Is anyone familiar with the Airola app?

[KevintheIrishDJ]

Does it work onboard. Can you receive and send emails? Can you get Facebook?

[FlyerTalker]

Airola is merely a front-end, reselling e-sims for cellular systems in many countries.  Just as if you bought a sim in whatever country you are visiting.

 

Nothing special IMO, other than putting a lot of e-sims together in one place.

 

Do you WANT local cellular service in the places you are visiting?  And do you have a phone that is e-sim compatible?

[KevintheIrishDJ]

5 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

Airola is merely a front-end, reselling e-sims for cellular systems in many countries.  Just as if you bought a sim in whatever country you are visiting.

 

Nothing special IMO, other than putting a lot of e-sims together in one place.

 

Do you WANT local cellular service in the places you are visiting?  And do you have a phone that is e-sim compatible?

Don't need phone service. How do I find out if my phone is e-sim compatible? I have Android

[blag]

34 minutes ago, KevintheIrishDJ said:

Don't need phone service. How do I find out if my phone is e-sim compatible? I have Android

But it's an e-SIM for cellular connection, maybe/probably with a data allowance. It's NOT WiFi.

When you are out of range of the cellular network you have selected and paid for, you'll get no connection whether it be phone, data, roaming or anything.

[FlyerTalker]

1 hour ago, KevintheIrishDJ said:

Don't need phone service. How do I find out if my phone is e-sim compatible?

 

Well, that's what it is.  You are buying a local e-sim for a local cellular phone network.

 

Tell us, just what do you want?  What are you trying to do?  What do you know, or not know, about e-sims -- because it seems you heard about Airola and think it is something very very different than phone service.

 

And "I have Android" means nothing - it's the specific device that is significant.

 

 

Edited November 21, 2022 by FlyerTalker

[KevintheIrishDJ]

15 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Well, that's what it is.  You are buying a local e-sim for a local cellular phone network.

 

Tell us, just what do you want?  What are you trying to do?  What do you know, or not know, about e-sims -- because it seems you heard about Airola and think it is something very very different than phone service.

 

And "I have Android" means nothing - it's the specific device that is significant.

 

 

Thanks. I thought it was wifi.

[AveSaloon]

10 hours ago, KevintheIrishDJ said:

Thanks. I thought it was wifi.

 

FWIW, "wifi" is not "internet".

 

WiFi is merely the methodology for how a device (phone/tablet/computer) connects to an access point, which then connects to routers and servers.  On a ship, those access points are wired to a routing system and shipboard server which then connects to the satellite connection to the internet. 

 

You can have "wifi" and not be connected to the overall internet.  

[luv2travel90266]

To be clearer when on the ship outside a cellular network the ships wifi is your only option for data. If close to land you might pick up a land cell site. I personally bring a hot spot when I travel that allows for me to connect my computer without tethering (without connecting to my phone) and multiple phones as well. It has to have a sim compatible to the country or countries I am in. Again I must be able to pick up a land website to use.   

 

If you aren't a techie check with your cell carrier if they offer international roaming at an acceptable cost. You can also find info on google for your specific phone for adding or replacing your sim card when you travel but realize with changing it you will now have an international phone number. 

 

Here is a helpful link How to change a Sim Card

[Xcelsior]

I used it in on my Greece/Turkey cruise in June - europe regional plan.  It was fantastic.  Used the regional plan for the Caribbean earlier this month - it was terrible for connectivity.

[Host Jazzbeau]

4 hours ago, luv2travel90266 said:

I personally bring a hot spot when I travel that allows for me to connect my computer without tethering (without connecting to my phone)

Why is this better than T-Mobile cell service that includes international data roaming and let's you use your phone as a hot spot.  That's what I did on a recent Baltic cruise, and it worked fine (and cost me nothing because it's an included feature of my regular cell plan).  [I didn't try connecting more than one computer to my phone, because DW is part of our T-Mobile family plan so she can use her own computer as a second hot spot.]

[blag]

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Why is this better than T-Mobile cell service that includes international data roaming and let's you use your phone as a hot spot.  That's what I did on a recent Baltic cruise, and it worked fine (and cost me nothing because it's an included feature of my regular cell plan).  [I didn't try connecting more than one computer to my phone, because DW is part of our T-Mobile family plan so she can use her own computer as a second hot spot.]

It is not necessarily better.

Our SIMs are for Europe-only, and as you discovered they worked quite well on our recent cruise in the waters of the Baltic. But, in that location there are many cell repeaters, so Internet-by-cellphone is a viable/preferable alternative to Azamara's lamentable Internet speeds. (In fact due to technical problems there was NO shipboard Internet for several days on that cruise. Their system had lost track of the satellite!)

For our trip to NYC in March we purchased from our provider (not T-Mobile) a very competitively-priced USA package, which worked very well once an initially slow connection had been resolved.

I contacted our provider about our upcoming South America Cruise. They offer no similar package for any of the countries on our itinerary, and their charges for data/roaming were eye-wateringly expensive. You may not believe it, but based on our average data use whilst travelling (including sending pix to friends etc.), for the 28 days of our upcoming trip the cost would have been over €8,000. I kid you not! I don't think I mis-calculated but their charges were based per Kb not per Mb.

So for some - including me - research into alternatives is necessary. I considered Airalo (not Airola, BTW), but neither of our phones is compatible with e-Sims.

Edited November 23, 2022 by blag
Typos, unnecessary capitalisation

[Host Jazzbeau]

@blag note that OP is from the US, so my experience is much closer to him than yours.

[blag]

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

@blag note that OP is from the US, so my experience is much closer to him than yours.

Thanks for reminding me of this.

Perhaps my comments might be of value to others following this thread? They may not have access to multiple phones, they may not wish to switch to T-Mobile, and, of course, they may not be in the USA.

[uktog]

This board on cruise critic is a very good place to get access to and to share expertise. Probably a more tech savvy group than the general population of Azamara cruisers 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/677-cruising-technology/

 

[Cruizer Diana]

On 11/22/2022 at 7:50 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

Why is this better than T-Mobile cell service that includes international data roaming and let's you use your phone as a hot spot.  That's what I did on a recent Baltic cruise, and it worked fine (and cost me nothing because it's an included feature of my regular cell plan).  [I didn't try connecting more than one computer to my phone, because DW is part of our T-Mobile family plan so she can use her own computer as a second hot spot.]

I agree. For the average, non-techie, T-Mobile cell service is absolutely amazing--at no extra cost! We have used it in French Polynesia, Buenos Aires to Santiago, Norway (even in the fjords), all of europe, the caribbean. Sometimes we even get cell service way off the coast. They also have a feature that will block Cellular at Sea, to avoid accidental charges.

[1985rz1]

On 11/22/2022 at 4:33 PM, luv2travel90266 said:

To be clearer when on the ship outside a cellular network the ships wifi is your only option for data. If close to land you might pick up a land cell site. I personally bring a hot spot when I travel that allows for me to connect my computer without tethering (without connecting to my phone) and multiple phones as well. It has to have a sim compatible to the country or countries I am in. Again I must be able to pick up a land website to use.   

 

If you aren't a techie check with your cell carrier if they offer international roaming at an acceptable cost. You can also find info on google for your specific phone for adding or replacing your sim card when you travel but realize with changing it you will now have an international phone number. 

 

Here is a helpful link How to change a Sim Card

Perhaps it's bit more accurate to say "when on the ship outside a cellular network the ships wifi is your only affordable option for data."  If you don’t turn off your cell service (i.e. turn on airplane mode) to access the ship's WiFi, your phone may default to the ship's Cellular @ Sea cell service, which has outrageous charges for calls and data.

[AveSaloon]

49 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

your phone may default to the ship's Cellular @ Sea cell service, which has outrageous charges for calls and data.

 

Especially if you have your phone set to auto-update apps, and to both actively ping servers and receive push notifications.

 

All of which are nice and convenient when you are home.  Not so much when you are on a service with the meter running.

 

I remember a cruise some years back when a "high-powered" lady felt she had to stay in contact through her Blackberry.  After a week or so onboard, someone from the ship talked to her.  Asked if she really wanted to use this much connection time - and told her the bill was at $3000 and growing larger.  Oops.