WIFI On Edge Class Ships - Need to work for a few days

[meicheraxo]

Hello all, will be cruising on the new Ascent in January and need to work a few days. Willing to pay for the Premium Wifi but had some questions (I've sent an email to Celebrity but haven't heard back)

 

1. How do you handle phone calls? Is that done via the wifi? 

2. Anyone know the upload and download speeds?

3. Anyone have any lag time using the premium wifi on the Edge Ships?

4. Anyone have virtual meetings via wifi - either with MS Teams or Zoom?

 

Hopefully there is a Techno-Person out there who can help me. 

 

If I can't work I may have to cancel my cruise.

[DaKahuna]

2 hours ago, meicheraxo said:

Hello all, will be cruising on the new Ascent in January and need to work a few days. Willing to pay for the Premium Wifi but had some questions (I've sent an email to Celebrity but haven't heard back)

 

1. How do you handle phone calls? Is that done via the wifi? 

2. Anyone know the upload and download speeds?

3. Anyone have any lag time using the premium wifi on the Edge Ships?

4. Anyone have virtual meetings via wifi - either with MS Teams or Zoom?

 

Hopefully there is a Techno-Person out there who can help me. 

 

If I can't work I may have to cancel my cruise.

 

 Get the Premium package. 

 

1.  Yes, via WiFi calling.  Before your cruise, make sure that your cell phone supports Wifi Calling.  With some carriers you have to call them and have them enable that feature.  Test it by putting your phone in airplane mode, enabling WiFi only (leave cellular off), connect to your home WiFi network and make a call to another number. 

2.  The speeds appear to be capped at 5 MB Download and 3 MB upload. I was averaging on my last cruise were:

 

 

3.  Was on Millennium not Edge.  

4.  I have successfully attended Teams meetings and did Facetime using shipboard Wifi. 

 

 Wireless has never been without hiccups so do not expect landline quality connections.  Understand if there are occasional disconnect.   The one thing I do know is that your proximity to the Wireless Access Point is a key matter.  We had one just outside the door to our stateroom.  We also noted that if we went out on our balcony and closed the door the signal was weaker than it was in the room. 

I highly recommend you test WiFi in your room as soon as possible after boarding and make sure you have a strong connection to the ship's WiFi from where you plan to do your work.  

 

[Jim_Iain]

The speeds John posted are pretty much true to all the ships.   Starlink has much higher capabilities but they throttle it down to that speed.   I was on Equinox when it went live (but not announced)   We were hitting speeds of 90 MPS but on the next cruise they throttled it down.

 

For phone calls you can turn on Phone over Wifi and works perfect.  Make sure you put your phone on Airplane Mode when at sea or you will be shocked by a high cellular bill.    Face time is also an option over WiFi. 

 

Never experienced noticeable lag time

 

I've done many Zoom Calls.    Be aware that is is not uncommon to hit dead spots where you loose Internet and even TV signal for minutes to hours.   

 

When in Ports I have T-Mobile with 198 Country free roaming and use that instead.