Free onboard wifi - it's long overdue

[CDNPolar]

4 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

This is an interesting comment and deserves some attention from the cruise lines.   The info is there and there are optional packages.  It does require some effort to figure things out.  It seems to me it would be to the cruise line's benefit to make this kind of information easy to access and understand.  I'm guessing they don't realize this might be an issue.  

 

Perhaps the larger lines are like Viking and they fill their ships and don't need to worry, but the way I budget for a cruise, I budget to the penny including the airport car from home to the airport and back home again after the cruise.

 

I have tried to book on larger lines and you cannot see anything past the cabin price, and a few inclusions that it may have.

 

I want to know what the specialty restaurants cost pp.

 

I want to know if I have to pay for a Cappuccino.

 

I want to know if beer and wine is included with meals - probably not - but then what the cost is to have 2 glasses of wine with dinner.

 

I want to know if there are any included excursions.

 

I personally don't like surprises and want to know all this up front but I have not found a cruise line that does this, so I don't book them. 

[donaldsc]

I would be willing to go on a cruise where EVERYTHING is unbundled.  That way I would only pay for what I want.  As an example on a cruise where drinks alcoholic and otherwise are included I might have 5 or 10 drinks per day including cokes, tonic water, specialty teas and a couple of glasses of wine.  On my recent 8 day cruise where I had to pay for my drinks the bar bill for my wife and I totaled about $20.  

 

We should have the opportunity to pay for only what we use.

 

DON

[ldubs]

5 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

 

Perhaps the larger lines are like Viking and they fill their ships and don't need to worry, but the way I budget for a cruise, I budget to the penny including the airport car from home to the airport and back home again after the cruise.

 

I have tried to book on larger lines and you cannot see anything past the cabin price, and a few inclusions that it may have.

 

I want to know what the specialty restaurants cost pp.

 

I want to know if I have to pay for a Cappuccino.

 

I want to know if beer and wine is included with meals - probably not - but then what the cost is to have 2 glasses of wine with dinner.

 

I want to know if there are any included excursions.

 

I personally don't like surprises and want to know all this up front but I have not found a cruise line that does this, so I don't book them. 

 

I think what you are asking for is reasonable.  Though there are some practical considerations.  Showing what is included or not included is one thing.  Showing all the costs of "not included" items may not be practical.  For example, showing the cost of all beverage options is not practical.  

 

 

[CDNPolar]

13 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

I think what you are asking for is reasonable.  Though there are some practical considerations.  Showing what is included or not included is one thing.  Showing all the costs of "not included" items may not be practical.  For example, showing the cost of all beverage options is not practical.  

 

 

 

I get it, but at the same time, I am a happier camper knowing what it will cost me 18 months in advance when I book, rather than when boarding the ship find out that I have to pay Starbucks rates for a coffee each day.

 

I may be unique, but I would want a menu of pricing to finally make a decision to move to a mass market line.  

 

Perhaps there are TA's out there that could guide me on actual extra costs.

 

In the mean time we have 4 future cruises booked with Viking and I know what I get and what it costs.

[navybankerteacher]

15 hours ago, Donald said:

Free onboard bottled water - its long overdue.

Free onboard Diet Coke - its long overdue.

Free onboard Adult Films on demand - its long overdue.

Which means, of course, that you will have paid - with your all-inclusive fare - for enough water, and Diet Coke, and porn as the the heaviest consumer could swill down - because the line is not in business to give anything away free.  Finally, you may also be paying in advance for “free” babysitting (among countless other “free” items) because if a line decides to include some “free” things, do you really think they will only include those free things which you personally would want.

[ldubs]

Free rubber ducks for everyone!  

[ldubs]

3 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

I get it, but at the same time, I am a happier camper knowing what it will cost me 18 months in advance when I book, rather than when boarding the ship find out that I have to pay Starbucks rates for a coffee each day.

 

I may be unique, but I would want a menu of pricing to finally make a decision to move to a mass market line.  

 

Perhaps there are TA's out there that could guide me on actual extra costs.

 

In the mean time we have 4 future cruises booked with Viking and I know what I get and what it costs.

 

Even if you upgrade to a more inclusive package it may not be clear.  If you venture over to the Princess forum, the amount of confusion about what is included in the package options is astounding.  

 

I would happily provide a pricing guide, but only for a fee of course.  😀

 

 

[njhorseman]

3 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

I get it, but at the same time, I am a happier camper knowing what it will cost me 18 months in advance when I book, rather than when boarding the ship find out that I have to pay Starbucks rates for a coffee each day.

 

I may be unique, but I would want a menu of pricing to finally make a decision to move to a mass market line.  

 

Perhaps there are TA's out there that could guide me on actual extra costs.

 

In the mean time we have 4 future cruises booked with Viking and I know what I get and what it costs.

You can find out almost everything simply by searching the cruise line's website and by asking questions on that cruise line's board here on Cruise Critic. 

 

There are a lot of cruisers that don't want or use the "extras" and would rather not pay for something they won't use. 

 

I don't drink alcoholic beverages, soda or coffee, so why should I pay for them ? I don't want to take the basic cruise line sponsored shore excursions so why should I pay for them?

 

I find a la carte pricing to be more suitable. 

 

Edited May 22 by njhorseman

[ilikeanswers]

6 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

This is an interesting comment and deserves some attention from the cruise lines.   The info is there and there are optional packages.  It does require some effort to figure things out.  It seems to me it would be to the cruise line's benefit to make this kind of information easy to access and understand.  I'm guessing they don't realize this might be an issue.  

 

Actually I think it would be the opposite. By providing the prices of optional extras before boarding the ship people can plan their spending down to the last cent but if you only know the prices once on board you can only estimate a budget and there would be a higher chance of spontaneous spending therefore you are more likely to spend more. 

[ldubs]

4 hours ago, njhorseman said:

You can find out almost everything simply by searching the cruise line's website and by asking questions on that cruise line's board here on Cruise Critic. 

 

There are a lot of cruisers that don't want or use the "extras" and would rather not pay for something they won't use. 

 

I don't drink alcoholic beverages, soda or coffee, so why should I pay for them ? I don't want to take the basic cruise line sponsored shore excursions so why should I pay for them?

 

I find a la carte pricing to be more suitable. 

 

 

I think the issue is wanting to move from mostly inclusive to la carte but not knowing what the prices are up front makes it a difficult decision.  Some things, like beverages for those that want them, are unfortunately not covered on the cruise line website.   If one is new to a cruise line and not familiar with the jargon, it can be difficult.  I experienced that on the NCL site today.   Cruise Critic is indeed a better resource.  

 

 

 

 

[CDNPolar]

12 hours ago, njhorseman said:

 

 

I don't drink alcoholic beverages, soda or coffee, so why should I pay for them ? I don't want to take the basic cruise line sponsored shore excursions so why should I pay for them?

 

I find a la carte pricing to be more suitable. 

 

 

Absolutely agree with you, but I just want all this on the website when booking so I can see my final price with what I do want to include.

 

This is what will help me to make a decision - based on price - to go with one cruise line over another.

[CDNPolar]

10 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

Actually I think it would be the opposite. By providing the prices of optional extras before boarding the ship people can plan their spending down to the last cent but if you only know the prices once on board you can only estimate a budget and there would be a higher chance of spontaneous spending therefore you are more likely to spend more. 

 

Which is exactly what the cruise line wants and I don't want.  

 

The cost of things that I might want are a mystery until I board.

[CDNPolar]

I think as many have stated, come to CC for answers on additional costs.

 

We have many times talked about trying a larger ship or more mass market line over Viking but stop every time because we cannot seem to find what our final cost will be.

 

This is not that we cannot afford a few bucks more here or there, but I am a bit of a budget freak and budget everything in our lives to the penny.  Every trip that we go on, which is several a year, is fully paid for before we leave home.  Every one.  This is down to anticipated spending on credit cards while away.  The money is saved to pay the credit card too. 

 

I am and we are zero debt folks and as freakish as this may sound to some, it is how I roll.

[The Sunset Glow]

On 5/12/2024 at 8:15 PM, Ashland said:

I just think RCI should give free internet to GS and above fleetwide not just certain classes of their ships.

 

Yes! I never understood why they don't. I get that they cannot offer all the Royal Suite perks that are on the bigger ships with Coastal Kitchen etc. but all ships use the same satellite internet so why not provide it to all suite guests across the fleet? If they did it would entice me to book suites on the smaller ships because currently the suite prices are not always a good value due to lack of perks.