Just sailing into our first port of call, Ketchikan, taking advantage of Bev's CZR 7* annual cruise with an Alaska itinerary on the NCL Joy.
It seems to me that even as of our last sailing last summer the internet experience largely left me longing for 1200 bps modems circa 1990 (ship wi-fi would chew typically chew up 20 minutes of time just connecting to a single URL; using a workstation in the internet cafe was marginally better).
Being forced to "cut the cord" from otherwise mundane 'net activity wasn't without its upside. However, I left home Friday having been unable to tie up a few things (among those, a certain amount of July casino travel for which I had booked air, but hadn't followed through with accommodations ... a week long MS trip for which I depart 2 hours upon arrival back in Atlanta this coming weekend and a month-end jaunt to Reno).
So, yesterday afternoon I gritted my teeth, fired up my PC, and made first connection. We scored a 250-minute package through one of the stronger "Free at Sea" promotions. I imagined I might get about 45 minutes of "effective" online time out of that.
Two surprises right off the bat ... maybe I overlooked this before, but at login, at activation of the 250-minute plan I was presented the option to upgrade to a basic unlimited plan (no streaming) for $180, with a $125 credit for the free 250-minute package (must be opted for at activation). While I had hoped not to spend more than 60 minutes a day online, at most, that's a tight constraint when the two of us our factored. The $55 ($9/day) seemed an inexpensive "no-brainer" insurance against having to buy a discounted add-on toward the end of the cruise.
The second "delight" was apparent from first connection ... the basic connection from our room was practically as speedy and smooth as our AT&T U-verse wi-fi at home. (fwiw, an upgrade to "premium" streaming-quality internet on the ship comes at a $30/week additional cost).
We're thrilled with our experience on the Joy thus far. Most pleasing is we're enjoying the smoothest sailing I've ever encountered on a cruise ship. We-re mid-ship 14th deck and we've been oblivious to ship movement, even at initial sail and arrival.
It's a night and day difference from our previous Alaskan itinerary on NCL Star in 2011. Most notable unique feature is a ginormous observation lounge with beverage service and light buffet -- a welcome delight when sitting outside is a bit too chilly!
