what speed is the internet?

[jerrybev]

do elite members (>5 cruises) get high speed free internet or is it slow dial up speed internet?

thanks

Jerry whitfield

[spongerob]

There is only one speed on board, and basically it's what the system will bear given the quality of the connection to the satellite and the number of users on the system. The speed has improved and if there aren't a lot of people on line, it is almost comparable to a high-quality dial-up connection. It can bog down at times, and it's possible to lose a connection entirely. My comments relate only to the computer center on board; those who use wireless from their own laptops might have different experiences.

[cruisinsuzan]

at a Platinum Level which is rewarded on your 6th sailing. :) Elite (16th sailing) also get's free internet. Enjoy;)

[DeltaDL]

If you have a laptop that is capable of getting a wireless connection, is this possible on the ship?

[chrysalis]

If you have a laptop that is capable of getting a wireless connection, is this possible on the ship?

 

yes.....but not in cabins...in the Atrium and the Internet Cafe......about $30 for 30 minutes, if I recall

[christinelee]

They have two speeds.................slow and slower:)

[DeltaDL]

$30 for 30 minutes????!!!!! YIKES. Looks like I'll be sending a good ole' fashioned post card! :D

[Flyer]

Actually closer to $10.00 for 30 minutes.

[chrysalis]

my mistake, the cost is $.50 per minute...up from $.35 per minute

 

(do not know why I thought it was $.95 per minute:o )

[bhopal21]

They have two speeds.................slow and slower:)

 

Absolutely true!

 

Mike:(

[j!m]

slower than slow

 

but a lot faster than 10 years ago

[j!m]

slower than slow

 

takes forever has something to do with satellite connections that i dont understand just know it takes forever

[MercedMike]

slower than slow

 

takes forever has something to do with satellite connections that i dont understand just know it takes forever

 

Yep. Sure is a good thing that Platinum pax get it free -- I would be really ticked off if I was paying by the minute for it!!

 

;)

[Pam in CA]

If you're used to a high-speed connection, it'll seem slow. But given that it's not land-line and the signal has to go through a satellite from a moving ship, it's not bad -- certainly better than internet connections on ships (not just Princess) just a few years ago.

 

You can bring your laptop and use it via wireless connection in the Atrium, and I've heard that the speeds are faster plus you have better control over how much time you actually spend online.

 

FYI, "Elite" Captain's Circle members are not 5 completed cruises but rather 15 completed cruises. Platinum (6+ cruises) get free internet connection but only in the Internet cafe -- not wireless or BYO laptop.

[FamilyofFourtoAlaska]

Has anyone gotten wireless connection any where besides the two official places? I ask because we had wireless on the Statendam which was only supposed to be certain places, but we were able to get it fairly consistently in our cabin.

[MercedMike]

Sponge Rob --

 

Is that the Ring of Brodgar in your icon?

 

Amazing place. I really felt the power there.

[HawaiiCruisers]

I don't quite understand why going through a satellite has that much to do with speed. Here in Hawaii we have high speed access (T-1/dsl/cable) and it goes through a satellite. And it does not cost an arm and leg.

[iancal]

I would not call the internet service on Princess high speed, our experience on two sailings (and we have the bills to prove it), is that the internet is very slow. I began to wonder if they had a governor on it or some such thing to elongate sessions and increase revenue.

[Pam in CA]

I don't quite understand why going through a satellite has that much to do with speed. Here in Hawaii we have high speed access (T-1/dsl/cable) and it goes through a satellite. And it does not cost an arm and leg.

One of the big differences is that ships need specialized gymbal equipment to maintain the connection since the ship is moving up and down, back and forth not to mention forward at 20+ knots. There's much more to it than on a solid land mass -- others can respond to that better than I can.

[Casshew]

[Toto2Kansas]

Cass- WELL PUT!

A picture is always worth a thousand words. ;)

[HawaiiCruisers]

Pam,

 

Thanks for the explanation - I was on a NOAA research ship for 43 days and our internet speed was not bad. Certainly not at a snails pace or as slow as it seems the cruise ships are. Some things just are not logical to me.

[Princess Chatterer]

Princess would not let me connect to a TV show discussion board about the Big Brother reality show. In other words Princess regulates who they let you connect to.

[spongerob]

Sponge Rob --

 

Is that the Ring of Brodgar in your icon?

 

Amazing place. I really felt the power there.

It is amazing. Orkney might be the most unique place I've ever visited. Fantastic.

[spongerob]

One of the big differences is that ships need specialized gymbal equipment to maintain the connection since the ship is moving up and down, back and forth not to mention forward at 20+ knots. There's much more to it than on a solid land mass -- others can respond to that better than I can.

I don't know much about how things need to be stabilized, other than the fact that when I had a satellite dish for TV a long time ago, when they were big, the wind blowing hard was enough to disrupt the quality of the signal or I might lose it altogether.

 

Something else to consider: Communication satellites are usually in geosynchronous orbit so that they remain positioned over one part of the earth. That means that they are orbiting at the equator. The further north you go, the lower the signal quality gets because the footprint of coverage is nearing its limits.