Seabourn Ovation - High Speed WiFi???

for educational purposes only, not to get flamed!

1. The bandwidth is limited by technology (in this case, satellites).

2. Certain lines (NOT CARNIVAL) were in partnership with "better" satellites sooner, so their boats got fast wifi...faster.

3. Carnival is now "onboard" with the "better" satellites - but it requires new antennas. This is Time and Money.

4. Since the "mass market" Carnival brands compete directly with mass market Other Lines for the same internet-addicted generation, it makes sense to improve those ships first.

5. Seabourn will continue to charge for internet until it affects their bookings. So far, this implies that...

6. ...Somehow, someway, the generally older clients of Seabourn do not communicate PRIMARILY by wifi as kids do, and will not wilt without facebook.

7. Nothing is without cost. It's as "free" on another line as "free" excursions and "free" airfare.

Hope that helps.

for educational purposes only, not to get flamed!

 

1. The bandwidth is limited by technology (in this case, satellites).

2. Certain lines (NOT CARNIVAL) were in partnership with "better" satellites sooner, so their boats got fast wifi...faster.

3. Carnival is now "onboard" with the "better" satellites - but it requires new antennas. This is Time and Money.

4. Since the "mass market" Carnival brands compete directly with mass market Other Lines for the same internet-addicted generation, it makes sense to improve those ships first.

5. Seabourn will continue to charge for internet until it affects their bookings. So far, this implies that...

6. ...Somehow, someway, the generally older clients of Seabourn do not communicate PRIMARILY by wifi as kids do, and will not wilt without facebook.

7. Nothing is without cost. It's as "free" on another line as "free" excursions and "free" airfare.

 

Hope that helps.

Makes sense to me.

On the subject of age, I'm seeing more guests in their 40s-50s onboard than when I first started to cruise with SB, and many of us in that demographic do need to be connected for business purposes.

OTOH, many of the older guests are Diamond and D Elite so they're getting 'free' internet anyway.

SB would also need to consider Diamond members and their benefits too. Perhaps unlimited free usage of the Retreat?:evilsmile:

Even if the retreat was free, I still wouldn't use it, a poky waste of space:mad:

Even if the retreat was free, I still wouldn't use it, a poky waste of space:mad:

Hoped they'd get rid of it for Ovation. But no. :mad:

Been on Seabourn Ovation for 21 days and internet was excellent. Better than other ships in the fleet.

Perhaps those complaining should try it first!

$399 unlimited is the best option for anything over a week or 2 (although we don't have to pay that). And bear in mind that this becomes an important part of the rewards program.

The issue for ships is that unlimited wifi means users never log off or become heavy down load users, affecting everyone.

Been on Seabourn Ovation for 21 days and internet was excellent. Better than other ships in the fleet.

Perhaps those complaining should try it first!

$399 unlimited is the best option for anything over a week or 2 (although we don't have to pay that). And bear in mind that this becomes an important part of the rewards program.

The issue for ships is that unlimited wifi means users never log off or become heavy down load users, affecting everyone.

Not sure that was an issue with 4 months of unlimited wi-fi on Viking Sun. Not trying to say bad about Seabourn (we are booked on Sojourn in a few weeks) but the Carnival Corp brands will be the very last to include wi-fi like any other modern utility. Too much a corporate mindset to produce revenue streams. Ships do their business on wi-fi every day, just not the crud they sell to passengers. You can't really believe the Captain and Provisions Master have the same issues we do? Anyway, it can be done just not yet on Seabourn.

Been on Seabourn Ovation for 21 days and internet was excellent. Better than other ships in the fleet.

Perhaps those complaining should try it first!

$399 unlimited is the best option for anything over a week or 2 (although we don't have to pay that). And bear in mind that this becomes an important part of the rewards program.

The issue for ships is that unlimited wifi means users never log off or become heavy down load users, affecting everyone.

A little port blocking and traffic shaping would go a long way to curb this behavior for most passengers.

Traffic overloads, especially on ships that only have 350 pax are no longer relevant with new equipment, if they would only install it. All inclusive should mean just that. Silversea is providing free wi-fi on all ships. Seabourn needs to catch up with its competition.

Going against the trend a bit - I don’t want free Wifi on board. Happy to have a for fee service which is super fast for those who want it. One of my favourite aspects of a recent trans-Atlantic crossing was putting down the smart phone for 7 days solid.

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Your point proves why it should be free. $400 for intermittent or occasional use is a rip off, especially when the competition offers it free. Just because it’s there for free doesn’t oblige anyone to use it.

Seabourn offer free caviar other do not

They offer free drinks , some others do not

Etc Etc

You can not say because some of the so called competition do , Seabourn have to. To include free wifi would increase the price for everybody.;p

Right, dalliowner - nothing is "free" truly. Seabourn has treated the internet like the spa - pay for what you use, it's optional - instead of like the alcohol, where all fares contribute, even if not all passengers imbibe. Either way - it's not free.

But "installing" the hardware - this is not about changing routers in your basement or office. It's about switching to a new satellite network, which requires new antennae - not cheap, and not fast. Carnival has more than 100 ships in the fleet, and they will get to Seabourn sooner or later.

Seabourn offer free caviar other do not

 

They offer free drinks , some others do not

 

Etc Etc

 

You can not say because some of the so called competition do , Seabourn have to. To include free wifi would increase the price for everybody.;p

And that’s how it should be and what it means to cruise on a luxury line: everything included for everyone, no nickeling and diming on board. I don’t eat the caviar, but don’t complain about paying for yours either.

Introduction of new technology will also be slowed down by existing contracts with suppliers.

I know of at least one very large hotel chain that were and possibly still are charging for internet because their contract with the people who installed hardware in the rooms demanded it. In effect the hotel had to buy internet off the company to give to their customers.

At the time it made sense but of course technology moves on at a rapid pace.

Should it be free? Of course it should just as everything else I touch on Seabourn is, but the reality is that it isn't. We have to hand over $400 per cruise for it. With a young daughter trying to stick to a per minute plan simply isn't worth the hassle and you would resent every second you are waiting for the slow connection to load.

It forms part of the descision when choosing where to take our holidays, as do the current "offers" including a bit of free internet offset against the price of the cruise rising by £1.000 per person just before the "offer" was launched :)

We have lots of cruise companies to choose from, if you feel SB have priced themselves out of the market then book elsewhere. Simple :)

Henry :)

Introduction of new technology will also be slowed down by existing contracts with suppliers.

 

I know of at least one very large hotel chain that were and possibly still are charging for internet because their contract with the people who installed hardware in the rooms demanded it. In effect the hotel had to buy internet off the company to give to their customers.

 

At the time it made sense but of course technology moves on at a rapid pace.

 

Should it be free? Of course it should just as everything else I touch on Seabourn is, but the reality is that it isn't. We have to hand over $400 per cruise for it. With a young daughter trying to stick to a per minute plan simply isn't worth the hassle and you would resent every second you are waiting for the slow connection to load.

 

It forms part of the descision when choosing where to take our holidays, as do the current "offers" including a bit of free internet offset against the price of the cruise rising by £1.000 per person just before the "offer" was launched :)

 

We have lots of cruise companies to choose from, if you feel SB have priced themselves out of the market then book elsewhere. Simple :)

 

Henry :)

Sorry, make that a rise in price of £2,000 per person as of today, not £1,000 :) :) :)

Henry

I was on Ovation in June and wifi was acceptable. However the cost of $399 for the two week cruise was not. I do not drink and use wifi. The free wife, and more options for cabin size, are two main reasons why I would pick Viking Ocean over Seabourn if the itineraries and costs are similar.

Free Wife?

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Free Wife?

 

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well they all start free.

well they all start free.

:'):')

Don’t you hate spell check sometimes.

We were on the Quest in February to Antarctica (which went farther south than any Seabourn ship ever had) and we had great Internet connection the entire time. I was shocked actually. My expectations for Internet were really low going into it. A staff member told me that Seabourn used a dedicated satellite for the entire continent which was shared with research facilities. On the other end of the spectrum, we were on a two-week Viking Star transatlantic and the Internet was terribly sketchy. Just my experience to add to this conversation.

Free Wife?

 

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I should spend the money on a proof reader. My wife is more reliable than the wifi and I would not trade her for unlimited high speed internet!

Included wifi - whatever would this leave them with to offer their loyalty members as "perks" - another bag of washing?

The retreat wouldn't do it for us.

Makes sense to me.

 

On the subject of age, I'm seeing more guests in their 40s-50s onboard than when I first started to cruise with SB, and many of us in that demographic do need to be connected for business purposes.

OTOH, many of the older guests are Diamond and D Elite so they're getting 'free' internet anyway.

All cr use lines are now marketing to the millennial demographic since that population is their future. You would think they would take that into consideration when looking at their wifi offerings.

WiFi has a fee at many >300 per night hotels and has no fee at many "motels" so this is not something you can say is inevitably linked to how much you paid to be there.

On the other end of the spectrum, we were on a two-week Viking Star transatlantic and the Internet was terribly sketchy. Just my experience to add to this conversation.

We were on the Viking Sea on a transatlantic in April, and found the wifi fast, reliable, and quite honestly, the best we've ever experienced at sea.