Internet options onboard

[DisMommyTX]

Our family will be sailing 7nt on the Fantasy in a couple weeks. I know that the onboard chat works through the Navigator app for Android users as well, but last time we had trouble with messages going through. No iphones, so imessage is not an option, but we usually use WhatsApp to call and text family at home while on other cruises. I also manage our HomeAway listing and would like the option to plug-in our son during long dinners (special needs, so a screen with a new game or movie could be a life-saver). I was planning get an internet package, but I don't see anything with daily rates like offered on most other cruise lines. What are the Wi-Fi options onboard? Are they different from what is listed in advance or do they have any special deals worth seeking out? I can't even find it in my Disney Cruise planner.

I do miss the days of locking our phones in the safe after Sail-away and disconnecting for a week. Unfortunately, we have reached the point where that would actually make the trip more stressful. Other suggestions?

 

[monkeydawn]

Can you not download games and movies ahead of time? That might be a lot cheaper and better since speeds on the ship arent speedy.

Then a minimal package for texting back home should be all you will need. I dont recall deals but I wasnt looking.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

What are the Wi-Fi options onboard? Are they different from what is listed in advance or do they have any special deals worth seeking out? I can't even find it in my Disney Cruise planner.

Disney Cruise Line Internet Data Packages – Connect@Sea

Plan	Data (MB)	Amount	Per/MB Cost	Notes
Pay As You Go	1	25¢	25¢	Perfect for Guests who are not sure how often they will be online.
Small	100	$19	19¢	A good choice for Guests who want to check their email occasionally and then go back to enjoying their cruise.
Medium	300	$39	13¢	Ideal for Guests that want to share their vacation photos with friends right away.
Large	1000	$89	9¢	This package covers all Internet needs. Guests can stream movies or their favorite music.

And, there's the free 50MB package if you sign up by midnight the first night.

 

[cedricandsophie]

There are no deals. You pay by the MBs. yiu get 50 free when you board and then you pay packages With the maximum of 1000 MB’s for $89. It used to be based on minutes but it’s actually Much better this way, although warching movies, assuming the network strength is even good enough will use a lot of mb. You really should download a bunch of movies on a tablet before you leave. We usually end of getting a couple $89 packages on a 7 to 9 day cruise, for email, Facebook, reading the tribune or NY times online, etc. we have iPhones and iPads so I have no idea how android work but you need to put the phone or pad in airplane mode and it’s a good idea to turn off all auto downloads and notifications so you don’t accidentally use more Mbs than you want. We can text from our phones to home on the ship and use FaceTime to call home if needed although I think that is a Apple application. If you have multiple devices, like phones or tablets be sure to use only one at a time and log off when done. That’s usually my downfall. My husband reads the paper on t(e iPad and I take my phone on deck to get coffee and read the paper or email from my phone and then I forget to log off on both of them.

we have Verizon service and use the daily travel plan when on land which for $10 per 24 hour period gives you the same calling and data service you have at home. becsuse we have unlimited data, we get five free travel plan days a month. So when we are in port, we just use our phone or iPad data rather than use up the ship WiFi.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

yiu get 50 free when you board

Just to clarify - you must sign in for this before midnight that first night. It's not automatic.

 

[smmco]

The Internet on DCL is horrible. I just got off an RCCL cruise where I paid about 10 a day for the unlimited streaming and was able to watch Netflix on it. If other cruise lines can offer this. Why can't DCL?

 

[BartmanLA]

The Internet on DCL is horrible. I just got off an RCCL cruise where I paid about 10 a day for the unlimited streaming and was able to watch Netflix on it. If other cruise lines can offer this. Why can't DCL?

MONEY plain and simple.

 

[smmco]

MONEY plain and simple.

Yes that’s sums up what the lady at the internet desk told me. Why offer affordable packages when you have guests willing to pay thousands for internet services. I wonder what the really expensive cruiselines like Cunard and Viking offer.

 

[uncw89]

Thanks for this thread! We are doing the Panama Canal cruise next year and I was trying to get an idea of pricing! I hope by next year they change to an unlimited (more) more affordable plan like RCCL, We have AT&T, so I need to check out those options as well.

 

[DCLCrazy64622]

Royal’s Voom package is the best in the business. DCL could take a few notes.

 

[g_ppetto]

we get five free travel plan days a month.

What verizon plan are you on? Also, how was the peformance? We're on FUDP. I enabled Travel Pass on one of your phones. We used it in Nassau and Castaway Cay. Voice was ok, data was slow, and messaging was iffy. It could have been due to congestion at CC.
Thanks!

 

[DCLCruiseFan09]

MONEY plain and simple.

Casual Reminder: Internet on the ships is 3rd Party just like the Photographers. It's not "Disney Pricing".

 

[Disney Dad ADL]

Most streaming services provide some sort of movie download option, so you can download to your phone prior to boarding. It's best if you do it as late as possible because they "expire" requiring internet access to "renew" them.

Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus all have this capability, with differing restrictions as to what is available for download and for how long they function before you have to renew them.

Edit: if you purchase movies on Google Play, etc, you can also download them

 

[Adventurelawyer]

I know that the average person’s settings on a typical smart phone will eat through the 50mb pretty fast. Im wondering if anyone has worked out a checklist of shut downs to prevent smoking through their data too quickly. If they have, perhaps they would share?

 

[JM_97]

I know that the average person’s settings on a typical smart phone will eat through the 50mb pretty fast. Im wondering if anyone has worked out a checklist of shut downs to prevent smoking through their data too quickly. If they have, perhaps they would share?

I can't remember where I saw it on here, but apparently they give you a check list on your first day that has recommendations on how to prevent your phone from eating it all up in one day

 

[Adventurelawyer]

I can't remember where I saw it on here, but apparently they give you a check list on your first day that has recommendations on how to prevent your phone from eating it all up in one day

Ooooh! Good to know!

 

[MarkLT1]

Ooooh! Good to know!

Also, I've read that the people at the internet desk (where you sign up for your 50mb free) will help you with your phone settings as not to eat up all the data.

 

[StarSeven7]

I know that the average person’s settings on a typical smart phone will eat through the 50mb pretty fast. Im wondering if anyone has worked out a checklist of shut downs to prevent smoking through their data too quickly. If they have, perhaps they would share?

We missed the Connect @ Sea desk being open by a few minutes on our first day so we were given a paper to sign up on our own. That worked fine and I had my DH who's pretty tech savvy turn off everything on my phone that could eat up data. Not sure what happened - he probably missed something - but I didn't click on anything other than the DCL app for days on our trip since I wanted to save that 50 mb for when I really wanted to check FB or something and I went to open it up and my data had already been used up!

 

[uncw89]

I know that the average person’s settings on a typical smart phone will eat through the 50mb pretty fast. Im wondering if anyone has worked out a checklist of shut downs to prevent smoking through their data too quickly. If they have, perhaps they would share?

In 2016, we boarded the Wonder for our Alaska cruise. We got lunch and were sitting outside enjoying the view. My son signed us up for the free 50mb,sent a Snapchat and boom that was it for the free data!! We hand't even left the port!! LOL

 

[JM_97]

In 2016, we boarded the Wonder for our Alaska cruise. We got lunch and were sitting outside enjoying the view. My son signed us up for the free 50mb,sent a Snapchat and boom that was it for the free data!! We hand't even left the port!! LOL

Anything with a picture or video is going to eat up 50 MB. Scrolling through email, Facebook would be about the extent you could do with that little amount