How is the ship Internet service?

[new_cruiser]

How good is the ship Internet service? Can it usually support streaming a show? WiFi calling?

Also, can you buy it for just couple of days on a 7 day cruise or do you have to buy it for the whole cruise. Our cruise is pretty port intensive so if I can buy it a day at a time, I'd probably only get it for the two days without ports.

[Biker19]

Just now, new_cruiser said:

Also, can you buy it for just couple of days on a 7 day cruise or do you have to buy it for the whole cruise.

24 hour packages are available on board. 

[Cru1s1ng2009]

it is pretty good. You can usually stream a movie. you can buy it by the day. it is about $30. 

[twangster]

Which ship?

 

Some ships have greater technical challenges than others.  Some ships have speed caps per user, some ships don't.  There can be times when wifi calling works fine and times where it doesn't work well at all.  

[crzndeb]

I noticed you posted a thread for Alaska. If you are asking about internet services on an Alaska cruise, all bets are off. Service is very spotty in Alaska, so I wouldn’t guarantee anything as far as streaming. 

[new_cruiser]

10 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

I noticed you posted a thread for Alaska. If you are asking about internet services on an Alaska cruise, all bets are off. Service is very spotty in Alaska, so I wouldn’t guarantee anything as far as streaming. 

Good point, I'd mainly like it from we cruise from Seward and visit Hubbard Glacier and the Inside Passage Day. That first one is an area where it is pretty likely not work great. IIRC, I was able to get connectivity to land towers in parts of the Inside Passage. 

 

If I buy the package before the cruise, it is $17 a day for one device (which is all I plan to get) and it says it is $24 on board. I think I'll wait and buy it by the day seeing how it works out. 

[Cruise5life]

If the ship has starlink then I would say you’ll be fine.    
 

[Ashland]

We recently cruised Alaska on Serenade this past September and had no problem streaming with our Firestick. I also purchase my internet pkgs. way in advance at some great deals.

[Nick2000]

We have done cruise in N Z on Ovation of the Seas. Internet was hit and miss throughout whole cruise. Best reception was by Guest Services 

[Biker19]

16 hours ago, Cruise5life said:

If the ship has starlink then I would say you’ll be fine.    
 

The whole fleet should have Starlink by now but that doesn't mean there won't some outages.

[smokeybandit]

Depends where you are. Depends on the ship. Depends where you are on the ship.

Starlink isn't even half of what contributes to your onboard internet experience.

[twangster]

Can confirm Starlink didn't do much for Radiance.  Voom was Gloom often.  

 

However they state that the wifi infrastructure will be replaced later in 2023.

 

Edited May 6, 2023 by twangster