Using Port WiFi to access WhatsApp & AppStore

[JMMKUK]

When we were on Adventure in April Saga had blocked access to WhatsApp as well as Twitter & the AppStore. I understand why, on a previous cruise a passenger was in the Britannia Lounge using it to video call her family. 🤬

 

The crew always seem to know how to get access in all of the cruise terminals but they never seem to want to share the information. I am trying to be prepared before next month's trip & am hoping that someone can point me in the right direction for the info. Our first port is Gibraltar & I've already drawn a blank as info I've found says there is no public WiFi in the treminal.

 

I would be really grateful for any general tips.

 

TIA

Jill

 

[nosapphire]

Not tried any port/shore free wifi myself, but a quick Google for "free wifi Gibraltar" brings up several travel blogs suggesting places where it is available, mainly coffee shops in the centre.

 

[JMMKUK]

Thanks. We are booked on excursions so not sure we'll have time to go into the centre as well. I'm just trying to plan ahead so that if an App fails because it needs to be updated, as happened with Candy Crush last cruise, I know which ports have easy access.

[FangedRose]

1 hour ago, JMMKUK said:

Thanks. We are booked on excursions so not sure we'll have time to go into the centre as well. I'm just trying to plan ahead so that if an App fails because it needs to be updated, as happened with Candy Crush last cruise, I know which ports have easy access.

Does your phone plan not include an amount of "free" data? I pay £6.00 per month for unlimited calls, unlimited texts, and 2gig of data, which rolls over. Have downloaded apps, played Pokemon Go all the time ashore (no I'm not staring at my phone, you can set it to play itself), WhatsApped messages and photos and videos and emails etc and still have data to spare. As long as you put it back on airplane mode when sailing there's no need to go WiFi hunting, and put your online security as risk.

[JMMKUK]

That's a good plan. I get about 10gb of data, unlimited texts & 300 mins calls when  I top up with £10 pm but EE doesn't include EU roaming anymore. Also I want to use Apps on our iPads. It was on the iPad I had the Candy Crush problem.

[Denarius]

With limited bandwidth onboard it is not unreasonable for Saga to block video content and sites offering large data downloads, and this could explain the non availability of Whatsapp and the app store. It would not however explain the non availability of Twitter, which is a text only service and takes very little. There could however be another explanation.

It is my understanding that Saga uses a filtering system - Net Nanny or similar - which blocks "adult" sites. Not quite sure why as there are no minors onboard. Such filters are notorious for blocking non adult sites as well and Saga's might be blocking Twitter. Just a thought.

[JMMKUK]

I think they are using some sort of blocker they don't need to use. Twitter can contain video though. I suggested to them they allowed access but blocked the streaming & video contact. Honestly I don't think they are very techie. A tiny update of an App takes seconds, sometimes less than a second. It's my major gripe at them. They do get most things right.

[Wacktle]

We're on Spirit of Adventure now and are using WhatsApp daily. Sometimes it's a bit slow, but it's not blocked.

[JMMKUK]

9 minutes ago, Wacktle said:

We're on Spirit of Adventure now and are using WhatsApp daily. Sometimes it's a bit slow, but it's not blocked.

Thank you. They must have taken notice of my comments on the mid cruise survey. I hope they've also taken note of my comment about the lack of choice of lager. 😉

 

Hope you are enjoying your short cruise.

[Glenndale]

10 hours ago, Wacktle said:

We're on Spirit of Adventure now and are using WhatsApp daily. Sometimes it's a bit slow, but it's not blocked.

It wasn’t blocked on our April Eastern Med cruise either. In fact I have always had access to Whatsapp on my Saga cruises.

[JMMKUK]

2 hours ago, Glenndale said:

It wasn’t blocked on our April Eastern Med cruise either. In fact I have always had access to Whatsapp on my Saga cruises.

So I was blocked but you weren't? I went to reception & they said it had been blocked for everyone. Now I'm getting paranoid.

[LondonLad60]

As I understand it, WhatsApp itself isn't  blocked - I used it for messaging in June on a Med cruise. However, the video call facility was blocked when I tried using it back in January.

[david05]

We don't use Whatsapp but we have certainly had problems with not being able to update an app. On a cruise we couldn't use the NHS app because it refused to open until it was updated but the ship wifi would not allow the update. Fortunately we had downloaded our covid passes to the phones but it meant we couldn't use the app to re-order our prescriptions whilst we were away.

[Denarius]

I tend to use complementary wi fi in bars and coffee shops ashore to do things I cannot do onboard. You can get a lot done for the price of the drink you were going to have anyway. Before entering I check on my phone for available wifi networks and make sure that the place I am about to enter is listed.

[JMMKUK]

58 minutes ago, david05 said:

We don't use Whatsapp but we have certainly had problems with not being able to update an app. On a cruise we couldn't use the NHS app because it refused to open until it was updated but the ship wifi would not allow the update. Fortunately we had downloaded our covid passes to the phones but it meant we couldn't use the app to re-order our prescriptions whilst we were away.

Oh! I hadn't thought of the NHS app. Luckily ours was OK when we had to use it to get new covid passes.

[JMMKUK]

1 hour ago, LondonLad60 said:

As I understand it, WhatsApp itself isn't  blocked - I used it for messaging in June on a Med cruise. However, the video call facility was blocked when I tried using it back in January.

That's what I suggested they did in my mid cruise survey.

[Windsurfboy]

Be annoyed if it blocks WhatsApp messaging, understand no phone or video calls. Suppose resort to email

 

We are going to Caribbean so roaming expensive.

[JMMKUK]

52 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

Be annoyed if it blocks WhatsApp messaging, understand no phone or video calls. Suppose resort to email

 

We are going to Caribbean so roaming expensive.

Have a great time. I used the WiFi in Barbados, so did everyone else so it was VERY slow. One of the crew told me they have a 'trick' to make it faster but wouldn't let me in on the secret. It was Christmas 2021 & one of the Queens was at anchor. Apparently coming into port at night to take Covid patients on board. That was the cruise when a woman was using video calling in the Britannia Lounge.

[Glenndale]

On 9/16/2023 at 11:07 PM, JMMKUK said:

So I was blocked but you weren't? I went to reception & they said it had been blocked for everyone. Now I'm getting paranoid.

I only use it for messages, not calls, video or otherwise. I’ve never had a problem using it. In fact I whatsapped my son today (at sea) and received a response.

[Glenndale]

On 9/17/2023 at 4:01 PM, Windsurfboy said:

Be annoyed if it blocks WhatsApp messaging, understand no phone or video calls. Suppose resort to email

 

We are going to Caribbean so roaming expensive.

Whatsapp messaging on Saga has never been a problem for me, I’m currently on SofA and using it successfully. I can understand Saga blocking video calls which use excessive bandwidth.