Onboard internet-fast enough to do work?

[PAERRN20]

I will be cruising out of NYC 6/5/2011 on the Glory. I have to have internet because I'm doing my master's degree online. I plan on buying the small package deal. At this point, I really don't know what my assignments will consisit of. We were dock in St John I plan on finding an internet cafe that day instead of using the internet onboard.

 

My question is will the internet be fast enough to read discussion boards or download word documents??

[forwardcabin]

...My question is will the internet be fast enough to read discussion boards or download word documents??

...probably not.

You will find that it is very slow--almost like bad dial-up. Your connection, whether onboard wifi or using their Inernet Cafe computers, is via satellite and there is considerable delay. You should plan on downloading only what you need and then log off. Do your work offline and, if you must, logon only long enough to upload or email. You will eat up a lot of time if you facebook, twitter, or otherwise Web surf. Now, while in a port of call, you may find free or cheap wifi on shore, so take your laptop or notebook with you. Once in Coz, we sat on the beach using the beach club's free wifi with our notebook computer.

 

Here's hoping you have a great cruise and still get to do your school work OK. Bon Voyage!

[PAERRN20]

...probably not.

You will find that it is very slow--almost like bad dial-up. Your connection, whether onboard wifi or using their inernet cafe computers, is via satellite and there is considerable delay. You should plan on downloading only what you need and then log off. Do your work offline and, if you must, logon only long enough to upload or email. You will eat up a lot of time if you facebook, twitter, or otherwise web surf. Now, while in a port of call, you may find free or cheap wifi on shore, so take your laptop or notebook with you. Once in coz, we sat on the beach using the beach club's free wifi with our notebook computer.

 

Here's hoping you have a great cruise and still get to do your school work ok. Bon voyage!

 

thanks!!!

[ronrythm]

Remember, on board ship it is one sat. connection shared by everyone on board, including the ship's business operations. Slow it is. Downloading doc files will be OK but participating in forums will be maddeningly slow. As previously stated, log on, download & log off. Compose, log on, upload & log off.

Enjoy

Ron

[klfrodo]

You old enough to remember 14.4K baud or 56K baud dial up modems?

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It is very slow

[pjlee3333]

Also be prepared for any problems that can cause the ships system to be down. I've had that happen to me on a cruise when I was working on my MBA online. Caused some temporary problems when I couldn't participate in that day's discussion. What I did when I was working on my mba was before I boarded was tried to submit as much of my homework for the time period of the cruise and just afterward I would be gone and just after I got home, as I could (ie 8 days for a 7 day cruise). This just left me with the discussion to participate in. It also gave me leway ini case of the unexpected of a ship coming back late to the original port or something

[salty dingo]

Usually, online coursework does not require you to be online every day. So, download everything you can before you cruise, and then visit an internet cafe in port to catch up. If you can go a day or two without being online, you won't need to contend with the slow speed on the ship and it will be way cheaper on land.

[soozles]

My boyfriend owns his own business, and it's an internet based company, so obviously, he can't go anywhere without having internet access. We were on the Glory, and he could not get the internet to work in the room like it was supposed to, something to do with some equipment not working. He also found that in the evenings, it was impossibly slow, but there was a better connection in the morning.

 

On the flip side, we were just on the Dream last month, and he said the internet was much faster, not as fast as the cable internet he has, but probably comparable to DSL speeds. So now, we're only allowed to cruise on ships that are newer than the Dream because it saves him a huge headache.

[zqvol]

I will be cruising out of NYC 6/5/2011 on the Glory. I have to have internet because I'm doing my master's degree online. I plan on buying the small package deal. At this point, I really don't know what my assignments will consisit of. We were dock in St John I plan on finding an internet cafe that day instead of using the internet onboard.

 

My question is will the internet be fast enough to read discussion boards or download word documents??

 

I teach and often cruise during a semester. You will not have any trouble reading discussion boards, or downloading Word docs. Where you will run into trouble is uploading your assignments.

 

You also need to realize that it probably going to take you 2 of the 250 minute packages if you are on a 7 day cruise. So plan on spending about $200 for the Internet.

 

Trust me when I estimate the time required, I have been there and done that and it always takes that much time.

[rickcop44]

Okay, I don't want to be the one to sound insensitive, but why do you want to go on a cruise in the summer if all you're going to do, especially in St. John, is spend your days hunkered over a computer in some internet cafe? Go on your cruise after you've completed your degree so you can actually enjoy it.

Edited February 20, 2011 by rickcop44

[Spaniel Lover]

I am the administrator of an online forum, and I absolutely have to monitor it and be able to do business on it while I am on a cruise. I've been on 8 Carnival cruises and I can tell you that it is definitely do-able.

 

Like others have said... uploading is painfully slow. Downloading isn't as bad. Definitely do as much stuff offline as possible. What I do with my forum is read posts online and then go offline and compose my replies in notepad. Only after composing my replies offline to I go back online to upload them.

 

Definitely take advantage of using multiple tabs in your browser to maximize your connection time. For example... if I want to go online to check my forum, check the weather forecast, and check the news... I open up three tabs in my browser and have them all going at the same time. So, if one site takes a while to load, I can look at one of the quicker-loading sites while I wait for the other to download.

[Sargent_Schultz]

A masters degree in what? Is this part of a case study? Of what?

[Texas Realtor]

This is very disappointing. I may have to upload 6 mg files, depending on work. Any suggestions?

[skylock]

Your best bet will be an internet cafe. There will be one near the port.

[soozles]

Okay, I don't want to be the one to sound insensitive, but why do you want to go on a cruise in the summer if all you're going to do, especially in St. John, is spend your days hunkered over a computer in some internet cafe? Go on your cruise after you've completed your degree so you can actually enjoy it.

 

Sometimes it's unavoidable. My sister is a speech teacher, and we went on a cruise together over her Christmas/New Years break last year. 3 days before the vacation started, she was notified she was going to have an observation by someone high up in the district (not a regular observation). She ended up having to take her laptop so she could work on her presentation and organize all the portfolios and stuff like that. But it's not like it's an all day thing.

 

Even when I cruise now with my boyfriend, he has to be on the internet, but he'll usually spend like 30 mins in the morning, and then about an hour in the evenings when I'm getting ready for dinner. Sometimes, it's the only way you can do it, doesn't mean it's still not enjoyable.

[golfadj]

I have a business and always bring my laptop and purchase a 250 minute plan. This works out for my needs.

 

As long as files are not too big have no problem working on the ship. You will find that some areas you sailed thru are ridiculously slow but just have to deal with it.

 

Might want to consider using some internet cafes at ports you go to if you start running out of time.

[GROUCHPUSS]

I am able to use Vonage on ships internet to make phone calls.

[Sgàile]

I'm glad this thread exists, even if it is older. It certainly has answered some of my questions. I understand that for Carnival, at least, it is charged per day and not per minute? My husband and I are both doctoral students and we will have as much of our required work done prior to sailing, but will have to post on certain dates. If we leave those in draft form, I suspect we can send them in a timely manner and not worry about taking time away from the reason we are there. :)

[1025cruise]

Things change in 7 years.

[rpyne]

You old enough to remember 14.4K baud or 56K baud dial up modems?

How about 110 baud?

[SadieN]

I'm glad this thread exists, even if it is older. It certainly has answered some of my questions. I understand that for Carnival, at least, it is charged per day and not per minute? My husband and I are both doctoral students and we will have as much of our required work done prior to sailing, but will have to post on certain dates. If we leave those in draft form, I suspect we can send them in a timely manner and not worry about taking time away from the reason we are there. :)

 

 

 

DH has had no problem using his document heavy programs but some research sites were very slow to load. Last week on the Splendor MR cruise. Same as HI cruise two years ago.

[Sgàile]

DH has had no problem using his document heavy programs but some research sites were very slow to load. Last week on the Splendor MR cruise. Same as HI cruise two years ago.

Encouraging, I think we'll be able to survive then; thank you for your input.

[Sgàile]

I sail 8 to 16 times per year. I run two businesses, involving a lot of back and forth with clients and employees, i usually work morning for an hour, evening for an hour and if something should come up in between.

 

It involved downloading all kinds of information from clients , forwarding to staff etc. Some huge files due to graphics as one business is web site development, have owned it for 11 years and have been cruising for more than that many years

 

the cheapest plan ( value) works absolutely perfect, and if on a scattered day you have issues, guest services will refund you but allow you to keep the internet ( or at least that has happened to me at times)

 

in any event, you can certainly download docs and work offline then reconnect .. but, i have never done that, i log in, stay connected and work away, photoshop files, graphics of many sorts, word docs, connecting to my server to upload websites ready to launch, always able to get my work done.

 

i cruised 14 cruises last year, and had an issue on one of them, for about half a day. and that was slow, not that i couldnt connect

 

We also connect on facetime, streaming video, and never an issue. One of my favorite things to do is call family on fb and show them the room, the ship or hte like.

 

you will have no problem doing what you have to do

Excellent to hear. It's wonderful to get such assurance.

 

Not that I really WANT to do school work then, but since it is required I'll be able to meet those expectations.

[Expat Cruise]

The speeds are much better now but the answer to your question really is yes, no, maybe. Yes you will be able to get some work done, no you will not always have higher speeds, and maybe even several hours with no or limited access. I have found if it is really important do it in port, before the ship has left the dock.