What are the internet packages that can be purchased?

[antsp]

Yep. ...but only when you're feet-dry. Aboard and underway? Non-starter.

Onboard and in dock, and a few miles out to sea. Your phone will still work

[Stevanb]

Oh dear just checked and we can only buy set amounts of minutes on the Sapphire Princess. Husband will need pretty much constant internet access for work emails/calls - going to cost an absolute fortune!

 

Why bother go on vacation When you are off the ship then what happens. I check my business email everyday download about 200 takes less than 5 minutes. Get off then read them respond to what I have to then get back on line and send them all that takes a minute or two

[Stevanb]

Thanks did this - absolutely extortionate compared to other cruise lines we have been with - wish we had been told this by TA before booking.

 

How would your TA know that you need constant internet did you explain that to them ??

[Haboob]

How would your TA know that you need constant internet did you explain that to them ??

 

We have a different concept of "TA", it seems.

A cubicle-dwelling, 800-number order-taker wouldn't. A true "TA" has the professionalism to

know that a first-time cruiser doesn't know the questions to ask, and gently probes as they chat.

[Stevanb]

I asked my T/A who has been in the business for 30 years she said she has never had a customer ask her about internet prices . But maybe most of what she sells is upscale .

 

 

 

Like I said who is on the Internet constantly when on a vacation.

[fairy100]

I recently had to pay about $25/day for unlimited Internet on another cruise line. I considered that to be extortion.

 

I would go for that in a blink - it is going to cost us more than the cruise to get the coverage we need :eek:

[Haboob]

I would go for that in a blink - it is going to cost us more than the cruise to get the coverage we need :eek:

 

Hmmm....

 

If you need 24/7 video streaming, THAT is bleeding-edge on cruise ships. Like 6 months' new.

So new that Princess didn't realize it needed to keep Regal in range of the equatorial satellites.

 

 

One technique that has served me well for less intensive internet is offline use... Open the

internet connectivity (and start chewing on my minutes). download email, etc, close connectivity

(and stop the clock), and only then read the downloaded emails, saved web pages, etc., and

compose email replies.

 

For phone and text use, see if your cellphone provider has an "international package" that

includes Princess' ships at sea. Last year, I could receive SMS texts for free and send them

for 5¢ (MMS texts were a different matter :( ) YMMV

[boltnut55]

Oh dear just checked and we can only buy set amounts of minutes on the Sapphire Princess. Husband will need pretty much constant internet access for work emails/calls - going to cost an absolute fortune!

In those cases, the company should be paying. I've been on vacations where I've had to work, but cruise was my good excuse not to feel obligated to.

[pablo222]

I recently had to pay about $25/day for unlimited Internet on another cruise line. I considered that to be extortion.

 

I don't know if it is extortion, but it is certainly worth factoring in when comparing a cruise to a land vacation.

[Stevanb]

I don't know if it is extortion, but it is certainly worth factoring in when comparing a cruise to a land vacation.

You are right we we go to all inclusive wifi is free can even call for free these days . If yuo need to od that much business on the internet that is the cost of doing business and must be doing a lot of it so the cost must be justified . On the extortion the practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats. I think the cruise line did not force anyone to use or buy it last time I checked. It like paying 15.00 on RCCL for a martini and on a different one pay 8.50

[pablo222]

You are right we we go to all inclusive wifi is free can even call for free these days .

 

Folks used to always say that cruise vacations are cheaper than land vacations...

 

But, factoring in hotel charge, internet charge, drink package (or your choice) it's not

clear to me that a cruise wins.

[Stevanb]

Folks used to always say that cruise vacations are cheaper than land vacations...

 

But, factoring in hotel charge, internet charge, drink package (or your choice) it's not

clear to me that a cruise wins.

 

 

We are booked going to Secrets Resort in Sept daily price 314 USD/night for 2 everything included That does not include air but most people have to fly to get a cruise . We go to adult all inclusive every year

[fairy100]

How would your TA know that you need constant internet did you explain that to them ??

Yes we did.

[fairy100]

I asked my T/A who has been in the business for 30 years she said she has never had a customer ask her about internet prices . But maybe most of what she sells is upscale .

 

 

 

Like I said who is on the Internet constantly when on a vacation.

 

My husband is - he needs to be in contact for clients if they need him and no one else can do this. It cannot wait until we get into a port in a few days. Not cruised before so had not realised what a issue the cost of internet packages was going to be - we have ever been anywhere including some pretty far flung exotic places that have not had on tap internet before. We will know for next time and book cruise line accordingly so it will sadly not be Princess next time. Thanks. :)

[Haboob]

My husband is - he needs to be in contact for clients if they need him and no one else can do this. It cannot wait until we get into a port in a few days. Not cruised before so had not realised what a issue the cost of internet packages was going to be - we have ever been anywhere including some pretty far flung exotic places that have not had on tap internet before. We will know for next time and book cruise line accordingly so it will sadly not be Princess next time. Thanks. :)

 

Two comments:

 

• Internet connective at sea just within the last 6 months had a breakthrough with the "O3b"

medium Earth orbit satellites. A smattering of ships across a few cruise lines (including

Princess' Regal) have O3b connectivity. You can identify them because they have internet

offerings that are not by-the-minute.

 

 

• Contact via Skype, phone, text, email...? Makes a difference:

 

- Skype is viable only with O3b connectivity, which means "forget the Regal when she is

in the Baltic and too far north to see the O3b satellites.

 

- Cellphone and text are not "internet", see your provider about "international plans" that

include whatever ship you may choose as a "country". (Exception: On a ship with O3b

connectivity, switch to "wi-fi calling", and use her no-minutes internet)

 

- Email has been quite practical for several years, but you need to learn the open-internet,

upload/download, close-internet, and read/write offline shuffle. Maybe even once an

hour during business hours.

[fairy100]

Two comments:

 

• Internet connective at sea just within the last 6 months had a breakthrough with the "O3b"

medium Earth orbit satellites. A smattering of ships across a few cruise lines (including

Princess' Regal) have O3b connectivity. You can identify them because they have internet

offerings that are not by-the-minute.

 

 

• Contact via Skype, phone, text, email...? Makes a difference:

 

- Skype is viable only with O3b connectivity, which means "forget the Regal when she is

in the Baltic and too far north to see the O3b satellites.

 

- Cellphone and text are not "internet", see your provider about "international plans" that

include whatever ship you may choose as a "country". (Exception: On a ship with O3b

connectivity, switch to "wi-fi calling", and use her no-minutes internet)

 

- Email has been quite practical for several years, but you need to learn the open-internet,

upload/download, close-internet, and read/write offline shuffle. Maybe even once an

hour during business hours.

 

Thanks very much for this post - we will look into all of these options.

[caribill]

My husband is - he needs to be in contact for clients if they need him and no one else can do this. It cannot wait until we get into a port in a few days. Not cruised before so had not realised what a issue the cost of internet packages was going to be - we have ever been anywhere including some pretty far flung exotic places that have not had on tap internet before. We will know for next time and book cruise line accordingly so it will sadly not be Princess next time. Thanks. :)

 

No matter what the cost of Internet connection time or what cruise line, Internet availability is never guaranteed. Among reasons it might not be available at times:

a) Ship is not in an area with an appropriate Satellite overhead, usually a problem when crossing the Atlantic or Pacific.

b) Ship is in port, but mountains block access from the ship's antenna to the available satellite.

c) Hardware equipment failure which requires receiving parts at a future port

d) Some countries (Japan comes to mind) have laws that prohibit Internet at sea from being available while in territorial waters

 

So if the business is dependent on having Internet access 100% of the time, a cruise vacation (on any cruise line) may not be the best choice.

[pablo222]

- Skype is viable only with O3b connectivity, which means "forget the Regal when she is

in the Baltic and too far north to see the O3b satellites.

 

I've used skype many times on various princess ships. no new satellites.

Others have used face time.

[pablo222]

Internet connective at sea just within the last 6 months had a breakthrough with the "O3b"

medium Earth orbit satellites.

 

Royal Caribbean has offered Voom, using o3b for several years.

[Stevanb]

The cheapest is RCCl at 1 device: $19.99 per day, per device. Only problem is when trying to make a call so many people on it at one time can get a bit in and out . Was on the Allure not our choice wife had business on ship . I very rarely make a call but tried it . Even on the slowest internet I can down load emails over 100 at a time for business less than a few minutes but I use a email client on my laptop using imap set it so it downloads the whole message and have a separate email address that I forward only what I need to read and download from that . BUT I agree with caribill working from a ship can be tough unless you have someone land based to help as you never know when the internet will not work no matter what line you are on .

[Haboob]

Royal Caribbean has offered Voom, using o3b for several years.

 

::nods::

 

The first O3b's went up in 2013, but gave really spotty coverage. It wasn't until March

of this year ('18) that the last 4 (of 16) slots in the constellation were filled.

 

(There's a series of launches in '19, but they are to swap out satellites.)