Should I buy a Wifi dongle (mobile wifi) for cruising?

Theresonly1

I'm debating whether to purchase Wifi package for my cruise trip or is it much cheaper to fork out a wifi dongle instead?
But i am not sure whether those wifi dongle works on the sea since it is based of mobile network?

Neil_Jones

Well I would argue in this day and age it's plausible the ship has wi-fi...

https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/articles.cfm?ID=1419

Bulk of this would be a satellite based internet service I would have thought which may tell you everything you need to know about reception.  Of course some areas are better than others (ie more populated/popular areas like the Carribean, as opposed to the middle of the Atlantic.

matelodave

The last place you want to use a wifi dongle or a mobile phone is on board a cruise liner, it'll cost you a lot of money. The last time we were on a cruise it was around £3-4 a minute. If you dont want to bankrupt yourself make sure your phone is turned off whilst on board.

As the article suggests if you need to get on line, then wait until you are ashore and either use dtata roaming or find somewhere that offers free wifi

jon81uk

The wifi dongle will only work if it has a 3G/4G signal, if you are close enough to land to get a signal then you might as well just use your phone. At sea you'll either need to connect to the ship wifi or there might be phone signal on the ship which will be even more expensive.

I've only been on cruises with Virgin Voyages who give WiFi as part of the standard fare (no extra cost unless you want to stream Netflix/YoutTube) and it was great.

getmore4less

The ships have free wifi  many now need it for the on board services through ships intranet pages or through their apps.

WHAT IS NOT FREE is an internet connection.

There are 2 main options for internet connectivity..

1. Pay for an internet package prices range from kind not bad to very expensive, do not believe what they ay about service levels it can be OK to barely functional, ie whatsap might work.

Sometimes it will be included as part of a package or cabin type some like Princess unlimited others may be a xGB or xmins.

2. Use a roaming mobile data, block it from connecting to the ships maritime mobile cell which is not included and expensive.
(block in settings or no credit)  

Depending where you are cruising this will work for much of the time, in port and for sometime having left while still near land.


A wifi dongle needs a data connection so might as well just use your phone.

the ships cell is a  satellite service and expensive


The key is why do you need the connection and what levels of service do you want/need

if you say which ship and itinerary can give a clue to the likely availability of a data connection and option if you don't already have a suitable roaming package.

We use a combination
Any included ship internet we get,  saving it for when the other options are not available)
Mobile data when we have included roaming
Free on shore wifi,  most destinations have loads these days and often in the cruise terminal

Theresonly1

@getmore4less isn't wifi and internet connection same thing?

msc cruise. wifi internet didn't come as part of my package.

debitcardmayhem

Theresonly1 said:

@getmore4less isn't wifi and internet connection same thing?

msc cruise. wifi internet didn't come as part of my package.

No wifi is not the same as internet, a simple example is use your wifi dongle(or router) as wifi and your phone and printer can both to talk to each other via your dongle(or router) but unless the router can access the internet via a modem eg via your broadband/mobile signal then they can’t access the worlwide     

Web. Ok that’s not really simple example but the drift is the same.

JGB1955

Cunard charge $15 a day for their package.  That's a whopping £266 for my next holiday.  'No thanks'.. I'll wait until I pick up some wi-fi from the quayside!

Neil49

Who are you sailing with and to where? Hopefully this will help us to provide you with a more detailed answer. 

Theresonly1

Neil49 said:

Who are you sailing with and to where? Hopefully this will help us to provide you with a more detailed answer. 

msc cruise

northen europe

TadleyBaggie

I'm due to sail on an MSC cruise next week, Southampton to Ireland and back. Getting just a single device connection is ridiculously expensive, I'll not bother.