Can you apply two passengers internet benefits against one internet plan?

[olegna]

Cunard World Club, may be eligible for complimentary internet credit, redeemable against our internet plans.

Gold members receive $45 per person.
Platinum members receive $80 per person.
Diamond members receive $135 per person.

 

I would like to apply both of our  $80 per person credit against the Essential Internet plan 
that is available for US$18 per day if purchased for the whole voyage.

 

Otherwise I loose one of the $80 per person. benefits.....

 

Thanks.....

[Victoria2]

No.

One allowance per whole Voyage plan. Use just one and the other credit is unused.

 

The way we got round it was to judiciously apply both our Diamond credits to daily internet purchase. We ended up with a zero internet bill for a 14 day cruise.

but

that's using our both our  $135 Diamond credits.

[bluemarble]

@olegna, if you are on a 7-night voyage, the optimum strategy for purchasing the essential plan would be for one of you to purchase individual 24-hour plans for the first three days at 3 x $24 = $72. Then the other could purchase the final four days at the full (remaining) voyage rate of 4 x $18 = $72. That way you will each use most of your individual $80 Platinum internet credits.

 

Naturally for a longer voyage you'll need to adjust that strategy as best fits your connectivity requirements keeping in mind port days where you may be able to use cellular or wifi on shore and perhaps skip purchasing on board internet those days.

Edited Wednesday at 04:56 PM by bluemarble

[TheOldBear]

With a 21 day sailing, we will stretch our 'plantium' allowance with alternate day purchases [use afternoon on first day, morning of second day - then repeat] using up both credits.

I really preferred the old minute by minute billing - particularly when the internet credit was refreshed for each segment of a longer voyage.

[Victoria2]

15 minutes ago, TheOldBear said:

With a 21 day sailing, we will stretch our 'plantium' allowance with alternate day purchases [use afternoon on first day, morning of second day - then repeat] using up both credits.

I really preferred the old minute by minute billing - particularly when the internet credit was refreshed for each segment of a longer voyage.

me too

[Kordy]

The ultimate trick is to get a Wi-Fi package on one phone and then share that Wi-Fi as a hotspot to other phones and other devices - that way you only pay for one Internet plan that you can share with multiple devices or family members. 

PS. This doesn't work in iPhone but works on most Android phones and portable/travel routers 

Edited Wednesday at 06:40 PM by Kordy

[Wedgie Wedgie]

We share one plan with two iPhones by just using one at a time. When you login with one it gives you the option to kick the other one off.

 

Starlink has been pretty snappy this week on QE.

[Avery's Gram]

And be careful!  I’m platinum, eligible for $80.  My husband is gold, but he signed up for the Internet so we only got $45 discount. So make sure the highest ranking passenger in a cabin signs in first.

 

b

[Kordy]

If you don't have an Internet plan, are you still able to check your emails or use a computer for a few minutes, in the Internet Center or Business Center on the ship?

[d9704011]

Just now, Kordy said:

If you don't have an Internet plan, are you still able to check your emails or use a computer for a few minutes, in the Internet Center or Business Center on the ship?

Not unless you pay for time.

[Kordy]

41 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

Not unless you pay for time.

How much is it per minute?  I only need 2 to 3 mins to check WhatsApp messages, once a day. 

[bluemarble]

37 minutes ago, Kordy said:

If you don't have an Internet plan, are you still able to check your emails or use a computer for a few minutes, in the Internet Center or Business Center on the ship?

 

I noticed for the first time on this QM2 voyage Cunard are now offering one hour of free internet access. A flyer in our cabin stated "Try our upgraded Wi-Fi with a complimentary hour". Here's what the screen looks like to set up access to the internet.

 

I didn't try it out, but I figure this is probably a single one hour block of time, not a bank of 60 minutes you could spread out across your voyage for a few minutes each day. So if you only need one-time access to the internet lasting no more than an hour, you could presumably take advantage of this offer for an hour of complimentary internet time.

[bluemarble]

9 minutes ago, Kordy said:

How much is it per minute?  I only need 2 to 3 mins to check WhatsApp messages, once a day. 

 

There are no internet packages allowing you to purchase by the minute. The minimum amount of time you may purchase now is a block of 24 hours (starting at the time of purchase and ending 24 hours later) costing $24 for the Essential plan.

[Winifred 22]

2 hours ago, Kordy said:

How much is it per minute?  I only need 2 to 3 mins to check WhatsApp messages, once a day. 

It’s only available in 24 hour slots @24$ a day. The 24 hours starts from when you purchase so can be used over 2 days if you purchase at the right time. 

[Winifred 22]

2 hours ago, bluemarble said:

 

I noticed for the first time on this QM2 voyage Cunard are now offering one hour of free internet access. A flyer in our cabin stated "Try our upgraded Wi-Fi with a complimentary hour". Here's what the screen looks like to set up access to the internet.

 

I didn't try it out, but I figure this is probably a single one hour block of time, not a bank of 60 minutes you could spread out across your voyage for a few minutes each day. So if you only need one-time access to the internet lasting no more than an hour, you could presumably take advantage of this offer for an hour of complimentary internet time.

It will be just as as a taster. The hour will expire and then you will have  the option to purchase either daily or voyage plans. 

[Pushpit]

4 hours ago, Kordy said:

How much is it per minute?  I only need 2 to 3 mins to check WhatsApp messages, once a day. 

As mentioned this is no onboard way to do this on WiFi. The nearest alternative is two fold - it may be that you can pick up a cellular network as you sail pass landmasses. From Southampton to Hamburg, for example, there is usually a signal of some sort for much of the sailing, though you may need to go outdoors to get it, and in depends on your cell phone provider as to cost.

 

Secondly there is a maritime cellular signal sent around the public areas of the ship. This is eye-wateringly expensive for any period of time, though it depends on your cell provider. In my case, calls cost $4 a minute, and data add-on is $15 for 150mb over 24 hours.  So that would be a bit cheaper than the plan, provided your WhatsApp coterie don't send around too many dancing kitten memes. That maritime signal seems a bit of an anachronism so I don't know whether it has a long term future.

[Kordy]

I was looking at this, which seems to give you a package to use the "Cellular at Sea" mobile network - but not sure if it works with Cunard?
https://www.gigsky.com/data-cruises

[olegna]

On 6/26/2024 at 12:55 PM, bluemarble said:

@olegna, if you are on a 7-night voyage, the optimum strategy for purchasing the essential plan would be for one of you to purchase individual 24-hour plans for the first three days at 3 x $24 = $72. Then the other could purchase the final four days at the full (remaining) voyage rate of 4 x $18 = $72. That way you will each use most of your individual $80 Platinum internet credits.

 

Naturally for a longer voyage you'll need to adjust that strategy as best fits your connectivity requirements keeping in mind port days where you may be able to use cellular or wifi on shore and perhaps skip purchasing on board internet those days.

thanks.....sounds like a plan.  board Saturday for the Boston fireworks cruise.  will let you know how it works out.   

[Jim_Iain]

Curious if anyone knows what the upgrade cost to Streaming  from the Essential Wifi that came with our Queens Grill Booking?  

[vieux_carre]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

came with our Queens Grill Booking

Is there a QG promo that includes internet?

[Pushpit]

I know that if you log in under an Essentials package, you are offered the upgrade to Premium, so there's a hyperlink that shows up just after login in. It takes whatever package you are on, and the next screen is simply the delta to Premium based on that package. I don't think you can (for example) have a sailing long package and just go Premium for a day or two. If you were on a daily purchase then if bought for 1 day at a time then obviously you could.

 

There wasn't a penalty price for this, just the delta, so $12 for that day on daily purchase, potentially $6 per day on the sailing-long packages, but you would just lose out on any time between the package start time and the upgrade payment. 

 

If you do have an inclusive package then I would play around with that before upgrading, just in case it's good enough as it is, it seems to just be streaming (RTP) that's blocked, you don't get a performance improvement on other activities.

 

Slight caveat here, the internet area revolves around boxes on the screen, and you click on the box for whatever you want to do, and it get highlighted when tapped, so it's built more for tablets than laptops. I can't say I've checked the full text for every box and some are off screen, you have to swipe around to see them all.