Three strange questions...??

[kiwimum]

One good thing about this transit you get pages and pages of stamps.   Hopefully this will continue and not just be electronic.

[Mike45LC]

I would not rely on the ship's internet to conduct a zoom class.  However, check your itinerary carefully, and figure out if you might be in port during your proposed class schedule.  Maybe you can conduct your class from an internet cafe ashore.

 

[MissP22]

20 hours ago, Jez1982 said:

1) Just how strong and reliable is the MedallionNet internet? I teach online with Zoom, and wasn't planning on teaching, but the school just contacted me and asked if I would teach a class on two while I'm on the cruise. Is the internet strong enough to have a two hour Zoom meeting? It says you can stream movies, and I'm guessing if we can do that then having Zoom meetings is doable? What do those of you who've used the internet onboard think?

When we were in the Caribbean last spring, the internet speed on the Enchanted was very good almost all the time. I could download movies (early morning) and during the cruise even attended a Zoom meeting while moored one afternoon without any dropped signal. 

After reading about the poor speed other have been receiving I wouldn't count an getting a decent connection elsewhere.

[Doug R.]

17 hours ago, NownZen said:

We have never been asked for an ID when getting back on the ship. The cruise card (and now the medallion) scan brings up a picture. We do however, carry a copy of the passport with us .

On my recent Canada/NE cruise we were asked for ID and medallion (they did not have the scanner) from Canadian authorities before we were allowed to proceed back to the ship. This has also happened at several Carribean ports.

Edited November 18, 2022 by Doug R.

[lx200gps]

34 minutes ago, Doug R. said:

On my recent Canada/NE cruise we were asked for ID and medallion (they did not have the scanner) from Canadian authorities before we were allowed to proceed back to the ship. This has also happened at several Carribean ports.

This is correct, same thing happened to us in Saint John NB, as well as Saint Thomas, USVI. Very occasionally, port authorities will require both a Medallion (which they can't scan), as well as photo ID to access the port area in the general area of the ship, whereupon the final scan to board will be by Princess security who will scan the Medallion to allow you through to the metal detector.

[mtnesterz]

On 11/17/2022 at 12:03 PM, Jez1982 said:

 1) ...I teach online with Zoom, and wasn't planning on teaching, but the school just contacted me and asked if I would teach a class on two while I'm on the cruise.

2) I've read online that, with some cruise lines, you must 'surrender' your passport when you board. Is Princess like this?  

#1. The answer is no. You are on vacation and will not teach a class. Besides the point, The "Best Internet at Sea" is not dependable. Best pass on this one.

#2 Done this cruise in the reverse order. Passport was surrendered before boarding in Chile, returned after Peru, before reaching Costa Rica. Believe it is country related, not company policy. 

[kluv2cruz]

On 11/17/2022 at 4:25 PM, NownZen said:

We have never been asked for an ID when getting back on the ship. The cruise card (and now the medallion) scan brings up a picture. We do however, carry a copy of the passport with us .

We were asked for i.d a couple weeks ago in Newport Rhode Island, before they would let us back on the tender. Not sure what they would have done if we didn’t have it. And, how did they know it wasn’t someone else’s i.d.? Seemed arbitrary to me, but we complied so everything would flow smoothly.

[Ombud]

On 11/17/2022 at 5:37 PM, kiwimum said:

One good thing about this transit you get pages and pages of stamps.   Hopefully this will continue and not just be electronic.

I didn't get any stamps in 2019. Was my South American voyage an anomaly? 

[Doug R.]

1 hour ago, kluv2cruz said:

We were asked for i.d a couple weeks ago in Newport Rhode Island, before they would let us back on the tender. Not sure what they would have done if we didn’t have it. And, how did they know it wasn’t someone  i.d.? Seemed arbitrary to me, but we complied so everything would flow smoothly.

On our cruise, they had the scanner at the tender and did not ask for ID.

[candy4040]

On 11/17/2022 at 7:31 PM, EDDY0827 said:

I use a U.S. Passport Card. This is carried with my passport. I leave the passport in the safe and carry the card onshore for universal ID.

How do you go about getting a passport card?

 

[EDDY0827]

A passport card is a driver's license sized ID card that looks a lot like the info page with your photograph from your passport. It is available as an option when you renew your passport. I don't know if you can get one outside of renewal.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/card.html

[gottagocit]

The only voyage we’ve taken where I recall the need to give our passports to Princess on a transpacific voyage from Alaska to China. If I recall correctly we had to surrender the prior to arrival in Vladivostok, Russia and our first port stop in China. 

[Jez1982]

Thanks so much again for all the fantastic advice everyone!! I'm looking forward to my first cruise!! Very exciting...!! 🙂 : )

[Nelsj099]

I do a lot of online teaching.  What you need to know is the internet speed where you will be when you need to teach.  I live in China, and to use Zoom we need a VPN, so my internet speed this morning for zoom was download 1.3Mbps and that will connect and hold a zoom call with no problem.  If you can get someone to share internet speeds where you need them you can make a more informed decision.   I anticipate my upcoming cruise to have fast open internet.  It won't take much to be better than what I get here.  🤣

[Nelsj099]

On 11/20/2022 at 2:52 AM, gottagocit said:

The only voyage we’ve taken where I recall the need to give our passports to Princess on a transpacific voyage from Alaska to China. If I recall correctly we had to surrender the prior to arrival in Vladivostok, Russia and our first port stop in China. 

I have lived in both Russia and China, and cruised to Russia when I lived there (getting off with my visa was very confusing to the customs agents in St. Petes, I had to explain to them for 40 minutes that I live in Russia and that is why I don't have a photo on my visa).  Both China and Russia along with many other countries have complex customs procedures.  Many of these countries that require immigration checks China included you are actually supposed to have your passport on you at all times.  (I carried mine for the first year I lived overseas every day.) If you need it for an excursion you should be able to get it back.  This may be  difficult though.   I know some people choose to go to immigration themselves with their passports on some lines and it may be at 4/5 am and take forever but I have read about people doing this instead of turning in their passports as well. 

[caribill]

On 11/17/2022 at 7:31 PM, SargassoPirate said:

In my experience it's been port authorities that require photo ID and it's usually in third world or totalitarian countries. 

 

In my experience, it has been USA ports in the Caribbean where a photo ID was required to enter the terminal area when returning to the ship.

[caribill]

On 11/17/2022 at 2:38 PM, Jez1982 said:

 If they take away my passport at the beginning of the cruise, can I request it when we reach that port...?

 

 

Yes.

 

Request it (customer service desk) the day before if Princess has it to avoid delay once you are in the port.

[kitty2264]

On 11/19/2022 at 10:24 AM, EDDY0827 said:

A passport card is a driver's license sized ID card that looks a lot like the info page with your photograph from your passport. It is available as an option when you renew your passport. I don't know if you can get one outside of renewal.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/card.html

One thing to remember about using a passport card is that it cannot be used for boarding international flights, only domestic.  It's good be aware of that just incase you have an emergency and miss the ship in a foreign country.

[NownZen]

13 hours ago, Nelsj099 said:

I do a lot of online teaching.  What you need to know is the internet speed where you will be when you need to teach.  I live in China, and to use Zoom we need a VPN, so my internet speed this morning for zoom was download 1.3Mbps and that will connect and hold a zoom call with no problem.  If you can get someone to share internet speeds where you need them you can make a more informed decision.   I anticipate my upcoming cruise to have fast open internet.  It won't take much to be better than what I get here.  🤣

Various posters have listed the internet speeds in their "live from" reports. Some good, some awful, some no internet. We were without internet for several days on a cruise this summer. It never was up to your speeds.