Understanding the internet package

[monorail81]

3 minutes ago, ramja96 said:

So I have to buy a package to get my diamond "reward"??? That doesn't sound like much of a reward. 

Yes but no. You have to “purchase” the one day package when you are onboard. But you “pay” for it using the coupon that is preloaded into your account. You also have the option of using the value of the coupon and applying it to a longer package onboard. 

[ramja96]

4 minutes ago, monorail81 said:

Yes but no. You have to “purchase” the one day package when you are onboard. But you “pay” for it using the coupon that is preloaded into your account. You also have the option of using the value of the coupon and applying it to a longer package onboard. 

 

OK - that makes more sense.  Thanks

[Blur]

56 minutes ago, Starry Eyes said:

We travel are D+ and travel as a couple mostly 6-8 night cruises.  We have limited internet needs.  We generally share/spread our days similar to post #10.  We use both of one partner’s days first.  Before using the second partner’s we check the price of Internet for remainder of cruise less second partner’s benefit; sometimes the cost is trivial.

To me factors I’d consider favors of purchasing internet precruise (rather than using only my D+ freebie) might include: length of cruise (the longer the cruise, the more likely precruise sale price will outweigh the D+ benefit), the individual’s need/desire for connectivity on that cruise (wanting or needing online access 24/7 weighs toward precruise purchase), precruise sale price (the better the sale, the more tempting), how well partners can share (some want/need to be online at the same time, so sharing would cause conflicts)

 

We like to stay connected and available so dog sitter can reach us so we usually get one voom package to share and then 4 days before cruise ends we'll use the D+ benefit if we really need the extra bandwidth.

 

Also I've confirmed hot spot does work on pixel 3 and 6 but I usually just pack a travel router since it doesn't drain the phone battery and it's good to have for hotels as well for convenience.

[Ret MP]

When I cruise with my youngest daughter and her family (husband and two kids, kids are older teens) we buy the package for one device.  Fortunately, none of her family, my wife, and I are Internet-dependent, we're all very little usage, folks, at least on a cruise.  So, if I for example need to upload a few pictures and/or a short video or two, I let everybody else know when I'm done and logged off.  They may want to use it or not.  But, for us, it's never an issue.  

[Blur]

2 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

When I cruise with my youngest daughter and her family (husband and two kids, kids are older teens) we buy the package for one device.  Fortunately, none of her family, my wife, and I are Internet-dependent, we're all very little usage, folks, at least on a cruise.  So, if I for example need to upload a few pictures and/or a short video or two, I let everybody else know when I'm done and logged off.  They may want to use it or not.  But, for us, it's never an issue.  

The best part about having only one device account is you don't even need to log off.  Whoever needs to use can just log in and boot off whoever was last on.  Very simple and easy.  Gets a little more complicated if sharing multi device account if you want to make sure certain devices stay connected (then you would need to track which device is connected and log off).

[Ret MP]

48 minutes ago, Blur said:

The best part about having only one device account is you don't even need to log off.  Whoever needs to use can just log in and boot off whoever was last on.  Very simple and easy.  Gets a little more complicated if sharing multi device account if you want to make sure certain devices stay connected (then you would need to track which device is connected and log off).

Very true.  But, we all use our own devices but we are courteous with each other and we never leave a device logged into the internet.  Log out and turn the device off, every time, on a cruise and at home.  I even turn off all sensors, camera, and mic., on my phone unless I need them on a case-by-case basis.  

Edited March 15 by Ret MP

[Blur]

7 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

Very true.  But, we all use our own devices but we are courteous with each other and we never leave a device logged into the internet.  Log out and turn the device off, every time, on a cruise and at home.  I even turn off all sensors, camera, and mic., on my phone unless I need them on a case-by-case basis.  

No worries.  Software engineer so I have things running including servers in my house so just different way of life 😅.

[bayportkat]

8 hours ago, Blur said:

We like to stay connected and available so dog sitter can reach us so we usually get one voom package to share and then 4 days before cruise ends we'll use the D+ benefit if we really need the extra bandwidth.

 

Also I've confirmed hot spot does work on pixel 3 and 6 but I usually just pack a travel router since it doesn't drain the phone battery and it's good to have for hotels as well for convenience.

How does a travel router work?  Would you just need the one device option and run your devices through the router?  Then you can only use internet in the room correct?  

[Blur]

2 hours ago, bayportkat said:

How does a travel router work?  Would you just need the one device option and run your devices through the router?  Then you can only use internet in the room correct?  

Yup.  Elsewhere too but more risky.  The signal doesn't go far beyond the cabin due to the metal walls which is a good thing.  I've had a friend who tried to access my router from one balcony above me and couldn't.

 

Basically you connect everything to the router or hotspot phone which is logged into the voom account sharing the one account bandwidth so it's great for browsing but not great for streaming movies on multiple devices.  In that case I recommend getting multiple device accounts. 

 

You can do this at home before the cruise or even in the hotel.  I normally use it at hotels too since it protects your devices from being on the hotel WiFi.

 

Oh you can also switch it back to any of your other devices if not in room.  Example you switch it to your phone when leaving room by just turning off router and logging into voom on phone.

 

To be fair it's prob easier to hot spot on your phone if your phone allows it and it's almost impossible to prevent where as a router they could technically try to block it.  To configure on router it's a little more techy since you need to access a website once connected to router so I can see many people shying away.  Phone hotspot is super easy if your phone allows it.

Edited March 16 by Blur

[Sunshine3601]

12 hours ago, The Scurvy Pirate said:

Just remember that you would be paying the higher on-board daily rate for the additional days.  I thought I remember it being almost $30/day.

 

Also, not to highjack the thread, but I was just on liberty a couple of weeks ago.  Both me and my wife are D+.  The person at the Voom station was trying to say that we only got 2 days of internet per stateroom, even though we were both D+.  I believed that since we are both D+, we each get 2 days and its not per stateroom.  It was only a 3 day cruise and so it didn't really matter, but just wanted to confirm from someone on here that I was correct in that we each get 2 days.

Each D+ person gets two 24 hrs of free internet.

The DL concierge will confirm that.

[CanadaRob]

11 hours ago, ramja96 said:

So I have to buy a package to get my diamond "reward"??? That doesn't sound like much of a reward. 

No, you can just use your 24 hours, no purchase required

[Sunshine3601]

11 hours ago, ramja96 said:

So I have to buy a package to get my diamond "reward"??? That doesn't sound like much of a reward. 

No you do not have to buy a full cruise pkg.   You can use just your free 24 hrs if that is all you want.

[DaKahuna]

12 hours ago, publicpersona said:

 

Re discussion of hotspotting off a single device. You can't hotspot wi-fi to wi-fi on an iOS device natively, I have no knowledge of Android devices.

 

Correct. But you can connect your iPhone to the ship's WiFi and then connect a laptop to the iPhone using a USB to lightning cable and tether your laptop to the Internet that way. 

 

Personally, I prefer to use a travel router connected to the ship's WiFi and connect my iPhone and iPad wireless to that when I am in the room.  When I have a lot of OBC, I just buy a one device plan for the travel router so I am not having to disconnect it when using my other devices outside the room. 

 

 

[ramja96]

8 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

Correct. But you can connect your iPhone to the ship's WiFi and then connect a laptop to the iPhone using a USB to lightning cable and tether your laptop to the Internet that way. 

 

Personally, I prefer to use a travel router connected to the ship's WiFi and connect my iPhone and iPad wireless to that when I am in the room.  When I have a lot of OBC, I just buy a one device plan for the travel router so I am not having to disconnect it when using my other devices outside the room. 

 

 

I just recently purchased a tp link travel router.  How do you connect that directly to the ship's wifi? The only thing I can see it being used for, is as a hotspot connected to my laptop. What am I missing?

[Tatka]

On 3/16/2023 at 6:30 AM, ramja96 said:

I just recently purchased a tp link travel router.  How do you connect that directly to the ship's wifi? The only thing I can see it being used for, is as a hotspot connected to my laptop. What am I missing?

You realize you are discussing breaking rules. Read instructions. Keep in mind it may not work. 

 

 

[Livesteamer]

My smartphone (as do many other smartphones) allows for wi-fi calling.  So, if I purchase a wi-fi package and only use my smartphone, shouldn't I be able to make wi-fi calls?

[Biker19]

6 minutes ago, Livesteamer said:

So, if I purchase a wi-fi package and only use my smartphone, shouldn't I be able to make wi-fi calls?

Yes, try it home first.

[Tatka]

1 hour ago, Livesteamer said:

My smartphone (as do many other smartphones) allows for wi-fi calling.  So, if I purchase a wi-fi package and only use my smartphone, shouldn't I be able to make wi-fi calls?

Yes you can call, we do it all the time.

[Wineaux007]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

Yes, try it home first.

I have T-Mobile and figured if I put my phone in airplane mode I could make a wifi call to Europe for free.  Wrong!!!  Airplane mode or not, it connected to a tower, and I was charged $3 a minute.

 

Wifi calling works great on the ship.  Make sure you are in airplane mode so you don't connect to the ship.  

[jean87510]

On 3/15/2023 at 10:16 AM, Biker19 said:

Not sure what you are expecting. The perk is a discount equal to the value of the lowest tier 24 hour package (typically about $28-$30). You can use it on that or apply it to a package for the entire cruise. 

I didn't know this.  I have applied the discount on Celebrity Elite.  Can you do this pre cruise or does it have to be done onboard?

[Biker19]

10 minutes ago, jean87510 said:

Can you do this pre cruise or does it have to be done onboard?

All perks other than the balcony discount are applicable on board only. 

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, Wineaux007 said:

I have T-Mobile and figured if I put my phone in airplane mode I could make a wifi call to Europe for free. 

Wi-Fi calling doesn’t get around the normal US domestic calling rules - it just eliminates the need for a cell tower connection. You’d have to connect to a cell tower in Europe to take advantage of free calling locally. You didn’t get charged for connecting to the ship cell tower, you got charged because you made an international call as if you were calling from the US. 

Edited March 18 by Biker19

[jean87510]

16 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

All perks other than the balcony discount are applicable on board only. 

I sort of remember this conversation from a while back where I asked the same question.  Thank you.  

[DaKahuna]

On 3/16/2023 at 6:30 AM, ramja96 said:

I just recently purchased a tp link travel router.  How do you connect that directly to the ship's wifi? The only thing I can see it being used for, is as a hotspot connected to my laptop. What am I missing?

 

I set my Travel router up at home and create a wireless SSID and Password so I can connect via WiFi to the travel router.  

 

Once I am on the ship, I follow the standard process using my laptop to connect to the ships WiFi and create an account.   I then power up the travel router and connect to it with my laptop., disconnecting the laptop from the ship's Wifi.  I then configure the Travel Router to connect to the ship's WiFi using the account I previously connected.  This means my laptop is connected to the travel router and the travel router is connected to the ship's WiFi.  This gives my laptop internet connectivity via the travel router.  I can then also connect my smart phone and tablet to the travel router and thus have internet connectivity on them via the travel router as well. 

 

 

[ramja96]

1 hour ago, DaKahuna said:

 

I set my Travel router up at home and create a wireless SSID and Password so I can connect via WiFi to the travel router.  

 

Once I am on the ship, I follow the standard process using my laptop to connect to the ships WiFi and create an account.   I then power up the travel router and connect to it with my laptop., disconnecting the laptop from the ship's Wifi.  I then configure the Travel Router to connect to the ship's WiFi using the account I previously connected.  This means my laptop is connected to the travel router and the travel router is connected to the ship's WiFi.  This gives my laptop internet connectivity via the travel router.  I can then also connect my smart phone and tablet to the travel router and thus have internet connectivity on them via the travel router as well. 

 

 

 

Thank you so much! This helps immensely. This is exactly what I was thinking, but was hoping to get some confirmation. Thanks again!