When will WiFi be free on Celebrity?

[The_Big_M]

7 minutes ago, mfs2k said:

Edited March 6, 2019 by The_Big_M
gone off-topic

[Charles4515]

 
You are welcome to see yourself as a customer or passenger but that seems bleak to me. 

 

On a cruise I am a customer, guest and passenger. There is no contradiction to being all three.


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[mfs2k]

3 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

 

On a cruise I am a customer, guest and passenger. There is no contradiction to being all three.


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Agreed.  But to exclude "guest" from the list is depressing to me, if that's the vacation I've chosen. 

[mfs2k]

34 minutes ago, The_Big_M said:

 

If you're paying them many thousands of dollars, they're happy to call you any relevant complimentary name you want.

 

But your analogy on letting guests in your home use wifi so why shouldn't they onboard completely fails - unless you really do charge "GUESTS" to your home similar dollars to stay there...

 

The difference is "Guests" in your home really are guests. Unlike onboard, where you are paying customers.

 

My last post on this because it's getting redundant and we're playing with semantics... 

 

I may be a paying customer, and I may be a passenger, but I expect to be treated like a guest on board a Celebrity ship, and I believe crew members are trained to treat their passengers and customers like guests, and if that wasn't clear to some of you in my earlier posts, or I wasn't clear in what I wrote, consider this a correction because this is what I mean. 

Edited March 6, 2019 by mfs2k

[Redtravel]

I have been on cruises that have free WiFi.  Oceania, Viking,Regent, Crystal and others do include it. It is not essential. It is nice to have free WiFi. I also sail on other lines that are even charge more than Celebrity. Windstar is very expensive and is not reliable. I do not buy it. Instead, when I am off the ship, I ask the crew where to find free WiFi. They all know and share the info. On one cruise, we went to the bar that a crew member recommended. Not only did we get free WiFi, we had the best pizza and gelato. Ships also sell WiFi to the crew. Celebrity has WiFi as a perk. I am elite plus and get some free WiFi. On vacation, I just check emails and look up info on ports. I do not need a ton of time. 

[Luvcrusn]

OP, just know you will be treated well and pampered by the crew on X ships. As far as WIFI being offered free, some want it some don't.  Some hotels offer it as a perk, some still don't.  The beverage packages often come "free" as perks, but one way or the other they are being paid for as is everything on board. Whether it's "included" in the fare, a perk, paid for with OBC or given as a loyalty reward, one way or another the cost is covered and a profit is going to be made. 

[Cruise Junky]

Azamara's latest promotion includes free wifi too.  Seems to be catching on.

[Luvcrusn]

29 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said:

Azamara's latest promotion includes free wifi too.  Seems to be catching on.

However if you compare X and Azamara prices you are paying for it. It's just not an itemized cost.

[Cruise Junky]

59 minutes ago, Luvcrusn said:

However if you compare X and Azamara prices you are paying for it. It's just not an itemized cost.

 

Oh definitely, no doubt.  But it also shows that it's not just the luxury lines anymore that offer free wifi, it's moved down the premium lines.

[WonderMan3]

16 hours ago, The_Big_M said:

 

I think I should start a thread on the Hilton forums. Food is clearly essential. Cruise ships include it. So when is Hilton going to include it in their offerings, since it's both essential and gives them competitive benefits???

 

Illogical comparison since a cruise ship has you out to sea for your evenings and overnights generally where you have no option to obtain food other than the ship. At a Hilton Hotel you have other food options nearby that you can drive to outside of the hotel. 

[WonderMan3]

5 hours ago, Redtravel said:

I have been on cruises that have free WiFi.  Oceania, Viking,Regent, Crystal and others do include it. It is not essential. It is nice to have free WiFi. I also sail on other lines that are even charge more than Celebrity. Windstar is very expensive and is not reliable. I do not buy it. Instead, when I am off the ship, I ask the crew where to find free WiFi. They all know and share the info. On one cruise, we went to the bar that a crew member recommended. Not only did we get free WiFi, we had the best pizza and gelato. Ships also sell WiFi to the crew. Celebrity has WiFi as a perk. I am elite plus and get some free WiFi. On vacation, I just check emails and look up info on ports. I do not need a ton of time. 

 

For YOU it is not essential. For others it is. 

 

This conversation is like a never ending whirlpool of repetition...

[WandHinTX]

Can anyone explain the reason for this discussion when unlimited WiFi is available as an included perk?

[Charles4515]

Can anyone explain the reason for this discussion when unlimited WiFi is available as an included perk?

 

Not everyone does the perks. Without the perks I pay less so I usually decline them. There are discount fares without the perks, last time I sailed with the Maryland Resident rate. Often the total fare is less without taking the perks. I am good at math so the gimmick perk deals don’t sway me. A lot of people fall for the marketing and don’t do the math but I check the fare with and without. Also they don’t do the perks on all sailings. TAs for example.

 

 

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[mfs2k]

Right. 

The perks are used as a marketing tool and they can slide the cost of perks up or down as they slide the base fares and discounts up or down. 

They’re also not always available as the poster above me also said. 

If you compare pricing for the same cruise and category often over time it becomes apparent how they play with pricing sliding those 3 factors up and down. 

 

For me the value of the first two perks I’d choose for a 7 night cruise (internet and beverage ($350 and $419) is worth a lot more than the tips and obc which cost $210 and $300 to buy. But for someone who doesn’t want a beverage package or internet, they’d value the tips and obc more because that’s like cash to them. 

 

The reason for the discussion was I’d like to see WiFi come out of the pricing equation just like water, electricity and fuel isn’t part of the pricing equation and as others have pointed out, neither is gym use, pool time, or entertainment. Those are always included. You don’t see a “show ticket perk” But apparently there are others who disagree because they don’t use WiFi and they don’t want to pay for me. I, on the other hand, don’t really go to many shows but I have to pay for the entertainment. See?  

 

I DO understand the capacity issues though and I completely get that argument for now.  Maybe that will change as satellite technology evolves. 

Edited March 6, 2019 by mfs2k

[MizDemeanor]

2 hours ago, mfs2k said:

The reason for the discussion was I’d like to see WiFi come out of the pricing equation just like water, electricity and fuel isn’t part of the pricing equation and as others have pointed out, neither is gym use, pool time, or entertainment. Those are always included. You don’t see a “show ticket perk” But apparently there are others who disagree because they don’t use WiFi and they don’t want to pay for me. I, on the other hand, don’t really go to many shows but I have to pay for the entertainment. See?  

 

Many of the items you list have been part and parcel of the basic capability of a ship to acutally manuever and sail so I do strongly disagree with water, electric, and fuel since none of those are 'resold'. A gym is built and a pool is built and shows are offered as part of the overall amenities and there are no addional charges for basic service its in the cruise fare. Just like dining room and buffet food and room service, it would be pretty silly to start to argue that if you don't use the buffet because you are not a buffet person that you should have a reduced fare. 

 

When an apartment is built, for a very rough example, its built with infrastructure in place, so say Verizon comes in and lands basic fiber or cable and plain old copper lines; its not included in the cost of a rented apartment, its basic standard stuff and Verizon is very happy to come in and land their stuff at no cost in order to have a captive audience tag on to it for lots and lots of future business; its their investment into their own future potential of a captive audience. If you decide you want a landline (on top of your cellphone) you pay, if you want internet you pay, if you want TV you pay. You can have some all or none. The infrastructure is there for the taking at a price. 

 

The cruise ships need the communications in order to operate the ship as a basic necessity, so it must be installed, but the cruiselines, like the hotels, also know this is a profit center for the others who wish to have it.

 

Not everyone who has planked down a cool G for a fancy phone needs or wants to use it while they are away, however. That the infrastructure is there is what is meaningful to those that do want the ultimate in ongoing connectivity and pricing programs have been developed to accomodate levels of need. Many chose to wait to get into port for free wifi hot spots and many don't need or want any access at all. 

 

You can have some, all, or none. The infrastructure is there for the taking at a price. Unless Celebrity becomes AI, its my opinion WiFi will remain available on a tier pricing/planned consumption purchase add on basis or baked into a cruise fare or one that suggests a guest is getting it 'for free' included as part of a promotional program.

 

When all is said and done though, the cruiseline is pretty generous to loyalty guests in this area.

 

 

Edited March 7, 2019 by MizDemeanor

[The_Big_M]

5 hours ago, WonderMan3 said:

 

Illogical comparison since a cruise ship has you out to sea for your evenings and overnights generally where you have no option to obtain food other than the ship. At a Hilton Hotel you have other food options nearby that you can drive to outside of the hotel. 

 

That's not always true. While many hotels are obviously in major cities, hotels also have resort properties, such as on islands, or beaches, where there isn't a lot or even any dining alternatives nearby in some cases. In those cases, dining is often still a la carte, and not included.

[mfs2k]

54 minutes ago, The_Big_M said:

 

That's not always true. While many hotels are obviously in major cities, hotels also have resort properties, such as on islands, or beaches, where there isn't a lot or even any dining alternatives nearby in some cases. In those cases, dining is often still a la carte, and not included.

Unlike food and beverage, WiFi once installed is a fixed cost to the cruise line regardless how many users are online. 

[txflood33]

ITT we learn people don't really understand the definition of essential

[mfs2k]

6 minutes ago, txflood33 said:

ITT we learn people don't really understand the definition of essential

 

I don’t believe “essential” is relevant. This isn’t a Boy Scout camping trip where all you’re allowed to bring is a pocket knife and 2 matches. 

 

This is our cruise vacation. 

 

It’s really a question of what should be “standard” at the Celebrity cruise line quality level. 

[txflood33]

4 minutes ago, mfs2k said:

 

I don’t believe “essential” is relevant. This isn’t a Boy Scout camping trip where all you’re allowed to bring is a pocket knife and 2 matches. 

 

This is our cruise vacation. 

 

It’s really a question of what should be “standard” at the Celebrity cruise line quality level. 

 

the word 'essential' was used on this page so I wasn't really calling you out....but it seems to have struck a nerve. 

[mfs2k]

Not an essential one. 😁

[bigbeergut]

9 hours ago, mfs2k said:

Unlike food and beverage, WiFi once installed is a fixed cost to the cruise line regardless how many users are online. 

 

Are you really sure this is true?  I would think the satellite company would have the charges to the cruise company linked to usage. 

[mfs2k]

6 minutes ago, bigbeergut said:

 

Are you really sure this is true?  I would think the satellite company would have the charges to the cruise company linked to usage. 

 

You could be right. I’m not sure about satellites. 

For a land based hotel most contract from a provider at a fixed cost and every few years the price drops and you end up getting higher speeds at about the same cost because technology keeps improving.

[cgolf1]

17 hours ago, WonderMan3 said:

 

For YOU it is not essential. For others it is. 

 

This conversation is like a never ending whirlpool of repetition...

 

My original beef with this whole thing is that wifi is/should be free and I took the OP's comments as everyone should be entitled to free internet everywhere, my bad for the misunderstanding.

 

To me though this is similar to discussing room price increases on your line of choice. Celebrity and other lines are a business just like hotels and they are in this to make money. Eventually internet will be free, but a majority of the cruise lines right now don't and don't give you the option of relatively free perks to give you the option of unlimited internet.

 

The perks deals are pretty good too on Celebrity. For us to break even cost wise on the Apex, oceanview with perks to inside room, each of us would only need to have the equivalent of two alcoholic beverages a night. I think some that regularly sail Celebrity don't know how good they have it, on Disney we were top tier there and the perks weren't even close, and no free perk options when you book either. If you wanted internet you paid for it, might have had some time included with suites (1 bedroom suite 100 mb, royal suite unlimited internet).

 

This is the top level perks on DCL copied from the cruise critic site, pretty pathetic if you ask me! 

 

Platinum

• Available with 10 or more completed sailings
• Receive all Gold perks
• Ability to reserve activities 120 days prior to sailing
• Early booking for new itineraries three days before general public
• Priority check-in and boarding
• Complimentary dinner at Palo

Edited March 7, 2019 by cgolf1

[madmedic]

Hi how much is the daily rate for wifi or do they charge per minute if you don't purchase an internet package? Don't need it everyday but once or twice a week possibly.