Just got back, Princess Cpt circle URGENT

[ozland]

Please don't regard the following as bashing, far from it.

 

Your post, I believe, illustrates why continuing to provide unlimited free internet access would become more and more of a concern in the future. Today, there might not be all that many people who need to manage their businesses from a cruise ship. Down the road, the number of people in a similar circumstance can only be expected to grow.

 

Unlike land-based hotels competing for business travelers, Princess does not provide a Business Center. I don't think anyone intended that the system in place today was to be used as a Business Center, and certainly not a subsidized one at that.

 

When you think about it, "Escape Completely" and "Bring It All With You" might be the most apt description of the difference. Princess is in the business of selling vacations to get away from it, not providing a means to carry on as usual while at sea. It's as simple as that.

 

 

Spongerob: While I won't consider your post "bashing," and have tried to understand your logic here, I'm still at a loss to see what you are suggesting.

 

Are those of us who do have "business" to attend to supposed to stick to land based vacations? Although *we* need to be open to receiving e-mails and responding in a timely manner that does not mean we are on-line 24/7.....so, no, we don't "carry on as usual."

 

We spend the majority of our cruise enjoying our vacation and relaxing. (Actually, the rest of the family enjoys our vacation and relaxes 100% of the time....just DH has to check in several times a day. :))

 

We use our own laptop....the burden is on us to locate hot spots and we gladly search for them ourselves. We are not inconveniencing anyone in the process. (As for our own situation, we don't receive any internet perks and I'm sure there are many others in our situation who don't either.) We gladly pay for the privilege.

 

It has been *my* observation that many business folks do bring their own laptops. Conversely, perhaps (?) many Elite and Platinum pax, with the internet perk, have now retired and are not using the internet 24/7 to conduct *business*.

 

Bottom line, IMHO..... I just don't think concern over the potential growth of "business at sea" this is the reason Princess has changed their policy.

[Julia’s Journey’s]

When you think about it, "Escape Completely" and "Bring It All With You" might be the most apt description of the difference. Princess is in the business of selling vacations to get away from it, not providing a means to carry on as usual while at sea. It's as simple as that.

 

Maybe there is a market for cruising oriented towards the business traveler, but that's another discusssion.

 

So do you think that if Princess had to choose to have people cruise and check there email for work or those people not cruise at all they would choose the latter :confused: :confused:

[Julia’s Journey’s]

DH and I are Elite with 30 Princess cruises sailed. As I see it, the bottom line is Princess gave Platinum and Elite an unlimited internet perk and then for whatever reason which IMHO is basically umiportant to this discussion, rescinded that perk.

 

Each individual affected by this change has their own personal reasons for feeling frustrated and disappointed. Those feelings should not be critized or riduculed! And no one should have to feel the need to explain their use of the internet!

 

When the internet perk changes, my DH said... we found internet cafes during port stops prior to unlimited internet, we can find them again if we have need to... a simple suggestion for a poor PR decision on the part of Princess.

 

The hostility that has arisen over some threads lately is very sad. I signed onto CC in 2000. Back then, people asked questions and they were answered in a timely manner. People offered information and they were genuinely thanked. And, the discussion was civil. I do understand the CC boards have grown but IMHO, we need to have a more gentle CC board... and that begins with everyone trying to be less judgmental.

 

Sandy

 

Sandy, very well said:) :)

[Host Caroline]

Way to go Sandy:) :) I have to check email for work occasionally (my "real" job) and check email every other day or so for news from the doggie spa etc. I'm Elite w/ Princess but would seldom use the allotted time they've set out anyway unless there was an emergency or something as I do really use a cruise to "escape completely"... (Sandy's comments re the boards may be one reason why, eh? ::ducking::):rolleyes: :eek:

BUT if I had to use more than my allotted freebie time for business I would simply turn it in as a business expense or write it off on taxes -- simple as that. I am in the very very small minority I guess but I don't cruise for perks... don't get me wrong = they are nice BUT they have never been the deal breaker when booking any of my 35+ cruises. Elite status is great for the laundry and minibar but I can afford both if it comes to that.. did it for 15 cruises when I was in much worse financial shape than I ever hope to be again!

[Hondu]

Not sure why some people think they have the right to tell others how to spend their time on vacation, how to run there business or which emails they should or should not read while on vacation:confused: :confused: :confused:

 

Just too many bossy, pushy people. I've seen on these boards where someone would state the need to use the self-serve laundry and some of these posters would quickly shoot them down calling it among other things, waste of vacation time.

 

If any of these people were paying for that person to go on a cruise, it would then be more understandable.

[Host Caroline]

.... if this continues to get as judgmental and snide as it's headed, it will be headed to never land

if you get my drift...let's be civil, people:rolleyes:

[Hondu]

The only place that you read that was here, on this board, from others giving their opinions as to why it changed. This along with stating that other people were "hogging" the computers.

 

It seems to have developed a life and is now "fact", even though no one knows why they changed, other than looking for new ways to create revenue streams. Of course at the same time other posters have to chime in and state that it was all the passengers fault, causing poor Princess to lose all revenue from internet charges, even though there is nothing but the occasional comment about happening to see someone do something once.

 

It is funny how some people's comments turn into "facts".

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

I agree. Furthermore, the population of these boards represent no more than 1% on any given ship at any given time.

 

I am platinum and have never seen the Internet Cafe busy. Always terminals available.

[coiran]

Way to go Sandy:) :) I have to check email for work occasionally (my "real" job) and check email every other day or so for news from the doggie spa etc. I'm Elite w/ Princess but would seldom use the allotted time they've set out anyway unless there was an emergency or something as I do really use a cruise to "escape completely"... (Sandy's comments re the boards may be one reason why, eh? ::ducking::):rolleyes: :eek:

 

BUT if I had to use more than my allotted freebie time for business I would simply turn it in as a business expense or write it off on taxes -- simple as that. I am in the very very small minority I guess but I don't cruise for perks... don't get me wrong = they are nice BUT they have never been the deal breaker when booking any of my 35+ cruises. Elite status is great for the laundry and minibar but I can afford both if it comes to that.. did it for 15 cruises when I was in much worse financial shape than I ever hope to be again!

 

Well said Caroline!! If one needs internet 24/7 they should be prepared to cover the cost - Having said that, I have found the internet on Princess to be somewhat spotty as far as sat conection, so, if one needs 24/7 internet coverage do not rely on the ship's connection.

 

Ron

[ozland]

If one needs internet 24/7 they should be prepared to cover the cost - Having said that, I have found the internet on Princess to be somewhat spotty as far as sat conection, so, if one needs 24/7 internet coverage do not rely on the ship's connection.

 

Ron

 

Of course, no one could possibly be ON the internet 24/7.....just need access here and there throughout a 24 hour day.....as in our case with international business. We get e-mails from Australia, Africa, London, wherever, all times of the day. DH will check a number of times a day....on his laptop.....but may only be on there for 5 or 10 minutes each time. Yes, we do cover the cost since we aren't Elite or Platinum.

 

So far, we've had good luck with connections on the Coral, Crown, and Grand and haven't had a problem finding hotspots.

[bdjam]

I don't know if it was this thread or one of the plethora of others devoted to this subject, but someone said it - you can always find an internet cafe in port. They are heavily used by crew so they are always available and probably for a quarter a minute. If it's THAT important...

[ozland]

If it's THAT important...

 

For us it is.....but that shouldn't be a problem for any other pax if we are willing to pay Princess for the use AND use our own laptop. We're not in port at night as a rule and DH checks at night as well. It wouldn't help for us to have to wait until the ship docks and go looking for an internet cafe.....especially on those R/T Los Angeles to Hawaii, 8 sea day trips. ;)

 

(Please understand that *I* am NOT complaining about missing a perk.....we are not eligible. Nor are we computer terminal hogs since we use our own laptop. I only posted here in response to the questioning of WHY someone would want to go on a cruise and do *business.* I thought I could offer an explanation to help the poster understand why there might be a need for some folks.)

[willysgrandma]

Are there an other cruise lines that offer any free internet access to elite members?