Internet cost has increased

[Schooner Bar Girl]

Hey there everyone. Just thought that I would let you all know that the internet cost per minute has increased. It was 55¢ per minute but it has now increased to 65¢ per minute. Just off a B2B and noticed that the 2nd week it changed. The first week (April 4th) it was 55¢ per minute but the 2nd week (April 11th) it changed to 65¢ per minute.:eek::(

[aloha of the seas]

How much did they increase the bulk or volume rates?

[PrincesScuba]

Hey there everyone. Just thought that I would let you all know that the internet cost per minute has increased. It was 55¢ per minute but it has now increased to 65¢ per minute. Just off a B2B and noticed that the 2nd week it changed. The first week (April 4th) it was 55¢ per minute but the 2nd week (April 11th) it changed to 65¢ per minute.:eek::(

Did they put any notice in the cabins, via Cruise Compass or anything else?

[madforcruising]

How much did they increase the bulk or volume rates?

 

This was posted on April 20th:

 

New Wi-Fi Rates as of last week.

The cost for Wi-Fi access through your own laptop is:

Base rate is $.65 per minute or choose from one of our prepaid packages:

$35 for 60 minutes

$55 for 100 minutes

$75 for 150 minutes

$100 for 250 minutes

$150 for 500 minutes

[madforcruising]

While I understand it´s expensive to run satellite connections it´s rather hard to understand how cost for landbased internet keeps getting cheaper and internet onboard gets more and more expensive. :rolleyes:

 

 

 

Having said this in the past I´ve always found the Internet on RCI to be cheaper than on other lines, so maybe they are just catching up:(

 

Unfortunately I will still use it.

 

It would be nice if they could improve the speed and stability with the price increase as well.:cool:

[NorbertsNiece]

Tut.

 

That's all I have to say.

 

And sigh.

[bplazo]

While I understand it´s expensive to run satellite connections it´s rather hard to understand how cost for landbased internet keeps getting cheaper and internet onboard gets more and more expensive. :rolleyes:

 

 

 

Having said this in the past I´ve always found the Internet on RCI to be cheaper than on other lines, so maybe they are just catching up:(

 

Unfortunately I will still use it.

 

It would be nice if they could improve the speed and stability with the price increase as well.:cool:

 

If they increased the speed they would lose revenue.

[madforcruising]

If they increased the speed they would lose revenue.

 

They could increase the speed just sooo little, that they still make more money with the price increase, or in other words with the price increase people have still spend more money even when using less time;)

[madforcruising]

I´m wondering where I could get a "www runner" to smuggle my own Internet onboard and will it be detected by the scanners.;)

[marci22]

I know they're looking for more revenue but that just seems so unimaginative...maybe charge people who get more than 5 toppings on the salad because it holds up the line.

 

Actually if they just had computers that worked they'd make more money; half of them are usually out of order.

[bobmacliberty]

I´m wondering where I could get a "www runner" to smuggle my own Internet onboard and will it be detected by the scanners.;)

Maybe you can smuggle on a really long ethernet cable and discretely feed it out over the side of your balcony. :D

 

Seriously, although this may be giving Royal too much credit, maybe they have upgraded their onboard equipment so that you do get a faster and more reliable connection. As madforcruising said, that could make things revenue neutral. Has anyone ever tried to see what bandwidth they were previously getting so that we can compare now?

[madforcruising]

Maybe you can smuggle on a really long ethernet cable and discretely feed it out over the side of your balcony. :D

 

I saw some WLAN cable offered on ebay for a really good price, you think I should buy it;)

 

Seriously, although this may be giving Royal too much credit, maybe they have upgraded their onboard equipment so that you do get a faster and more reliable connection. As madforcruising said, that could make things revenue neutral. Has anyone ever tried to see what bandwidth they were previously getting so that we can compare now?

 

Using WiFi I usually got connection speeds of around 11Mbps.

[Bookish Angel]

I go to a Internet cafe in port and support the local economy at drastically reduced rates. I try to go where gamers go as those connections are very fast.

[csk]

I have been told that Royal Caribbean does not own the internet service, that it is leased out to another company, and they have no control over it. Just returned from the Oasis, and have to say it seemed to be a lot faster than usual, but the internal rooms are on deck 7 and deck 9 in this tiny tiny room, could not hardly find it. I think about six computer in each one.

[BroncosFan2010]

I´m wondering where I could get a "www runner" to smuggle my own Internet onboard and will it be detected by the scanners.;)

 

 

LOL I am sure someone has figured out a way to beat the system and get free wi-fi....

[BroncosFan2010]

One of the great things about cruising is getting away from the internet, cell phones, and technology/people in general. They can raise the prices all they want, if people think they need it enough, they will pay for it. I on the other hand, will be RELAXING on my cruise, internet free and more money in my pocket.

[madforcruising]

I go to a Internet cafe in port and support the local economy at drastically reduced rates. I try to go where gamers go as those connections are very fast.

 

 

I´ve done that on occasion and if you take your laptop / netbook you can even find cafes with free WIFI.

To be honest in most cases my port time is too precious to spend online. I only use it check emails and get in touch with family back home anyway. Everything else can wait and I can do that easily from the ship without spending a fortune.

[madforcruising]

LOL I am sure someone has figured out a way to beat the system and get free wi-fi....

 

Unless they have changed the system I sort of have:D

[madforcruising]

One of the great things about cruising is getting away from the internet, cell phones, and technology/people in general. They can raise the prices all they want, if people think they need it enough, they will pay for it. I on the other hand, will be RELAXING on my cruise, internet free and more money in my pocket.

 

 

I agree, to me the Internet is the best way to stay in touch and yes I will pay for it. It´s still cheaper / more convenient to call home once in a while.

[canucks4]

DH & I are a two-person business which is great when he decides to go on vacation because I go too!! But, it's such that we can't just "shut it down" for a week or two, so we are "those" people who must keep in touch with our business (as nobody else will!) and do some correspondence and maintenance while we are away. I love it because it presents the best of both worlds, we can travel and do business at the same time.

 

That said I will pay what we need to in order to cruise and maintain our business, so if has rise to 65 per minute that's ok, we'll pay what we need to in order to enjoy this lifestyle.

 

My problem is that the servers are so extraordinarily slow and unreliable. As Mad for Cruising noted, in this technological age of immediate information and satellites everywhere, I have difficulty understanding why the connections are so poor.

 

I am curious as to why this is - actual technlogy aboard the "state of the art" ships, or the will to make it work.

 

Any tekkies out there to help us understand the problem?

[jmezmom]

Just off Radiance 2 days ago........the internet was awful.

 

The speed was slow, system was down for hours at a time but they did do credits when we asked.

 

Used the internet cafes in port for a few dollars an hour.

 

FYI........kids club after hours also went up $! per hour.

[doubletree07]

One of the great things about cruising is getting away from the internet, cell phones, and technology/people in general. They can raise the prices all they want, if people think they need it enough, they will pay for it. I on the other hand, will be RELAXING on my cruise, internet free and more money in my pocket.

 

Like you said BroncoFan. :) Good Lord, cruisers managed without it years back. That's one reason most people go on vacation - to get away from it all. Unless used for business purposes, why would someone pay to read most likely meaningless e-mails? :confused::rolleyes:

[morganboys]

I'm on vacation and enjoying my cruise. why do I want to play on the internet? Business? I leave business at the gate as soon as I board the plane. Its vacation time baby!!!

[thinfool]

 

Any tekkies out there to help us understand the problem?

 

One relatively small bandwidth connection for:

 

1. All the pax that want to do email, shop, browse, read the CC boards.

2. All the crewmembers that want to do email, shop, browse, read whatever.

3. All the ships business (purser, HR, stores, maintenance) that is necessary.

4. Pitching ship, rolling ship, ship underway at 20 knots, stationary satellite. Lost signal, found signal, signal locked in, signal lost, looking for signal (rinse, dry, repeat). :D

 

You might get 11 mb on your wireless from your laptop to the onboard server, but, IMO, you will never see anything close to that in the uplink/downlink to the satellite. As others have noted...more like dialup.

[RayJacki]

I go to a Internet cafe in port and support the local economy at drastically reduced rates. I try to go where gamers go as those connections are very fast.

 

We've had good luck going where the crew goes - close to the pier , cheap, and fast connection speed.