WiFi is now free

[Sailing Shoes]

Boarded Le Soleal yesterday and was pleased to learn that as Jan 2019 WiFi is free on Ponant!

[cruising cockroach]

Glad to know.  I noticed internet access was removed from the Ponant Yacht Club list of benefits a few weeks ago and was wondering.

[Host Jazzbeau]

This is good news.  But it takes me 'back in the day' when one of the things I liked about cruising was being able to tell my boss that I would be incommunicado on a cruise. 

[Sailing Shoes]

You don’t have to tell them about it 🙂

[cruising cockroach]

Here's the announcement

https://www.ponant.com/wi-fi-offert-a-bord/

 

Not on the English site as of yet though.

[minz56]

Great to hear that Internet is now free.

 

Can anyone comment on what the Internet speed is like. I am looking at an extended cruise in the Pacific (either Chile/Tahiti or Tahiti/Vancouver in 2021) and need reasonable access for my online business.

[Wendai]

Have been on a few Ponant ships and used Internet.  It's OK for text-only emails.  A Google search, not bad.  Loading a website acceptable if not too much graphics.  Facebook was OK at times.  Forget about 'surfing' the net and downloading videos, youtube, etc.  Connectivity is via VSat satellites and data priority will be for ship's own use.

[Host Jazzbeau]

6 minutes ago, Wendai said:

Have been on a few Ponant ships and used Internet.  It's OK for text-only emails.  A Google search, not bad.  Loading a website acceptable if not too much graphics.  Facebook was OK at times.  Forget about 'surfing' the net and downloading videos, youtube, etc.  Connectivity is via VSat satellites and data priority will be for ship's own use.

 

In Iceland, which should be a real test of a satellite-system capability, internet access was surprisingly good.  We didn't try to stream video [we were in Iceland, after all, so why waste time on video when you have Nature at your beck and call?], but websites loaded quite nicely.

[Wendai]

8 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 

In Iceland, which should be a real test of a satellite-system capability, internet access was surprisingly good.  We didn't try to stream video [we were in Iceland, after all, so why waste time on video when you have Nature at your beck and call?], but websites loaded quite nicely.

Yes, Iceland was magic.  And, it's a holiday, so turn the phone off.  Best to enjoy a nice glass of wine and appreciate what you can see.