New Internet Package Pricing

[Underwatr]

I'm sure there will be a Cunard ship more or less full time in the western Pacific. I just don't think it will be the new one. 

[BobBranst]

2 hours ago, eroller said:

 

 

This would not surprise me either.   Honestly I don't think Cunard has a large enough market share within its typical base (UK, Germany, North America) to support a 4th ship.  They are very popular in Australia these days so a ship dedicated to that market seems like a logical step.   Either that or make some of the changes I mentioned to enlarge the market share and make Cunard more attractive to a larger base.  Of course doing that would alienate the existing market share that likes it just the way it is.  

 

As the old proverbs says:  A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

[naturelovergirl]

It will absolutely be essential for Cunard’s future to improve their internet.

Firstly- for myself as a 40-something professional- we still work hard... and technology is a necessity for communication with our family and with our job (no we cannot just turn off the technology and just vacation tech free... not possible... not an option... we still work on vacation)... We have truly been making game plans to make the archaic internet (and its high cost) work for our upcoming voyage... We chose Cunard for the other things they offer- awesome itinerary, formal dress code, and the beautiful calm atmosphere. That said, in the future to get other cruisers in my age bracket interested in Cunard, they will have to offer other tech options... it is just the way of modern society.

Secondly- my parents’ generation (baby boomers) are quite tech savvy too... they BOTH communicate via technology extensively. They would want good internet too.

It is not reasonable to say that archaic internet is “enough” these days... it matters not the age of the cruise passenger.

[BobBranst]

I don't believe that anyone would object to inproving the speed and reliability of the in-cabin WiFi.   
However, demanding that the internet be the same as found at home is an invitation to ruin the experience we have come to expect on Cunard.  Do we really want a ship with people walking around the decks or other public spaces constantly using their  phone or device instead of being curious and interacting with their fellow passengers?      

 

Yes,  you can turn off the technology, but that is an decision that you have to make before you ever step foot on the ship.  Although I am now retired, I previously worked as a corporate IT systems analyst  and I am quite familiar with and use modern technology at home.   However when I'm on vacation, I dial back using this technology to an absolute minimum enjoy the Curnard experience to a maximum.   

[naturelovergirl]

9 minutes ago, BobBranst said:

However, demanding that the internet be the same as found at home is an invitation to ruin the experience we have come to expect on Cunard.

Totally agree with this statement BobBranst... it will never be as fast as home. That is quite true.

 

How I wish we could just check out of technology - honestly it sounds divine- but we are self employed business owners... thus, we need at least technology to respond to business emails and such.

Just our life 😊 

 

We will certainly dial back the technology on our voyage... but we also know that doing the necessary business efficiently with reliable internet takes the stress away too- Get it done and move on to the relaxing.

The same applies for people who need to contact family.

So I think that solid good internet must be an issue for Cunard to address going forward in their planning for the future if they want to appeal to many.

[eroller]

1 hour ago, BobBranst said:

   However when I'm on vacation, I dial back using this technology to an absolute minimum enjoy the Curnard experience to a maximum.   

 

 

I guess that is an easy statement to make being retired.  Many of us are not, and still travel ... but rely on internet to stay connected for work reasons and personal.  Seeing people use their smart phones around the ship (on any cruise line) has no influence on my enjoyment.  Now if they were talking on the phone while watching a performance in the theater yes that would be annoying, but I've never experienced that in over 100 cruises.  In most cases it's just people quietly checking email, viewing social media sites, or reading the news.  Quite passive.  

 

Taking a cruise to completely disconnect is simply not a reality for most people anymore.  I suppose if you really want to get away from it all, a private island with no TV or internet access might be the best bet.  

[eroller]

51 minutes ago, naturelovergirl said:

T  but we also know that doing the necessary business efficiently with reliable internet takes the stress away too- Get it done and move on to the relaxing.

 

 

 

Thats an excellent point.  Fast, reliable, reasonable internet does relieve the stress for many on vacation that are required to use it.  Nothing more frustrating than trying to connect to unreliable internet or being disconnected in the middle of something important.  The internet on Cunard is frustrating, and we now know unnecessary as most other cruise lines have upgraded their technology to offer much faster and reliable internet, at better prices for unlimited plans so the hassle of logging on and off, and watching every minute is eliminated.  I don't expect Cunard's internet to be as fast as home, but I do expect it to be competitive with what other cruise lines are offering, and they are all pretty much superior to Cunard in my experience.   

[Wordzz]

I guess that is an easy statement to make being retired

8 hours ago, eroller said:

 

 

I guess that is an easy statement to make being retired.  

That's a pretty sweeping statement. I work more than full-time; virtulaly all of that time is spent at a computer and I pretty much live on the Internet for work reasons. Being on board is a blessed opportunity for me to take a holiday from that. My wife and I decided on our very first crossing on QM2 that there was no point in keeping in daily contact with the 'real world', because whatever dramas might occur, there was nothing we could do about them from mid-Atlantic and we would simply be stressed and powerless to do anything. Personally I dislike seeing so many people glued to their smartphones, and seeing less of that is - for us - one of the nice things about being on a ship. Each to their own, of course, but please don't assume everyone thinks the way you do. And your last comment about a private island was just plain snarky to my mind, and unnecessary.

[eroller]

3 hours ago, Wordzz said:

I guess that is an easy statement to make being retired

That's a pretty sweeping statement. I work more than full-time; virtulaly all of that time is spent at a computer and I pretty much live on the Internet for work reasons. Being on board is a blessed opportunity for me to take a holiday from that. My wife and I decided on our very first crossing on QM2 that there was no point in keeping in daily contact with the 'real world', because whatever dramas might occur, there was nothing we could do about them from mid-Atlantic and we would simply be stressed and powerless to do anything. Personally I dislike seeing so many people glued to their smartphones, and seeing less of that is - for us - one of the nice things about being on a ship. Each to their own, of course, but please don't assume everyone thinks the way you do. And your last comment about a private island was just plain snarky to my mind, and unnecessary.

 

 

Sweeping statement or not, those that are currently working and require the use of internet for their livelihood are going to have a different perspective than a retired person who may only use it to keep in touch with family.  

 

It’s wonderful you can decide to disconnect from the real world on your crossings.  Not everyone has that luxury.  

Edited May 4, 2019 by eroller

[BobBranst]

13 hours ago, eroller said:

 

 

I guess that is an easy statement to make being retired.  Many of us are not, and still travel ... but rely on internet to stay connected for work reasons and personal.  Seeing people use their smart phones around the ship (on any cruise line) has no influence on my enjoyment.  Now if they were talking on the phone while watching a performance in the theater yes that would be annoying, but I've never experienced that in over 100 cruises.  In most cases it's just people quietly checking email, viewing social media sites, or reading the news.  Quite passive.  

 

Taking a cruise to completely disconnect is simply not a reality for most people anymore.  I suppose if you really want to get away from it all, a private island with no TV or internet access might be the best bet.  

 

That may be "an easy to make being retired", but only a very small percentage of us retired folks who chose to travel on Cunard have had the luxury of being able to take "over 100 cruises" in their entire lifetime.   To be able to do this while still working full time is something unheard of in our generation.  Most retired folks live on a fixed income,  so each cruise or crossing is something very special and we want to keep it that way, not just something to do to get out of the office.

Of course Fort Lauderdale is a vey popular cruise ship port and just a hop and a skip away for those living there.   However, how many of your 100 have been on Cunard ships?   

 

Edited May 4, 2019 by BobBranst
typo

[eroller]

6 minutes ago, BobBranst said:

   However, how many of your 100 have been on Cunard ships?   

 

 

 

I think I'm actually up to around 130 cruises now.  Around 20 have been on Cunard, the first being on QE2 when I was a kid in the 80’s.   

 

I’m not loyal to any one line and enjoy the variety of sailing different ships and cruise lines.  New prototype ships are a fave.  

 

When I retire all this cruising may not be possible so I’m enjoying it now.  Work hard play hard.  

[transatlantic fan]

On 4/22/2019 at 1:15 PM, safarigal said:

I was told on board QM2 that they plan to do an internet upgrade in May which will provide more bandwidth - they had hoped to have it done while in Dubai but they were missing some equipment or something. 

Do we know if this got updated while in Southampton.

Thanks.

[Solent Richard]

On 4/22/2019 at 12:06 AM, bluemarble said:

On several occasions in the past I've commented on how Cunard's internet package pricing hasn't changed in many years. Now on QM2, I see there is new pricing and there are additional options for internet packages as follows:

 

30 minutes = $15

120 minutes (Gold package) = $45 

240 minutes (Platinum package) = $80

480 minutes (Diamond package) = $135

960 minutes = $220

1,920 minutes = $330

 

When registering today, I noticed I wasn't offered any additional minutes as an embarkation special. I asked the gentleman at the ConneXions desk about that and was told Cunard doesn't offer embarkation specials any more.

 

What I'm really surprised about is that no one has ventured to suggest that this is, in effect, yet another cut-back.

👿

[Underwatr]

I haven't paid for internet access on Cunard in years.

Edited May 9, 2019 by Underwatr

[exlondoner]

5 hours ago, Solent Richard said:

 

What I'm really surprised about is that no one has ventured to suggest that this is, in effect, yet another cut-back.

👿

 

I thought someone said the price had gone down, so perhaps it isn't a cutback?

[bluemarble]

The elimination of the embarkation special could be viewed as a de facto cutback in the Cunard World Club benefits. When the embarkation special was offered, Gold members (who are entitled to two hours of complimentary internet) could get an additional 15 minutes free, Platinum members (who are entitled to four hours of complimentary internet) could get an additional 25 minutes free, and Diamond members (who are entitled to eight hours of complimentary internet) could get an additional 50 minutes free.

Edited May 9, 2019 by bluemarble

[Underwatr]

And if the price goes down, that's a reduction in the monetary value of the perk. 😉

[bluemarble]

On the subject of Cunard World Club benefits and internet packages, there is one CWC benefit I guess I had forgotten about and one I can't seem to find listed anywhere.

 

As a platinum member, on my recent QM2 crossing, I purchased the 240 minute package for $80 and was credited back that $80 under "Loyalty Saving Tier" on my account statement as usual. That's how it's always worked to claim the CWC complimentary internet time, so no surprise there (other than no additional minutes added this time as an embarkation special which we've already discussed).

 

However, for the first time in years I ran out of internet minutes and purchased an additional 240 minute package later in the voyage. This time I was charged $80 as expected, but was credited back $10 under "Loyalty Saving Tier".

 

I looked back through old statements from previous voyages and in 2013, when I was still gold status, I purchased an additional 120 minute package for $47.95 and was credited back $2.05 under "Loyalty Saving Tier".

 

So, apparently receiving a CWC discount on internet packages purchased in addition to the complimentary package is nothing new. Seems a bit odd that this isn't advertised as a CWC benefit. Or is it listed somewhere and I've just missed it?

[Solent Richard]

On 5/9/2019 at 1:32 PM, exlondoner said:

 

I thought someone said the price had gone down, so perhaps it isn't a cutback?

 

On 5/9/2019 at 3:40 PM, Underwatr said:

And if the price goes down, that's a reduction in the monetary value of the perk. 😉

 

Exactly. Our perks have suffered a 'cutback'.

 

 

[yhz123]

I just came off a Celebrity cruise, and while I wouldn't call the internet connection "blazing fast", it was far superior than Cunard.

It was consider a "perk" when we booked, so I'm not sure of it's monetary value, but it was unlimited for the duration of the cruise. When we are in cruise booking mode, unlimited high speed internet can influence us to pick one cruise line over another. That being said though, so do other things...for instance we were disappointed by Celebrity's lack of self service laundry facilities.

[BobBranst]

49 minutes ago, yhz123 said:

I just came off a Celebrity cruise, and while I wouldn't call the internet connection "blazing fast", it was far superior than Cunard.

It was consider a "perk" when we booked, so I'm not sure of it's monetary value, but it was unlimited for the duration of the cruise. When we are in cruise booking mode, unlimited high speed internet can influence us to pick one cruise line over another. That being said though, so do other things...for instance we were disappointed by Celebrity's lack of self service laundry facilities.

 

If you are willing to trade having self-service laundry(s) for high speed internet, Cunard is for you.  If not, I believe another line would be a better fit for you at least in the near future.

[Underwatr]

Unlimited high speed internet is a nice selling point, but it adds $140 or $199 to the price of the cruise for one device on Celebrity. Royal Caribbean's Surf & Stream Voom is about the same, at $20/day for one device, $38 (total) for two.

 

There are sales and packages. On RCCL I booked VOOM as part of a beverage package, the delta compared to the package without VOOM was about $8/day.

[Ynox]

Just off the QM2 today.

 

Internet performance whilst not amazing, does seem to have improved, so I'm guessing the upgrade has been completed.

 

On my phone I was able to run a speed test whilst sat in the Golden Lion - 12.8Mbit down, 2.87Mbit up. 696ms ping latency. For satellite at sea I think this is pretty satisfactory really. I was able to use WhatsApp / Facetime for voice calls with no problems.

 

 

[Host Hattie]

That's good news, I think that's the first positive thing I've ever read about QM2's wifi !

[BobBranst]

9 minutes ago, Ynox said:

On my phone I was able to run a speed test whilst sat in the Golden Lion - 12.8Mbit down, 2.87Mbit up. 696ms ping latency. For satellite at sea I think this is pretty satisfactory really. I was able to use WhatsApp / Facetime for voice calls with no problems.

 

 

I just ran a speed test on my home ATT U-Verse internet and the download speed at lunch time was only 3 or 4 Mbit faster than Ynox reported for the QM2.   That's quite an improvement over the past.   Not super fast, but should be more than adequate for most on a QM2 crossing.