anybody used mifi on a cruise?

[smores]

leaving on dreams 7/5/11....staying at AKV prior....should i bring mifi?

 

[DisneyBasket]

Make sure you check with your provider! Mifi will work, but if you are roaming you may find your charges are more astronomical than the charges for wifi on board the Dream! If your service covers the areas you will be in Florida, on the ship and in port, then why not??

 

[erionm]

Not sure your MiFi will do you much good as coverage on the ship is provided by Cellular at Sea.

http://www.cellularatsea.com/roaming.htm

 

[Raenstoirm]

It will cost you a pretty penny to use it.

 

[DVC2042]

It will help you in port when free wifi isn't available.
Using international data services from our provider (AT&T) was the only way we had to access the internet for most of our recent Mediterranean cruise.
The trip report is here if interested: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2738882

It does not work aboard ship, you would need one of their data plans. They charge by the minute rather than the MB and for most of the Med trip, it did not work at all except when in port.

 

[Doingitagain]

I asked Verizon about this, and they said if you were within a few miles of the ship you were at risk of picking up the ship's signal and getting charged the high rates.

 

[erionm]

I asked Verizon about this, and they said if you were within a few miles of the ship you were at risk of picking up the ship's signal and getting charged the high rates.

The Cellular at Sea service is turned off while the ship is in port.

 

[Doingitagain]

The Cellular at Sea service is turned off while the ship is in port.

Hmmm, then I might bring it for our port days in Alaska! Thanks!

 

[sambycat]

What is mifi? Must google!!

 

[sambycat]

Tethering?

 

[chartle]

What is mifi? Must google!!

Tethering?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mi-Fi

 

[Doingitagain]

What is mifi? Must google!!

My MIFI is a small device that connects to a 3G or 4G signal. It is on my Verizon plan, but other carriers offer them as well. Just use a carrier that has a good signal strength where you plan to use it.

I purchased the hardware up front and pay a monthly service fee to Verizon. Just like a cell phone. The monthly payment allows for a certain amount of data download, just like cell phone data plans. So I don't use it to download movies, etc. (I wait until I get to a real wireless connection).

When I power on the MIFI, the hardware connects to the 3G or 4G cell signal and then broadcasts a wireless signal that I can use on up to five devices at one time. I can simultaneously use it for a wireless connection for my laptop and all my family's iPads. It is a secured wireless signal, you have to key the security code into the connection on the laptop, iPad etc. so everyone around you can't use it (unless you give them the code).

I used to have an aircard for my laptop, but that plugs into a USB port, which doesn't exist on my iPad. Plus I can use the MIFI on five devices at the same time (I guess my family doesn't share well).

I was thinking about using it for the Alaska cruise because since I already pay for the monthly service fee, I could use it on port days to check email, etc. as long as it is a regular 3G/4G signal (not cellular at sea). The MIFI has a roaming indicator, so I should know when I am in a proper service area. You would monitor MIFI roaming connections just like you would if using your cell phone during port days on a cruise.

Curious to know if anyone has used a MIFI when cruising.

 

[DisneyBasket]

....
I was thinking about using it for the Alaska cruise because since I already pay for the monthly service fee, I could use it on port days to check email, etc. as long as it is a regular 3G/4G signal (not cellular at sea). The MIFI has a roaming indicator, so I should know when I am in a proper service area. You would monitor MIFI roaming connections just like you would if using your cell phone during port days on a cruise.

We also have Verizon, and have in the past had a Mifi. Unfortunately for you (and for us) Verizon does not have cellular service in any of the ports visited on the Alaskan cruise. I confirmed this with Verizon customer service twice before our cruise in May. We did without internet/cell access during the cruise rather than pay Disney's high internet prices, nor the high international roaming charges in Vancouver. We were able to piggy back on some dockside wireless in Ketchikan. I also saw that the pier snack bar in Juneau offered free wifi as well.

There is also a list of places that offer wifi access in each of the ports in one of the Vancouver/Alaska information threads. I printed it out when I saw it but do not remember where it is now. I hope you enjoy your cruise!