Purchasing Internet minutes - now or later?

[kitcrazy]

Unfortunately ... I will need to log into work at least once daily while on our upcoming cruise on the Conquest, so I am looking at Internet pricing plans. My question is ...

 

Is it better/cheaper (and even possible) to purchase Internet minutes in advance of the cruise, or am I better off waiting till we board and purchasing there?

 

Sorry if this is a silly question ... this is our first Carnival cruise and I am finding my way ...

[Mrs CruisinCritter]

I just had to do this on our last cruise in order to keep up with my classes. You have to wait until you board to purchase and if you do it on embarkation day they will give you an extra 10 min as a special. The best advice I can give is to avoid using it at night because you will waste your minutes trying to load pages because so many people are using it at the same time.

[Raven Days]

Unfortunately ... I will need to log into work at least once daily while on our upcoming cruise on the Conquest, so I am looking at Internet pricing plans. My question is ...

 

Is it better/cheaper (and even possible) to purchase Internet minutes in advance of the cruise, or am I better off waiting till we board and purchasing there?

 

Sorry if this is a silly question ... this is our first Carnival cruise and I am finding my way ...

 

I would purchase the least plan if you can. You can always take your lap top off the ship and go to a coffee shop that offers wifi. That is what I did. The prices on the ship are outrageous - and I undertand why - but its still just too much for me!

[golfadj]

I just had to do this on our last cruise in order to keep up with my classes. You have to wait until you board to purchase and if you do it on embarkation day they will give you an extra 10 min as a special. The best advice I can give is to avoid using it at night because you will waste your minutes trying to load pages because so many people are using it at the same time.

 

On Liberty two weeks ago no free minutes if you purchase on embarkation day. Good news is no more charge of 4.95 to set up account.

 

Hit or miss when there is a good time also depends upon if satellite is in range.

[Carolin]

Please tell me your work knows you will be putting in a expense report for the internet minutes and how much it costs. :) You shouldn't have to eat that cost.

[Joie]

We will be in Key West, Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios in the Spring...I am locking the girls phone sup in the safe while on board....but on the islands will they find free internet to text or send pics back home?

Don't want any surprises of $100 extra on the cells when we return.

[zgwortz]

We will be in Key West, Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios in the Spring...I am locking the girls phone sup in the safe while on board....but on the islands will they find free internet to text or send pics back home?

Don't want any surprises of $100 extra on the cells when we return.

 

The phones are safe in Key West and there are many internet hotspots there. But keep them locked in the safe in Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios or you could have some surprises. (Unless you know how to properly set those phones up so they don't allow any voice or data roaming while still allowing wifi -- can be complicated depending on the phone - so keeping them in the safe is safer...)

 

You *can* find some free Wifi hotspots in the islands, but nowhere as easily as you can in Key West or the US. I recommend searching the Ports of Call board for the individual ports to find suggestions for those -- and sometimes you may have to simply pay for an hour, or buy a drink somewhere to get the Wifi.