caribill Posted March 2, 2015 #1 Share Posted March 2, 2015 From a "live" thread on the Royal Re the Internet I took out an unlimited package for one device (just my iPad) I won't worry about the phone and this is 249 dollars for the 10 days - the Internet is fantastic I have seen short videos and used face time and it has been great wherever I am on the ship and I don't have to worry about watching how long I am online. Best I have ever known on a cruise. Has anyone seen this option on another Princess ship? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Coral Posted March 2, 2015 #2 Share Posted March 2, 2015 (edited) Interesting. A bit more expensive then what I have seen other lines when they were experimenting with it (Not sure what price they settled on). Though, it is good Princess is finally doing this. Drop it $100 and I would buy it. Edited March 2, 2015 by Coral Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul929207 Posted March 2, 2015 #3 Share Posted March 2, 2015 I agree it is pricey. I wonder if you can integrate it with Platinum/Elite credit. Either get a discount or be allowed to purchase the unlimited when you run out of minutes and just pay for remaining days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhopal21 Posted March 2, 2015 #4 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Also if they are using Facetime and watching videos it's not the same internet we are used to.:confused: Mike:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shutterbug63 Posted March 3, 2015 #5 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I just got off the phone with Princess. I asked about the availability of this package since we're sailing on the Regal shortly. The rep I spoke to said there is no such animal as an unlimited internet package. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caribill Posted March 3, 2015 Author #6 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I just got off the phone with Princess. I asked about the availability of this package since we're sailing on the Regal shortly. The rep I spoke to said there is no such animal as an unlimited internet package. Further post by the person on the Royal: Yes I have never seen or heard of it on a cruise before but for me that suits me down to the ground, my close family and friends I have contacted via Facebook messanger and we are all chatting whenever we like via that medium. I have had to forgo my phone but the iPad will do everything I need except a text on a cruise. I am from the UK as it happens my daughter is in Vegas this week and my son and family are going to Dubai so I can keep in touch and we can FaceTime eachother, I can of course also get into my office computer and deal with any issues whenever I need to or want to. To reconfirm for this 10 day cruise on the Royal unlimited internet on ONE device only is $249. On top of this the Internet signal so far has been superb - on my balcony now typing this as we have just left St Thomas on route for Antigua and the cruise is great so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickEk Posted March 3, 2015 #7 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I just got off the phone with Princess. I asked about the availability of this package since we're sailing on the Regal shortly. The rep I spoke to said there is no such animal as an unlimited internet package. They sometimes do trial runs on certain ships. The call center would know nothing about it since it's a trial. If it goes fleet-wide, then they'd be informed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potstech Posted March 3, 2015 #8 Share Posted March 3, 2015 $25.00 a day for Internet is robbery.$10.00 would be more like it. Plus if all passengers got unlimited time on it there would be a huge slowdown UNLESS Princess has finally decided to upgrade their systems to meet this kind of demand. hundreds of people using Skype or Facetime or watching videos would cause a crash on the current system on board the ships. Then watch all the complaints about slow speeds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colo Cruiser Posted March 3, 2015 #9 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Probably a UK thing, they also had a trail on the beverage package before it was put in place fleet wide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colo Cruiser Posted March 3, 2015 #10 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I just got off the phone with Princess. I asked about the availability of this package since we're sailing on the Regal shortly. The rep I spoke to said there is no such animal as an unlimited internet package. We all know what that answers worth. :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potstech Posted March 3, 2015 #11 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Anybody remember a while back when they proposed to charge extra if you wanted faster speeds? That didn't pan out either. So they could increase speeds if they wanted too and now they seem to be indicating they can increase capacity if they want to. Only thing is they want to increase profits way above the costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomCruises Posted March 3, 2015 #12 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Have we become so addicted and obsessed that all we can think about doing on our cruise vacation is figure out how much time we can spend online? For heavens sake, enjoy the vacation and give online time a rest! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potstech Posted March 3, 2015 #13 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Have we become so addicted and obsessed that all we can think about doing on our cruise vacation is figure out how much time we can spend online? For heavens sake, enjoy the vacation and give online time a rest! For many the answer to that will be a resounding N. O. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thrak Posted March 3, 2015 #14 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Have we become so addicted and obsessed that all we can think about doing on our cruise vacation is figure out how much time we can spend online? For heavens sake, enjoy the vacation and give online time a rest! We find that one of the great joys of cruising is not being "connected". :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azgrandmax3 Posted March 3, 2015 #15 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Agree 100% I often wonder what is happening to adults who are then showing the next generation that one can not enjoy themselves unless the entire world knows what and how they are doing something. Just sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caribill Posted March 3, 2015 Author #16 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Agree 100% I often wonder what is happening to adults who are then showing the next generation that one can not enjoy themselves unless the entire world knows what and how they are doing something. Just sad. The use of the Internet at sea can be many more things than Facebook or other such social media. We have used the Internet to: Keep in touch with family (we are often on trips two weeks or longer) Order prescription refills to be delivered by the time we return home Pay utility and credit card bills Keep up with current news (actual TV news on Princess is very sparse) This does not mean spending hours a day on the Internet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caribill Posted March 3, 2015 Author #17 Share Posted March 3, 2015 $25.00 a day for Internet is robbery.$10.00 would be more like it. Plus if all passengers got unlimited time on it there would be a huge slowdown UNLESS Princess has finally decided to upgrade their systems to meet this kind of demand. hundreds of people using Skype or Facetime or watching videos would cause a crash on the current system on board the ships. Then watch all the complaints about slow speeds. From a Carnival Corp (which owns Princess) announcement last November: By 2016, all Carnival ships will have expanded Wi-Fi capability. New service will be up to 10 times faster than the current standard—comparable to the Wi-Fi speed at your average coffee shop. The service will consist of a combination of land-based Wi-Fi in port and satellite-based at sea. So far, Carnival has not announced how much it will charge for the expanded Wi-Fi service. Instead, said a spokesperson, each individual brand will set pricing policy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucedodge Posted March 3, 2015 #18 Share Posted March 3, 2015 FWIW, we took the grandkids on the new Quantum of the Seas earlier this year (because it's so kid friendly). 4100 of our "closest friends" and 2000 or so crew. Not only was the internet free for everyone :), but it was almost as fast as at home :). There is new technology now using "steerable satellite beams" which dramatically boosts capability at sea. Here's an older article about it: http://www.o3bnetworks.com/media-centre/press-releases/2012/o3b-networks-to-provide-ultra-fast-internet-communications-to-royal-caribbean-cruises-ltd-aboard-the-world’s-largest-and-most-innovative-cruise-ship Don't know what it takes to retrofit ships, but it was amazing to use, and there were never any slow periods while at sea. The free use for the whole ship may have been just a test to see how it went. Maybe they charge now. But I suspect this new technology is a glimpse to the future of all cruise lines. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wehwalt Posted March 3, 2015 #19 Share Posted March 3, 2015 (edited) For many the answer to that will be a resounding N. O. For me, it is NO. I would buy it even at $25. My major activity in retirement, besides cruising and touring, is as an admin and content contributor on Wikipedia. Unlimited internet, even if a bit slow (I don't care about videos) would mean a lot to me. Edited March 3, 2015 by Wehwalt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Coral Posted March 3, 2015 #20 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Have we become so addicted and obsessed that all we can think about doing on our cruise vacation is figure out how much time we can spend online? For heavens sake, enjoy the vacation and give online time a rest! For my job, I am the only one who does it. So when I am away, it is difficult for my coworkers to pitch hit. This is a way that I can still go on vacation and still keep my job. The vast majority of people who are working now need to stay in touch with the office when they vacation. It is no longer an option for everyone to "disconnect". Another reason is family. As a sole caregiver for a parent, I needed to be available if something happened. So yes, that meant staying in touch. I was not using internet for social media - it was the only way I could get away and still make sure that things back home were ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Times Prince Posted March 3, 2015 #21 Share Posted March 3, 2015 While our initial reason for cruising was to get away from it all (including ANY contact via electronic means), we have had cruises where we needed to keep in contact with loved ones who are ill. Email is sufficient to keep in contact. Streaming videos on a limited bandwidth system (at any price) is a disservice to all the other 3,000 or so passengers, in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caribill Posted March 4, 2015 Author #22 Share Posted March 4, 2015 WIW, we took the grandkids on the new Quantum of the Seas earlier this year (because it's so kid friendly). 4100 of our "closest friends" and 2000 or so crew. Not only was the internet free for everyone :), but it was almost as fast as at home :). There is new technology now using "steerable satellite beams" which dramatically boosts capability at sea. Here's an older article about it: http://www.o3bnetworks.com/media-cen...ve-cruise-ship Yup, RCI claims this ship has more bandwidth than all outer cruise ships combined. I am not sure if the same technology will be available when the ship relocates to China later this year. I do not think it is still free based on posts like the following on the RCI board with Royal posts: "Scott needed to do a little checking in with work so got the 24 hour internet package to do what he needed to. He didn’t think he needed continuous access and figured a day now, maybe a day later in the trip should be good enough." "You can only pay for the internet on board." "The internet is great! I paid $153 for two devices - diamond plus member." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rancher Dave Posted March 4, 2015 #23 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Yup, RCI claims this ship has more bandwidth than all outer cruise ships combined. I am not sure if the same technology will be available when the ship relocates to China later this year. I do not think it is still free based on posts like the following on the RCI board with Royal posts: "Scott needed to do a little checking in with work so got the 24 hour internet package to do what he needed to. He didn’t think he needed continuous access and figured a day now, maybe a day later in the trip should be good enough." "You can only pay for the internet on board." "The internet is great! I paid $153 for two devices - diamond plus member." They definitely charge for it now. I believe this same new technology will begin to roll out as retrofits on other ships across many lines over the next several years to keep the ships on an even playing field. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piper28 Posted March 4, 2015 #24 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Princess sent me a survey a few weeks ago or so asking about various pricing points and methods for how they could "enhance" their internet service. Among the questions they were asking about were things like unlimited for a single device. They were also asking questions about at what cost per day would you consider it to be reasonable, at what point it would be too expensive, things like that. I found the survey somewhat flawed, because it didn't provide an option for one to say that they wouldn't consider paying for the option, but insisted on numbers higher than 0 for everything. (There were a number of options they presented, and some of them were ones that I wouldn't consider). So I'm not terribly surprised to see them trialing something like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potstech Posted March 4, 2015 #25 Share Posted March 4, 2015 And enough people will pay for it that overall prices for the nternet will go up. Usage will increase as people use the intranet programs then just move on to the Internet without realizing the cost. Then complain when they get the bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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