Internet plans: now with up to four devices!

[3rdGenCunarder]

5 hours ago, kazu said:

Log into the HAL site and to manage your booking and check the internet price they are offering if you pre-purchase it.  (It’s for the premium plan).

 

Then compare it to this:

 

 

So it looks like the one-device prices are staying the same and they're just increasing from there for additional devices. 

 

Looking online for my cruise, buying premium in advance is a 20% discount. 

[Caribbean Chris]

Thanks for the chart, Kazu. Bought premium online for $223 for our 18 day cruise in March. Can use on multiple devices but not simultaneously.
 

Looks like we would have paid $279 on board, so will save $56.

Edited January 8, 2020 by Caribbean Chris

[kazu]

6 minutes ago, Caribbean Chris said:

Thanks for the chart, Kazu. Bought premium online for $223 for our 18 day cruise in March. Can use on multiple devices but not simultaneously.
 

Looks like we would have paid $279 on board, so will save $56.

 

The thanks goes to @richwmn who originally shared it with us..  I just took a pic of it for future reference 😉 

[gadgetlady]

I just purchased an unlimited plan for a 14-day cruise.  The premium package, purchased in advance of the cruise, was $199.99 and accommodates up to 5 devices (only one online at a time).  I was told it doesn't have data limits.

[kwb101]

9 hours ago, gadgetlady said:

I just purchased an unlimited plan for a 14-day cruise.  The premium package, purchased in advance of the cruise, was $199.99 and accommodates up to 5 devices (only one online at a time).  I was told it doesn't have data limits.

The Premium plan has a 500MBper day limit. 

[NCTribeFan]

So you can't pre-purchase anything except the Premium plan?  I only want the Social, 11-night cruise.  Would that be $89.98 once I board?  Can I call and pre-puchase over the phone?

[RuthC]

2 hours ago, NCTribeFan said:

So you can't pre-purchase anything except the Premium plan?  I only want the Social, 11-night cruise.  Would that be $89.98 once I board?  Can I call and pre-puchase over the phone?

The Social and Surf plans have one price each, so there is little need to purchase in advance. To my knowledge, Premium is the only one that can be purchased in advance. 

[IPB4IGO]

I discovered on our last cruise that if you purchase on board you are charged for only the remaining days of the cruise.

I bought the Social plan, discovered that it didn't allow access to any sites I wanted, then upgraded the the Surf plan. The last couple days of the cruise, I upgraded again to the Premium plan. Each time, I was charged only for the difference over the remaining days of the cruise.

[SFO Peter]

You guys are spending too much for HAL Internet if you are in port every day.   

If you mostly use web browsing, email, calls via Google and maps Keepgo will work for you.   You do have to be on guard as not to download/upload videos, pictures and System Updates because this will eat up your data real fast.  Also, it will not work when ship is not close to land.  I use this on Cellular Ipad in all of the places visited.

 

 

 

[gadgetlady]

17 hours ago, kwb101 said:

The Premium plan has a 500MBper day limit. 

 

When I called HAL I was told it is unlimited.  I wonder if it varies by ship?  I will call again tomorrow to ask again.

[kazu]

6 hours ago, gadgetlady said:

 

When I called HAL I was told it is unlimited.  I wonder if it varies by ship?  I will call again tomorrow to ask again.

 

HAL calls it unlimited to differentiate from when they charged by the minute.

 

The premium package does have the limit that @kwb101 stated but the only effect I’ve seen on board is the the internet slows down if  you hit the MB limit.

 

Hope this makes sense?

[richwmn]

On 1/30/2020 at 7:07 AM, kwb101 said:

The Premium plan has a 500MBper day limit. 

 

6 hours ago, gadgetlady said:

 

When I called HAL I was told it is unlimited.  I wonder if it varies by ship?  I will call again tomorrow to ask again.

While each plan lists a data limit per day it doesn't appear to be enforced. I am a heavy user and have never been cut off or slowed down.

(posting at same time as Kazu)

 

Edited January 31, 2020 by richwmn

[Turtles06]

Will WiFi calling work on the Surf plan? 

[Cruise Suzy]

On 1/30/2020 at 11:41 AM, SFO PETER said:

You guys are spending too much for HAL Internet if you are in port every day.   

If you mostly use web browsing, email, calls via Google and maps Keepgo will work for you.

 

Doesn't apply to those of us who do not have smart phones. For many reasons, I use a laptop while away from home to connect to the Internet.

[kazu]

On 1/30/2020 at 12:41 PM, SFO PETER said:

You guys are spending too much for HAL Internet if you are in port every day.   

 

We are not in port every day for our upcoming sailings.  Both have a number of sea days 😉 

 

On 1/30/2020 at 12:41 PM, SFO PETER said:

If you mostly use web browsing, email, calls via Google and maps Keepgo will work for you.   You do have to be on guard as not to download/upload videos, pictures and System Updates because this will eat up your data real fast.  Also, it will not work when ship is not close to land.  I use this on Cellular Ipad in all of the places visited.

 

thanks Peter for the great suggestion but thanks to our IPad lessons on the Prinsendam a number of years ago and  a lot of great info from you, I far prefer my IPad for internet and posting.

 

I do take my phone but only for calls if needed to tour guides.

[gadgetlady]

9 hours ago, kazu said:

 

HAL calls it unlimited to differentiate from when they charged by the minute.

 

The premium package does have the limit that @kwb101 stated but the only effect I’ve seen on board is the the internet slows down if  you hit the MB limit.

 

Hope this makes sense?

 

Absolutely - thank you.  That helps a lot.

[gadgetlady]

9 hours ago, richwmn said:

 

While each plan lists a data limit per day it doesn't appear to be enforced. I am a heavy user and have never been cut off or slowed down.

(posting at same time as Kazu)

 

 

Yay!  Good to know.

[TAD2005]

Bandwidth throttling only occurs when you have hit an unspecified download total over a certain time period.  This is controlled by the IT technicians onboard.   They specify 500 MB per day but, as many have said, it does not seem they enforce that, depending on the overall data usage on the ship.   If you sit in your cabin with the Premium package and stream HD movies all day and night, you may be throttled, which will cause buffering and the dreaded rotating circle in whatever you are watching.   Yes, the service is unlimited, but if you are a couch potato in your cabin,  your streaming movie will be very frustrating to watch 

[Crew News]

After upgrading the last few days of a previous cruise from "Surf" to "Premium" plans, there was no difference in download/upload speeds.  In many locations, the download speed directly affects watching any streaming programs.

[*Miss G*]

19 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

Will WiFi calling work on the Surf plan? 

 

I don’t see why it wouldn’t.  It’s the quality of the connection that would probably affect it most.  (i.e. ship access to the satellite or congestion on the network.) I imagine port days or late night would be a great time to make a call if you experience dropped calls.

[Turtles06]

10 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

I don’t see why it wouldn’t.  It’s the quality of the connection that would probably affect it most.  (i.e. ship access to the satellite or congestion on the network.) I imagine port days or late night would be a great time to make a call if you experience dropped calls.

 

Thanks, but it’s not a quality of connection  issue. It won’t work if HAL blocks the ports (as I just learned NCL does, except for their premium unlimited plan. That was a surprise.) 

[IPB4IGO]

9 hours ago, Crew News said:

After upgrading the last few days of a previous cruise from "Surf" to "Premium" plans, there was no difference in download/upload speeds. 

That was my experience as well.  The only reason for upgrading to the Premium plan was to access sites blocked by the other two plans.

[gadgetlady]

I just spoke with Ship Services, and they confirmed that with the pre-purchased premium plan there is 1) no limit to data, and 2) no limit to number of devices you can use (it just has to be only one at a time).

[strickerj]

17 hours ago, gadgetlady said:

I just spoke with Ship Services, and they confirmed that with the pre-purchased premium plan there is 1) no limit to data, and 2) no limit to number of devices you can use (it just has to be only one at a time).

Did they say one device for the entire room? I got the premium plan as part of a promotion, but I was under the impression both guests in the room could use it at the same time?

[Crew News]

19 minutes ago, strickerj said:

Did they say one device for the entire room? I got the premium plan as part of a promotion, but I was under the impression both guests in the room could use it at the same time?

 

You can have as many devices using the same account but just not simultaneously.  You can add additional devices for simultaneous use at reduced prices.  That price will vary based on the length of the cruise.

 

You do not have to register the devices just the number of simultaneous accounts

Edited February 4, 2020 by Crew News