Wireless on the Westerdam?

[mcarroll2]

Anyone used wireless on the Westerdam? Are some hot spots better than others? Is it the same price as the Internet Cafe? Is it worth it?. Is there a high speed connection in the state room?

[jtl513]

Anyone used wireless on the Westerdam? Are some hot spots better than others? Is it the same price as the Internet Cafe? Is it worth it?. Is there a high speed connection in the state room?

Prices are the same whether you're wireless or on the ship's computers. All ships are going fully wireless, but whether you can pick up a strong signal in your cabin or not is the luck-of-the-draw. When we were on the Westerdam 2.5 years ago I got strong signals in the Explorations Cafe, Crow's Nest, Lido pool area, and Atrium. My favorite spot was Ocean Bar, starboard side. There is NO "high speed" off the ship. Whether you're wireless or not, the best you can hope for is download speeds around 55 Kbps. :(

[Krazy Kruizers]

On some ships we have gotten good reception in our cabin -- others no.

 

HAL's internet is SLOW!!!

[ILoveScotland]

When I signed up two weeks ago for Internet service on the Westerdam I was told I could get wireless connection in all the public spaces. However, I decided to try it in our cabin and was pleasantly surprised to have the connection.

 

We were on the Upper Verandah Deck, starboard side near the forward elevators. I don't know if the location mattered or not, but it was certainly a nice convenience.

[lishka]

I had excellent service in my aft corner cabin on deck 4!

So handy!

[atudorquene]

I am taking my hubs for his Birthday and our 23rd Anniversary on the May 18th 2008 Alaska Cruise on the Westerdam. Please let a Newbie in on how one signs up for WiFi access on the Westerdam? Do you do it beforehand, or after you are on the ship? :eek: :o

[jtl513]

I am taking my hubs for his Birthday and our 23rd Anniversary on the May 18th 2008 Alaska Cruise on the Westerdam. Please let a Newbie in on how one signs up for WiFi access on the Westerdam? Do you do it beforehand, or after you are on the ship? :eek: :o

On the ship. Just fire up a browser and you will get a log-in window. You enter a user name consisting of your name and cabin number in the form jdoe1234 and an initial password, which is (if I recall correctly) your HAL booking number. You then choose a new password. You are next offered a choice of what plan you want: $0.75 per minute, or $55 for 100 minutes, or $100 for 250 minutes. Once you choose that the clock starts ticking ... and you're paying!

 

You can sign up either on the ship's computers or on your laptop, and use your account interchangably from either. However, you may have to disable your firewall to make your laptop work, so it might be best to sign up in the Explorations Cafe when there is someone there to help you if there's a problem. I suggest temporarily changing the home page to the very simple www.google.com so that you do not spend precious time loading up a complicated home page that you immediately move away from each time you sign in.

 

Also, if you sign up for a block of time on the first day you will get a bonus 10 or 20 minutes depending on the plan chosen.

 

Be SURE to disconnect properly either by using the pop-up log-out window or by going to http://1.1.1.1 or else you will CONTINUE to pay even if you shut off your computer! :eek: :eek:

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic!! :D

[CPeters40]

On the ship. Just fire up a browser and you will get a log-in window. You enter a user name consisting of your name and cabin number in the form jdoe1234 and an initial password, which is (if I recall correctly) your HAL booking number. You then choose a new password. You are next offered a choice of what plan you want: $0.75 per minute, or $55 for 100 minutes, or $100 for 250 minutes. Once you choose that the clock starts ticking ... and you're paying!

 

You can sign up either on the ship's computers or on your laptop, and use your account interchangably from either. However, you may have to disable your firewall to make your laptop work, so it might be best to sign up in the Explorations Cafe when there is someone there to help you if there's a problem. I suggest temporarily changing the home page to the very simple www.google.com so that you do not spend precious time loading up a complicated home page that you immediately move away from each time you sign in.

 

Also, if you sign up for a block of time on the first day you will get a bonus 10 or 20 minutes depending on the plan chosen.

 

Be SURE to disconnect properly either by using the pop-up log-out window or by going to http://1.1.1.1 or else you will CONTINUE to pay even if you shut off your computer! :eek: :eek:

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic!! :D

 

I just want to say that those are the clearest directions to logging onto the internet that I have seen!

I had the misfortune of not having the pop-up box to log out, and it would log out with that 1.1.1.1 either. So, if that happens, just go straight away to the Internet Center when it opens (9:00 a.m.), and talk to the manager to get those minutes taken off. She said that there is a safety factor built in, and you will be automatically logged off, after 10 minutes of being idle.

Chris

Zuiderdam Jan 08

[atudorquene]

I will show your info to my hubs, who is the computer guy in the family and he will show me what to do. You instructions are wonderfully clear, Thank You for sharing!:D

[atudorquene]

I had sent an email to HAL asking how one signs up for WiFi on the Westerdam, and they wrote back to me telling me there was NO WiFi on the Westerdam and that one had to use modems at the Internet Cafe, or in one's room. Do they not know what is going on, on their own ships?:eek:

[jtl513]

... they wrote back to me telling me there was NO WiFi on the Westerdam and that one had to use modems at the Internet Cafe, or in one's room. Do they not know what is going on, on their own ships?:eek:

It's amazing how oblivious Seattle is sometimes!