Roam based Starlink?

[obsesseddisneyfan]

I am going on a one way cruise from Galveston to Puerto Rico on the Magic. Would it be an issue if I brought my Roam Starlink interment? I am planning on staying in PT for two weeks after and would need to have good internet during that time. Is this something that would need to be stored for the cruise? or would I be able to see if I could get internet on the cruise ship? Any insight would be helpful.

 

[Fangorn]

Just my 2 cents.

I can't imagine there's any rule against it. There's certainly no logical reason for banning it aboard ship - particularly if it stays in your luggage.

As to whether you could actually use it on the ship is a different matter. Getting a sufficiently clear view of the sky may be difficult to achieve from your stateroom.

Makes sense to take it with you for us in PR, but it's just plan on keeping it in my luggage aboard ship. Although, I'd most likely experiment a bit just to see if I could get a stable connection .

Steve

 

[auntlynne]

This was an issue recently on a different cruise line. Use on the ship was not allowed. Maybe over time it will be okay. Or they will discourage it, letting them make money off their service.

Since it’s electronics, I’d have it in my carryon, ready to hand over for security storage, but not volunteering to do so.

Check the restrictions. If not disallowed, decide whether to try it.

 

[Sykes]

One thing to keep in mind is that the Starlink Roam plan is only good for up to 12 nautical miles offshore, so it won't work for most of your voyage unless you are relatively close to land. (Starlink hasn't always enforced these restrictions, but they recently started enforcing some of their speed-related restrictions so I wouldn't be surprised if they're enforcing this one now.)

I'd keep an eye on the list of prohibited items. Most cruise lines aren't restricting Starlink dishes yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if they appear on the list in the future.

 

[Shikedants]

Why don't you ask the Disney Cruise Line directly?

 

[mk2.0]

I've never seen one in person to make a judgment call on if they will be able to identify what it is, but they are picky about what electronics can be used on board. They would likely confiscate it IMHO.

 

[obsesseddisneyfan]

Why don't you ask the Disney Cruise Line directly?

I have an email in. Got the form response with the list of prohibited items. This was not on it. Not sure how to ask an actual person. So I figured I would see if anyone has real life experience.

 

[Dug720]

Not sure how to ask an actual person.

Phone call

 

[DisneYE]

The person on this thread below took a Starlink mini to the ship and reported back
You can scroll thru the thread to get some insight about it... he posted pretty cool pics
Not sure if it pertains to what you're asking for.

I was going to post a speedtest.net result but can’t seem to post images here or, at least, can’t figure that out. Anyway, the Starlink mini did 122mbps on the open ocean up on the top deck. The ship wifi on the more expensive “streaming” package did 5mbps.

Honestly the 5mbps has worked well enough the last few days that it’s been fine, I only used the starlink mini just to compare and “see it work” since I have one (.. and brought it in case the ship had the old horrific wifi of the past). The new package is a little costly but has been fine. Just use a travel router in your cabin so you don’t have to have separate packages for your phone, iPad, watch, and laptop (geez) when in your room. We’re onboard for another 6 days or so, so I’ll see how it goes but so far so good.

-J

 

[obsesseddisneyfan]

The person on this thread below took a Starlink mini to the ship and reported back
You can scroll thru the thread to get some insight about it... he posted pretty cool pics
Not sure if it pertains to what you're asking for.

Thank you. This was just what i was looking for.

 

[mk2.0]

Thank you. This was just what i was looking for.

I'm not sure why Disney might prohibit this besides losing business charging for wifi. Cruise ships take great precautions regarding electronics due to fire hazards and energy usage, but I don't think bringing your satellite link would interfere with ship operations if that was a concern. It won't be long before cell phones will be able to access the LEO satellites anyway so this is just the future.

 

[Sykes]

I'm not sure why Disney might prohibit this besides losing business charging for wifi. Cruise ships take great precautions regarding electronics due to fire hazards and energy usage, but I don't think bringing your satellite link would interfere with ship operations if that was a concern. It won't be long before cell phones will be able to access the LEO satellites anyway so this is just the future.

A lot of otherwise harmless wireless devices are restricted because of the potential to interfere with communication, navigation, and radar (ham radios, radio controlled toys, metal detectors, etc.). While the risk isn't particularly high, I can definitely understand a potential concern that Starlink dishes (especially if aligned improperly) have the potential to interfere. Starlink dishes are also designed to intentionally act as heaters (which are prohibited) to melt snow when used in cold weather. (I'm not advocating that they should be banned, but there are definitely potential reasons for it.)