Zuiderdam Internet change yesterday

[dobiemom]

Let's see what happens. HAL fiddled a bit with pricing last year--also on the Zuidy. They backed off fast. I have until September. But if it doesn't change I've done my last Live From.

I don't blame you. (P.S. Gonna miss you on the Noordam next year.)

[momatibm]

Sorry to say, but HAL can stick these plans were the sun doesn't shine. :eek:

 

With so many credit card companies setting up plans to auto pay the balance due monthly and everyone else setting up the ability to pay bills with credit cards, there is little reason to sign on to the internet for other than personal or work reasons anymore. Personally, I'm happy to give up signing on.

 

I log on not to pay bills...but since I've been charged on credit cards I didn't take on the cruise, while I was on the cruise, I now log on to check for spurious charges. Much easier to take care of when on board than waiting until I get back. When you contact the credit card company from on board ship to protest charges from China or Korea it's easier if you call from the Caribbean.

[socim]

If you look at the login page you will see that some web sites are free. Eg: nytimes.com

If you have an Android device with the gmail app pre setup you will find that from time to time you get mail without logging in. If you write mail in the app and send you will find that it does go from the outbox at some time. Very odd, but useful.

[0bnxshs]

I log on not to pay bills...but since I've been charged on credit cards I didn't take on the cruise, while I was on the cruise, I now log on to check for spurious charges. Much easier to take care of when on board than waiting until I get back. When you contact the credit card company from on board ship to protest charges from China or Korea it's easier if you call from the Caribbean.

 

That I understand and it's definitely something to consider when travelling. I handle that via my cell phone and international plan for a lot less. I set up my alerts to get an SMS from my 2 credit cards for any transactions and review them as they come in, expecting only what I've charged (or any payments) to show up and contesting anything I don't expect. Don't need ship's internet for this. Fortunately, to date I have not had any suspicious charges while travelling (knocking the wood in my head as I type this..... )

Edited May 12, 2014 by 0bnxshs

[POA1]

If you look at the login page you will see that some web sites are free. Eg: nytimes.com

If you have an Android device with the gmail app pre setup you will find that from time to time you get mail without logging in. If you write mail in the app and send you will find that it does go from the outbox at some time. Very odd, but useful.

 

That's because some of the Gmail servers on network blocks that the ship thinks are part of the free search. Shhh.... Don't give away the secret. ;)

[0bnxshs]

Mine has nothing to do with work. I used to call my mom buying a $25 phone card. Its difficult to talk on the phone because there is a lot of playback and my mom is going deaf. On my princess cruises i get some free internet so i got into that habit. I started doing a daily write up of the things i do and send it to my sister. She reads it to my mom and my mom loves it. She says its like having me here. To spend a couple hundred to make my mom happy is worth every cent. I'm not chasing down free or cheap internet because it is usually beyond slow. If no one wants to pay that works for me. It should be fast then:).

 

Naturally, anything that's important to you (or me) is worth paying for. I sincerely understand bringing a smile to your mother's face being priceless. Cost vs. benefit, like beauty, is all in the eye of the beholder. :)

[cruz chic]

That I understand and it's definitely something to consider when travelling. I handle that via my cell phone and international plan for a lot less. I set up my alerts to get an SMS from my 2 credit cards for any transactions and review them as they come in, expecting only what I've charged (or any payments) to show up and contesting anything I don't expect. Don't need ship's internet for this. Fortunately, to date I have not had any suspicious charges while travelling (knocking the wood in my head as I type this..... )

 

I think you folks in the USA get much more reasonable data plans than we do. When I look at putting a tiny amount of minutes on my cell so I can call in the USA it's stupid expensive. The data is no better.

[aerospace]

When I see unlimited my first thought is share with a group. When $135 is split with 5 people from your roll call it's not so bad...as long as everyone agrees to not stay logged in 24/7 ;)

[frankc98376]

Do not give up your drinks. Just write up your reports daily and post them when you can.

 

We bought the unlimited package- using the money we saved with the Explore 4 SBC :)

 

BTW you didn't tell us how good the poolside Bloody Marys are! They have several servings of fruit and vegetables. My new breakfast "salad"

Edited May 12, 2014 by frankc98376

[POA1]

We bought the unlimited package- using the money we saved with the Explore 4 SBC :)

 

BTW you didn't tell us how good the poolside Bloody Marys are! They have several servings of fruit and vegetables. My new breakfast "salad"

 

My apologies! DSIL was the Queen of the Poolside Bloody Mary. One day they didn't have fresh horseradish and it was like they took away her pony. :)

 

If your Bloody Mary Bar is anything like ours, you can get some top shelf vodka. Not that you'll taste it over the tomato juice and fixin's, but you'll feel good inside knowing that the good vodka is in there.

Edited May 12, 2014 by POA1

[catl331]

If no one wants to pay that works for me. It should be fast then:).

Unless you've got a bunch of teens playing on-line games or social networking constantly. :)

[POA1]

Unless you've got a bunch of teens playing on-line games or social networking constantly. :)

 

One of the unintended consequences will definitely be over consumption of bandwidth. Hopefully the new system has a lot more capacity because people will be less likely to hop on and off as fast as they used to when conserving your minutes was their goal.

 

Color me surprised that they didn't do to capacity based plans. That's how most cell phone plans work, so it's a pretty familiar concept for many people.

[Alberta Quilter]

Frank,

 

If you can pull yourself away from your breakfast salad, and it doesn't infringe too much on your valuable vacation time, would you check to see if this change is fleetwide, and find out how much the unlimited package would be for longer cruises? Specifically, I'm interested in a 14 day cruise.

 

If you can't, that's okay because I can check when I board the Amsterdam, in Vancouver, on Saturday. I'll report back while I still have access to the internet via my regular data plan.

 

Thanks very much!

[pms4104]

When I see unlimited my first thought is share with a group. When $135 is split with 5 people from your roll call it's not so bad...as long as everyone agrees to not stay logged in 24/7 ;)

I would think HAL's internet service people would be wise enough to set it up either to permit only one device at a time logged in to a paid internet package ...or to detect device info and permit the purchased internet to be used only with that one specific device. Otherwise, it'll turn into the same fiasco as the unlimited beverage cards of a dozen years or so ago.

Edited May 12, 2014 by pms4104

[jtl513]

Color me surprised that they didn't do to capacity based plans. That's how most cell phone plans work, so it's a pretty familiar concept for many people.

I asked an MTN manager about that a few years ago and he said they (MTN) had done a test on a P&O ship and didn't like the result. He said flatly that HAL would not be doing it.

 

would you check to see if this change is fleetwide,

He said "Librarian handed us a flier and said that Corporate changed plans effective yesterday:" That says fleetwide to me.

 

and find out how much the unlimited package would be for longer cruises? Specifically, I'm interested in a 14 day cruise.

My prediction is that since the 1-day is $35 and the 7-day is $21/day, the 14-day would be about $15/day, for a total of $210. It wouldn't be more than $300! :p Edited May 12, 2014 by jtl513

[Alberta Quilter]

He said "Librarian handed us a flier and said that Corporate changed plans effective yesterday:" That says fleetwide to me.

 

My prediction is that since the 1-day is $35 and the 7-day is $21/day, the 14-day would be about $15/day, for a total of $210. It wouldn't be more than $300! :p

 

 

I hope you're right! In my calculation, I did use $300 as a worse case scenario.

 

I was planning on possibly doing a Live From, depending on the internet service, or, at a minimum, checking in occasionally. Fortunately, I have OBC to use up so while it costs a lot, I can do it - even at $300.

[jtl513]

... either to permit only one device at a time logged in to a paid internet package ...or to detect device info and permit the purchased internet to be used only with that one specific device.

Either way, a group could use one device sequentially - same as with the unlimited beverage cards of the past.

 

I've already thought of doing exactly that on our next cruise, splitting the cost between us and two friends all using my netbook. Gathering in one place for an hour, $3.33 to $2.50 each wouldn't be bad at all for 20 to 15 minutes each. ;)

Edited May 12, 2014 by jtl513

[frankc98376]

I hope you're right! In my calculation, I did use $300 as a worse case scenario.

 

I was planning on possibly doing a Live From, depending on the internet service, or, at a minimum, checking in occasionally. Fortunately, I have OBC to use up so while it costs a lot, I can do it - even at $300.

 

I will ask the Librarian and/or the Concierge today and verify that it is or isn't fleet wide!

[POA1]

I would think HAL's internet service people would be wise enough to set it up either to permit only one device at a time logged in to a paid internet package ...or to detect device info and permit the purchased internet to be used only with that one specific device. Otherwise, it'll turn into the same fiasco as the unlimited beverage cards of a dozen years or so ago.

 

That's probably correct. The authentication server tracks the MAC address of the connected device. They could allow more than one device per plan if they wanted. That would allow tablet + computer, or two phone, etc. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[kazu]

I would think HAL's internet service people would be wise enough to set it up either to permit only one device at a time logged in to a paid internet package ...or to detect device info and permit the purchased internet to be used only with that one specific device. Otherwise, it'll turn into the same fiasco as the unlimited beverage cards of a dozen years or so ago.

 

Well, I hope if they do that, they still allow access to their own laptops in the Explorer's lounge. You can't print from an Ipad so for our boarding passes I had to use their computers (worked great). If they limit it to one device, then I would be in a quandary to print my boarding pass. Not to mention if someone opts not to use their Ipad/Netbook/whatever as they are having issues and/or are strolling past the Internet Café and see if it is not busy and want to do a quick check on something.

[POA1]

Well, I hope if they do that, they still allow access to their own laptops in the Explorer's lounge. You can't print from an Ipad so for our boarding passes I had to use their computers (worked great). If they limit it to one device, then I would be in a quandary to print my boarding pass. Not to mention if someone opts not to use their Ipad/Netbook/whatever as they are having issues and/or are strolling past the Internet Café and see if it is not busy and want to do a quick check on something.

 

They can just whitelist the MAC addresses of their own machines - or more likely, they'll have the network treat the hardwired machines differently because they are likely to be on a separate network segment from the wireless network.

 

I fear we've strayed too far into geekdom here. It's probably best to wait and see. I'm sure someone with networking expertise will be on a sailing and be able to report in.