On board Harmony now. $82 drink package and useless Voom

[Milwaukee Eight]

8 hours ago, Tricia28 said:

 I also brought a six pack of pineapple juice and a few coconut rum minis because they will not include coconut rum in happy hour. 

And there lies the reason EVERYONE in the same cabin must buy the package if one has it. 

[papaflamingo]

Just now, Host Clarea said:

 

Wait until they start presenting different prices to different guests on the same exact cruise!

I suspect they already do Bob.  Another "pricing" story (I know, everyone has hundreds).

A few years ago we were on Serenade. I had pre-purchased the Chef's Table.   Once on board we convinced our friends to go with us.  So they went and purchased it, well, they got a 30% discount!!!   So I called Guest Services and they had me call the Chef's Table Sommelier.   I told him I'd like to cancel and repurchase with the lower price.  He was very nice, but said it was too late to cancel (it was the day of the Chef's Table).  I explained (actually very  politely) that it seemed unfair to charge full price for those who purchase something BEFORE the cruise only to give a major discount to those who wait.  He said he'd check and the DID refund the 30%.  But it convinced me that I would NEVER pre-purchase anything for full price again on RCCL. 

Like everyone else on this board, I'm tired of the crazy pricing.  I've lived with it, expect it, even shrug it off as "marketing."  I simply look at something and if it's a  price I'm ok with I buy it.  If not, I do without.   But it still annoys me.

[Milwaukee Eight]

2 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Last week as a Pinnacle in an OB Balcony

We were still at Pt Canaveral.  I never checked again till St Thomas cell coverage.

 

 

I'll check again next week 

Here is what I get at home with WiFi turned off. I wouldn’t say your numbers above are even fair for VOOM+Streaming. If that’s the best one gets for the big package, it’s terrible. 

 

CC will not allow me to upload photo but the numbers were 

 

Download 25.6 Mbs 

Upload 8.79 Mbs 

[Cruisegirl6]

Where were you sailing that you had bad Voom problems?  I do know, certain parts at sea may not have any due to the fact the towers don't reach that area, but then after awhile you should be in an area that will allow you to use?

[orville99]

We're on Harmony next week, and I'll run some speed tests to see what the Stream delivers. This is what I get on my iPad at home just for comparison.

Edited August 16, 2019 by orville99

[John&LaLa]

2 hours ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Maybe he can run some Speedtests but I still don’t believe it’s the full speed that can be purchased. I know others on our Suite cruises on Harmony/Allure/Oasis, that bought the VOOM package, and could Periscope in areas we could not. 

 

Interested to see @John&LaLa results. We were on Deck 8 Mid Ship GS and seldom worked in our Cabin. 

 

Our cabin is deck 7 port side mid ship

[mac_tlc]

2 hours ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Maybe he can run some Speedtests but I still don’t believe it’s the full speed that can be purchased. I know others on our Suite cruises on Harmony/Allure/Oasis, that bought the VOOM package, and could Periscope in areas we could not. 

 

Interested to see @John&LaLa results. We were on Deck 8 Mid Ship GS and seldom worked in our Cabin. 

Siting in Johnny Rockets on Harmony right now, love their breakfast! Surf & Stream:

[Fancypants!]

I was on Harmony in a CLS in June and had a lot of trouble with the Voom on that trip. I think this was a problem ship-wide problem, as the Voom customer service line in the Promenade was always really long. I was on Harmony in June of 2018 also, and it was great then. I'm wondering if Harmony is having a problem with the Voom off and on now.

 

My cruise planner is showing our Oasis cruise in December as being $65 for the drink package without Voom. I guess they are just trying to see how high they can go before people stop purchasing it. $65 pre-cruise made my jaw drop, but $82 - that makes me fall flat on the floor. Yikes!

[maggieq]

I guess I have been asleep at the wheel as our last cruises on Rccl, we purchased  the drink package precruise with good sale prices.  I had no idea they raised the price so much and not happy about it, of course.  We sail will be on the Allure 9/1 and will purchase the package and use the 30% off for diamond plus as it is a special cruise for us celebrating 20 years together.   However, I think we will be looking more so to best value which doesn’t seem to include Rccl anymore.  Sad as we love their oasis class of ships.    

 

If if they are going to raise the prices then raise the % of d+ discount!  Ok rant over. 

Edited August 16, 2019 by maggieq

[mac_tlc]

Sitting at the kids Splashaway Bay on Harmony: 

 

Surf only:

 

[Biker19]

3 hours ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

 I wouldn’t say your numbers above are even fair for VOOM+Streaming. If that’s the best one gets for the big package, it’s terrible.

One should to put things into context - those numbers are exactly what you usually get with Stream - that is the norm and for sat internet, it is good. The important number you left out of your home test is the ping.

Edited August 16, 2019 by Biker19

[Milwaukee Eight]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

One should to put things into context - those numbers are exactly what you usually get with Stream - that is the norm and for sat internet, it is good. The important number you left out of your home test is the ping.

See if this posts.... this is with WI-FI off. Just phone service.  I would say 35ms Ping is pretty good. 

 

Edited August 16, 2019 by Milwaukee Eight

[Biker19]

19 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

I would say 35ms Ping is pretty good. 

Yes, and for most uses, it is more important than the download/upload speed.

[orlandok]

Maritime satellite internet should never be compared to home Wi-Fi or cellular 4g/LTE speeds. 

 

At most your home Wi-Fi may need to travel a hundred feet before connecting to your wired internet. Cellular data might need to go a mile or two. 

 

The satellites that power Voom are over 5000 miles away from the ship at a minimum! They also sail through space at over 11,000 MPH. It's a technological marvel that this works at all!

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O3b_(satellite)

 

O3b says they can offer round trip latency of 140ms and speeds of 500 Mbit/s at best. Then that has to be shared by everyone on the whole ship, passengers and crew. 

 

Getting 3-4 Mbit/s is pretty good when you consider everything involved in getting you connected. 

[Casino Comp Chick]

On 8/16/2019 at 6:15 AM, Host Clarea said:

 

Interesting, I wonder if your stateroom was in a weak WiFi coverage area.

 

I was a few cabins from fwd elevator on deck 13. I should have had a good signal from the satellite.

[Clarea]

34 minutes ago, Casino Comp Chick said:

 

I was a few cabins from fwd elevator on deck 13. I should have had a good signal from the satellite.

 

Your device has to communicate with a WiFi access point on the ship before it can get to the satellite.  I was thinking it sounded like you were in a weak WiFi zone on the ship.

[lazydayz]

Just off the Mariner and the onboard price for the drink package was $82 for the first person, with half off the second person’s package, plus service charge on both. It was only offered on the first day. No thanks. 

[stompy]

We just got yet another marketing email that touted the DBP was $61 with a BOGO so I thought I'd go price it out for our upcoming Harmony cruise in April.  $1007.72 YIKES!  Apparently the $61 is AFTER the discount.  We are D+ and in a GS so CK has free beer and wine after 11AM and the diamond drinks at night.  We typically get extra mixers and they usually let us keep them unopened so we take the sodas back to the cabin.

 

We're not lugging the bottle of wine this time and the wife decided she wants towels instead of me getting a bottle of wine for the cabin.  On the plus side I am finally getting to go to the Bacardi distillery in San Juan after all these years and thankful the ship is providing the transportation since I'd be in no shape to drive.

 

I can't imagine drinking $1000 worth of booze in a week.  Who can afford such things?  Gotta love the 18% on top of the $61 that isn't calculated till the end 

[Joebucks]

I'm definitely not one of those "I like to disconnect on vacation, so you should too".

 

But jeez, being aboard the Harmony now and being so concerned about these things would probably not be my focus.

[ilovetotravel1977]

3 hours ago, stompy said:

I can't imagine drinking $1000 worth of booze in a week.  Who can afford such things?  Gotta love the 18% on top of the $61 that isn't calculated till the end 

 

It isn't really that hard for two people.

 

$500 / 7 nights = $72 / day / $12 drink = 6 drinks per day.

 

$12 would be frozen, wine, etc.  Beers would be much cheaper, but throw in a few sodas, waters, fun coffees and you've matched the package price.

 

Now, being Canadian, add the exchange and THAT makes it $$$$! 

 

Edited January 12, 2020 by ilovetotravel1977

[rtazz17]

Always buy before you cruise. You can cancel if price drops. As for internet? Your on vacation,who cares about streaming? Come on put the phone down. 

[icsys]

 

On 1/12/2020 at 2:40 PM, stompy said:

I can't imagine drinking $1000 worth of booze in a week.  Who can afford such things?  Gotta love the 18% on top of the $61 that isn't calculated till the end 

 

Its good to see some people are crunching the numbers and realising that it is getting damned expensive!

 

On 1/12/2020 at 6:39 PM, ilovetotravel1977 said:

It isn't really that hard for two people.

 

$500 / 7 nights = $72 / day / $12 drink = 6 drinks per day.

 

$12 would be frozen, wine, etc.  Beers would be much cheaper, but throw in a few sodas, waters, fun coffees and you've matched the package price.

 

The thing is, 'stompy' said he can't imagine drinking $1000 worth of booze in a week.

Sodas waters and fun coffees are not booze, and no matter how many drinks it takes to break even, its still $1000 for the week.

 

I put that into context by comparing the cost to a cruise... We have just paid $1130 for two weeks B2B cruising on Freedom this September.

 

Everyone will put their own 'value' on the drinks package.

Those that feel they get value from the package will buy it. Those that feel they wont, don't!

[ilovetotravel1977]

@icsysoh I agree!  Not insinuating one is right or wrong.  Just trying to show how I justify it to myself LOL

[icsys]

Yes I know.

Everyone has their reasons for buying.. or not.

[CP3o]

On 8/19/2019 at 7:08 PM, lazydayz said:

Just off the Mariner and the onboard price for the drink package was $82 for the first person, with half off the second person’s package, plus service charge on both. It was only offered on the first day. No thanks. 

I wonder if they are quoting it that way to make the bogo 1/2 off work and it's really similar to what accustomed to.  (82 + 41)/2 = 61.5 X 1.18 = 72.57   

 

Would have to see the totals from 2 that bought to be sure.