MedallionNet Max Enhanced Connectivity Elevates Princess Cruises' New Epic Voyages

[LACruiser88]

August 26, 2024 9:30 AM EDT   MedallionNet Max Enhanced Connectivity Elevates Princess Cruises' New Epic Voyages

Powered by Starlink, the New Wi-Fi Tier Ensures Seamless Connectivity Across All Journeys   FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., Aug. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Travelers around the world are taking advantage of flexible work arrangements and making the most of their time by combining vacation and work—in fact, 74% of Americans who work from home said they would consider taking a "workcation," according to a recent Harris Poll data. With the recently announced MedallionNet Max, now is the time to book a longer voyage with Princess Cruises with the ability to stay persistently connected while exploring the world.     Available in Princess Plus and Princess Premier packages, MedallionNet Max offers enhanced onboard Wi-Fi to meet the growing demands of today's digitally connected travelers. While featured on all Princess voyages, it provides even greater flexibility on longer journeys, allowing guests to explore remote corners of the globe without fear of missing out, along with iconic ports, and historic landmarks on curated voyages from Princess, including World Cruises, Journeys Far & Away, Immersive Itineraries, and Ocean Crossings.   "Today's travelers are increasingly drawn to longer, more immersive experiences, often in remote or bucket-list destinations, without wanting to disconnect from their digital lives," said Terry Thornton, Chief Commercial Officer of Princess Cruises. "MedallionNet Max ensures that connectivity is never an issue, and when combined with the Princess Premier package, which offers unlimited beverages and specialty dining, it makes longer voyages not only feasible but incredibly rewarding."   Created by the destination experts at Princess Cruises to point consumers to the unique itineraries within various destinations, Epic Voyages include four categories, offering flexibility and something for everyone:   World Cruises – 35,000 Nautical Miles into the World's Wonders For travelers who want to see the world in a whole new way – without the hassle of airport travel, constant unpacking and expensive meals – Princess is the perfect escort to cruise through the immensity of the planet, full of hidden treasures and adventure, making it accessible, tangible, less overwhelming and convenient. Plus, the camaraderie among guests with shared experiences in fascinating ports and a warm crew that gets to know their every need make this the ultimate epic voyage that every adventurer should embark on in their lifetime.   World Cruises sail through the Panama Canal, Hawaii & the South Pacific, Western and Eastern Mediterranean, Australia and Southeast Asia and even Africa.   Three ships – Crown Princess, Coral Princess and Island Princess – sail on World Cruises up to 116 days or divided into shorter segments. In total, 26 itineraries highlight the wonders of the world. World Cruises depart from Ft. Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Auckland, Brisbane or Sydney.   Journeys Far & Away – Multiple Epic Destinations Journeys Far & Away are perfect for outdoor enthusiasts seeking an "off-the-grid" experience, wildlife lovers, adventurers and naturalists. Whether it's experiencing the ultimate remote continent where 1,200 miles of dramatic landscapes appear in Antarctica, visiting Greenland - the world's largest island full of scenic stunners, or discovering hidden gems like "Mystery Island" and Sopo'aga Falls in the South Pacific, guests enjoy multiple destinations on one voyage.   With itineraries ranging in length from 11 to 33 days, sailing on seven ships – Coral Princess, Discovery Princess, Emerald Princess, Grand Princess, Island Princess, Majestic Princess and Sapphire Princess – cruises sail to Southeast Asia, South America and Antarctica, South Pacific & Hawaii, Greenland and Canada. Journeys Far & Away sail from Boston, Los Angeles, New York City and Buenos Aires, Argentina.   Immersive Itineraries – Destinations in One Region For the culturally curious, or those travelers inspired by history, these carefully crafted Immersive Itineraries are a go-to for an immersive and authentic experiential voyage. From the midnight sun in the Arctic Circle to the ancient landmarks and ruins in Rome, Marseille and Athens, to mesmerizing temples and shrines in Japan or the crystalline waters of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, these cruises feature multiple destinations in one region. With itineraries from 17 to 31 days, cruises take guests to Alaska, Australia, Japan, the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. The cruise line's newest Sphere-Class ships – Sun Princess and Star Princess – both offer immersive itineraries through the Mediterranean. With 11 ships total, Caribbean Princess, Crown Princess, Diamond Princess, Emerald Princess, Grand Princess, Island Princess, Majestic Princess, Ruby Princess and Sky Princess also sail to these transformative regions. Immersive Itineraries sail roundtrip from Adelaide, Athens, Barcelona, Brisbane, Fremantle (Perth), Melbourne, Rome (Civitavecchia), Seattle, San Francisco, Southampton (London), Sydney and Tokyo (Yokohama).   Ocean Crossings – Sailing the Oceans Blue from One Continent to Another Like a true seafarer, Ocean Crossings weave the continents of the world together, calling to some of the most revered sites and cities, diverse cultures, cuisines and exotic destinations. Onboard, Princess guests enjoy a host of modern luxuries, personal and attentive service, award-winning cuisine, worldclass entertainment, amenities and more.   With Trans-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific crossings, these voyages are the perfect prologue to a renowned Princess World Cruise and offer the perfect mix of sea days, a chance to see the awe-inspiring Northern Lights, and far-reaching destinations like Casablanca, Ponta Delgada (Azores) and Antigua.   With 26 itineraries, ranging in length from 13 to 24 days and nine ships – Caribbean Princess, Emerald Princess, Island Princess, Majestic Princess, Regal Princess, Royal Princess, Sky Princess, Star Princess and Sun Princess – guests cross hemispheres and travel through time east to west, and vice versa.   The new Star Princess, debuting in fall 2025, sails in October on a not-to-be-missed Iberian Passage crossing from Southampton to Ft. Lauderdale, offering ample time to explore and enjoy everything this exceptional vessel has to offer.   Ocean Crossings offer convenient domestic departures from Ft. Lauderdale, Honolulu, New York and Vancouver, BC. International departure ports include Barcelona, Southampton, Athens, Copenhagen and Rome.   Epic Voyages have been designed for the beautiful ships of Princess to be the stage for guests to look out and experience the great wonders of the world. Onboard, every voyage offers enrichment programming with destination-specific events, speakers, productions and various celebrations and indigenous entertainment.   More information about Epic Voyages, including special offers, can be found here: https://www.princess.com/en-us/cruise-destinations/epic-voyages. All 16 ships in the Princess fleet offer well-appointed staterooms, world class dining, grand performances, award- winning casinos and entertainment, luxurious spas, imaginative experiences and boundless activities.    No matter the cruise, Princess delivers a premium vacation with the line's award-winning, signature Princess MedallionClass experience which offers unparalleled service and personalization. Guests booking can take advantage of inclusive packages like Princess Plus and Princess Premier which add popular amenities like WiFi, beverages, desserts, fitness classes, crew gratuities and more at an even greater savings of up 65% when the inclusive package amenities are purchased separately.

[Boku]

Great for people who want to work whilst on a cruise as long as they do their working in their stateroom. I don't want to be sitting in a lounge or bar having to listen to someone on a conference call or tapping away on a keyboard.

[Arizona Wildcat]

And remember Starlink provides a specific amount of bandwidth.  As you get closer to the poles and in mid ocean connectivity simply put can be limited as there are fewer satellites in those areas.

Agree that having a conference call in a public area is just plain  rude.

[SCX22]

Princess' demographic trends towards retired.  Said demographic doesn't have to work.

 

As some one who does work while cruising, speed isn't everything.  Latency is a problem with contributes to there being lag and the circle of death pops up when trying to get my work apps to load.  ALL cruise line Internet have high ping metrics onboard when speed tests are conducted.  

[cruise_critical]

I purchased Premier for upcoming cruise before this recent change.

My booking's Premier only mentions "Wi-Fi MedallionNet(up to 4 devices per guest)".

 

Also, in the fine print, it says:
 

1. What’s changing with Princess Plus and Princess Premier?
   We have added the following benefits to our Princess Premier package: unlimited Premier beverage package — enjoy an unlimited number of drinks up to $30 each, unlimited specialty dining — indulge in meals at world-class specialty dining locations every evening, and MedallionNet® Max Wi-Fi — our highest quality and highest performance bandwidth available anywhere in the world. All of this and more is now available for AU$100 per person per day for Princess voyages departing August 31, 2024 and beyond. 

 

Does this mean I need to upgrade my current Premier to the new Premier to get the MedallionNet Max Wi-Fi? 

[jshli]

You should not have to upgrade. I have the original Premier package and although the app lists MedallionNet WiFi and 2 casual meals, when I log onto their website using my confirmation #, and look under “package”, it displays all my perks correctly, including MedallianNet Max Wi-Fi and unlimited casual meals.

 

 

[cruise_critical]

Oh interesting. I just checked the website (and the app), it still doesn't show "Max" for me under the list showing in the Extras tab.

 

Hmm. Maybe it's because Royal Princess doesn't have the new Premier package activated yet. Will report back after the 14th when it is supposed to roll out. 

Edited September 4 by cruise_critical

[adamtoonarmy]

40 minutes ago, cruise_critical said:

Oh interesting. I just checked the website (and the app), it still doesn't show "Max" for me under the list showing in the Extras tab.

 

Hmm. Maybe it's because Royal Princess doesn't have the new Premier package activated yet. Will report back after the 14th when it is supposed to roll out. 

Mine is showing same as yours is however I have been told twice by customer service that all packages now include max wifi. 

[kywildcatfanone]

So, are they now doing tiered speeds like Celebrity?  If you don't buy a package do you get the "normal" speeds or are they now limiting it?  Standard internet was always fine for what I used, but the "surf" speed on Celebeity was awful, couldn't even load images in an email.

[Rick&Jeannie]

35 minutes ago, kywildcatfanone said:

So, are they now doing tiered speeds like Celebrity?  If you don't buy a package do you get the "normal" speeds or are they now limiting it?  Standard internet was always fine for what I used, but the "surf" speed on Celebeity was awful, couldn't even load images in an email.

I was about to ask the same question regarding what is now changed as far as the wifi. Maybe I missed it in the article that @LACruiser88 posted (I really just lightly scanned it looking for WiFi references) but I didn't see a distinction. I just got off a Celebrity cruise where we had the "premium" wifi level...it was amazing. I was able to stream video as well as link back to my home Plex server to watch recorded video from my home! Have never been able to do that previously on MedallionNet.

[kywildcatfanone]

5 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

I was about to ask the same question regarding what is now changed as far as the wifi. Maybe I missed it in the article that @LACruiser88 posted (I really just lightly scanned it looking for WiFi references) but I didn't see a distinction. I just got off a Celebrity cruise where we had the "premium" wifi level...it was amazing. I was able to stream video as well as link back to my home Plex server to watch recorded video from my home! Have never been able to do that previously on MedallionNet.

They have starlink as well.  I sure hope Princess isn't going to limit non package wifi.  I do keep up with work and need decent internet to do that.  Princess standard internet has always been fine for that, but wonder now is the "max" internet simply going to be faster than standard or will the new standard be throttled.

Edited September 4 by kywildcatfanone

[cruise_critical]

4 hours ago, kywildcatfanone said:

They have starlink as well.  I sure hope Princess isn't going to limit non package wifi.  I do keep up with work and need decent internet to do that.  Princess standard internet has always been fine for that, but wonder now is the "max" internet simply going to be faster than standard or will the new standard be throttled.

Yeah.. Hard to tell if they are just implementing tiered QoS on existing bandwidth, or if they are actually increasing total bandwidth along with it. Either way, "max" should be faster than before but will be interesting to see by how much, and also if standard will become slower or not.

[Boku]

We are on a cruise at the moment and the WiFi is no different to before Max was launched, getting approx 2mb up and 2mb down We have the Plus package.

Edited September 5 by Boku