Jade internet promo question?

[keep on cruisin]

Is the internet promo on the Jade time based or MB based.  Trying to gauge what we will need in addition.

[BirdTravels]

Not sure what "promo" you are talking about. If you are asking about the Free at Sea booking promotion, that is 250 minutes of onboard wifi. 

 

Other packages are on this page https://www.ncl.com/onboard-packages/internet-packages

[roger001]

Just off the Jade.  The internet manager said they only track minutes, not MB.  It was really slow for the first 3 days, not bad the next 3.   He said it is affected by ship's position and cloud cover.  

[keep on cruisin]

Thank you both.  That is what i thought.  I was hoping for MB.

[mking8288]

AFAIK, only the Breakaway "metered" those non-unlimited plans or packages by the MB used, not by the minutes.  Gem, Getaway, Escape & Pearl, etc. doing it by the minutes (thus, whether it's 100 or 250, 30 or 60 minutes, etc. - the meter will deduct once logged in and stop upon logging off)  

 

I would expect the same to the true on the Jade.  With the Escape, transfer speed were reasonably good, uploads often faster than downloads - 3 to 3 MB per minute wasn't uncommon.  Under ideal conditions, probably cached & compressed - I got as much 10MB a minute, which worked for me to do things offline ... signed on, go to the URL that I wanted to go and I'm offline in 3 to 5 minutes per session.  

 

Depending on what devices you are using, be sure to turn off background update, cloud uploads & similar "systems" app - and your app & webpages will run smoother - 5Ghz seemed less congested & 802.11 ac protocols supported - twice as fast as "n" standards.     

[roger001]

14 hours ago, keep on cruisin said:

Is the internet promo on the Jade time based or MB based.  Trying to gauge what we will need in addition.

If you need internet for some reason and you already have the free 250 minute promo, then paying the difference (you'll be given dollar credit for the 250 minutes) would probably be worth it.  And a big reason is not having to log in and out every time you wish to use it.  Logging in and out is a major pain I think.  

[kfnesq]

1 hour ago, roger001 said:

If you need internet for some reason and you already have the free 250 minute promo, then paying the difference (you'll be given dollar credit for the 250 minutes) would probably be worth it.  And a big reason is not having to log in and out every time you wish to use it.  Logging in and out is a major pain I think.  

Agree with this.  Remembering to log in and out is burdensome and sometimes doesn't work...and then your minutes are gone the first day lol.  I always just pay the difference and upgrade to unlimited so as to not have to worry about it.

[keep on cruisin]

8 hours ago, kfnesq said:

Agree with this.  Remembering to log in and out is burdensome and sometimes doesn't work...and then your minutes are gone the first day lol.  I always just pay the difference and upgrade to unlimited so as to not have to worry about it.

 

9 hours ago, roger001 said:

If you need internet for some reason and you already have the free 250 minute promo, then paying the difference (you'll be given dollar credit for the 250 minutes) would probably be worth it.  And a big reason is not having to log in and out every time you wish to use it.  Logging in and out is a major pain I think.  

I agree.  I was hopi g they had switched to MB which would have allowed me to give that to our son.  Then purchase 1 unlimited to share between me and my wife.  Easier to keep in touch with DS during the trip and he would get some usage.  With it being this way we will probably try to get away with messaging via thw norwegian app and all 3 of us shars the unlimited wifi after upgrading the 250 to unlimited.

[TammyAtkinson]

I am traveling on the Epic in two weeks...and have the 250 minute wifi promo. I called NCL to have them apply a credit for the promo to a larger wifi plan and was told that they "don't do that". Do you know if this is something that I can have done on board...I know that getting a credit towards another plan was mentioned above?

[All-ready2cruise]

19 minutes ago, TammyAtkinson said:

109I am traveling on the Epic in two weeks...and have the 250 minute wifi promo. I called NCL to have them apply a credit for the promo to a larger wifi plan and was told that they "don't do that". Do you know if this is something that I can have done on board...I know that getting a credit towards another plan was mentioned above?

You will need to go to the Internet Cafe when the manager is available. I can only speak to the Jade but found that once I upgraded from the promo 250 minutes to the unlimited for the $109, it seemed much better speed and accessibility.  

[TammyAtkinson]

Thank you so much....I will be visiting the IC to request an upgrade..fingers crossed!  Thanks again, for your helpful response!

[emerald6273]

On 2/21/2019 at 1:28 PM, roger001 said:

If you need internet for some reason and you already have the free 250 minute promo, then paying the difference (you'll be given dollar credit for the 250 minutes) would probably be worth it.  And a big reason is not having to log in and out every time you wish to use it.  Logging in and out is a major pain I think.  

Sorry to jump in on this thread.  Doing a 12 night cruise and deciding between 5 night Speciality Dining package or 250 internet minutes in addition to the Beverage Package Perk.  Am I right that if I take the 250 minutes perk, once onboard if I want to move to the unlimited package I'll be given $250 credit for the 250 minutes wifi perk and can pay the difference to upgrade to the unlimited one (either the $25.00 Unlimited wifi or $29.99 Premium Unlimited wifi)?

[roger001]

Yes.  You will be given dollar credit for the 250 minute promo and pay the difference to upgrade to unlimited.   I haven't done a 12 night so don't know specifically what the up charge difference would be.  After you board, you will have information on how to connect to the wifi and also up grade if you wish.  However, for me it was easier to just go down to the internet manager's desk and have them do it for me.  He/she can also at that time put a log in and a log out icon on your devices for you.  

[mking8288]

3 hours ago, harv2015 said:

Doing a 12 night cruise and deciding between 5 night Speciality Dining package or 250 internet minutes ... if I take the 250 minutes perk, once onboard if I want to move to the unlimited package I'll be given credit for the 250 minutes wifi perk and can pay the difference to upgrade to the unlimited one (either the $25.00 Unlimited wifi or $29.99 Premium Unlimited wifi)?

 

Credit for 250 minutes is and has been - AFAIK - only $125 for trade-up, don't know where you got $250 from ??  Yes, that can be applied to reduce the net amount charged to upgrade ... good with you have other available OBC.

 

Assuming NCL doesn't raise current prices, unlimited for 7 nights has been $30 per day and $35 for premium VPN/streaming - it is discounted on longer sailing ... off-hand, I don't recall if it's true for 12 nights, but on our recent 14 nights/15 days - it was $25 & $30, respectively.  Plus, it can be added until 10 pm on Day 4, usually just Day 2 for a 7 nights ... maybe they will extend it to Day 3, IDK for sure - the "current" prices will be shown when you try to log-in & register, easy DIY for most tech savy geeks instead of standing on a long line @ the iCafe to ask.  

 

Upgrading on Day 2, 3 or 4 will reduce the # of nights by the upgrade price and difference - but if you are doing an east-bound T/A - those are your sea days, so ... your choice & "call" on when, maybe do it on Day 2 or 3 (if permitted, for a little savings) instead of embarkation day.  

 

Keep in mind NCL's satellite WiFi has very high latency, someone benchmarked it at 800ms, I saw 600ms on ours - and on a shared bandwidth with XXX of users on high seas, I won't count on streaming to be seamless or VPN for that matter.  Again, depend on your needs & expectations - results & feedbacks from others are mostly a mixed bag of results, that it mostly worked but not always - YMMV.  

 

 

[deefer]

We are currently on the Star, doing the Panama Canal....as per our concierge they no longer give you a credit for your wifi perk that can be applied towards the unlimited plan.   She said this started a few months ago.....maybe it's only on the star? 

 

I was going to double check with the wifi manager but the line is always soooooo long.  We can make due with what we have, 560 free minutes total for 14 days.  Plus while in Mexico have free data on my cell (using that right now).

 

Today (day 5) is the last day you can purchase the unlimited wifi plan.  The basic wifi plan (no streaming) is 24.99/day.   

 

 

[All-ready2cruise]

I cruised on the Jade, end of January and the offer to upgrade still applied.  I'd go to the IT manager rather than depend on your concierge for accurate info.  Not sure it's really worth the $125 additional charge but it is probably still available. 

[deefer]

On 4/3/2019 at 4:40 PM, All-ready2cruise said:

I cruised on the Jade, end of January and the offer to upgrade still applied.  I'd go to the IT manager rather than depend on your concierge for accurate info.  Not sure it's really worth the $125 additional charge but it is probably still available. 

Double checked with the internet manager and you are able to upgrade but only are giving $60 towards the unlimited plan for each free 250 minute that you may have.  Last year on the Jewel we got $125. 

 

Curious, Did you get a $125 credit on the Jade at the end of January?  I  really think different ships do their own thing which makes it a challenge when trying to make a decision like harv2015!

 

[All-ready2cruise]

14 minutes ago, deefer said:

Double checked with the internet manager and you are able to upgrade but only are giving $60 towards the unlimited plan for each free 250 minute that you may have.  Last year on the Jewel we got $125. 

 

Curious, Did you get a $125 credit on the Jade at the end of January?  I  really think different ships do their own thing which makes it a challenge when trying to make a decision like harv2015!

 

Absolutely sure. I do wonder about the variations in responses and pricing. 

[kfnesq]

I am currently on the Jade and received $125 credit when I upgraded to the unlimited. I just did it on the Norwegian app once we boarded, didn’t have to see the internet manager at all. So far it’s worked well. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

I'll add some datapoints, I was on the Epic this past May for their first West Med itinerary of the year.  Perhaps because it was a itinerary change, you couldn't book anything online or the app pre-cruise (I called and was able to make restaurant and show reservations) and the 250min internet promo to unlimited upgrade option didn't appear for me.  Once on the ship, very first time I logged on I was offered the unlimited option and don't remember the exact amount but it was under $125.  I'm now going on the Jade in January, on ncl.com I can upgrade from the 250min promo to unlimited for $115 for this 8 night cruise.  You can also buy a travel router, often about $30, that allows you to log it into NCL then everyone in your cabin connects to the travel router allowing multiple devices to access the internet

[thqu60]

I pre-purchased the 250 minutes Anytime Internet for my upcoming cruise for $105.  Can I still get a full refund if I cancel it?  I want to buy the Unlimited Social Media Wifi for $87.50 instead.

Thank you!

[mking8288]

@thqu60 - if you aren't sailing wtihin days, you should have plenty of time to call in and cancel, request a change or downgrade to the UNL social media WiFi plan, at whatever online pre-purchase prices quoted.  Or, just cancel for a full refund and book that yourself again, online - these are add-ons, should not give you any hassle.  Get the agent's name for the record and remember to check your credit card used for the debit/credit being posted properly. 

 

Or, if you are using a T/A, enlist her/him to do it.   In case of any non-refundable OBC that you might have, wait until you are onboard to get the social meida package (just cancel the 250 minutes purchased now, for a full refund.) 

[thqu60]

@mking8288 - Thank you so much for the reply!