Your thoughts on WiFi packages?

[insureman]

After reading this article:
http://bocanewsnow.com/2015/05/02/disney-cruise-what-its-really-like-on-the-disney-wonder/
I need to use the WiFi on board for our transatlantic Magic cruise this month for work emails and possibly for one of my daughters online college courses. How was your experience? Do you feel you didn't use as much as what you were billed? Just curious I guess because either way I'm stuck with it.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I have posted an answer on the thread with that link before.

I would say the Internet works well and you gave good coverage most of the time, but even with background automatic updates and apps switched off the data does seem to go very fast.

I think a few have said the same on the original thread.

We use the Internet a lot, and I think on that this article us spot on.

 

[Gigi22]

I have posted an answer on the thread with that link before.

I would say the Internet works well and you gave good coverage most of the time, but even with background automatic updates and apps switched off the data does seem to go very fast.

I think a few have said the same on the original thread.

We use the Internet a lot, and I think on that this article us spot on.

Just a quick buyer beware post. You might want to have a Plan B in place. We were recently on a non-Disney cruise where the internet failed completely for about the last three days of the cruise. We were told it was a problem with the satellite the cruise line used for their internet connection. We had to wait two days to get to a port with Wifi. The cruise line refunded me 75% of the cost of my internet package. Still, there were a lot of unhappy campers, especially those who were counting on access for work purposes.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Just a quick buyer beware post. You might want to have a Plan B in place. We were recently on a non-Disney cruise where the internet failed completely for about the last three days of the cruise. We were told it was a problem with the satellite the cruise line used for their internet connection. We had to wait two days to get to a port with Wifi. The cruise line refunded me 75% of the cost of my internet package. Still, there were a lot of unhappy campers, especially those who were counting on access for work purposes.

Thank you for that information.

Seems a localised issue with a satellite, good they refunded fees. 11 cruises on DCL and high use of internet I haven't had a problem, - bar stateroom 8032 on the Magic under cove cafe which in places gets interference from Cove Cafe internet users.

 

[Minniemiss]

After reading this article:
http://bocanewsnow.com/2015/05/02/disney-cruise-what-its-really-like-on-the-disney-wonder/
I need to use the WiFi on board for our transatlantic Magic cruise this month for work emails and possibly for one of my daughters online college courses. How was your experience? Do you feel you didn't use as much as what you were billed? Just curious I guess because either way I'm stuck with it.

Use the computers by the Promenade Lounge. I got there early, about 7am and had no problems accessing email. I didn't attempt to use my iPad because of all the apps and such.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Use the computers by the Promenade Lounge. I got there early, about 7am and had no problems accessing email. I didn't attempt to use my iPad because of all the apps and such.

You are able to switch them off, Personally i do things like internet banking and I wouldn't do that on a device that isn't mine.

 

[Minniemiss]

You are able to switch them off, Personally i do things like internet banking and I wouldn't do that on a device that isn't mine.

Yes you can switch them off, but according to that article the reporter still had issues.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Yes you can switch them off, but according to that article the reporter still had issues.

Yes they did.

 

[kaseyC]

After reading this article:
http://bocanewsnow.com/2015/05/02/disney-cruise-what-its-really-like-on-the-disney-wonder/
I need to use the WiFi on board for our transatlantic Magic cruise this month for work emails and possibly for one of my daughters online college courses. How was your experience? Do you feel you didn't use as much as what you were billed? Just curious I guess because either way I'm stuck with it.

I've used wifi on each of my transatlantic crossings. Over all the service can be pretty good. But you may find that it can be spotty during some of the sea days on the Atlantic. Sometimes moving to another area the of ship helps. During our EBTA 2013, I had a horrible experience with wifi and it was totally location based. While in suite 8532, we couldn't get consistent service. Outside of the suite, no problem at all. After the the Concierge and IT person couldn't get service either, they refunded me the fee.

 

[Disneyteachers]

I'm following this as well because DH will need to access email, blackboard, an online textbook program, and google sheets via a chromebook on our Alaskan cruise for courses he teaches...no getting around it, so we will have to pay whatever it costs, but I want to get a sense. We won't be uploading pics, streaming video, or accessing any high MB content, but it seems ppl still have issues.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

As said runs well bar the odd place, and the issue is the recording of data used.

 

[dmunsil]

It's just really hard to predict how much data a particular app or device will use. They're all designed to just grab whatever they want while you're on wifi, because wifi on land is rarely metered; it's usually bandwidth-limited if it's limited at all.

All you can really do is go through every setting page you can find, turning off background updates and any other feature that looks like it might use data. Then use what you need to use and pay what you need to pay. If you really want to figure it out, you could see if there's a network traffic meter app that works on a chromebook, or see if your home router can measure network throughput.

 

[xlxo]

IMO.... I hate paying for slow time based internet. Love the Disney Wonder's 24Mbps download speeds.

• I bought the $89 one gig and it lasted us the full 7 days. Will do again for a future DCL trip.
• I think the reporter does not know how to use his equipment.
• updates are deadly. I lost 300mb when I had a weak moment thinking that iPad update was necessary.
• was the reporter using his laptop? That background updates on patch Tuesdays are real bad.

 

[squirrel]

I signed up on the first day onboard and got my free MB (25, I think) and used it for our WBTA. I couldn't get it working the first few days so I went to the computer information desk and the CM reset my password and account and got it running for me. I just checked e-mails everyday and sent e-mails to family. We hardly used any of the free MB. I used more trying to check in for my flights home than I did doing e-mails. Still never was able to check in and gave up as their website wouldn't recognize San Juan. I also took advantage of free Wi-fi when in port.

 

[insureman]

Thanks for the input.