Internet on Pacific Pearl

[kylie500]

Hi all,

Just wondering what the internet is like on Pacific Pearl? I'd read it was supposed to be somewhat faster.

I know we are on holiday but with one uni student and one year 12 student (and we are travelling next week, so during school term) we have some need to still be in touch.

Internet on the Pacific Dawn 18 months ago was $55 for 10 hours and terribly slow!

Thanks, Kylie

[Drelix]

Hey kylie500.

I have not been on the pacific pearl yet so you are lucky but it also really depends on where you are near satellites when sailing I do think it is slow the net.

 

But an idea as your kids really need to stay in touch with school and that it might be cheaper depending on what port of calls you go to and using internet there as i know Vila and Noumea has some spots where you can use it that is alot cheaper then on board, :)

[steve1970]

When I used the internet on the Pearl, it was faster (for me), others have said it was very slow.

I was in the done early morning. Others where logged in using P&O's PC's. I was in the Dome.

I would not have used it, but we were stuck and had to use it. If it were me, I would (as we have done in the past) wait to get to Noumea and Vila and use it there.

I said it was fast compared to the Sun - now that was very very slow. $55 will not last long at all. Personally for me it is over priced and about 50 times slower than broadband, but on the Sun it was about 100 times slower than broadband.

I kid you NOT! I took over 10 minutes one particular time just to connect and log into my email. Usually takes me less than 10 seconds at work (then that actually makes it 60x slower - you get my idea).

Enjoy!

[Shiprobbo]

Hi All,

 

Please be careful about comparing shipboard internet speeds with that on land. All communications to and from a ship are via satellite and thus impacted by atmospherics to a greater or lesser degree, there is no long broadband cable trailing behind the ship - unless of course you are sailing on a Cable Ship!!

 

In addition the cost is very much higher and is also often outside the scope of control for the shipping company itself and controlled by the provider of satellite services. In terms of levels of priority for communication onboard, navigation and essential shipboard services come first with passenger internet second, therefore there can be issues in using the systems at times.

[kylie500]

Thanks for all your replies.

When I used the internet on the Dawn a couple of years ago it was basically dial up speed, so I too sat around waiting just to open my webmail page!

The ideas about accessing on land are good ones, thanks for those. We are going to spend the day in Noumea just exploring the city ourselves so will have time to find a cafe.

Now to packing - we leave tomorrow!