ship internet will support me working remote. 

 

So what about people that have their own business, would they fire themselves? How dare they take a break.  What about people that are selling a house, or someone that has a family emergency.  How dare they step on a ship when they know this could happen.  I’ve seen a lot of people that had karma slap them across the face for things that they never thought would happen to them and voiced that only to have karma tap them on the shoulder.

[*Miss G*]

Land-based vacations would be a more suitable choice for those who require dependable internet.

[Mary229]

9 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

Land-based vacations would be a more suitable choice for those who require dependable internet.

Not true.   I am an entrepreneur and cruising is one of may favorite travel modes.  I also like very long (over 3000 miles) road trips.  Each have their technical pitfalls.  I manage both modes well but I don’t solely rely on a cruise WiFi system.  I have even sailed transatlantic cruises while managing my business.  
 

my advice is not to expect cruise ship WiFi to perform at a commercial level.  If you need reliable data there are other technical solutions 

 

further you shouldn’t be accessing client information on a public WiFi system.  That is unethical. But you can communicate simple instructions and replies 

Edited October 30, 2022 by Mary229

[*Miss G*]

8 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Not true.   I am an entrepreneur and cruising is one of may favorite travel modes.  I also like very long (over 3000 miles) road trips.  Each have their technical pitfalls.  I manage both modes well but I don’t solely rely on a cruise WiFi system.  I have even sailed transatlantic cruises while managing my business.  
 

my advice is not to expect cruise ship WiFi to perform at a commercial level.  If you need reliable data there are other technical solutions 

 

Of course it’s true.  If it’s absolutely mandatory for me to have daily reliable internet then a cruise ship is not the place for me.  If, however, my business can survive until I have access at a port then it’s not absolutely mandatory and I can cruise.

 

[Crazy For Cats]

While I don’t require internet access while cruising it does make life easier.  I get updates from our pet sitter.  One winter the batteries died in the furnace thermostat, we forgot to change them, thanks to Wi-Fi we could tell her where the new batteries are located.  On another cruise my mother fell and was hospitalized, again thanks to internet access we could keep updated.  Life happens.   

[Mary229]

2 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Of course it’s true.  If it’s absolutely mandatory for me to have daily reliable internet then a cruise ship is not the place for me.  If, however, my business can survive until I have access at a port then it’s not absolutely mandatory and I can cruise.

 

Posh!  There are solutions. I know many entrepreneurs and solo practice professionals who cruise and have found solutions .  Instead of saying it is not possible say there are solutions but cruise ship WiFi is a poor solution.

[grouchomarx]

Once again I will ask, if you had taken 10 cruises and internet was always reliable to get whatever business you needed done, why would you assume the next cruise would be a total disaster and live in fear of cruising?  It’s no different than traveling on land. It is expected there is wifi in any hotel and in most public places including shacks on the beach.  The precedent has been set by the cruise industry and is widely advertised as a desirable and reliable amenity. When the ships fail to provide an expected and advertised (and paid extra for) service, it is on them, not the user, to look like a fool.  We are simply using our experience as a rule of thumb for what to expect, which is human nature.  Not everyone can afford to be disconnected from life for extended periods of time.  

[Florida_gal_50]

5 minutes ago, grouchomarx said:

Once again I will ask, if you had taken 10 cruises and internet was always reliable to get whatever business you needed done, why would you assume the next cruise would be a total disaster and live in fear of cruising?  It’s no different than traveling on land. It is expected there is wifi in any hotel and in most public places including shacks on the beach.  The precedent has been set by the cruise industry and is widely advertised as a desirable and reliable amenity. When the ships fail to provide an expected and advertised (and paid extra for) service, it is on them, not the user, to look like a fool.  We are simply using our experience as a rule of thumb for what to expect, which is human nature.  Not everyone can afford to be disconnected from life for extended periods of time.  

100 percent.  I could say I’m amazed at the judjee mcjudgers but actually I’m not.  Compassion for others is a wonderful thing that seems in short supply.  I’ve been on land hotels where the wifi sucked worse than any cruise ship.  I guess anyone that needs to do any work has no business traveling 🙄.

[Mary229]

2 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

100 percent.  I could say I’m amazed at the judjee mcjudgers but actually I’m not.  Compassion for others is a wonderful thing that seems in short supply.  I’ve been on land hotels where the wifi sucked worse than any cruise ship.  I guess anyone that needs to do any work has no business traveling 🙄.

They fail to understand that some of us can chew gum and walk.  😉

[grouchomarx]

21 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

100 percent.  I could say I’m amazed at the judjee mcjudgers but actually I’m not.  Compassion for others is a wonderful thing that seems in short supply.  I’ve been on land hotels where the wifi sucked worse than any cruise ship.  I guess anyone that needs to do any work has no business traveling 🙄.

It’s also amusing to me how people don’t realize a LOT of people want to post to their social media while traveling in real time, it’s quite a common thing and I imagine it would suck if you can’t.  Personally I don’t but we did find some rubber duckies around the ship and I imagine a lot of them didn’t make it online lol

[Florida_gal_50]

18 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

They fail to understand that some of us can chew gum and walk.  😉

Love this ❤️.

[Florida_gal_50]

2 minutes ago, grouchomarx said:

It’s also amusing to me how people don’t realize a LOT of people want to post to their social media while traveling in real time, it’s quite a common thing and I imagine it would suck if you can’t.  Personally I don’t but we did find some rubber duckies around the ship and I imagine a lot of them didn’t make it online lol

There has been many times that I’ve read my work email on the ship.  It stressed me more to leave it.  With the job I have now  I told them is was important to me to have work life balance and they agreed before I signed the offer.  That’s been forgotten so I won’t be reading emails on my next trip.

[*Miss G*]

39 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Posh!  There are solutions. I know many entrepreneurs and solo practice professionals who cruise and have found solutions .  Instead of saying it is not possible say there are solutions but cruise ship WiFi is a poor solution.

 

There are workarounds for everything and managing expectations is among them.  Moving the goalposts does not invalidate my response.  Many successfully work remotely, not just those you know.

[Mary229]

9 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

There are workarounds for everything and managing expectations is among them.  Moving the goalposts does not invalidate my response.  Many successfully work remotely, not just those you know.

Thank you, many of us have figured it out so I don’t understand why you have said twice that they shouldn’t be cruising and should stay attached to shore.  One can purchase satellite service. 

Edited October 30, 2022 by Mary229

[*Miss G*]

19 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Thank you, many of us have figured it out so I don’t understand why you have said twice that they shouldn’t be cruising and should stay attached to shore.  One can purchase satellite service. 

 

To be precise, I said…

 

1 hour ago, *Miss G* said:

Land-based vacations would be a more suitable choice for those who require dependable internet.

[Mary229]

2 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

To be precise, I said…

 

And this 

 

If it’s absolutely mandatory for me to have daily reliable internet then a cruise ship is not the place for me.