Alaska & Inside Passage Cruise

[Zippeedee]

This is the Starlink coverage map. There is less coverage at the poles. This is interactive on the website so you can move to any part of the earth.

[MikeyB]

On 5/15/2024 at 5:37 PM, Islandbc said:

I am interested in knowing what the wifi is like on the Alaska cruise.  We will be on the Orion (between Kodiak and Dutch Harbor) on Sept. 20, 2024.  This is the day that bookings open up for excursions on our next cruise.  At this point, the Alaska cruise isn't full, so if the computers on deck 1 have good connectivity, we might be able to use them.

Thanks for any information you can share.

Just off the Orion two days ago.  Wifi was good in Alaska.

TV- horrible.  Many days we had nothing while in port.

[Islandbc]

10 minutes ago, MikeyB said:

Just off the Orion two days ago.  Wifi was good in Alaska.

TV- horrible.  Many days we had nothing while in port.

Thanks for the information.  Sounds like we will be OK.

[rmalbers]

On 5/15/2024 at 4:37 PM, Islandbc said:

I am interested in knowing what the wifi is like on the Alaska cruise.  We will be on the Orion (between Kodiak and Dutch Harbor) on Sept. 20, 2024.  This is the day that bookings open up for excursions on our next cruise.  At this point, the Alaska cruise isn't full, so if the computers on deck 1 have good connectivity, we might be able to use them.

Thanks for any information you can share.

Here is a map of their sats.  That shows why that far north (Dutch Harbor) can/probably will have at least some 'issues'. https://satellitemap.space/  There were 'issues' in northern Iceland last Sept. for a day or two.  Having said that, they are adding sats all the time so it might get better over time.

Edited May 16 by rmalbers

[CurlerRob]

11 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Connectivity may depend on whether the ship is still using the geostationary satellites, or if they have a Starlink system.

 

As you proceed further north in Alaska, the altitude of the geostationary satellites reduces, and with mountainous terrain, you have increased potential for the signals being blocked. Over the years we have received a signal almost everywhere except alongside the Railway Dock in Skagway. Even on the large Princess Grand Class ships, we didn't get a signal when alongside that berth.

 

Haven't experienced Starlink, but with the ever increasing number of satellites being launched, I anticipate they should have a reasonable chance of continuous connectivity.

 

With respect to sailing between Kodiak and Dutch Harbour, you have open waters to the south, so if using geostationary satellites, while they will have low altitude, you should not have any obstructions to block the satellite signals. If Starlink, with the route being mostly open waters, you should get some visible satellites, so I expect you would receive connectivity.

@Islandbc, further to Heidi13's accurate information, Orion has Starlink capability. On our recently completed Hong Kong - Vancouver cruise, I assessed the internet performance as quite reasonable for shipboard.

 

Generally about 3.5Mbps download, with roughly 3Mbps upload on Starlink. That provides for a quite tolerable browsing experience, albeit noticeably slower than what you'd find on land. There were times when the Starlink service degraded - I was never able to pin down causes. It didn't correspond to pax peak usage times or nearby geography. We experienced a number of "stalls", but the longest one was a couple of hours.

 

Unless you have bad luck with one of the dead times, you should be able to reach MVJ and book your excursions, but be sure to use the prioritization method described many times on these boards, as the slower speed may see you miss out on some shorex if you do too many at a time.

 

I saw no difference in speed between the common area desktops and my iPad.

 

Lastly, the ship did not use Starlink exclusively - there were a few times, usually in ports, that it was using what looked like the prior geostationary systems. Why, I have no idea. Good luck! 🍺🥌

Edited May 17 by CurlerRob
Correction

[wolfie11]

The steam train to Bennett Lake is one of my top Alaska excursions (and I’ve done a lot of them). It runs two days a week in 2024.

[expattraveler]

On 5/15/2024 at 4:08 PM, beanpittsburgh said:

Thanks to all for your advice and experiences.   I know we stop in Wrangall so that must be our optional port.  I didn't know about the different itineraries.  Can't wait - I know we will have a great time.

Wrangall is one of our favorite Alaska ports. Not yet commercialized like many others have become. Laid back and easy to walk to many local sights after taking any tours which may be provided. A hidden gem IMHO…

[Opinica]

On 5/15/2024 at 5:37 PM, Islandbc said:

I am interested in knowing what the wifi is like on the Alaska cruise.

 

Just got off the Orion last week cruising from Japan to Alaska.  Connection was pretty good, mostly.  Sometimes sketchy in port.

 

My wife was able to teach her online college course.  I could pay my bills and stream SXM.  So long as you're not into gaming you should have no problems.

[island lady]

Added bonus cruising in Alaska for me....local AT&T service.  Both using their internet and the phone.  🙂 

[Mich3554]

On 5/16/2024 at 2:41 PM, MikeyB said:

Just off the Orion two days ago.  Wifi was good in Alaska.

TV- horrible.  Many days we had nothing while in port.

Agree with this.  Even the connection of shows/lectures to the TV during the event fuzzed out some during this route.

[wolfie11]

39 minutes ago, Mich3554 said:

Agree with this.  Even the connection of shows/lectures to the TV during the event fuzzed out some during this route.

The high mountains and northern location (satellites are orbiting well to the south) block the signal.

[CurlerRob]

1 hour ago, wolfie11 said:

The high mountains and northern location (satellites are orbiting well to the south) block the signal.

 

While that can certainly be a factor, there were lots of interruptions that had nothing to do with topography or latitude (as in the middle of the Bering Sea). Lots of Starlink birds overhead where we were transiting.

 

Overall, it was still better internet than I've run into many times in the past. Agree that the TV was heavily impacted. 🍺🥌