I am going on two cruises. One to Alaska and one to Europe, (Spain, Italy). I am wondering the best way to get internet access in remote places. Does anyone have more information on I've looked at MobiltyPass and Virgin Mobil. Don't want to get slammed with large phone bills.
Posted by
Freedonia
16249 posts
On board ship, you're at the mercy of the cruise line.
In port, you can look for a place that offers free wifi.
An unlocked phone won't help you with a laptop.
Posted by
Freedonia
16249 posts
1)What kind of device are you trying to connect to the internet? Laptop/netbook? Smartphone? Ipod Touch?
2) Who is your carrier at home?
3) Are you looking for broadband access to the internet or wifi?
4) Does your phone/carrier offer tethering?
Posted by
San Francisco, California, USA
446 posts
Most cruise lines have Internet access via satellite. It's slow, and expensive -- about 35 to 40 cents a minute. You can usually bring your own laptop for wireless access on the ship, or you can use the ship's computers in their "Internet center".
Some cruise lines now also offer some cell phone access on the ship, through various cell phone companies such as Verizon. This is, of course, also via satellite, and rather expensive.
If you are going to Alaska, you might be able to get cell phone access yourself when the ship calls at various ports. This would probably be a lot cheaper than on the ship, although you could incur roaming charges that will add to your bill.
Posted by
Macungie, PA, USA
463 posts
I went on an Alaskan cruise for my honeymoon and had a medical--and then financial--emergency (boat hospitals cost a LOT of money!)which required contacting home (for insurance info and then to have my mother send me money--sad but true!) I was able to use the internet on board--I do not recall it costing money, but I could be wrong--and I had cell phone reception when we were in port, which was most of my waking hours.
Posted by
OP
Hillside, New Jersey, USA
2 posts
Thank you to all of you; I now have a direction I can look in. I will do some more exploring on the internet. BTW, I will be using a HP Netbook.
Posted by
London
1 posts
Hi, if you're in Europe our research shows that Vodafone have the cheapest rates for using a mobile broadband dongle abroad http://www.broadband-expert.co.uk/dongle/ though try to avoid doing anything that downloads too much data (watching movies online etc) as it will still cost you a fortune. The cheapest option is to buy a pay as you go dongle in the countries you are in if you are there for any length of time or try and find a free wifi spot.
Posted by
343 posts
Richard, will the Vodophone stores in the UK have pre paid/pay as you go broadband mobile sticks? I need to access the internet for work while I'm in the UK and France (and will have my netbook), and trying to figure out the best way to do that. Wifi is certainly what we're aiming for with our hotel stays, but I would like an alternate means as well.