NCL onboard internet prices jumped 20-55%

[NLH Arizona]

I don't disagree. Even if it turns out that the changes don't entice me to cruise with NCL doesn't mean they won't work for someone else.

Thanks, BTW, for having a nice discussion.

[motleyfan]

The price increases are to fulfill Del Rio's vision of obtaining $4-5 more per day from each passenger and the overall design of the plan is to fulfill Del Rio's vision of moving NCL up on the cruise line food chain. Only time will tell how successful he will be.

 

The price increases are on optional things that you do not need to have during your cruise.

[Hendricks Clan]

The price increases are on optional things that you do not need to have during your cruise.

 

How do you know what people do or don't need during their vacations? Whats optional your may not be optional for other people.

[sparks1093]

Thanks, BTW, for having a nice discussion.

 

Not a problem at all:).

[sparks1093]

The price increases are on optional things that you do not need to have during your cruise.

 

The price increases are only the tip of the ice berg and are indicative in management's shift in treating passengers as family and instead treating them as sheep to be shorn.

[missintuitive]

The days of totally being totally disconnecting during vacation are over. That's very 80's. You may choose to totally disconnect but this is not a typical behavior of people under a certain age and definitely not the future trend. For some people it's because they cannot disconnect and others its because they chose not to disconnect. Either way, not having the OPTION to AFFORDABLY connect to the internet on cruise ships is soon to be a thing of the past. Carnival and Royal understands this, have updated their technology, and are offering attractive packages to those who CHOOSE to stay wired. There's still a very hefty profit margin and actually more connectivity actually ATTRACTS business. Like I said in a previous post, Carnival and RCI updated technology (VOOM on RCI has very fast upload and download speeds almost the same as DSL) AND lowered their prices on the internet on the newer ships. This is actually a smart move because the more posting that cruise passengers make to social media sights about their vacation, the more ATTRACTIVE it will be to potential cruisers...you know the ones that they are building the new mega ships to service in mass.

 

Another point is that NCL is raising the prices on things that I not only chose to purchase but actually ENJOY. Things like room service, internet, drinks, speciality shows (i.e. the magic show the first night), the fact that land vacations at an all inclusive doesn't even charge gratuities, etc. all factor into the fact that this is going in the wrong direction. NCL is banking the the MAJORITY of the people love the OPTIONAL activities so much that they will pay additional for them without blinking an eye.

[NLH Arizona]

I think what is interesting is that a few cruise lines (Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Oceania, Regent and a few others) have a tie in with At&t, where you can purchase a monthly package to use your phone or tablet on the ships.

 

They are quite inexpensive, IMHO, starting at $30 for 50 minutes of phone time only up to $120 for 50 minutes of phone time, 100 sent text and 100MB Cellular data. This great for those folks who need to be available for their children or family members with health issues.

[dd2355]

I think even the base $30 package gives unlimited texting. That'd cover a lot of communication needs for a single $30 charge for 30 days.

[NLH Arizona]

I think even the base $30 package gives unlimited texting. That'd cover a lot of communication needs for a single $30 charge for 30 days.

 

Not according to AT&T's website, $30 only gives you 50 minutes, but no text or data. With talk and text it is $60 and with talk, text and date it is $120:

http://www.att.com/shop/en/wireless/international/roaming.html?tab=4

[fshagan]

While this increase doesn't affect me since I do unplug while on vacation (recognizing of course that not everyone has the same ability for whatever reason, including just because they need to stay connected for their own reasons) it still concerns me because this is another case of NCL raising prices not because of an increase in their own costs but because they have a captive audience that will pay the fee regardless.

 

How do you know this?

 

What were they paying for blue water Internet service before the price increase, and what are they paying now?

[motleyfan]

The price increases are only the tip of the ice berg and are indicative in management's shift in treating passengers as family and instead treating them as sheep to be shorn.

 

No now they are treating passengers simply as customers. Granted I came in at the tail end of the last CEOs regime, battle that they were treating anyone like family to begin with. Last I heard family doesn't charge people to do things lol.

[pokerpro5]

No now they are treating passengers simply as customers. Granted I came in at the tail end of the last CEOs regime, battle that they were treating anyone like family to begin with. Last I heard family doesn't charge people to do things lol.

 

Yeah. They never treated anyone like family. If you thought that before, you were badly fooled by slick marketing. It was always about the $. No large business will ever treat you like family.

 

Anyway, I just got off the Dawn on 9/18. Fortunately I just got ahead of the increase, and paid $24.99/day for unlimited internet ($175 total), which I felt was a fair price. The increase, making it $210 for a 7-day cruise, is a pretty steep rise.

 

I think they are kicking up the price because of the "unlimited internet" promotion that they were/are running with booking. This means that more people will have unlimited internet onboard, which means everything gets slower, which means they have to find some way to discourage as many people from buying the internet. So they're raising the prices, forcing those who really NEED (or desperately want) it to pay more, while forcing out those who could take it or leave it.

 

So basically NCL is saying, "We have too many customers (for the internet), so we will cut down on the number of customers and charge the existing ones more."

 

Or, a different way of looking at it is the fact that those who pay for internet are now subsidizing those who get it for free via NCL's promotion.

 

Once again, nothing is 'free', and you are paying for those 'freebies' that you are getting, just in different ways.

[sparks1093]

How do you know this?

 

What were they paying for blue water Internet service before the price increase, and what are they paying now?

 

I don't "know" it, but Del Rio did say that they raised the price of soft drinks just because they could since the passengers are a captive audience and will pay for the soda anyway and instituted a room service charge for no other reason than they could. I am cynical enough to see that the latest increases may have been made for the same reasons.

[sparks1093]

No now they are treating passengers simply as customers. Granted I came in at the tail end of the last CEOs regime, battle that they were treating anyone like family to begin with. Last I heard family doesn't charge people to do things lol.

 

And that's fine if that is what they want to do. One way builds goodwill with the customer, the other makes them just a customer. One way builds loyalty and the other does not. At one point I would have paid a little more to sail with NCL versus the competition because of the goodwill they had built up, now that is no longer the case. I will still consider sailing with them but as a customer that means they have to get me onboard with their base fare, not a lot of "free" stuff that I know isn't free to begin with.

[dd2355]

Not according to AT&T's website, $30 only gives you 50 minutes, but no text or data. With talk and text it is $60 and with talk, text and date it is $120:

http://www.att.com/shop/en/wireless/international/roaming.html?tab=4

 

I must have been looking at the AT&T Passport package which would provide coverage while in most ports. $30 for 120MB data and $1/min talk, $60 for 300MB data and $0.50/min talk, or $120 for 800MB data and $0.35/min talk. All have unlimited text/picture/video texting. http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/international/roaming.html?tab=1

 

It doesn't appear that the AT&T Cruise Ship packages apply to NCL, only the per-use rates, which do including incoming texts at your normal domestic rate.

http://www.att.com/travelguide/coverage/coverage_details.jsp?CIDL=1581&MNC=CING

[Cauzneffct]

The price increases are on optional things that you do not need to have during your cruise.

 

I've seen this argument a few times and I don't think its very strong. The logical conclusion is that if someone is willing to pay A surcharge for something, they should be willing to pay ANY surcharge for that thing, and should not complain about any tinkering with or increase in price of that thing. From past posts, it seems that you do a fair amount of drinking on board. If NCL doubled the price of drinks, would you similarly shrug it off since you don't "have" to drink? I'd be dislpleased, notwithstanding the optional nature of alcohol.

[dd2355]

I don't believe your conclusion follows from the premise. You've skipped over the "not happy about an increase, yet understanding that's the nature of such things" stance. What many are decrying is not that people are unhappy, but the hyperbole surrounding their displeasure.

Edited October 6, 2015 by dd2355

[alwalaska]

Do you know if the T Mobile Simple Choice plan works in San Juan and St Thomas. When I spoke to one of their reps at a mall kiosk I was told pre paid plans only work on the US Mainland. We are hoping to use it on our cruise next week.

 

Since they are part of the US, I would assume so. I have used my Simple Choice in Roatan, Mexico, and Canada. I was grandfathered in under the old plan with unlimited data and texting, but paying for calls. The new plan includes calling, but has limitations on data I believe.

 

You can find what locations are included here:http://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans/simple-choice-international-plan-countries.html

[Misskitty72]

An "extra" is one thing, but there are many here who view it as a need and not as a want.

 

So true.

My husband is constantly either looking down at his phone or iPad ...and it drives me nuts. Like give it a rest already!

 

I specifically didn't tell him about the slow internet on our upcoming cruise because he probably wouldn't want to go.

 

Boy, he's going to be mad at me when we set sail. :D

[Demonyte]

We are currently on second week of our B2B cruise and unfortunately I have to report that T-mobile only has very slow 2G network in St Thomas - easier to get off the ship and find free Wi-Fi than trying to use T-mobile's data there.

 

In San Juan they have proper coverage and decent speeds (we again used one prepaid $10 data package yesterday during our turnaround day while staying onboard the ship in San Juan port).

[lwrandall]

Many of the mobile carriers consider USVI and San Juan as domestic. Meaning no international roaming is required. Check your roaming made to be sure.. I know ATT AND sprint include USVI as domestic but Verizon doesn't. But San Juan is domestic. Some if you can wait for those stops you will get free access. I believe this apples to only voice and text but not data.

Edited November 8, 2015 by lwrandall

[hawkeyetlse]

Regular packages of 100 and 250 minutes were $55 and $100 respectively, now $85 and $129.

 

New prices: http://www.ncl.com/onboard-packages/internet-packages

Since this thread has popped up again, it is worth mentioning that the 100 and 250 minute packages have gone back down to the previous pricing, $75 for 100 minutes and $125 for 250 minutes.

[sparks1093]

Since this thread has popped up again, it is worth mentioning that the 100 and 250 minute packages have gone back down to the previous pricing, $75 for 100 minutes and $125 for 250 minutes.

 

And the 250 minutes is available for "free" on some promotions.

[mking8288]

Many of the mobile carriers consider USVI and San Juan as domestic. Meaning no international roaming is required. Check your roaming made to be sure.. I know ATT AND sprint include USVI as domestic but Verizon doesn't. But San Juan is domestic. Some if you can wait for those stops you will get free access. I believe this apples to only voice and text but not data.

This !!!

Coverage (full, limited/partial and no coverage - varies by carrier, and, whether it is postpaid or prepaid/no contract ... and, in the case of T-Mobile under its newest no contract, prepaid "Simple Choice North America" plan - with voice & data, throttled after x GB data are used up (capped/slowed down to 2G or Edge/128k speed) for the billing cycle.

 

Always checked with one's "home" carrier ahead of traveling to review availability ... in some instances, depending on the devices used (lastest firmware using iOS and Androids) - push APN or manual setting changes are needed, with or without a simple reboot/airplane mode cycle.

 

T-Mobile prepaid has home coverage on San Juan, PR including data but no coverage on USVI or other Caribbean islands, from our experiences. AT&T has free roaming coverage via its island partners, but not necessary data - especially users on every major US carrier have "grandfathered" old plans that might specifically exclude it - YMMV.

 

MNVO - resellers of monthly plans for T-Mo, AT&T, VZW & even Sprint towers have different rules on coverage, usually voice & SMS/text since those use narrow bandwidth, but not faster data with more bandwidth required ... for Simple Mobile, Straight Talk & Tracfone, etc. etc.

 

Euro passengers cruising might already have free incoming voice & texting even on the ships, in addition to various ports - depending on their home plan's coverage as EU is planning to eliminate all roaming charges in 2016, which is good news. Outgoing calls & data - while cruising, however, might continue to incur charges for those on Euro plans.

 

One of the best & newest innovation is Project "Fi" by Google - integrated into Google Voice & works great with Hangouts - it is restricted to devices with specific hardwares that switch transparently among carriers to maintain services - Sprint & T-Mobile for domestic; and, at $20 per month for unlimited voice & texting, plus taxes & fees, and data is $10 per GB actually used (unused data is refunded as credit for next month's offset on the billing statement) - it will use WiFi data for calling over secured VPN - available in specific zip codes with coverage, and, by invitations only (requested via Google) The best part - you pay the same rates & nothing extra in 120 countries (sorry, no cruise ship coverage ... once you hit Nassau, Royal Dockyard, St. Marteen, etc. - you are "home" again so 1GB of data is just $10 USD :D :p :) ) - using one of the 3 devices - Nexus 6, Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X. Frequent fliers/business travelers going abroad and falling in love with this - the data is unthrottled so full 4G/LTE or at least HSPA+/3G or better. (No iPhones or Samsungs, HTC's or LG's, etc. as it required an unique Qualcomm chipset and specially activated Sim card)

For more specifics, "Google" Project Fi for details - full disclosures: nieces work for Alphabet, the rebranded new global conglomerate in CA.

[motleyfan]

We are currently on second week of our B2B cruise and unfortunately I have to report that T-mobile only has very slow 2G network in St Thomas - easier to get off the ship and find free Wi-Fi than trying to use T-mobile's data there.

 

In San Juan they have proper coverage and decent speeds (we again used one prepaid $10 data package yesterday during our turnaround day while staying onboard the ship in San Juan port).

 

Can you imagine someone getting off the ship and instead of seeing the beautiful island they're searching for Wi-Fi lmao