Internet Purchase

Is it possible to purchase an Internet package before the cruise? I have looked at the website but see nothing that allows this. Lately, I don't trust the website!

Thank you!

I was able to purchase packages of minutes and there was a bonus for buying in advance. In the package I bought, I received 1000 minutes plus a bonus of 100 minutes for $250. They did have smaller packages.

What is available and what shows up on the website (mine is not showing any internet packages for my January cruise) are not always the same thing. Call and see what is available.

I was able to purchase packages of minutes and there was a bonus for buying in advance. In the package I bought, I received 1000 minutes plus a bonus of 100 minutes for $250. They did have smaller packages.

 

What is available and what shows up on the website (mine is not showing any internet packages for my January cruise) are not always the same thing. Call and see what is available.

 

1-800-541-1576 or 1-206-626-8602

Monday - Friday 7:00am to 5:00pm (Pacific Time)

Thanks for the great advice! I will call! I was hoping to get an unlimited package but still not available on the Koningsdam....

Thanks for the great advice! I will call! I was hoping to get an unlimited package but still not available on the Koningsdam....

How bizarre that such a new ship is using a really obsolete internet pricing structure.

I was able to purchase packages of minutes and there was a bonus for buying in advance.

The only time I have seen advance internet purchase offered was on Grand Voyages (including segments) where the minute by minute plans were offered. I don't have a clue as to how the switchover to unlimited plans is happening as the Prinsendam (which hasn't had a drydock since the changeover was announced) has the new plans while the Koningsdam apparently doesn't yet.

The most useful of the new plans is probably the Surf plan which is nominally $25 per day but heavily discounted when purchased for the entire cruise. On my 7-day Westerdam it was $99 (about $14 per day) while a Prinsendam reporter indicated it was $260 for 28 days.

I don't think you can buy wifi in advance but you can buy on board credit for the estimated amount of your bill.

Roy

How bizarre that such a new ship is using a really obsolete internet pricing structure.

Just about everything about HAL Internet is obsolete. We recently returned from 2 weeks on the Regal Princess where we got unlimited high speed (truly high speed) internet for free. This was simply because we are Elite (I think they also give it to Platinum) which is about as easy to achieve as 3 Star on HAL.

For those that paid the cost was $9.95 per day....and that was for unlimited high speed. The new high speed internet on some Princess ships is truly a big leap forward from what we get on HAL. What would take me 5 minutes on HAL internet took less then 5 seconds on Princess. HAL needs to upgrade their systems and offer decent pricing. OnPrincess we could use internet phone for free and the quality was perfect. Even bandwidth hogs like Facetime worked flawlessly. Princess call this new service "Medallion Net" and we sure hope that HAL quickly follows their lead.

Hank

We were recently on the Zaandam for a 14 day Alaska cruise.

For the first time we were offered internet that was not based on minutes [thank God!] at 3 levels of Mbps. I have forgotten all of the details, but we chose the intermediate package that cost $169 for the entire cruise, so $11+/day. My husband spends a lot of time on his laptop during our cruises doing research, etc.

Was it perfect? No, but at least we didn't waste minutes discovering that...........

Signal strength was good all over the ship, but the system is wonky when accessing email and moving around the internet.

Does anyone know if I purchase internet pre-cruise is there a discount?

Was that on a Grand Voyage?

Yes, it was.

How bizarre that such a new ship is using a really obsolete internet pricing structure.

Maybe they are comfortable asking that price because the internet actually works on a new ship? Unlike Zuiderdam.

Just about everything about HAL Internet is obsolete. We recently returned from 2 weeks on the Regal Princess where we got unlimited high speed (truly high speed) internet for free. This was simply because we are Elite (I think they also give it to Platinum) which is about as easy to achieve as 3 Star on HAL.

For those that paid the cost was $9.95 per day....and that was for unlimited high speed. The new high speed internet on some Princess ships is truly a big leap forward from what we get on HAL. What would take me 5 minutes on HAL internet took less then 5 seconds on Princess. HAL needs to upgrade their systems and offer decent pricing. OnPrincess we could use internet phone for free and the quality was perfect. Even bandwidth hogs like Facetime worked flawlessly. Princess call this new service "Medallion Net" and we sure hope that HAL quickly follows their lead.

 

Hank

Zuiderdam internet earlier this month was expensive and much worse than Dial up on Zuiderdam. It is good to hear that at least one cruise line has upgraded their internet.

Maybe they are comfortable asking that price because the internet actually works on a new ship? Unlike Zuiderdam.

 

Zuiderdam internet earlier this month was expensive and much worse than Dial up on Zuiderdam. It is good to hear that at least one cruise line has upgraded their internet.

Apparently the upgrade involved a lot of expense and they must now pay more money for better "bandwidth." But this is not just happening on Princess (where they are going to upgrade all of their ships over the next few years). RCI also offers high speed internet on some of its ships ( I think they might have been the first). But we suspect that HAL will be among the last cruise line's on earth to upgrade their internet service. We have a love/hate relationship with HAL...and when it comes to technology it leans towards the "hate" side.

Getting back to the Regal Princess, what we really found surprising was that nearly everyone would be found with a "device" in their hands. And even with 4000+ souls accessing the Internet it still worked fast. And a good percentage of the ship got that Internet service for free because of their Elite or Platinum status. ARE you Listening, HAL? sigh.

Hank

Does anyone know if I purchase internet pre-cruise is there a discount?

I called Sept 25 and asked if I could pre order a internet package for the Noordam. The agent said that packages by the minute were no longer available. All internet packages were only sold on board the ship.

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Last month I phoned HAL. They said you can't purchase the internet in advance. When you board there will be information in your room on how to purchase and log on.

There are 4 packages.

100 minutes $55

250 minutes $100

500 minutes $175

1000 minutes $250

HAL did ask which cruise I was on. It's the Oosterdam and I don't know if that makes a difference but we are doing the 26 day TA, Venice to Ft Lauderdale in October.

Last month I phoned HAL. They said you can't purchase the internet in advance. When you board there will be information in your room on how to purchase and log on.

 

There are 4 packages.

 

100 minutes $55

250 minutes $100

500 minutes $175

1000 minutes $250

 

HAL did ask which cruise I was on. It's the Oosterdam and I don't know if that makes a difference but we are doing the 26 day TA, Venice to Ft Lauderdale in October.

It totally makes a difference. The HAL ships are moving away from the obsolete "minutes" packages to unlimited packages. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that by the time you board, what you'll find available are the unlimited packages. I sure hope so. The internet on the Zuiderdam a few weeks ago was so slow that if we'd been paying by the minute it would have been even more ridiculous.

Enjoy your TA!

I believe you can only pre-purchase internet on Grand Voyages (or GV segments) and there is not a discount but a "bonus" of some type.

Thank you.

I called Sept 25 and asked if I could pre order a internet package for the Noordam. The agent said that packages by the minute were no longer available. All internet packages were only sold on board the ship.

 

 

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I hope it means it will be purchased directly from our devices. Not sure the details though.

If you do purchase the internet plan when on board, is there a way for you to check how many minutes you have consumed in your plan?...perhaps an app like Carnival's HUB app? I'm thinking about purchasing the least expensive amount of minutes just to communicate with family through email or messenger apps a few times throughout the trip. We will be on the Niuew Amsterdam if that makes a difference.

Thank you.

 

 

 

I hope it means it will be purchased directly from our devices. Not sure the details though.

On the Zuiderdam last month, we purchased an unlimited plan directly on our devices.

If you do purchase the internet plan when on board, is there a way for you to check how many minutes you have consumed in your plan?...perhaps an app like Carnival's HUB app? I'm thinking about purchasing the least expensive amount of minutes just to communicate with family through email or messenger apps a few times throughout the trip. We will be on the Niuew Amsterdam if that makes a difference.

If you are on a ship that still does the "by the minute" internet then yes, you can see how many minutes you have left. Every time you log off, it shows you how many minutes you have left along with every time you were on and how many minutes you used.

I am not sure if N Amsterdam is on by the minute or unlimited plans now. Most ships are supposed to be switched to the unlimited internet system shortly according to reports.

The NA is on unlimited now. I read a report on it.

It totally makes a difference. The HAL ships are moving away from the obsolete "minutes" packages to unlimited packages. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that by the time you board, what you'll find available are the unlimited packages. I sure hope so. The internet on the Zuiderdam a few weeks ago was so slow that if we'd been paying by the minute it would have been even more ridiculous.

 

Enjoy your TA!

It would be nice if it changes to unlimited. But we have always purchased more minutes than we've used. Then you almost feel obliged to be connected the entire last day or so just to eat up the minutes. We use those minutes only at sea and very sparingly. When in ports we use cellular or wi-fi hotspots. For the cellular, our international phone plan from AT&T is inexpensive.

And Thanks, our TA's are always enjoyable!

If you are in a NEptune suite - does that give you free internet in the Neptune lounge?

If you are in a NEptune suite - does that give you free internet in the Neptune lounge?

No it doesn't. No internet cost benefit for Neptune Suite passengers.

When we were on the Prinsendam in July, they changed from minutes to daily packages between legs of the cruise, in Amsterdam. So a drydock is not necessary for the conversion. This particular cruise went north, so lost ALL internet connection for days. The ship provided a 20% discount on packages, and those who bought minutes (like us on the first leg) were credited back 20% plus given the daily package for the rest of the cruise gratis.