Internet while on cruise

[Boardwalk Family123]

While I fully understand that some people just want to disconnect during their cruise, I need to check and respond to emails. I only checked a couple of times a days and when I wasn't checking I signed out. Also, went to connect at sea and followed their instructions about apps updating, etc. Still, with all that, I went through the 1050 by Weds night. Seems absurd to have to spend over $100 on internet just to check and respond to email. Other cruise lines are much cheaper and faster. Disney really lags behind here. Other than buying their onboard connect at sea package, is there any other way to stay connected while onboard?

 

[wilkeliza]

While I fully understand that some people just want to disconnect during their cruise, I need to check and respond to emails. I only checked a couple of times a days and when I wasn't checking I signed out. Also, went to connect at sea and followed their instructions about apps updating, etc. Still, with all that, I went through the 1050 by Weds night. Seems absurd to have to spend over $100 on internet just to check and respond to email. Other cruise lines are much cheaper and faster. Disney really lags behind here. Other than buying their onboard connect at sea package, is there any other way to stay connected while onboard?

Check what it costs through your cell provider. It may not have the best connectivity on sea days but you may get a cheaper option through them.

If you are blowing through that much though there must be something going on with your phone. We used our social media, check emails for work, and even took a couple wifi phone calls and didn't burn through the most expensive package. If you are only using it for email you should be able to view and send about 100,000 emails (attachments will change that number of course) so there really must be something else going on.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

I echo what wilkeliza posted. I think there was something going on with your phone. If I'm just checking and responding to email, the free 50MB usually lasts for a around 4 days, and I might even be able to get some light web browsing in and still not run out. I might purchase a small additional package if I'm on a 7 night cruise, like the package that costs $20 (can't remember how many MB that is), and I end up with MB left over.

 

[mmouse37]

I can never figure out what things to turn off on my phone so I always stop by and talk to the IT person when he has hours. He sets my phone to what it should be so I maximize my minutes.

MJ

 

[PrincessShmoo]

While I fully understand that some people just want to disconnect during their cruise, I need to check and respond to emails. I only checked a couple of times a days and when I wasn't checking I signed out. Also, went to connect at sea and followed their instructions about apps updating, etc. Still, with all that, I went through the 1050 by Weds night. Seems absurd to have to spend over $100 on internet just to check and respond to email. Other cruise lines are much cheaper and faster. Disney really lags behind here. Other than buying their onboard connect at sea package, is there any other way to stay connected while onboard?

Did you turn off everything that you didn't use (images, for example)? Those things take a lot of MB. It's a good idea to get the tech person to help with turning things off, because there may be something that you didn't think about.

Do you really need to check your email a couple times a day? My husband and I usually just get the 50MB free package and that's plenty for both of us to check our emails during a 7 night cruise. We don't check them every day, however. We find every 2 or 3 days is fine.

 

[wilkeliza]

Did you turn off everything that you didn't use (images, for example)? Those things take a lot of MB. It's a good idea to get the tech person to help with turning things off, because there may be something that you didn't think about.

Do you really need to check your email a couple times a day? My husband and I usually just get the 50MB free package and that's plenty for both of us to check our emails during a 7 night cruise. We don't check them every day, however. We find every 2 or 3 days is fine.

Not the OP but for me yes. I put in about an hour a day of work (if not more) while on vacation so I can take more vacations through out the year. Of course it is at my cost but if I am available remotely for even an hour a day my job doesn't count it against my days off. Some days I need 2 or 3 hours. Easier to do on land but I've made it work on cruises too.

 

[Mommb]

If you are using your cell phone, check whether you have or can get international coverage, and what the cost would be. On my recent 3-night Dream cruise, I was able to use my T-Mobile phone to check and send e-mails while docked at Nassau and Castaway Cay at no cost. I would have paid 10 cents per minute or so for phone calls, but data access was free. Even if it's not free with your plan, it might be less expensive to use data for a few minutes each day you're in port than to get a larger plan from Disney Cruise Line. If you need to check e-mail on sea days, though, you're probably better using the DCL plan than cell service at sea (which was quite pricey, last I checked).

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Not the OP but for me yes. I put in about an hour a day of work (if not more) while on vacation so I can take more vacations through out the year. Of course it is at my cost but if I am available remotely for even an hour a day my job doesn't count it against my days off. Some days I need 2 or 3 hours. Easier to do on land but I've made it work on cruises too.

I can understand that. But, that's the extra cost that's going to have to be allowed for when going on a cruise, if it's necessary for you.

Another option would be, if it works for OP, to utilize any off ship free wifi services while in port. But that would cut into whatever they might want to do while in port.

Life is full of choices. We just need to be comfortable with whatever choices we make.

 

[wilkeliza]

I can understand that. But, that's the extra cost that's going to have to be allowed for when going on a cruise, if it's necessary for you.

Another option would be, if it works for OP, to utilize any off ship free wifi services while in port. But that would cut into whatever they might want to do while in port.

Life is full of choices. We just need to be comfortable with whatever choices we make.

Oh yeah I plan for it as it is a necessity but was just saying that yes some people do need to be online on their vacations.

 

[NS8VN]

Are these just text emails, or do they include pictures and/or video? If just text then unless you are literally sending and receiving thousands of emails then the data is being used somewhere else and you might be able to wrangle that in by adjusting the way you access your email account.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

After having experienced a week of RCI's VOOM internet I'm seriously praying Disney will get with the program and offer a similar option. Being able to stay connected with life & my family while I was away was amazing. Posting live to social media, sharing my journey, was a lot of fun. Yeah, I paid like $70-something for this ability but it was soooo worth it to have bandwidth & ability to surf, stream, and not fool with my phone settings.

 

[Lisa F]

If you are using your cell phone, check whether you have or can get international coverage, and what the cost would be. On my recent 3-night Dream cruise, I was able to use my T-Mobile phone to check and send e-mails while docked at Nassau and Castaway Cay at no cost. I would have paid 10 cents per minute or so for phone calls, but data access was free. Even if it's not free with your plan, it might be less expensive to use data for a few minutes each day you're in port than to get a larger plan from Disney Cruise Line. If you need to check e-mail on sea days, though, you're probably better using the DCL plan than cell service at sea (which was quite pricey, last I checked).

what plan do you have with t-mobile? I have them too so just wondering.

 

[BartmanLA]

Another option if you don't absolutely have to be online while at sea is to find WiFi access while in port at a local shop or restaurant. I recently purchased a Skyroam hotspot device, it works off the cellular networks while IN PORT, not at sea. But it is compatible in over 100 countries, and for $8 a day you get unlimited data access for 24 hours and the ability to connect up to 5 devices at the same time. So if you're patient and want to just check in when you're at your port's of call, that might be an option that will work and not require you to go out of your way to add packages to your cell service or pay a lot of money for access on board.

 

[BrdWalker]

I can never figure out what things to turn off on my phone so I always stop by and talk to the IT person when he has hours. He sets my phone to what it should be so I maximize my minutes.

MJ

This - we had him adjust settings so no update load while on cruise and spent the entire 5 days checking e-mail a couple times a day and stayed under the 50 free mb.

 

[xlxo]

Still, with all that, I went through the 1050 by Weds night. Seems absurd to have to spend over $100 on internet just to check and respond to email. Other cruise lines are much cheaper and faster. Disney really lags behind here.

Thoughts...

• compared to Princess and HAL. I felt Disney is a leader with "quantity" based or data consumed vs the time based plans found with the competition.
• data consumed meant I could keep my phone on nearly the entire week long cruise. We used email to keep in touch with others. Time based internet meant I needed to turn my phone on and off to maximize the minutes for the entire cruise.
• data usage meant the service was fast (24Mbps) whenever I used it. Time based internet meant is was slow when I wanted to use it in the evening.
• Make sure you disable app updates. I remember burning through 300mb in 5 minutes. Won't make that mistake again. Bad iPad, Bad iPad, Bad.
• do minimize images and videos in your attachments.

 

[sammydent]

After having experienced a week of RCI's VOOM internet I'm seriously praying Disney will get with the program and offer a similar option. Being able to stay connected with life & my family while I was away was amazing. Posting live to social media, sharing my journey, was a lot of fun. Yeah, I paid like $70-something for this ability but it was soooo worth it to have bandwidth & ability to surf, stream, and not fool with my phone settings.

AGREED!!! We were in a suite on Allure of the Seas last July so we had unlimited wi-fi access. It was so fast. I loved sharing what we were experiencing with family and friends back home. DCL's is horrible in comparison.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I found that by Wed I had burned through all my free mbs. But here's the thing... I had used 13mb by Tues. night and signed off. Then on Wed morning I tried to sign on. The signal must have been dodgy, because I was able to get on, but not able to do anything. I had no connection. By the end of the day, it told me that my free wifi was used up. I couldn't ever get on to sign out, but my ipad never left my stateroom and was on airplane mode (as instructed), so what happened to my wifi? Did it connect periodically and update something? I don't know, but this business of having to sign out to save your mbs only works if you can get decent service. I'm glad I didn't pay for any internet for that reason.

 

[*pixie*]

On our 14 night cruise a couple of years ago, we were able to check emails and texts and used very little data. On our five night cruise last week, we burned through the 50 Mbs in one day! I took mine and my two kids' phones down to the Internet desk to make sure everything was shut off. Bought the 100 Mb package and it was gone within a day. Very frustrating and we still can't figure out what was different from our cruise before.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

what plan do you have with t-mobile? I have them too so just wondering.

"It's all included in our Simple Choice and T-Mobile ONE unlimited plans"

Basically all plans have it included. Main exception is if you have a pre-paid plan. You only get 2G speeds, so email and light web browsing. But since nobody else is on 2G, the speed is pretty consistent.

 

[thornton0511]

On our 14 night cruise a couple of years ago, we were able to check emails and texts and used very little data. On our five night cruise last week, we burned through the 50 Mbs in one day! I took mine and my two kids' phones down to the Internet desk to make sure everything was shut off. Bought the 100 Mb package and it was gone within a day. Very frustrating and we still can't figure out what was different from our cruise before.

We signed up for the free 50 for our 3 night cruise the night we boarded and the next morning I found it was all gone and we had not even used the internet. We went down to guest services and they said when you first go on your phone to sign up for the free package you have to log out otherwise it keep you logged into the internet and uses it all. Didn't know that. Felt bad for the guy next to us at the counter because he didn't realize that either and had actually bought a package on top of what they give you for free and his was all gone also.