Eclipse - Internet - 14 day cruise

Hi,

We are weighing the pros/cons of adding the internet package to our 14 night cruise with the go better promotion vs paying once we are on board. We really don't need 2 unlimited internet, we can certainly share one without any difficulty.

I've checked out the pricing options for our cruse, and they only show one price for unlimited at 287. We are select members, so it appears we will qualify for 25% internet discount. Does anyone know if the price shown pre cruise is the same once onboard? Does anyone have pricing for internet minute packages, vs unlimited, which is the only price I seem to be able to find. I've done a few internet searches to see if I can find a comprehensive pricing sheet for internet, but all I ever find is mention of the unlimited and the one price for unlimited under our cruise planning options.

Thanks

In my experience the price on board is slightly higher. In order to get your discount you must call and order if you want to buy it at the current price. When you call they can apply your Select Discount; I was not able to apply the discount if I tried to buy the package through the Cruise Planner on-line.

I haven't seen much offered in the way of packages of minutes. I have seen a 60 consecutive minute offering and a 24 hr offering-both way too high priced in IMHO.

If there are other packages maybe someone else can chime in.

My cruise on MILLI Dec 2017 only had the unlimited available.

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The on-board price would be $319 for your 14-day cruise. However, they typically have a BOGO half off promo in the first couple of days on board, but YMMV.

We sailed on the Eclipse in August. "Xcelerate - High speed internet at sea". Celebrity claims you can Skype and stream movies. All we wanted to do was check our email and send a couple of pics to family. It was the slowest and worst internet we have ever experienced on any ship. The speed made dial up look fast. It took forever to just download email, if you could even connect. We have T-Mobile which has free international data and text. That worked out much better for us on shore. Save yourself the frustration and money. Get an international phone plan and use it or free wifi onshore.

Who wants to WAIT until you are ashore to check email?

We sailed on the Eclipse in August. "Xcelerate - High speed internet at sea". Celebrity claims you can Skype and stream movies. All we wanted to do was check our email and send a couple of pics to family. It was the slowest and worst internet we have ever experienced on any ship. The speed made dial up look fast. It took forever to just download email, if you could even connect. We have T-Mobile which has free international data and text. That worked out much better for us on shore. Save yourself the frustration and money. Get an international phone plan and use it or free wifi onshore.

I do remember those dial up speed days, but we just got off a 21 day run with unlimited internet and it actually at times parallel my home service.

Our longest has been an 8 day cruise. At that length we forgo the internet altogether on board and check email in port once or twice. Not sure if I'd be able to do that on, say, a transatlantic that we're looking at.

Also FYI, it has been our experience on 14 day cruises that they typically offer special pricing half-way through the cruise (typically half the price, but I imagine that can vary). Depending on what ports you are visiting where you may be able to find free Wi-Fi, and however many minutes you may get as a Captains Club member, you may want to wait until later in your cruise and then sign up then. Some people want/need to be connected all the time so that is a different situation. We are kind of spoiled as DH and I each get 240 minutes each from our Captains Club status so between that and in ports we can afford to wait until mid-cruise to decide.

First thing I do is power down the devices & pop them in the safe & just unhook

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First thing I do is power down the devices & pop them in the safe & just unhook

 

 

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There is certainly something to be said for that! When I was still working that was one of the great benefits of cruising - that the office could not reach me. My relatives had the ship emergency number and somehow my (adult) kids can figure out how to manage without me for a week or two. It was so much more relaxing that way! I know internet has made it easier to travel for people who really do need to be in touch, but I often long for those days. DH does not have the self-control to completely turn off things for the length of the cruise so I confess I get caught up in catching up myself:)

First thing I do is power down the devices & pop them in the safe & just unhook

 

 

UBETCHA!

First thing I do is power down the devices & pop them in the safe & just unhook

 

 

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That would be nice, but I have found Internet access is essential on cruises, not continuous, but about 15 minutes a day.

Why?

a) communications with tour operators before reaching their ports

b) ability to receive credit card company e-mails when they think a charge is suspect (and freeze the account) even though they were told about the countries being visited

c) paying bills that come due during the cruise and which arrive after the cruise has started.

That would be nice, but I have found Internet access is essential on cruises, not continuous, but about 15 minutes a day.

 

 

Why?

 

a) communications with tour operators before reaching their ports

b) ability to receive credit card company e-mails when they think a charge is suspect (and freeze the account) even though they were told about the countries being visited

c) paying bills that come due during the cruise and which arrive after the cruise has started.

We learned early on to use only certain cards when we travel - even if not overseas. We still notify the card company and always my bank as well. Then I set up bill pay in advance. Hasn't failed us yet. ;)

On our cruise last year I opted for the internet package so I could follow the World Series (as a Cub fan I did not plan well).

I added internet before we sailed to qualify for a Captain's Club discount. I was told that the discount may not apply if I added internet on-board. I believe I added the package via a phone call.

While the internet connection was too slow to stream the games live, I could follow along just fine with the Gamecast. Audio worked fine as well.

I did find it cumbersome to activate and log in. I ended up going to their computer room (whatever it is called) and the tech wizards there helped me step by step set up and activate. Once I did that, logging on and off various devices was simple.

I'm looking forward to not accessing the internet during our next cruise (in January).

On our cruise last year I opted for the internet package so I could follow the World Series (as a Cub fan I did not plan well). I added internet before we sailed to qualify for a Captain's Club discount. I was told that the discount may not apply if I added internet on-board. I believe I added the package via a phone call. While the internet connection was too slow to stream the games live, I could follow along just fine with the Gamecast. Audio worked fine as well. I did find it cumbersome to activate and log in. I ended up going to their computer room (whatever it is called) and the tech wizards there helped me step by step set up and activate. Once I did that, logging on and off various devices was simple. I'm looking forward to not accessing the internet during our next cruise (in January).

X's internet speed has improved dramatically in recent years. Have used Xcellerate on five X ships in the past two years with uniformly good results. Need to remember that high speed internet was not designed into these ships as new builds, only done later as retrofit. There are hot spots, slow spots and dead spots. Signal strength is good in public areas, cabins are less consistent.