New Princess Internet option?

[caribill]

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?

[Coral]

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

[paul929207]

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.

[bhopal21]

Also if they are using Facetime and watching videos it's not the same internet we are used to.:confused:

 

Mike:)

[shutterbug63]

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.

[caribill]

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.

[RickEk]

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.

[Potstech]

$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.

[Colo Cruiser]

Probably a UK thing, they also had a trail on the beverage package before it was put in place fleet wide.

[Colo Cruiser]

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:

[Potstech]

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.

[TomCruises]

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!

[Potstech]

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.

[Thrak]

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". :)

[azgrandmax3]

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.

[caribill]

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.

[caribill]

$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.

[brucedodge]

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

[Wehwalt]

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

[Coral]

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.

[Times Prince]

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.

[caribill]

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."

[Rancher Dave]

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.

[piper28]

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.

[Potstech]

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.