Onboard Wifi?

[SuperDry]

The first 50 MB are free but only the first day.

To clarify: you have to sign up on the first day to get the 50MB free offer, but assuming you do, you have the entire cruise to use it.

Another thing that seems to gobble up data is Facebook on a smartphone. This can be partially mitigated by turning off the photo and video settings. One thing that's particularly bad is the feature where it starts playing a video even if you don't click on it.

 

[hardis5]

Our last time out, I found even turning off the picture back-ups, I blew through my 100MB package on top of the free 50MB. I ended up turning off so many applications seeking access to keep themselves up to date or that use data (i.e. picture back-ups, remote back-up apps and drive, podcast app, messaging apps), it took me a while to figure out what I had changed and undo what was turned off after the cruise.

In the future I will just set-up the bought wifi access as a metered wifi connection (which is what should have done last time and just left everything alone otherwise).

 

[waggles02673]

I work in the IT industry and have to work every cruise/vacation (nature of the profession). I always get the 50MB for free the first night + the 100MB for concierge guests and usually purchase more later in the cruise. Definitely shut off the settings mentioned in previous posts on your phone. Also give your carrier a call before you go and they can walk you through it. I find that the internet is sufficient on the ships for me to remote into machines, routers and check email. You will also find the internet far better in the mornings and evenings when less people are on it. When we are visiting an island in the Bahamas or in Caribbean I have an international data plan on my phone and surprisingly it doesn't cost that much if you are like me and need to stay in touch with home, clients and the office. Also as a side note we just sailed on the Dream the other week after the Dry Dock and they upgraded the Wifi signal by adding more access points in Concierge while in dry dock which was spotty at best before.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

To me the best thing about cruising is turning my phone OFF! It's the only time I don't have constant text messages and calls.

 

[SuperDry]

You will also find the internet far better in the mornings and evenings when less people are on it.

True, but things have gotten a lot better since the went to per-MB pricing rather than per-minute pricing, since the number of people that stream video or download large video files has plummeted, since it's now very expensive to do so.

When we are visiting an island in the Bahamas or in Caribbean I have an international data plan on my phone and surprisingly it doesn't cost that much if you are like me and need to stay in touch with home, clients and the office.

I used to do that, mostly. But now with the on-board WiFi pricing at $89/GB, I find that to be cheaper than even the best international discount data plan offered by US carriers (well, other than T-Mobile, which is free). Also, sometimes cellular data is spotty in port. Consider that there may be 2-6 other cruise ships in port at the same time, each with 2000-6000 passengers plus crew, and a percentage of each trying to use their phones from a very limited geographic area. It's especially bad in St. Thomas, where you've been away from the US for several days and suddenly all of the people with US cellphones have free data for a day. So, sometimes the ship's WiFi is a better choice even when in port (and unlike Cellular At Sea, the ship's WiFi works all the time, except for the morning of debarkation after arriving in port).

Also as a side note we just sailed on the Dream the other week after the Dry Dock and they upgraded the Wifi signal by adding more access points in Concierge while in dry dock which was spotty at best before.

That's good to hear. The Magic-class ships can be especially bad in this regard. I've sailed in a Royal Suite on both of those ships, and the WiFi signal was so bad that the concierges advised me to prop open the stateroom door in order to get a WiFi signal. Yet, those rooms are the only ones on the ship that come with an "unlimited WiFi" benefit.

 

[waggles02673]

That's good to hear. The Magic-class ships can be especially bad in this regard. I've sailed in a Royal Suite on both of those ships, and the WiFi signal was so bad that the concierges advised me to prop open the stateroom door in order to get a WiFi signal. Yet, those rooms are the only ones on the ship that come with an "unlimited WiFi" benefit.

We will be on the Wonder in April and have the Walt suite for that cruise so I hope that is not the case.

 

[thebigredBOAT]

We will be on the Wonder in April and have the Walt suite for that cruise so I hope that is not the case.

So how did it work out? We're going to be on the Magic soon, and DW & I will have to intermittently work, so I'm hoping that the concierge level WiFi issues have been fixed by now (?).

 

[waggles02673]

So how did it work out? We're going to be on the Magic soon, and DW & I will have to intermittently work, so I'm hoping that the concierge level WiFi issues have been fixed by now (?).

On the Wonder we had no problems connecting to the internet from the Walt Suite, I think you should be fine.

 

[Starwind]

That's great advice! Did not even think to ask the person at the Internet cafe to help make sure the settings were ok.

We were on Wonder last month. DH and I each signed up for the free 50 on embarkation day. I turned off my settings EXCEPT the one where email will be automatically fetched. I happened to check the 1st evening and it was ALL gone! Someone told me about it the next day cuz he figured it out.

Note that the 50 MB normally is one free 50 MB per stateroom if signed up before midnight the first day.

SW

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Note that the 50 MB normally is one free 50 MB per stateroom if signed up before midnight the first day.

SW

While the Navigator says "only one free package per stateroom, but everyone can share it" there have been reports where more than one person in a room has gotten the 50MB (each).

 

[Starwind]

While the Navigator says "only one free package per stateroom, but everyone can share it" there have been reports where more than one person in a room has gotten the 50MB (each).

Oh this is good to know ! On the Dream in December we asked and were told one per stateroom. But I think next cruise we will actually just both try it and see what happens

SW

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Oh this is good to know ! On the Dream in December we asked and were told one per stateroom. But I think next cruise we will actually just both try it and see what happens

SW

It's hit or miss, we've only ever been able to get one package for our room.

 

[CM Dad]

If you are staying Concierge, they then give you an additional 100 MB.

You could always book one of the Royal suites and get unlimited "free" internet. I think my son went through 3 of the 1 GB packages the one time we travelled concierge and stayed in the Walt suite for my wife's 60th birthday. They each showed up on the account, but had a corresponding credit applied automatically.

 

[CM Dad]

On the Wonder we had no problems connecting to the internet from the Walt Suite, I think you should be fine.

We also had no problem with wifi in the Walt suite on the Wonder in Jan 2015.

 

[RAD]

We're trying out a RCCL cruise in December and one thing I like about their internet packages is that it's unlimited. No more watching a usage meter to see if you'll run out before the cruise is over.

 

[HelgaH]

Sorry to say, I find it insane that in 2016 Disney charges anything for wifi. Especially when it is free in the parks.

 

[Dug720]

Sorry to say, I find it insane that in 2016 Disney charges anything for wifi. Especially when it is free in the parks.

Pretty much every cruise line charges for internet.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Pretty much every cruise line charges for internet.

Exactly.

 

[Lynne M]

Sorry to say, I find it insane that in 2016 Disney charges anything for wifi. Especially when it is free in the parks.

Providing internet access on a moving ship in the middle of the ocean is a very different thing than providing wi-fi in a theme park.

 

[xlxo]

Sorry to say, I find it insane that in 2016 Disney charges anything for wifi.

Compared to Princess and Holland America.... DCL's quantity based data plan saves me money. I can even have email running continually for a one week DCL cruise.