Platinum Member Internet benefit

[Embracedbylife]

Hi, I'm a new platinum member - will be going on my first cruise using platinum benefits in February.

 

Could someone explain to me how the internet credit works? I've actually never used the internet on the ship before, but would be interested in the credit and potentially using the internet cafe to check my email a few times during our cruise if we have a credit! thanks!

[Toto2Kansas]

7 Day cruise?

[Embracedbylife]

sorry yes, 7 day cruise :)

[Toto2Kansas]

Right on the Princess website under Captain's Circle Benefits.

$75 for voyages of 7 days or less (equivalent to 150 minute package)

$100 for voyages of 8-20 days (equivalent to 250 minute package)

$200 for voyages of 21 or more days (equivalent to two 250 minute packages)

[Nebr.cruiser]

We just turned Platinum on our December cruise. It was a 10 nighter, so we had more minutes than you, but it will work the same.

 

We brought our laptop and had decent connection in our room. We went to the internet cafe the first day and they gave us a sheet with information on how to log on the first time--I can't remember all the details, but it wasn't hard, just took a little time.

 

After that we just did a regular log-in, following the instructions given. The minutes were charged to our ship board account, then credited back to us up to the amount of minutes we received.

 

This all showed up on the final bill--since we didn't even quite use up my husband's 100 minutes, there was no charge. If we had used up all of his, then I had another 100 minutes we could have used. You can check easily how many minutes you have used on the Princess login site and it's a good idea to do that each day because if you go over inadvertently the extra minutes will have a charge.

 

I assume it works the same way in the internet cafe.

[Minoushka]

If you purchase your minutes on the first day they will give you extra minutes .You get charged then they - the cost .Very convenient .Sometimes connections are slow but email on ship is COOL .Now both my son and I are platinum ...double the minutes

[Embracedbylife]

Thanks so do I have to register the $75 credit or is it automatic? Do I have to pay for a package and then get the additional credit? I am basically just hoping to get about 20 min's of free internet access if possible with my credit. Will it show up on the folio as a credit or will the credit not show up until the final day when we go to make payment?

[cab519]

It should be automatic if your Ship Board card is Platinum.

As mentioned, you get up to $75 of internet, so you can choose

100 minutes @ $ 0.75 / minute = $75.00, without a package.

150 minute package = $75.00

Hence, you are best to sign up for the package, as the net cost is 0, and you get 150 minutes vs. 100 minutes without a package.

If you use under the $75.00 (under the no package plan as above), you don't get the leftover dollars!.

Sign up the first day for the package, and you may get extra minutes as well (seems to vary from ship to ship, sailing to sailing).

if you buy the package, you will see a charge on your account for $75.00, then a credit for the same, net $0.00. Make sure the credit is there before disembarking.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Lisa,

 

You go to the computers on board and actually purchase the package, and then if you look at your master bill the next day there is a credit for the same amount. Don;t forget-if you and husband/other are both Platinum, you both get the free package!

[rdsqrl]

If you purchase your minutes on the first day they will give you extra minutes . . .

They do not give you extra minutes if you sign up for the package that equals your free number of minutes. If you sign up for a larger package, then yes, you do get those extra minutes.

[Embracedbylife]

thanks everyone. sounds like i'll just sign up for the $75 package then when i get onboard and keep an eye out for the credit! Appreciate your info!

[debr]

They do not give you extra minutes if you sign up for the package that equals your free number of minutes. If you sign up for a larger package, then yes, you do get those extra minutes.

 

Actually it depends on the ship. Last week I was on Grand and signed up the first day for the package (platinum = 250 minutes, 11 day cruise) and they gave me an extra 30 minutes:)

 

Debr

[Rockymountainsparky]

Lisacolle, I noticed on your signature, you have four Princess cruises listed. You don't become platinum until after your fifth cruise (That's the situation I'm in except our next cruise, we'll be in a full suite). Hope you have a great time.:D

[rdsqrl]

Actually it depends on the ship. Last week I was on Grand and signed up the first day for the package (platinum = 250 minutes, 11 day cruise) and they gave me an extra 30 minutes:)

 

Debr

That's great -- how lucky for you! That must be the last Internet Cafe manager in the fleet doing so, based on other reports here. I know the guy on the Coral wouldn't do it. Of course, he was totally useless in every respect, especially if it involved actual effort on his part.

[1 HappyCruiser]

The Internet Cafe manager on the Ruby told me that it was entirely up to his digression weather or not to apply the extra minutes and it was much easier for him to apply it to everyone (Elite, Platinum & otherwise signing up on the first day) then to have to double check which people do not get them. Different ships, different rules.

[kywildcatfanone]

If you purchase your minutes on the first day they will give you extra minutes .You get charged then they - the cost .Very convenient .Sometimes connections are slow but email on ship is COOL .Now both my son and I are platinum ...double the minutes

 

This is not true across the board. We took our first cruise as platinum this past Christmas on the Crown and I went down to the internet cafe on the first day and spoke to the manager to sign up for the $75 package and get bonus minutes, and he told me that bonus minutes were not for platinum and above, and we did not get them.

I think this is a ship by ship, manager by manager decision.

 

Mike

[Phyljim]

I have never received the extra minutes for signing up on the first day. I have asked on each ship, and answer is 'oh no, you don't get it when you use your free package'. Was on the Grand over the holidays...and he said absolutely not. But then......I interrupted him, could see his screen and he was doing emails. Waited some while before I spoke, he had been ignoring me.

[Ula]

That's great -- how lucky for you! That must be the last Internet Cafe manager in the fleet doing so, based on other reports here. I know the guy on the Coral wouldn't do it. Of course, he was totally useless in every respect, especially if it involved actual effort on his part.

 

I noticed that on our Coral Panama Canal cruise also. That guy I swear was sitting there to eat his lunch. He would not even answer a simple question.

[debr]

That's great -- how lucky for you! That must be the last Internet Cafe manager in the fleet doing so, based on other reports here. I know the guy on the Coral wouldn't do it. Of course, he was totally useless in every respect, especially if it involved actual effort on his part.

 

Actually the fella at the desk told me no extra minutes since I was Platinum. I went ahead and signed in on one of the computers and the next day the 30 extra minutes appeared:rolleyes: Debr

[Nebr.cruiser]

Yes, you buy whatever package gives you the minutes you get free, then they are creditied back to you. We 'bought' the minutes from our laptop in our room.

[caribill]

Not mentioned so far is that if you are Platinum or Elite and sign up for the Internet, the $3.95 sighup fee is also waved.

 

By the way, in the past when they did give the extra minutes to those signing up for a "free" package, they showed up immediately, not a day later.

 

More on the mechanics of signing up:

Either in the Internet Cafe or on your own notebook/netbook, you will initially be asked to sign in using your 1st initial, last name, and cabin number (Examle: JSmithR515) and your birthday as the initial password.

One it knows you are you, it will ask what package, if any, you want to purchase. It will also ask for you to pick a new password.

 

Any time you sign off, it will tell you how many minutes remain if you have bought a package. (If signing off on your own laptop/netbook, you must use a web address of 1.1.1.1 or your minutes will continue to be used.)

 

Whenever you sign on again, it will ask for the same name as originally (JSmithR515) and the password you created. It will then tell you how many minutes remain in your package and ask if you want to purchase more.

[Embracedbylife]

So it sounds like I can just go on and use it as I go and get the charges as I go too - instead of the package and then they'll credit me up to $75 for Platinum for 7 days.

 

I likely will only check my email once every couple days for about 5 min's each time totalling about 30 min's max. Should I just pay as I go and get the credit as I go, or buy the package or does it really matter? thanks again!

[Toto2Kansas]

So it sounds like I can just go on and use it as I go and get the charges as I go too - instead of the package and then they'll credit me up to $75 for Platinum for 7 days.

 

I likely will only check my email once every couple days for about 5 min's each time totalling about 30 min's max. Should I just pay as I go and get the credit as I go, or buy the package or does it really matter? thanks again!

 

Since no part of the $75 internet credit is refundable to your shipboard account, I would just spend it on a package, use whatever minutes you need of it, and don't worry about the rest.

[caribill]

So it sounds like I can just go on and use it as I go and get the charges as I go too - instead of the package and then they'll credit me up to $75 for Platinum for 7 days.

 

I likely will only check my email once every couple days for about 5 min's each time totalling about 30 min's max. Should I just pay as I go and get the credit as I go, or buy the package or does it really matter? thanks again!

 

Just purchase the $75 package. You get more minutes this way if you find you need to use them (connection us often slow, and your 5 minutes each time may easily turn into ten).

 

If you don't use all the minutes, well it cost you no more ($0) than if you did use them.

[Embracedbylife]

This makes sense! So I'll go for the package :)