help re Internet minutes as platinum cruiser

[lorri111]

Have never used the internet cruising before but have just got platinum status and understand we get 250 min each. As this is a long cruise I think I will take advantage of it - how does it work? Do they give you a special log in or instructions in your stateroom or do you just connect to internet and they tell you then? What happens at end of free minutes, does it just end or do they automatically put you on a paid plan - don't want to find myself with bill for inadvertently going over time. How do you know what you have got left at any point? Any advice on how to maximise use of internet - will mostly be using it for emails

[Steelers36]

9 minutes ago, lorri111 said:

Have never used the internet cruising before but have just got platinum status and understand we get 250 min each. As this is a long cruise I think I will take advantage of it - how does it work? Do they give you a special log in or instructions in your stateroom or do you just connect to internet and they tell you then? What happens at end of free minutes, does it just end or do they automatically put you on a paid plan - don't want to find myself with bill for inadvertently going over time. How do you know what you have got left at any point? Any advice on how to maximise use of internet - will mostly be using it for emails

After you connect to ship's INTRANET (point browser to <shipname>.princess.com), you will see a link and be offered internet service.  You can accept your 250 free minutes and begin using it.  Make sure you logout after every usage or those minutes keep on ticking away.  Once the minutes are exhausted, you will be charged a very high cost per minute of usage.

 

You can buy additional minutes at that point, or you can buy a package of minutes on embarkation for a much cheaper price.  You would then have those package minutes, plus your 250 free.  What to do?  It helps a lot to know roughly how much time you will spend connected for browsing, email, etc each day and just add that up.

 

You have not mentioned your next cruise voyage and ship.  There is new faster internet on many ships.  If you happen to have old, slow internet, your minutes will disappear in no time with slow speed response.  Some ships have MEDALLION NET (OCEAN Medallion ships).  As you may or may not know, there are now unlimited internet packages offered for a flat amount per day.  If you buy the package on embarkation, you get the best price for the full cruise.  If you decide to go this route, you get a 25% discount off the regular price in lieu of your free Platinum minutes.  

 

It is basically a math decision on pricing, coupled with having foreknowledge of how much you intend to use it.

 

I am a pretty frequent user and use up a fair amount of internet time.  I now book the unlimited packages with the 25% discount.  Some people still use the old minutes offer and is enough for them.

 

[lorri111]

10 minutes ago, steelers36 said:

After you connect to ship's INTRANET (point browser to <shipname>.princess.com), you will see a link and be offered internet service.  You can accept your 250 free minutes and begin using it.  Make sure you logout after every usage or those minutes keep on ticking away.  Once the minutes are exhausted, you will be charged a very high cost per minute of usage.

 

You can buy additional minutes at that point, or you can buy a package of minutes on embarkation for a much cheaper price.  You would then have those package minutes, plus your 250 free.  What to do?  It helps a lot to know roughly how much time you will spend connected for browsing, email, etc each day and just add that up.

 

You have not mentioned your next cruise voyage and ship.  There is new faster internet on many ships.  If you happen to have old, slow internet, your minutes will disappear in no time with slow speed response.  Some ships have MEDALLION NET (OCEAN Medallion ships).  As you may or may not know, there are now unlimited internet packages offered for a flat amount per day.  If you buy the package on embarkation, you get the best price for the full cruise.  If you decide to go this route, you get a 25% discount off the regular price in lieu of your free Platinum minutes.  

 

It is basically a math decision on pricing, coupled with having foreknowledge of how much you intend to use it.

 

I am a pretty frequent user and use up a fair amount of internet time.  I now book the unlimited packages with the 25% discount.  Some people still use the old minutes offer and is enough for them.

 

Thanks for that. We are on the Coral in Jan round south America and Antarctica so I gather that even though the ship has the new internet it may not be active the further south we go. So I won't automatically be signed up for extra minutes - I would have to specifically sign up myself at end of the free time?

[Steelers36]

2 minutes ago, lorri111 said:

Thanks for that. We are on the Coral in Jan round south America and Antarctica so I gather that even though the ship has the new internet it may not be active the further south we go. So I won't automatically be signed up for extra minutes - I would have to specifically sign up myself at end of the free time?

Correct.  No automatic package comes into play as there are choices of how many minutes to buy.

 

That is a very long cruise - we did it on ISLAND in winter 2018.  Fantastic trip you are sure to enjoy (ours did not go to Antarctica).  I would study the offers closely as you may want the unlimited.  I used a ton of time on that trip as I was checking with our private tour guides and companies, etc.  We actually booked it as three segments and we had something like 2000+ free minutes???  Trying to recall exactly.  No unlimited on Island then. 

 

I suggest you look at the unlimited as you won't have to fret when response time slows down in the more extreme latitudes.  They don't give you cheaper minutes when internet is slow on the minutes plans.  And you have to watch the logout like a hawk or your minutes will burn and then you have to run to the Internet Manager and ask for a restore.  Some are good about it and others will say you only get one request for that.

 

Good luck and enjoy the trip.

 

[lorri111]

33 minutes ago, steelers36 said:

Correct.  No automatic package comes into play as there are choices of how many minutes to buy.

 

That is a very long cruise - we did it on ISLAND in winter 2018.  Fantastic trip you are sure to enjoy (ours did not go to Antarctica).  I would study the offers closely as you may want the unlimited.  I used a ton of time on that trip as I was checking with our private tour guides and companies, etc.  We actually booked it as three segments and we had something like 2000+ free minutes???  Trying to recall exactly.  No unlimited on Island then. 

 

I suggest you look at the unlimited as you won't have to fret when response time slows down in the more extreme latitudes.  They don't give you cheaper minutes when internet is slow on the minutes plans.  And you have to watch the logout like a hawk or your minutes will burn and then you have to run to the Internet Manager and ask for a restore.  Some are good about it and others will say you only get one request for that.

 

Good luck and enjoy the trip.

 

Thanks for the advice. It is sure a bucket trip for us and we are counting down the days!

[OzKiwiJJ]

You should get 500 minutes on that cruise.

 

• Voyages 7 days or less, 150 minutes
• Voyages 8-20 days, 250 minutes
• Voyages 21+ days, 500 minutes

As a Platinum Captain’s Circle Member you will be recognized as such when you initially log on to the Internet onboard. Upon the initial log on you will see a screen which shows you how many complimentary minutes you are eligible to receive. In addition, you will have the opportunity purchase additional Internet packages at the available rates. This offer is only available at the time of the initial log on.

Edited August 26, 2019 by OzKiwiJJ

[lorri111]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

You should get 500 minutes on that cruise.

 

• Voyages 7 days or less, 150 minutes
• Voyages 8-20 days, 250 minutes
• Voyages 21+ days, 500 minutes

As a Platinum Captain’s Circle Member you will be recognized as such when you initially log on to the Internet onboard. Upon the initial log on you will see a screen which shows you how many complimentary minutes you are eligible to receive. In addition, you will have the opportunity purchase additional Internet packages at the available rates. This offer is only available at the time of the initial log on.

 

I wasn't sure how the minutes would work when we are on a 22 package in total but only 16 is a cruise, the rest is landtour - does that still count as "voyage" of 21+ days?

 

[2theship]

2 hours ago, lorri111 said:

 

I wasn't sure how the minutes would work when we are on a 22 package in total but only 16 is a cruise, the rest is landtour - does that still count as "voyage" of 21+ days?

Probably not, it will most likely be 250 minutes for each of you for the 16 days. As mentioned, be sure you log out when you are done with your session. At that time, you'll see how many minutes you have left.

[Reina del Mar]

We have used the 2 x 250 free Platinum minutes on 19 day cruises, and managed to have some left over...both on the South America (excluding Antarctica) and Australia/Asia  and 14 day Caribbean trips.

 

The Internet cafe is usually open on embarkation and there are people there to help explain everything to you.

They will, of course, try to get you to sign up for another package.(Think they might be on commission????)

 

We make sure we log out immediately after checking and replying to emails.

They seem to have made this easier by typing ' logout.com' in the browser bar.( Medallion ship in Caribbean this summer)

 

We use free wi fi ashore to bolster our needs..often in terminals,some cafes, Starbucks, Subway etc

 

The South America cruise is our favourite so far...enjoy !

[flamomo]

A suggestion: In the interest of conserving minutes when emailing so they will last the length of a cruise, especially on long cruises, I go online and retrieve my emails and then get off the internet. I compose my emails and responses to email off line, then sign on again and copy and paste what I have written to email(s) and send. I have never run out of my free minutes, even on 30+ day cruises.

[Steelers36]

4 hours ago, lorri111 said:

 

I wasn't sure how the minutes would work when we are on a 22 package in total but only 16 is a cruise, the rest is landtour - does that still count as "voyage" of 21+ days?

 

Internet packages are for the ship - not land.  So any free minutes will be based on the cruise length.

[JF - retired RRT]

OP: if you're in your cabin and not getting a good signal, you can...

1) prop the door open with the trashcan or a shoe

2) look in the hallway to see how far you are from the "repeater" (here's a picture of one).

Edited August 26, 2019 by JF - retired RRT

[lorri111]

4 hours ago, flamomo said:

A suggestion: In the interest of conserving minutes when emailing so they will last the length of a cruise, especially on long cruises, I go online and retrieve my emails and then get off the internet. I compose my emails and responses to email off line, then sign on again and copy and paste what I have written to email(s) and send. I have never run out of my free minutes, even on 30+ day cruises.

 

Good tip!

 

[LeeW]

And it is kind of annoying to use a different passenger login for the second 250 minutes.  Recommend signing up for both accounts on first day or so of cruise.  System sometimes loses the second person's Platinum offer after that.  And now that Princess is changing the way they do internet it may or may not be worth it - they seem to offer a discount for the unlimited package onboard if you give up your free minutes.  For us we have a hard time using 500 minutes even on a long trip.

[lorri111]

Thanks everyone. One stupid question, how do you know what free time you have left in your account?

[paradiselivin1]

It will be reflected on your account when you log in or out. Had extremely fast service on the Coral in AK and are doing the same cruise as you in December. Watch what people are posting on the rolls calls for the cruisers prior to yours to see if anyone is reporting problems.

[lorri111]

9 minutes ago, paradiselivin1 said:

It will be reflected on your account when you log in or out. Had extremely fast service on the Coral in AK and are doing the same cruise as you in December. Watch what people are posting on the rolls calls for the cruisers prior to yours to see if anyone is reporting problems.

Thanks!