Internet speed

[fastrack0]

We haven't cruise for a couple but we just booked for Alaska aug. 2013. Just wondering if the Internet speed has been improved?

[Rickey 88]

Obviously, you will be on the Regatta next summer - and it may be too soon to be sure.

 

However, Oceania just announced that the internet speed on the Marina had been very much increased last month, due to rewiring of the deck 8 configuration, which had been incorrectly installed during construction.

 

They know there is a problem - and FDR admits that work is still to be done.....

[wripro]

I'm sure they are also aware that there is a BIG problem with their pricing for internet use. It is outrageous and far above most other lines, including and especially the luxury lines. This is something they could fix immediately......if they wanted to.

[aZ4me]

I'm sure they are also aware that there is a BIG problem with their pricing for internet use. It is outrageous and far above most other lines, including and especially the luxury lines. This is something they could fix immediately......if they wanted to.

I sure hope they take another look at the pricing before the November TA I'm on gets here.

 

I paid the $300 for 500 minutes last April, but I have to admit, I was not pleased with the Internet service (horrendous...but I trust FDR when he says that has been fixed) or the cost.

 

O could do as fine hotels do and charge a flat per day fee for Internet: you purchase the days of service you need--no commitment otherwise. No one is going to stay on the computer 24/7 when they're enjoying an O cruise. They could make a LOT of money charging a per/day fee for those of us who want/need Internet service while on vacation. And, the customer could choose which days they need the service--this would be a big plus.

[wristband]

Still slow as molasses as of Feb. 28. Lots of irate users on Nautica last month. The package is expensive, throughput often like watching paint dry.

[LHT28]

Maybe they should do away with the service

Most people find it a pain to use

[sailfar]

We returned from Regatta on Feb 5 after 18 days and have some things to say about the internet after our 7th cruise on Oceania.

 

The service is slow

Not as many passengers as in the past are buying the packages.

After half day excursions, you can meet a whole lot of people at internet cafes in port and you may have to search out other cafes in the immediate area.

We always bought the Oceania packages but for the first time because the word was it was so slow, we said not this time.

 

The internet room was almost empty most of the time except for the person from the company serving the contract company for OCEANIA.

 

After spending 700 dollars on Oceania internet over the years here is my advice:

 

Cancel the current internet with the company after it expires.

 

Get the state of the art at sea connection. Your passengers have abandoned the internet room and are in the port competing for terminals at internet cafes.

 

Think about what you upgrade as a part of your advertisements. Flat screen tvs, bedding, furnishings, restuarant venues, exercise equipment, upscale suites, etc.

 

What do people really want and complain about: high costs of the internet and the slow speed.

 

There is one more issue that I feel that is important. The comments I have heard from the passengers for the high cost of the internet is echoed from the crew. The internet is a significant connection to their families. The internet is slow for them and costly. I have heard their comments.

 

Oceania, I love you, and you are my cruise line of choice because of your wonderful food, staff and itineraries.

[wristband]

Good post. I noticed speed increased substantially 30 minutes BEFORE docking in a port and up to 30 minutes AFTER the ship departed. One passenger claimed increased speed at those times results from senior officers staying off the system (mandatory presence on the bridge) which freed up much more bandwidth for passengers.

 

This is plausible. Thru-put for me was considerably faster during those times. Funny - while endlessly waiting for emails to go out, I answered several angry calls from senior staff miffed about slow service (while waiting for the Internet to respond, I answered b/c the room phone rang and rang).

[LaCroisiereS'amuse]

Internet charges are the one thing I just don't get with Oceania....I love everything else!

 

Another favourite line of mine is Fred. Olsen (for my readers across the pond they are an Anglo-Norwegian line catering to an almost 95% UK clientele they are mid range sailing smaller ships, including two of the early 70s vintage Royal Viking triplets, now extensively refurbished) and they offer fast, reliable, and the cheapest internet I have seen at sea. If Fred. Olsen can get it right on Black Watch and Boudicca, then why can't "O" on their far more modern ships???

 

Strangely the best internet service I have experienced at sea was on a DFDS ferry in the middle of the North Sea, between the UK & Norway, and it was FREE!!!

[Shining Clem]

The internet service was one of the two things we really criticized on our recent Nautica voyage around NZ to Australia. Outside their computer room they had some malarkey about how long the signal took to travel to the satellite and back. Maybe they can fool some who are total neophytes with this, but with the current knowledge and sophistication of most of the passengers, this kind of false equivalency just doesn't wash. Thus they look to be not only in denial, but stupid as well.

 

Too many of their passengers need a functioning internet connection for occasional work related reasons. In our case, we had a sick family member, of concern. Plus our investments are only available on certain web sites, and require interaction with the web site to down load, not via individual emails. Fortunately we did not see anything which required adjustment during the trip.

 

We also noted that at the end of the voyage when the captain awarded a prize to a crew member who had been chosen as Employee of the Month, it included $500. AND 200 minutes of free internet time. Must be a prized perk right up there with cash!

 

Mr Del Rio's statement here about correcting the previous installation on the Marina, seemed to be the first anyone had admitted there was even a problem. The absence of the topic on any of the surveys was noticeable. We are left with the conclusion that O could do something to improve the situation on Nautica and Regatta, but they choose not too.

***************

Glad to know of the positive experience with DFDS! We have fond memories of our overnight trip across the North Sea from Newcastle on Tyne to Denmark. That was before the internet.

[LHT28]

The internet service was one of the two things we really criticized on our recent Nautica voyage around NZ to Australia. Outside their computer room they had some malarkey about how long the signal took to travel to the satellite and back. Maybe they can fool some who are total neophytes with this, but with the current knowledge and sophistication of most of the passengers, this kind of false equivalency just doesn't wash. Thus they look to be not only in denial, but stupid as well.

I am not sure how it works on a ship :confused:

I have not found the speed too bad on our cruises ...occasionally it was dead slow but I just signed off

Marina was bad though most of the time

We also noted that at the end of the voyage when the captain awarded a prize to a crew member who had been chosen as Employee of the Month, it included $500. AND 200 minutes of free internet time. Must be a prized perk right up there with cash!

 

I guess 200 minutes is very important to the crew they can contact family members that they may not have seen in several months, finding out how their children that they had to leave home with relatives to work away to provide a better quality of life for them...

$500 cash is always good may seems a pittance to some but the crew it is probably a great deal of money

[fjdelrio]

I previously posted that SIGNAL STRENGTH, and thus, reliable WI-FI connectivity, had been brought to full "4 bar" strength on Marina by mid February and that Regatta and Nautica would follow no later than May 31. Riviera will be at full strength as from her launch.

FDR

[fastrack0]

I previously posted that SIGNAL STRENGTH, and thus, reliable WI-FI connectivity, had been brought to full "4 bar" strength on Marina by mid February and that Regatta and Nautica would follow no later than May 31. Riviera will be at full strength as from her launch.

FDR

 

That's good to know, thx for the update

[orchestrapal]

I previously posted that SIGNAL STRENGTH, and thus, reliable WI-FI connectivity, had been brought to full "4 bar" strength on Marina by mid February and that Regatta and Nautica would follow no later than May 31. Riviera will be at full strength as from her launch.

FDR

 

Thanks, we knew O would get on top of the situation!:D

[findacruise]

I previously posted that SIGNAL STRENGTH, and thus, reliable WI-FI connectivity, had been brought to full "4 bar" strength on Marina by mid February and that Regatta and Nautica would follow no later than May 31. Riviera will be at full strength as from her launch.

FDR

Yes, and I posted after our B2B on Marina that it was better. But, I think everyone would like you or someone from Oceania to address the pricing, which is much higher than other ships and a continual irritation to passengers, many of us repeat "O' customers. Thank you.

[Shining Clem]

I previously posted that SIGNAL STRENGTH, and thus, reliable WI-FI connectivity, had been brought to full "4 bar" strength on Marina by mid February and that Regatta and Nautica would follow no later than May 31. Riviera will be at full strength as from her launch.

FDR

Mr Del Rio- You made that post here on CC when we were on the Regatta off New Zealand. Given the super slow, poor connections, connecting with CC while on the ship was out of the question. We limited ourselves to monitoring a family illness and every 5 days checking an investment Web Site. When there is no answer to the complaints by many, for years, we can only assume there is stonewalling or the company doesn't care. It was often a topic of complaint on board.

 

People can be patient and understanding if their concern is acknowledged and they are given accurate information. On the date you posted, it was probably BEFORE we turned in our mid-cruise comment card. Wouldn't it have been more helpful to have authorized someone on board to tell us that Oceania was working on the problem then? Instead we are left with the impression that no one cares.

 

We, at least, are somewhat aware of the many issues a large ship has, and of course safety and health are paramount in the larger scheme of things.

Oceania has been faced with a huge problem this winter with the shipyard delay. Plus the Concordia shook everyone up.

 

May we suggest you follow the lead of the excursion staff on the Regatta - when we pointed out that the timing of the port visits to Geelong and Melbourne could have been reversed, allowing for visits to the Penguin Colony, which requires a late return to the boat (11 PM). They listened and said they would suggest changes in the future.

 

Please, just let people know. If there are reasons why something can't be done, let people know. ("We need to put financial resources into an engine room repair & paying for more expensive fuel - but upgrading the on-line situation is on the list")

 

Of course some will want to know why it didn't happen yesterday :rolleyes:, but most will understand.

 

Please do put the news of these upgrades out! When the service improves for a reasonable price, what will we talk about on these boards??:);)

 

Thank you. In so many ways the cruise around NZ, to Australia was a life time event. May we credit you for the excellent weather we had?

[juli2020]

I'm sure they are also aware that there is a BIG problem with their pricing for internet use. It is outrageous and far above most other lines, including and especially the luxury lines. This is something they could fix immediately......if they wanted to.

 

I agree with you.

 

But some on this board will claim that the reason that luxury lines such as Silversea, Seabourn, Crystal and Paul Gauguin etc. charges you less for their internet is because the cost of the cruise is more.

 

Why does Celebrity, NCL, RCCL, Holland America and Azamara etc. also charge less for their use of the internet than Oceania? The prices of their cruises are certainly less than Oceania.

 

Since the management of Oceania monitors this board I would like to know their rationale for the higher cost.

[JimandStan]

Since the management of Oceania monitors this board I would like to know their rationale for the higher cost.

 

I don't speak for the management, but I've always figured that they kept the cost up as a throttle on usage.

[wristband]

Funny - Regent (same ownership as Oceania, Apollo Group) provides much better, reliable Internet. I have taken many Regent cruises in different locations around the world and rarely experienced the agonizing slow speed and unreliability on Nautica last month.

 

While I do get free Internet on Regent (as a result of our "level"), there is no difference in Internet service offered paying vs. non-paying Regent passengers.

 

How can a sister company consistently provide far superior Internet service than Oceania?

[JimandStan]

How can a sister company consistently provide far superior Internet service than Oceania?

 

Differences like that are very common in the cruise industry as evidenced by a comparison between Cunard and Carnival or Celebrity and RCCL.

 

Discounting the smaller number of passengers on Regent, if all else were equal, there would be little incentive to book the more expensive Line.

 

It is my opinion (presently unconfirmed) that the Cabanas were eliminated from the design of the Oceania Class ships, so as not to overlap too much on what they see as being Regent's turf.

[ORV]

 

Since the management of Oceania monitors this board I would like to know their rationale for the higher cost.

 

Because people will pay it?:rolleyes:

[orchestrapal]

How can a sister company consistently provide far superior Internet service than Oceania?

 

It is my opinion (presently unconfirmed) that the Cabanas were eliminated from the design of the Oceania Class ships, so as not to overlap too much on what they see as being Regent's turf.

 

Or possibly because, as has been our experience on the R ships, they just are not being used? :confused:

[JimandStan]

Or possibly because, as has been our experience on the R ships, they just are not being used? :confused:

 

Yes, but the level of use depends on where you are sailing. In the Caribbean or on a Panama, Suez or Kiel Canal itinerary, they are a hot ticket.

[wripro]

Personally, I would never pay it again. Not worth it.

 

And as for throttling usage that hardly speaks well for trying to please their customers. They need to find a way to accommodate passengers without gouging them. If Seabourn can do it so can O.

[redraider1966]

OP's query specifically concerned internet speed on Oceania's fleet. Regrettably the ensuing exchanges allowed the discussion to get off point a bit. While I too am grateful to hear from FDR that the problem of wi-fi/wi-fi connectivity on some decks is being rectified fleet-wide, the problem of extremely slow to non-existent internet/internet connectivity still rankles me and countless other loyal Oceania clients (we've just booked cruises nos. 6 and 7), especially when measured against the high cost of internet access on Oceania's ships.

 

As at least one poster pointed out, the cost is far higher than on several of the mass-market cruise lines, like HAL, and yet the service provided is no better and often worse. We recently returned from a cruise down under with HAL. Internet/internet connectivity varied greatly, driven in large measure by the ship's location and number of pax logged on. We often had to log on either very early in the morning or late at night to get some semblance of internet speed approaching dial-up. The early evening cocktail hour was also a good time. That said, I certainly agree that many cruise lines seem to be content to chase their pax ashore in search of reliable and reasonably priced internet connections, rather than offering the same on board.

 

Oceania's corporate leadership proved it will listen to its clients by addressing the shower stall problem (first on Riviera and now apparently on Marina) and the FDR-cited wi-fi connectivity problem. Can we expect the same sort of responsiveness in addressing the high cost of very poor internet/internet connectivity fleet-wide?