Internet time plan

[janeba]

Can someone help me I am a Gold Member on Cunard apparently and I have searched the forum but I can't find how I actually get the service for the two hours?

Do I just use it and hope they don't charge me or am I missing something?

Thank you for your help!

[Cruachan]

Can someone help me I am a Gold Member on Cunard apparently and I have searched the forum but I can't find how I actually get the service for the two hours?

Do I just use it and hope they don't charge me or am I missing something?

Thank you for your help!

 

Yes, that's exactly how it works. Just sign up for whatever plan suits your requirements. When you purchase the plan you swipe your cruise card and the computer makes the link to your WC membership. The cost of the plan is charged to your account and the free time accruing from your WC membership is automatically deducted. I have found the system to be reliable and efficient and have never had a problem.

 

J

[Underwatr]

You have to sign up for a package that's at least as expensive as your eligibility - that is, if you're Gold sign up for the 2-hour package rather than just pay-as-you-go. The package and the World Club discount show up as two different transactions. Sometimes it takes a couple of days for the discount to register but I haven't had to do anything for it to eventually show up.

[Cruachan]

You have to sign up for a package that's at least as expensive as your eligibility - that is, if you're Gold sign up for the 2-hour package rather than just pay-as-you-go. The package and the World Club discount show up as two different transactions. Sometimes it takes a couple of days for the discount to register but I haven't had to do anything for it to eventually show up.

 

Underwatr - you've been on board a lot more recently than I have. Is there still a difference between using the internet packages in the computer centre and signing up for an account to use a laptop in your cabin? I seem to recall that there was some issue about the free time not being applicable for the in-cabin, pas as you go option.

 

J

[Norfolk Brit]

You have to sign up for a package that's at least as expensive as your eligibility - that is, if you're Gold sign up for the 2-hour package rather than just pay-as-you-go. The package and the World Club discount show up as two different transactions. Sometimes it takes a couple of days for the discount to register but I haven't had to do anything for it to eventually show up.

 

Is this a new policy? As I don't use the internet much on board, I have always just rolled down to the computer room, signed into a computer and the free time has been deducted from the on board account on a pay as you go basis.

 

Mary

[Underwatr]

Underwatr - you've been on board a lot more recently than I have. Is there still a difference between using the internet packages in the computer centre and signing up for an account to use a laptop in your cabin? I seem to recall that there was some issue about the free time not being applicable for the in-cabin, pas as you go option.

 

J

I've used the World Club complimentary Internet package exclusively on a laptop in my room. Before I had World Club minutes I used the computer center with a small time package (15 minutes or so was offered as a special toward the end of a trip) and the sign on/sign off process was the same as using my own computer.

Is this a new policy? As I don't use the internet much on board, I have always just rolled down to the computer room, signed into a computer and the free time has been deducted from the on board account on a pay as you go basis.

Maybe I'm mistaken, but it was my understanding that to get (for example) the complimentary 2-hour package applied to your Internat usage you had to sign up for that package on your first use. If you just went minute-by-minute I thought it wasn't necssarily applied. But I only got that impression from what I read here.

 

If you haven't purchased the appropriate package how do you know when you're about to run out of the complimentary allotment of time?

[Norfolk Brit]

If you haven't purchased the appropriate package how do you know when you're about to run out of the complimentary allotment of time?

 

Not online for long enough to worry about it. In fact, they must owe me several free hours:D.

 

Mary

[silvaner]

If you haven't purchased the appropriate package how do you know when you're about to run out of the complimentary allotment of time?

 

You can only access your benefit by signing up for a plan that is at least as long as your benefit. The only indication that you are running out of time is to check minutes used and remaining when you log out your session. If you run out of minutes while you are on the internet you are charge the minute to minute rate until you log out. So you need a watch or have good sense of time.

[trevgbb]

on my last cruise, Oct 2011, I forgot about the free minutes and logged on in cabin payg, nice surprise to see fees deducted on final ac.

[Underwatr]

Based on how/when the charge for the package is offset (e.g., often several days later) I suspect that it's all a manual process, hence the confusion about what's really required.

[pnhmrk]

I have always just rolled down to the computer room, signed into a computer and the free time has been deducted from the on board account on a pay as you go basis.

 

The CWC gives you a credit equivalent to the cost of a package for the number of hours you are entitled to at your WC level. If you wish to take this as pay-as-you-go you will get a lot less time than you can have if you buy a package.

 

Likewise two four-hour packages cost more than one eight-hour package so Diamond members must buy the eight-hour package if they want their full eight hours free. However I have never got anywhere near the limit of my free time and have left many hours unused. I buy an eight hour package though so that the time's there if I should want it.

[phoebecat]

Can someone help me I am a Gold Member on Cunard apparently and I have searched the forum but I can't find how I actually get the service for the two hours?

Do I just use it and hope they don't charge me or am I missing something?

Thank you for your help!

 

When you get on board there will be info in your state room about the packages and which ones correspond to which level of world club membership. You can use it either in the Computer Centre or on your laptop or ipad in communal areas or in the cabin (not brilliant wifi there it has to be said). If, as we are, both Platinum members, I 'buy' my package, use it, and then 'buy' my husbands and use that, just remembering to log in with his name rather than mine when using his. Both come up as a debit on the onboard account, which is then credited back by the end of the voyage. Never had any problems with the refund or the monies or logging in/on.

 

Final word of advice, if you are going to do this, dont try and sign on/in until after 6 pm on day of embarkation - they don't switch the WIFI on until then - you are all supposed to be too busy unpacking/doing the lifeboat drill/glugging back the pol acker before this time!

[janeba]

Thank you so much for the responses i will let you know when i return that it worked!:)

[pnhmrk]

in the cabin (not brilliant wifi there it has to be said).

 

I find that opening the cabin door helps a lot :)

[Cruachan]

I find that opening the cabin door helps a lot :)

 

Ah, you can tell the old timers around here! The first time somebody told me that I thought they were having a laugh, but it really does improve the signal.

 

:D

 

J

[procrastiknitter]

I am travelling on the May 4 Eastbound and May 22 Westboound voyages of the QM2 with my mother. Will I be able to use her World Club minutes? She does not use computers at all.

[Jim Avery]

Ah, you can tell the old timers around here! The first time somebody told me that I thought they were having a laugh, but it really does improve the signal.

 

:D

 

J

 

On QV, the little round bed bolsters are perfect for wedging the door open. Bonus, you often hear strange comments from those walking by in the corridor. They dont expect you to be listening.:eek:

[Underwatr]

I am travelling on the May 4 Eastbound and May 22 Westboound voyages of the QM2 with my mother. Will I be able to use her World Club minutes? She does not use computers at all.

Yes. You need to enter certain info (name, date of birth, stateroom number, if I remember correctly) in order to access her account and buy the package/get the CWC refund.

[pnhmrk]

Will I be able to use her World Club minutes?

 

Yes, but you must register as you to get your free time and then again as her to use her free time. If you register for two lots of time as yourself then you will have to pay for the second lot of time. :)

[Whitemarsh]

Sitting by the door does help if the internet is slow. And don't bother trying to log in until the day after departure, I couldn't log in until the morning of the first day at sea.

 

I am not aware of all the particulars, but one of our friends who had purchased an internet package went down to see the computer man (on QM2) to enquire about having his 'lost minutes' retrieved. Apparently they can tell if there are any internet package minutes that you've inadvertently wasted by not logging off correctly. Our friend told us that he got quite a bit of internet time back.

[pnhmrk]

I am not aware of all the particulars, but one of our friends who had purchased an internet package went down to see the computer man (on QM2) to enquire about having his 'lost minutes' retrieved. Apparently they can tell if there are any internet package minutes that you've inadvertently wasted by not logging off correctly. Our friend told us that he got quite a bit of internet time back.

 

Back in 2008 we were on QE2's final world cruise. The first time I used the internet I forgot to log off and so wasted all my time. I spoke to the woman in the Computer Centre who was quite happy to credit me back my full eight hours. I don't think she could tell how much time I had used (although different ships might have different information available) but I suspect the "I've lost all my time" is a fairly common mistake that they have to rectify.

[snoozy]

I find the staff in the internet/computer room to be very helpful in explaining which package you need to select to obtain your free internet time.

I can never remember what you have to do, but they soon put me right.

[QuarryMan72]

On QV, the little round bed bolsters are perfect for wedging the door open. Bonus, you often hear strange comments from those walking by in the corridor. They dont expect you to be listening.:eek:

 

On QM2 just run your hand along the little ledge immediately above the inside of the door. With any luck you will find that your cabin steward has left a little piece of wood up there that is cut to exactly the right length to fit in the slot where the lever on the door-closure device runs. It's the best way of holding the door open I've ever seen. Seems to be restricted to QM2 though, I've never noticed it on either of the Vistas.

 

QM72

[procrastiknitter]

Thanks once again for the quick replies! We board two weeks from tomorrow and I 'm getting giddy with anticipation!

[Scrapnana]

Back in 2008 we were on QE2's final world cruise. The first time I used the internet I forgot to log off and so wasted all my time. I spoke to the woman in the Computer Centre who was quite happy to credit me back my full eight hours. I don't think she could tell how much time I had used (although different ships might have different information available) but I suspect the "I've lost all my time" is a fairly common mistake that they have to rectify.

 

 

Is logging off tricky? Something more than you would do to get off the internet at home?