Am I the only one that doesn't care about WiFi?

[Rogueperson]

1 hour ago, FionaMG said:

Rogue, did I read recently you have a new one coming soon? 

Yes, I'm on Mariner this Friday and Brilliance in December.  I got a REALLY good deal for both.  Mariner I just decided to grab because it was a good price AND I was already in Orlando this week.  I fly out Tuesday night.  I'll tag ya when i start it sometime tomorrow.

[soozles]

My husband owns his own business and it’s all online based. He’s not able to truly disconnect because if he doesn’t answer his clients for a week that could mean the end of his business. We also have young kids who go to bed early, so it’s nice that the person left behind with the kids at night can watch a movie or message with people. I also like being able to stay in touch with my parents, they’re not in the best health, so I like being able to check in with them. 

[lenquixote66]

10 hours ago, 2chiefs said:

There is so much talk about wifi availability, costs, etc. on these threads, it amazes me that there is such a need (or desire) for wifi while cruising.

I do understand however, the need to stay in touch with relatives in special cases, etc.  I can understand needing to stay in touch on long cruises, family issues or even work for the younger folks still working.

 

Personally, we like to lock up our phones in the safe while on a cruise and disconnect from the outside world and enjoy our vacation. We typically take cruises that are shorter 7 to 14 days in length. We don't bring computers or tablets with us.

 

Disclaimer: Pre-cruise, I do love to read live reviews from the ship from those that like to submit them. However, I personally would rather spend my time doing other things on the cruise than reporting and posting pictures. But for those that do, thank you.

 

I thought might be a fun thread to hear from others how they feel about wifi and how they use it on the ship.

We have never used WI Fi on a cruise.

[zekekelso]

I never get WiFi on ship because I’m faaaaar to sophisticated to spend precious cruise time on trivial pursuits like funny YouTube videos. Well, actually it’s because I’m too cheap to pay for it. And if it forces me to hang out in random bars in port, oh well. 

[cruisegus]

like some the internet has become a integral part of my life.

No longer work so that's not it.

HATE social media - so that's not it

lots of google look ups, it is now my library on  the go

plus when my grand children want to reach out, I want to be available to share their precious moments.

At some point they will reflect back years from now, long after I am gone and think about some, what to most is a meaningless moment and have pleasant memories. 

The best for me is remembering my grand daughter, at Disney World sitting on my shoulder saying numerous times "Best Day EVER".  the flip side is memories of my Grandfather, John Q taking me on my  first horse ride.

I don't want to miss the live feed of my Granddaughter's cheer-leading competition

because i happen to be enjoying myself on a well deserved , after 45 years of working cruise

 

Soap box over

[trey420]

I will see if I can play xbox game pass through the wifi late nights on the cruise. I normally wouldn't buy it but it came with princess plus.  So most I can use it for is this, and gaming. 

[brillohead]

9 hours ago, 2chiefs said:

Is that two days or WiFi or just two days internet access on the ship's computers? We do the same thing on the ship's computers but never thought of using the WiFi. 

It's both/either.  

It's access to the internet from whatever device you want to log in from, whether it be the ship's computers, your personal computer, your phone, your tablet, your neighbor's phone, or whatever.  

When you create the log-in, you can use it from any device you want.  WiFi = internet, and internet = WiFi, Royal doesn't differentiate between the two.

[PhoenixCruiser]

We usually cruise during the NFL season and that is one of the reasons we get a wifi package. 

[ONECRUISER]

Nope, need Cell Phone for everything now, Traveling/Cruises needed even more now. Boarding Pass, CV Test results, Menu's and Emergency's. Not like going find Pay Phone's either. 6 different times in last 8yrs had Family Member's pass away while was out of Town, 3 on them while on 3 different Cruise's. Can't do without Cell Phones/WIFI. 

Edited September 20, 2021 by ONECRUISER

[Coralc]

We don't pay for the Wi-Fi. We might check the phones briefly at port stops with free service. We get 2 days free as Diamond +. And we have found that if you log in 3 days before the end of the cruise, that additional day is like $5. Once we have them turned on, we mindlessly surf a little, and then I go back to reading my book. We usually get Early Bird check in with SWA, but sometimes I will check in too. Just to see what we have received.

 

On Majesty in Feb. 2020, we needed it to change our return flights. There was a storm and our NOLA port return was delayed by about 6 hours. But it was already during our free Wi-Fi days. 

[SummerBeee]

I alway get WiFi. Of my 14 upcoming cruises, only one is with my husband and two with our daughter. He works, she is in school, and they both are good with me enjoying what I love. We communicate daily on the ship
I often cruise solo so WiFi is how I connect with friends while I’m away, most often while waiting for the next activity to start.

I used to read on my kindle more on board, but 2020-21 has zapped by attention. I’m hoping on my next solo I get it back

[F27TW]

No WiFi envy here either .. when I'm on a cruise, i am happy to be incommunicado for the most part.  Its vacation. 

[Joseph2017China]

First, you phone does not exist.....it's a mini computer, a swiss army knife of today.  It's your camera, you alarm clock, and time piece, keep track of ship time and local time, make excursion arrangements on last minute (not with the ship).  Do research on price of items to see if you are getting ripped off, your map in a port. It's how to look up great restaurants to eat in when out all day.  Or it allows you family to reach you, in time of need, or you reach them when you notice a suspicious person roaming around, or if you get an unexpected package at your front door, you don't want people knowing you aren't home.  Old days, ship would put out a headline news paper daily, but now, you can see the news, while drinking coffee on your balcony.  I use my smart devise as an important tool, to make my vacations easy, and worry free.

[rj59]

I think I'd rather have wifi on board, because I've engaged in stupid behavior, such as going around a deck, trying to catch a distant phone signal from shore off Catalina and sailing through the straights between WA and Vancouver Island, or hanging on desperately to a signal as the ship sails away from a US port. I've also been part of a sad group of people sitting in a shop in Juneau, surfing on phones instead of exploring Alaska, because it offered wifi (I like a brewery in Skagway that says it doesn't offer wifi because it wants people to talk to each other). I also end up going to a mall in Cabo to a coffee shop that offers wifi, or a McDonald's in Ensenada. And then I've found myself rising before dawn when returning to home port, waiting for the glorious moment when I pick up a cell phone signal coming into a harbor, instead of sleeping. Then I suffered anxiety when signing up by by-the-minute plans, with slow signals taking 2 minutes just to load email, or the fears of forgetting to log out and running up a huge bill.  I'd also compulsively surf at free sites in public computers and my ipad, such as NYT available for free on HAL. On my Ovation sailing this Friday, I'm going to try to suffer through the sea days, since my phone plan works for the 3 Alaska ports, and I'm hoping that being on my first cruise since 2019 will help me focus on the ship and experience more. 

[2Long2NxtCrz]

We haven't yet bought wi-fi on any cruise because we both are oncall for our jobs and have to completely disconnect to get away from work.  In the past, we always had a family member at home with the kids, or the kids home with the dogs, so didn't need more checking in than grabbing free wi-fi in port for a few texts, emails or even a phone call.

 

This November's cruise will be the first time that we will simply have a dog sitter with no family available, but a couple of the twelve in our party have purchased the wi-fi, so I will probably just borrow on of theirs for long enough to check-in with the sitter.  And, of course, will give her our friend's contact information if something huge comes up.

 

Still, I keep my phone on me as it's my camera.  And I'm the woman who has a tablet which contains all my books so that I never run out of reading material.  Plus, phones are good to have in port: for directions, for currency exchange, for restaurant suggestions, etc.

 

Our upcoming May cruise includes wi-fi and we'll have five days at sea, so that'll probably get used a good amount.

[retired dude]

old country music hit by john conlee: i'm just a common man, drive a common van, my dog ain't got no pedigree and a common man is what i'll be......We dont need wifi.....and pity the poor folks who feel compelled to spend half of their waking hours glued to whatever you want to call your phone...We are retired, have no kids and most friends could care less when we cruise..We spend our time enjoying the cruises our home,  and each other....it is very simple plan and it works quite well, we are blessed. We dont have to google "what is happiness?" we get to experience it every day of our lives....

[crzndeb]

I get wifi, because I like to stay in touch with kids and grandkids, since sometimes I may be gone for several weeks, and I really like to keep email cleaned up. I don’t spend hours on it, unless I’m listening to an audiobook or watching movie on my IPad, and probably a lot less time than some people spend sitting in the casino.

[Ron Don]

On 9/19/2021 at 8:13 AM, 2chiefs said:

There is so much talk about wifi availability, costs, etc. on these threads, it amazes me that there is such a need (or desire) for wifi while cruising.

I don't get it either.  I'm with you.....I turn off the phone,  put it in the safe and forget it until the trip is over.  If I need to get in touch with the family, I use my minutes on the ships computer system and go to my email a couple of times a week and "check in".  Family knows how to contact me if there is an emergency.

[BND]

We each get our free 48 hours (D+) and sometimes use one of the 24 hour slots to buy the plan for the last couple of days of the cruise.  We like having the connectivity to family, but, you do you.

 

 

Edited September 21, 2021 by BND

[PhillyFan33579]

On 9/19/2021 at 9:13 AM, 2chiefs said:

There is so much talk about wifi availability, costs, etc. on these threads, it amazes me that there is such a need (or desire) for wifi while cruising.

I do understand however, the need to stay in touch with relatives in special cases, etc.  I can understand needing to stay in touch on long cruises, family issues or even work for the younger folks still working.

 

Personally, we like to lock up our phones in the safe while on a cruise and disconnect from the outside world and enjoy our vacation. We typically take cruises that are shorter 7 to 14 days in length. We don't bring computers or tablets with us.

 

Disclaimer: Pre-cruise, I do love to read live reviews from the ship from those that like to submit them. However, I personally would rather spend my time doing other things on the cruise than reporting and posting pictures. But for those that do, thank you.

 

I thought might be a fun thread to hear from others how they feel about wifi and how they use it on the ship.

The main reason we get a WiFi package is to get daily updates on our dog. 

[Iamcruzin]

On 9/19/2021 at 3:45 PM, John&LaLa said:

Now I know the OP is retired, but are those of you that need to 'disconnect' still working for the most part?

 

We retired 4+ years ago. Pretty much disconnected from reality ever since. 😉

I'm still working and the only thing I need to disconnect from is work but they never bother me on vacation.  I made a rule to never become facebook friends with anyone at work.

 

DW on the other hand gets calls at home after hours and on the weekends from her boss to help him solve an IT problem (she doesn't work in IT) He's a Doctor and relies on his phone for patients. Twice he lost his phone and my wife had to talk is wife through how to use Find my iPhone which she set up for him. One time he left it in an Uber and the other time it was in the refrigerator at home.  Those are the people she tells that she is going on a cruise and will not be able to be reached. We have been at weddings out for the day and she will get a call or text. It usually starts with a text and turns into a call.  I think my wife will eventually have a remote position as his personal assistant.

[WindinmySails]

A comic on board once said, "It shouldn't be called Wi FI, it should just be called WHY??".

[Iamcruzin]

The first time I used ships Wifi was in 2001 on Sovereign of the Seas.  I think it was 25 cents for each email sent. I uploaded pictures and sent the email to several family members and friends. It was faster and easier and cheaper than sending postcards.  I have used ships wifi ever since and I'm so happy that it has become so affordable. We only need one package to share. 

 

On Princess they just eliminated the free wifi minutes from their loyalty program and replaced it with a fee of $5 a day for unlimited surf and stream. You can imagine how the flip phone, print a boarding pass generation lashed out.  These are the same people who spend thousands booking thirty day itineraries and are complaining  about an extra $150.  Back in the day I was paying $150 for 90 minutes on a 7 day cruise. 

[ryano]

I buy wi fi because I want wi fi.    No other justification needed. 

[davekathy]

Am I the only one that doesn't care why some prefer and some don't prefer Wi Fi.