What is pocket WiFi and ...

[Jan]

How does it work? What is needed to make it work?

[BevS97]

Do you mean a personal hotspot. Where you use your mobile phone to make a Wi-fi ‘bubble’ that you can connect a laptop or other device too.

You can also get a device tHays not a phone but works in the same way as a phone which will do the same thing. It uses a mobile phone signal to create a wifi signal.

The easiest option is to use your smartphone. It’s probably got the facility built in

[Jan]

Bev, I was reading about one of these on cruisecritic. A cruiser used one whilst sailing around Japan. Most of his voyage was not too far from shore and this is an explanation.

My ship sails around Japan several months every year.
I and many of my crew buy or rent pocket WIFI devices to allow us to have inexpensive internet access most (not ALL) of the time we are sailing in Japanese waters. Yes, it is true that these devices connect with shore-based cell towers. The signal coverage is "line of sight". Most ships sailing around Japan rarely sail far enough away from land to lose that coverage.
Every voyage on sea days, we see our Japanese guests with their mobile telephones on the outside decks, connecting to shore towers, chatting with friends.


I wanted to work out if this would be suitable for our upcoming cruise.

[blusteryday]

There is also MiFi...basically does the same thing as above but isn't a phone.

All the big mobile providers offer Mifi products.

[Jan]

So how does MiFi work please. I am lost without internet but our DGS would benefit from having internet access even more than me. However, I believe that P&O charge around £8 per day for internet. 😮

He would be OK using his phone but using an iPad would be more preferable.

[blusteryday]

Originally Posted by Jan

So how does MiFi work please. I am lost without internet but our DGS would benefit from having internet access even more than me. However, I believe that P&O charge around £8 per day for internet. 😮

He would be OK using his phone but using an iPad would be more preferable.

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Like any mobile, do check how much it would cost to use Mifi abroad as it uses the same system as mobile phones.

[BevS97]

Where are you cruising? It depends if you are close enough to shore to get a mobile phone signal. If you are in europe mobile data is included in your package but elsewhere you will have to pay for roaming data which may be expensive.

[Jan]

Southampton to Hamburg to Amsterdam to Le Havre and back home.

[BevS97]

So when you are close enough to shore to use the pocket Wi-fi / MiFi you can just use your phone. If you pick up a maritime signal it will be very expensive so don’t use it then. This would be the same for the Mifi.

When I went on the ferry to Amsterdam we had a signal for about an hour leaving port and an hour before we docked in the morning. Overnight it was a maritime signal.


To be honest for £8/day I’d pay it for peace of mind. If your grandson does use his phone at the wrong time it will be an expensive mistake.

[Jan]

I think you are right Bev. Thank you.