No more free internet for platinum & elite

[tip]

2 hours ago, Ombud said:

Yes. I remember that. I was going to buy this version when taking the girls:

But what I don't understand is all the posters who want to leave over $5pd. If I can't afford $35 a week I shouldn't be cruising

 

 

It is not what YOU can afford, it is what I can afford.  Please don't tell me what I can afford or not afford  and whether or not I should be cruising.

 

Edited June 30, 2021 by tip

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, cnd crsr said:

4 can share, done it with our son & DIL, however only one can be on the internet at a time and you have to all use the same log in.

You must have purchased only a single-device package.  The 4-device package allows 4 different devices to be logged in at one time.  So, one person can hog them all (LOL), or 4 different people share.

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, ceilidh1 said:

 

Now I'm second guessing myself...lol

For sure we have all been logged in at the same time on medallion net, but now I'm wondering if that was because we each had the Princess Plus fare or if it was when I upgraded from free minutes to the 4 device option. I'm pretty sure it was both (the only time we have ever had to log out was when using the free minutes - not medallion net)....but maybe I'm wrong??

 

 

No, you are correct.  Of course, if everyone has PLUS, then they each have own login to a single device at a time.  Otherwise, you buy the 4-device "family" package.  It costs same as 2 single packages (pre-Covid pauses).

[Steelers36]

45 minutes ago, pms4104 said:

I would question whether or not the 50% discount applies to anything other than a single ddvice plan ... based on T&C #8 specifically saying this is only for Plats and Elites

It applied to both single and 4-device packages before and I see no reason it wouldn't now.

[Steelers36]

45 minutes ago, billco said:

Hope that has improved as we have a Baltic cruise scheduled for next April.

My recollection of our Baltic cruise on REGAL was that the Internet worked well.

[Steelers36]

45 minutes ago, Ombud said:

 

Based on what MR says, I'm better off

I wonder if the above pricing is the generic marketing statement (like they had pre-Covid-19), or whether they are really "simplifying" pricing?  The old pricing structure depended on length of cruise and the cost per day (if you worked it out) went lower as the length of cruise increased.  I am hoping for same structure going forward or our net cost won't be any better than it was - even with 50% off - for longer voyages.

[Shoalwater]

6 hours ago, gardenbunny said:

I am Elite.  A little disappointed but I have felt for a couple years that all cruise lines would be going to all inclusive or some type of fare options - basic or pay more and get the goodies.  I am like several others who commented, we don’t drink, don’t buy anything of significance on board, we do use excursions, prefer to do my own laundry on long trips (have suggested on my surveys to give Elite X number of tokens).  So, will just have to see if they give any discount on internet packages or offer any “buy minutes at a discount on line before cruise” deals.  I have free international roaming in ports with my cell provider so haven’t really used all my on board minutes in quite a while.  Just a convenience if I wanted to check something on a sea day.

This is precisely why Elite PAX are not worth much to the cruiseline.  We don't spend like first time cruisers. Those that threaten to quit Princess are probably looked on as a marketing success

[mtnesterz]

2 hours ago, Ombud said:

But what I don't understand is all the posters who want to leave over $5pd. If I can't afford $35 a week I shouldn't be cruising.

Ombud, I always enjoy your posts, but with respect, I think you missed the point on this. No matter how you slice it, it is a take away from a handshake deal that was made. Whether it be something small, like a loyalty level pin or something of a few dollars charge, like internet, this perk was something earned by our loyalty; a deal we made with Princess over years of continued patronage. And make no mistake, it costs Princess absolutely zero extra to provide you and I with internet service.  Free bar drinks would actually cost Princess something, but bandwidth, no.

[billco]

49 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

My recollection of our Baltic cruise on REGAL was that the Internet worked well.

We were on the Regal TA in April 2019 and it was fine (4 Mbps down) from Fort Lauderdale to Ponta Delgada, but was really slow from Ponta Delgada to Copenhagen. The bad weather might have had something to do with it.

Edited June 30, 2021 by billco

[billco]

7 minutes ago, mtnesterz said:

Ombud, I always enjoy your posts, but with respect, I think you missed the point on this. No matter how you slice it, it is a take away from a handshake deal that was made. Whether it be something small, like a loyalty level pin or something of a few dollars charge, like internet, this perk was something earned by our loyalty; a deal we made with Princess over years of continued patronage. And make no mistake, it costs Princess absolutely zero extra to provide you and I with internet service.  Free bar drinks would actually cost Princess something, but bandwidth, no.

If Princess can charge $35 or more for something they used to give away, then it is costing them. This is a cruise line that hasn't been taking in much revenue. The loyalty they are looking for now is from people who are willing to spend. Times are changing.

[cnd crsr]

1 hour ago, Steelers36 said:

You must have purchased only a single-device package.  The 4-device package allows 4 different devices to be logged in at one time.  So, one person can hog them all (LOL), or 4 different people share.

 Yes I did. I was replying to someone that inquired about buying one package that was for 4 devices and could be shared. Obviously you missed something.

[cr8tiv1]

Math teacher brain kicking in (think common core):

 

What is the cost of 50% off medallion internet price for elite or platinum loyalty membership level?

 

Do you pay by day?

Is a day 24 hours or calendar day?

Is it for one device (again....penalizing solo passengers if it is for 4 devices).

Can you pay as you go or upfront for x number of days?

 

[SinbadThePorter]

52 minutes ago, billco said:

We were on the Regal TA in April 2019 and it was fine (4 Mbps down) from Fort Lauderdale to Ponta Delgada, but was really slow from Ponta Delgada to Copenhagen.

 

The low orbit satellites that Princess uses for fast internet start to drop below the horizon north of about 45 degrees latitude. Then the slow geosynchronous satellites take over.

 

Ponta Delgada is at 37 degrees north and Copenhagen is at 55 degrees.

[mjmalino]

12 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Math teacher brain kicking in (think common core):

 

What is the cost of 50% off medallion internet price for elite or platinum loyalty membership level?

 

Do you pay by day?

Is a day 24 hours or calendar day?

Is it for one device (again....penalizing solo passengers if it is for 4 devices).

Can you pay as you go or upfront for x number of days?

 

Yes, it is a per day charge, for 24 hours. They have a 1 device and a 4 device plan (and maybe others).

 

I believe that it is all up front, but I also THINK that you can purchase it later in the cruise, but will still be required to purchase through disembarkation.

[Thrak]

2 hours ago, billco said:

My memories of the free internet minutes:

Logging on - checking email or uploading email -- being frustrated that it took so long - then logging off.

Standing in line waiting to ask the internet manager to restore the minutes I lost, because I forgot to log off and being treated like a child because of it.

 

My memories of unlimited MedallionNet internet:

Being frustrated on a transatlantic cruise when the speed slowed to a crawl after we passed Ponta Delgada on the way to Copenhagen.  Hope that has improved as we have a Baltic cruise scheduled for next April.

 

That sounds about right. Of course it didn't matter if you actually did log off as sometimes it still thought you didn't and ate all your minutes. Then, as you say, you were treated like a child (or a senile old fart) when you asked to have the minutes restored. (And this was from a guy who hadn't even been born when I was online with BBS systems.)

 

We had MedallionNet from Barcelona to FLL and it started out slow and then kind of fizzled out altogether. Lots of unhappy people on the ship. Like you, I'm hoping things have improved. At least the "logging off" issue shouldn't be extant anymore.

[dog]

2 hours ago, Ombud said:

 

Based on what MR says, I'm better off

I can purchase unlimited internet for $10/day for my 12 day cruise at $120, but since I am elite it will cost me $60 

is this correct?

 

[Thrak]

Multiple post issues.

Edited July 1, 2021 by Thrak

[Thrak]

No idea why this multiple post thing happened...

Edited July 1, 2021 by Thrak

[Thrak]

Sigh... Weird multiple post issues.

Edited July 1, 2021 by Thrak

[SinbadThePorter]

2 minutes ago, Thrak said:

Of course it didn't matter if you actually did log off as sometimes it still thought you didn't and ate all your minutes.

 

I always thought that the unlimited package was worth it just to eliminate the anxiety over logging off.

Edited July 1, 2021 by SinbadThePorter

[memoak]

1 hour ago, mtnesterz said:

Ombud, I always enjoy your posts, but with respect, I think you missed the point on this. No matter how you slice it, it is a take away from a handshake deal that was made. Whether it be something small, like a loyalty level pin or something of a few dollars charge, like internet, this perk was something earned by our loyalty; a deal we made with Princess over years of continued patronage. And make no mistake, it costs Princess absolutely zero extra to provide you and I with internet service.  Free bar drinks would actually cost Princess something, but bandwidth, no.

Yes and   I had a handshake with the company I work for about pensions.  Now if I don’t leave before the end of the year my pension calculation changes hence I am leaving in November.  Nothing lasts forever 

[4cats4me]

9 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

There is a much better work around.  Cancel all your upcoming Princess cruises and switch to another line.  Make sure that Princess knows why you have cancelled.

 

DON

And switch to say, Celebrity, where one will end up paying more to cruise, when they could have just purchased a Medallion package at a fraction of the cost, while also losing some nice perks like priority tendering, priority boarding, disembark, et cet.  

 

[Ombud]

43 minutes ago, dog said:

I can purchase unlimited internet for $10/day for my 12 day cruise at $120, but since I am elite it will cost me $60 

is this correct?

 

Thats what my PVP said. Elite = $5 day for 1 device, $10 for 4 devices. It used to be $14.99 [$15] for 4 devices so a mild increase

[ceilidh1]

I guess I will need to see the pricing to figure out of I should switch from BEST2DG to Princess Plus for my cruise next year. It's always a calculation over what is best value as I typically sail with 2 kids!

 

ME: Grats, drink package, (free minutes as Elite)

TEEN: Grats, coffee package, (free minutes as Elite)

KID: Grats, soda package (no need for coffee package), (free minutes as Elite)

 

We have done the past two sailings with Princess Plus and it was definitely nice not to have to worry about logging off/running out of minutes. I'm pretty confident I got a good use out of the drink package, but I rarely used the Internet. My teen made full use of her coffee package AND her Internet. My kid rarely used the Internet (though a year and a half on that has definitely changed) and only used the drink package for a mocktail or two each day...

 

Additionally, I know it's psychological, but seeing the Princess Plus price displayed in Canadian Dollars makes it seem so much more expensive! Lol.

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, cnd crsr said:

 Yes I did. I was replying to someone that inquired about buying one package that was for 4 devices and could be shared. Obviously you missed something.

No... you missed something.  The person you responded to was specifically asking about sharing the 4 device plan between two couples and you told them they could only have one person on at a time.  That was incorrect.  Recheck that post if you have  doubt.