Connecting to cruise ship's wi-fi?

[exxxviii]

Let's ignore the login issue for now. Just for the sake of argument.

Let's say I walk around the ship and my phone connects to every possible IP address. Hypothetically would it work?

I probably did not fully answer your question here...

If your phone gets on the ship's WiFi, and you always carry it around with you, then the watch should work 100%. This is true, since the watch would be connected to the phone through Bluetooth.

However, if you want to leave the phone in your room and wear the watch, your likely best case scenario is that the watch could get iMessages and other things that are possible with Internet-only access. It may be able to receive phone calls through WiFi calling. But it would not likely get email notifications.

 

[lirn8]

Cancel the F**** cruise man

 

[artfossil]

Cancel the F**** cruise man

I'm still bemused by the disconnect between "I need to be connected to my work at all cost" and "to carry around my phone is an inconvenience."

 

[Recognition]

Wouldn't it be just the same as hotel wifi?

 

[SamGabbay]

Wouldn't it be just the same as hotel wifi?

Normally I would agree with you, but being that the nature of the WiFi is that it is everywhere on the ship with different access points, it kind of the same but not.

 

[SamGabbay]

I'm still bemused by the disconnect between "I need to be connected to my work at all cost" and "to carry around my phone is an inconvenience."

What's to be bemused about? If I can have my Watch on me, it is more convenient than carrying around my phone. It would be easier to check my Watch in these following conditions. Wouldn't you agree?

 

[fieldsphotos]

Its not going to work if you leave your phone in your cabin. There will be some form of website login page required to connect that will prevent your watch from using wifi since it won't be able to accept the terms. Royal Caribbean controls access by device, so the watch will look like a separate device which will require separate authentication.

It's the same at many hotels, etc. If there is a website login, the watch won't be able to use it in my experience.

 

[exxxviii]

Wouldn't it be just the same as hotel wifi?

Yes, it would likely be almost exactly like a hotel WiFi.

 

[Recognition]

Normally I would agree with you, but being that the nature of the WiFi is that it is everywhere on the ship with different access points, it kind of the same but not.

Hmm, so is wifi in hotels though?
You can log in through their web page, then be connected in the lobby, the restaurant, at the bar, in your room, down by the pool etc... Theres got to be more than one access point to cover a large hotel?
I'd imagine it would be a similar setup on a cruise ship?

 

[SamGabbay]

Hmm, so is wifi in hotels though?
You can log in through their web page, then be connected in the lobby, the restaurant, at the bar, in your room, down by the pool etc... Theres got to be more than one access point to cover a large hotel?
I'd imagine it would be a similar setup on a cruise ship?

A hotel is not in the middle of the ocean...

 

[Recognition]

A hotel is not in the middle of the ocean...

I don't think that's got anything to do with wifi...

 

[exxxviii]

A hotel is not in the middle of the ocean...

It is likely identical to a hotel because the on-premise infrastructure is likely to be identical: dozens of managed access points and an authentication server with an edge router that connects to the public Internet. The principal difference between a hotel and a ship is how the Internet is connected. In a hotel, it is a wired connection. In ship, it would be satellite or long-range terrestrial radio. But, the Internet connection would not impact the on-premise WiFi access behaviors.

 

[artfossil]

Nope,

What's to be bemused about? If I can have my Watch on me, it is more convenient than carrying around my phone. It would be easier to check my Watch in these following conditions. Wouldn't you agree?

Nope, simply because I don't consider any of those activities consistent with "I need to be connected to work at all cost."
But then, I wouldn't consider cruising consistent with that need either.
And really, I'd never consider a cruise, and generally want to be as disconnected as possible when I'm on holiday, so I should have kept my opinion to myself.

 

[parseckadet]

Hmm, so is wifi in hotels though?
You can log in through their web page, then be connected in the lobby, the restaurant, at the bar, in your room, down by the pool etc... Theres got to be more than one access point to cover a large hotel?
I'd imagine it would be a similar setup on a cruise ship?

I'm thinking the same limitations will prevent using the watch in a hotel as well. When you go to that HTML page and click agree, it adds the MAC address of the device onto the network. The problem is, the watch will have a different MAC address than the phone. So, if you leave your phone in your hotel room, then go down to the bar, your watch won't be able to access the network because its MAC address is not permitted to join.

OP, not sure what you expect to do if you do get an email or something that you do need to respond to and you don't have your phone with you (assuming things did actually work). My experience with work related issues while on vacation is that if I need to respond, Siri isn't going to get the job done. So you'll end up having to schlep back to your cabin to reply to even the most simple request. You might be better off just keeping your phone with you anyway.

 

[SamGabbay]

I thinking the same limitations will prevent using the watch in a hotel as well. When you go to that HTML page and click agree, it adds the MAC address of the device onto the network. The problem is, the watch will have a difference MAC address than the phone. So, if you leave your phone in your hotel room, then go down to the bar, your watch won't be able to access the network because its MAC address is not permitted to join.

OP, not sure what you expect to do if you do get an email or something that you do need to respond to and you don't have your phone with you (assuming things did actually work). My experience with work related issues while on vacation is that if I need to respond, Siri isn't going to get the job done. So you'll end up having to schlep back to your cabin to reply to even the most simple request. You might be better off just keeping your phone with you anyway.

Emergency related issues.

 

[parseckadet]

Emergency related issues.

Still not sure what use it will be. What emergency can be effectively dealt with using the watch? If it's truly an emergency you'll wish you had your phone.

 

[SamGabbay]

Still not sure what use it will be. What emergency can be effectively dealt with using the watch? If it's truly an emergency you'll wish you had your phone.

Emergency that only my watch can handle. Like an emergency Tapping or heartbeat sessions.

 

[parseckadet]

Emergency that only my watch can handle. Like an emergency Tapping or heartbeat sessions.

Your work sends you taps and heartbeats in emergencies?

 

[SamGabbay]

Your work sends you taps and heartbeats in emergencies?

I don't judge the way you work

 

[AppleB]

What type of tap or heart beat would be an emergency?

 

[Recognition]

I'm thinking the same limitations will prevent using the watch in a hotel as well. When you go to that HTML page and click agree, it adds the MAC address of the device onto the network. The problem is, the watch will have a different MAC address than the phone. So, if you leave your phone in your hotel room, then go down to the bar, your watch won't be able to access the network because its MAC address is not permitted to join....

Yup agreed, I should of made it clear I meant your phone (or device) will be connected to the hotel/cruise ship wifi wherever you go that's in range.

I fully expect the watch to not be able to connect to any public wifi that requires a user name and password to join.

I wish it would though as central London is almost covered by '_the cloud' public wifi!

 

[jhill-evans]

When are you going on Athems? I'm going on this ship 27th to New York and wondering if it will work. I see that it won't now though.

The ship was in Southampton at the weekend.

What's to be bemused about? If I can have my Watch on me, it is more convenient than carrying around my phone. It would be easier to check my Watch in these following conditions. Wouldn't you agree?

 

[fieldsphotos]

A hotel is not in the middle of the ocean...

A hotel is not in the middle of an ocean. And your Apple Watch won't connect to your phone at the pool of the hotel either if you leave your phone in your room.

Have you travelled with your watch yet? I haven't gotten mine to work on any wifi at hotels, airports, etc because they all require a website to accept terms or log in. The watch just isn't capable of doing that.


I suspect you will have to compromise and bring your phone with you on the ship to maintain connectivity with work.

 

[phpmaven]

It is likely identical to a hotel because the on-premise infrastructure is likely to be identical: dozens of managed access points and an authentication server with an edge router that connects to the public Internet. The principal difference between a hotel and a ship is how the Internet is connected. In a hotel, it is a wired connection. In ship, it would be satellite or long-range terrestrial radio. But, the Internet connection would not impact the on-premise WiFi access behaviors.

While that's all true, how would the watch be able to function independently of the phone if it's unable to login to the cruise ship's html authentication page? Even if it was somehow able to function for a time after you logged in with your phone, which I doubt, the connection would time out and you wouldn't be able to login again.

 

[SamGabbay]

Everyone. I have very sad news. I was in Best Buy. I connected my phone to the wifi and I was presented with the HTML login page to accept the terms. I then proceeded to put my phone on airplane mode. It did not work.