Internet

[Commodore]

Long ago I took a cruise with HAL and it was before internet.My question is can you send free postcards as with Princess on internet.And what is the cost for internet packages?:)

[Hlitner]

When it comes to the internet, nothing on HAL is free! In fact, although we are 4 Star Mariners with about 300 days on the line, we still get absolutely no free internet.

 

Hank

[jtl513]

All you can do for free on HAL is access the HAL site and possibly the NYTimes site. I haven't tried the latter for a few years and don't know if that's still possible.

 

There was a pricing experiment on the Zuiderdam a short time ago, but if that hasn't spread the rates are

$3.95 to set up an account

$55 for 100 minutes

$100 for 250 minutes

and there are packages for 500 and 1000 minutes but I'm not sure of the prices.

[Commodore]

All you can do for free on HAL is access the HAL site and possibly the NYTimes site. I haven't tried the latter for a few years and don't know if that's still possible.

 

There was a pricing experiment on the Zuiderdam a short time ago, but if that hasn't spread the rates are

$3.95 to set up an account

$55 for 100 minutes

$100 for 250 minutes

and there are packages for 500 and 1000 minutes but I'm not sure of the prices.

 

Thankyou

[happyglobetrotter]

When it comes to the internet, nothing on HAL is free! In fact, although we are 4 Star Mariners with about 300 days on the line, we still get absolutely no free internet.

 

Hank

 

 

President Club members who are 6 stars do get free internet time....with 1,400 real sailing days, no day credits included.

 

There are 3 millions mariners on HAL; how would do arrange it so that everybody gets free internet.....impossible. Packages are available as mentionned above, 500 minutes is $175 and 1,000 is $250.

 

5 stars can also get 100 minutes at half price. As for the $3.95 access fee, it was not there on our last cruise last month. People have indicated that they did not have to pay for it anymore to open an account.

 

By the way, there is no free postcard sending system on HAL.

 

Keep cruising, yes there is free internet on HAL, you just need more than 4 stars !

Edited July 6, 2014 by happyglobetrotter

[Commodore]

:eek:

President Club members who are 6 stars do get free internet time....with 1,400 real sailing days, no day credits included.

 

There are 3 millions mariners on HAL; how would do arrange it so that everybody gets free internet.....impossible. Packages are available as mentionned above, 500 minutes is $175 and 1,000 is $250.

 

5 stars can also get 100 minutes at half price. As for the $3.95 access fee, it was not there on our last cruise last month. People have indicated that they did not have to pay for it anymore to open an account.

 

By the way, there is no free postcard sending system on HAL.

 

Keep cruising, yes there is free internet on HAL, you just need more than 4 stars !

 

Thks to you it is clear now that the best deal is still Elite with Princess.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Pay as you go $0.75 Per Minute

Time Plan 1: 1000 Minutes -- $250.00

Time Plan 2: 500 Minutes -- $175.00

Time Plan 3: 250 Minutes -- $100.00

Time Plan 4: 100 Minutes -- $55.00.

 

Many times you can get bonus minutes for the various plans -- it is not always advertised -- you have to ask -- and it has to be done on Embarkation Day.

Also look for other specials advertised in the daily program.

 

 

 

[Hlitner]

President Club members who are 6 stars do get free internet time....with 1,400 real sailing days, no day credits included.

 

There are 3 millions mariners on HAL; how would do arrange it so that everybody gets free internet.....impossible. Packages are available as mentionned above, 500 minutes is $175 and 1,000 is $250.

 

5 stars can also get 100 minutes at half price. As for the $3.95 access fee, it was not there on our last cruise last month. People have indicated that they did not have to pay for it anymore to open an account.

 

By the way, there is no free postcard sending system on HAL.

 

Keep cruising, yes there is free internet on HAL, you just need more than 4 stars !

 

Oh give me a break! Sometimes we get bored with all the apologists for HAL. Go on RCI, Celebrity, Princess, etc and you will quickly have enough cruise credits to get some free internet. We have been on Princess cruises with a huge percentage of passengers eligible for some free internet. On our last Princess Cruise (April) we were given 1,000 minutes of free internet (500 min each) because we are mere Elites on that line (easier to get then 3 Star on HAL). On Celebrity we get hundreds of free internet minutes. On RCI we get lots of free minutes (not sure of the current amount). It is the same on Azamara and some other lines. In fact, most lines give some free internet after as few as 5 cruises (and we are talking short cruises). But on HAL we get Zip, nada, nothing! So if you want to spend over $500,000 on HAL cruises they might give you a few free minutes?

 

And since you like to bring up the President's Club, why don't you post how many living folks (in the entire world) are in the President's Club? The reality is that its such a tiny group that mentioning them is not relevant to many folks. Celebrity recently started something similar with their "Zenith" group. Those folks (probably a few more of them then the President's Club) get a mere 1600 free internet minutes on every cruise. And their overall benefit package is far more generous that what HAL gives the President's Club folks.

 

Hank

[happyglobetrotter]

:eek:

 

Thks to you it is clear now that the best deal is still Elite with Princess.

 

 

We have sailed on Princess and never returned.

 

Are you saying that spending between $28 to $250 for internet lets you choose an inferior itinerary with a so so service ? Better put this internet question in perspective.

[happyglobetrotter]

Oh give me a break! Sometimes we get bored with all the apologists for HAL. Go on RCI, Celebrity, Princess, etc and you will quickly have enough cruise credits to get some free internet. We have been on Princess cruises with a huge percentage of passengers eligible for some free internet. On our last Princess Cruise (April) we were given 1,000 minutes of free internet (500 min each) because we are mere Elites on that line (easier to get then 3 Star on HAL). On Celebrity we get hundreds of free internet minutes. On RCI we get lots of free minutes (not sure of the current amount). It is the same on Azamara and some other lines. In fact, most lines give some free internet after as few as 5 cruises (and we are talking short cruises). But on HAL we get Zip, nada, nothing! So if you want to spend over $500,000 on HAL cruises they might give you a few free minutes?

 

And since you like to bring up the President's Club, why don't you post how many living folks (in the entire world) are in the President's Club? The reality is that its such a tiny group that mentioning them is not relevant to many folks. Celebrity recently started something similar with their "Zenith" group. Those folks (probably a few more of them then the President's Club) get a mere 1600 free internet minutes on every cruise. And their overall benefit package is far more generous that what HAL gives the President's Club folks.

 

Hank

 

 

 

This is sheer numbers. There are way less Elites on Princess than there are 4 stars on HAL Grand Voyages. Same for Cunard, we are platinum on Cunard (75 days or more) but a person with 500 some days on Cunard is an exception !

Edited July 6, 2014 by happyglobetrotter

[Hlitner]

This is sheer numbers. There are way less Elites on Princess than there are 4 stars on HAL Grand Voyages. Same for Cunard, we are platinum on Cunard (75 days or more) but a person with 500 some days on Cunard is an exception !

 

We just spent 25 days on the Ruby Princess which had about 3000 passengers. Of that number, more then 550 were Elites and even more of the others were Platinum (who also get lots of free internet). And this was not anything like a "Grand Cruise" but just a typical TA and British Isle cruise. What is also amazing is that with that many folks getting hundreds of minutes (or more) of free internet, the internet service was not bad. While HAL continues to look at internet service as a big profit center, many other lines have realized its importance to many passengers and made it relatively easy to qualify for some free time. In fact, HAL has the only ships we have cruised in the past 10 years that does not yet have shipwide WiFi on all their ships. HAL has no problem removing a swimming pool to cram in more cabins, but they are very slow to upgrade their tech services. And then management wonders what they can do to attract younger cruisers? We are typical HAL seniors, but do understand that many younger folks view easy (and cheap) internet service as a vital part of their everyday lives.

 

So try telling a young cruiser that all they have to do is invest hundreds of thousands of dollars and cruise for several years of their lives and then HAL will give them a discount on internet service (for which they might have to walk to a public area to access). We think that HAL is "missing the boat" with this particular service/issue.

 

Hank

Edited July 6, 2014 by Hlitner

[cruz chic]

We have sailed on Princess and never returned.

 

Are you saying that spending between $28 to $250 for internet lets you choose an inferior itinerary with a so so service ? Better put this internet question in perspective.

 

I've got over 300 days on Hal and about 75 on Princess. I have found the service to be much better in the MDR on Princess. Can you really judge a cruise line on one cruise? I know there is another poster that never fails to make nasty remarks about Princess but I'm thinking because they didn't give her special treatment that she never fails to be negative. Getting free drinks or internet isn't the be all and end all for me either but I wouldn't call Princess inferior.

[bottomfeeder]

Although I'm not young by any stretch (I'm in my early 50s), I'm one of those people who really NEEDS internet access on a daily basis. If nothing else, I need to be able to at least check my work email daily or almost-daily while on vacation.

 

Heaven knows I would love free internet minutes on a cruise. I had some on my last couple cruises due to finally reaching Elite on Celebrity, and it was nice.

 

However, I do look at the whole price of a cruise and what I'm getting for that price when I'm deciding which cruise to book. Adding free internet minutes on HAL would either bump up the cruise price, or result in some other "frill" being deleted in order to pay for it.

 

I liked my first HAL cruise a lot, and appreciated some of the little things where they varied from the other cruise lines I've been on: hot breakfast selection on the room service menu, fresh-squeezed OJ at no charge in the Lido and room service, room service breakfast on the last day (I seem to be obsessed with room service breakfasts here!) and so on.

 

I guess I look at it like each cruise line has its pluses and minuses, and I figure out what works for me. I do agree with hlitner that younger people are more likely to appreciate faster and less expensive internet access a lot, and they are probably less likely to appreciate all the help available in the Lido to carry stuff to the table etc. than are the older crowd. But for younger people along with everyone else, it's the total package that they are making a decision on whether to purchase, not just one aspect of it.

 

For what it's worth, on my recent Eurodam cruise I found the internet speed, while still agonizingly slow compared to my home broadband service, to be significantly faster than on my recent Azamara and Celebrity cruises. Maybe because those were TAs? Or maybe HAL just has a better service.

[navybankerteacher]

I remain unconvinced about the true "need" for Internet connection for many. Of course there are some with emerging crises at home or at work, but the idea of a vacation should be a break from routine. Any organization which cannot do without an individual's input for a few days is likely badly managed and, at the least, lacks competent succession planning. Sure, it's great to check in now and then - to let oneself feel important and to let the poor saps at home know what a great time you are having - but I would rate a large part of people's Internet connectivity as a time and money wasting expenditure.

[cruz chic]

I would never dream to tell people that that don't need internet. How can anyone make that judgement? I send an email to my sister daily to tell her what I am doing. She reads this to my mom and my mom LOVES this. To make my mom happy is a gift to me and worth what I have to pay for it.

[summer slope]

I rarely am concerned with internet EXCEPT when my mother was ill and someone would need to notify us of a need to return home at the next port. I also use it to print our boarding passes. I buy the medium package so we can pop in and download email (my ipad) to read offline. I really like the explorations cafe on HAL, I found the internet very small room on Celebrity Constellation confining.

[Hlitner]

I rarely am concerned with internet EXCEPT when my mother was ill and someone would need to notify us of a need to return home at the next port. I also use it to print our boarding passes. I buy the medium package so we can pop in and download email (my ipad) to read offline. I really like the explorations cafe on HAL, I found the internet very small room on Celebrity Constellation confining.

 

But if you had an iPad you could use that device anywhere on any Celebrity ship. All iPads have WiFi capability so there is no need to go to an internet room (other then possibly needing help to set up your account).

 

Hank

Edited July 7, 2014 by Hlitner

[cruz chic]

But if you had an iPad you could use that device anywhere on any Celebrity ship. All iPads have WiFi capability so there is no need to go to an internet room (other then possibly needing help to set up your account).

 

Hank

 

You don't need to go anywhere to set up you account on Hal or Princess. Is it different on celebrity?

[nana51]

I would never dream to tell people that that don't need internet. How can anyone make that judgement? I send an email to my sister daily to tell her what I am doing. She reads this to my mom and my mom LOVES this. To make my mom happy is a gift to me and worth what I have to pay for it.

 

I agree. My grandchildren and kids love to live vicariously through my cruises and loved my daily update and pictures. I'm retired and I don't need to get "away" from work. It isn't for you to judge who needs internet and who doesn't.

[Vineyard View]

Totally agree. I only check 1 x day due to elderly parents. But I also send my kids/grand kids a few pictures. I hope that they will have that desire to see the world when they can, just as we do. They love quick updates. It is a personal choice and all of us have different reasons to participate or not...just sayin...

[CaveDiving]

...And since you like to bring up the President's Club, why don't you post how many living folks (in the entire world) are in the President's Club? The reality is that its such a tiny group that mentioning them is not relevant to many folks. Celebrity recently started something similar with their "Zenith" group. Those folks (probably a few more of them then the President's Club) get a mere 1600 free internet minutes on every cruise. And their overall benefit package is far more generous that what HAL gives the President's Club folks.

 

Hank

 

Hank,

 

I get tired of your always bashing the mariner perks given by HAL while you keep sailing on HAL

 

We all need to evaluate the total package being offered on a cruise and the total cost. Yes, HAL charges you for Internet time but doesn’t charge for room service, fresh squeezed OJ or ice cream. Other lines may.

 

C’mon now, for $100 you get more than 15 Internet minutes a day on a seven day cruise and that would seem to be plenty to send and receive a few E-mails daily. More than this for most (admittedly not all) pax seems to be no longer a real concern, but rather a recreational activity. You can just consider your room cost to be $100 higher (on what is usually a several thousand dollar cruise) and the Internet time is free.

 

And who are you to say << …And their overall benefit package is far more generous that what HAL gives the President's Club folks.>> I doubt very much that you have any knowledge of the President’s Club benefits. They might surprise you significantly.

 

Scott & Karen

[Lizzie68]

I remain unconvinced about the true "need" for Internet connection for many. Of course there are some with emerging crises at home or at work, but the idea of a vacation should be a break from routine. Any organization which cannot do without an individual's input for a few days is likely badly managed and, at the least, lacks competent succession planning. Sure, it's great to check in now and then - to let oneself feel important and to let the poor saps at home know what a great time you are having - but I would rate a large part of people's Internet connectivity as a time and money wasting expenditure.

 

That's not your call to make, nor is it your right to pass judgement on others. In fact, it's none of your business what or why others use the internet.

[Commodore]

We have sailed on Princess and never returned.

 

Are you saying that spending between $28 to $250 for internet lets you choose an inferior itinerary with a so so service ? Better put this internet question in perspective.

 

The question was just how much cost internet, and not if Princess is better than Hal or Celebrity is better than Oceania. Weird how people turn to heated arguments over nothing.

[GlennG]

Oh give me a break! Sometimes we get bored with all the apologists for HAL. Go on RCI, Celebrity, Princess, etc and you will quickly have enough cruise credits to get some free internet. We have been on Princess cruises with a huge percentage of passengers eligible for some free internet. On our last Princess Cruise (April) we were given 1,000 minutes of free internet (500 min each) because we are mere Elites on that line (easier to get then 3 Star on HAL). On Celebrity we get hundreds of free internet minutes. On RCI we get lots of free minutes (not sure of the current amount). It is the same on Azamara and some other lines. In fact, most lines give some free internet after as few as 5 cruises (and we are talking short cruises). But on HAL we get Zip, nada, nothing! So if you want to spend over $500,000 on HAL cruises they might give you a few free minutes?

 

And since you like to bring up the President's Club, why don't you post how many living folks (in the entire world) are in the President's Club? The reality is that its such a tiny group that mentioning them is not relevant to many folks. Celebrity recently started something similar with their "Zenith" group. Those folks (probably a few more of them then the President's Club) get a mere 1600 free internet minutes on every cruise. And their overall benefit package is far more generous that what HAL gives the President's Club folks.

 

Hank

Hank,

I have followed your writing, on this board, for several weeks. Let me thank you for your thoughtful, balanced, and well-written responses. To be succinct, I appreciate your willingness to respond to the endless cheering and promotion that we read on these boards.

[Hlitner]

Hank,

I have followed your writing, on this board, for several weeks. Let me thank you for your thoughtful, balanced, and well-written responses. To be succinct, I appreciate your willingness to respond to the endless cheering and promotion that we read on these boards.

 

Sometimes we think we are simply spitting in the wind on this board :). Of perhaps I should say blowing stinky cigar smoke off my HAL veranda.

 

Hank

P.S. Oops. Guess we should have spelled it "Verandah" before some Cheerleader says "HAL has Verandahs but not any Verandas.

Edited July 7, 2014 by Hlitner