Millenium-Connect At Sea - Internet Pkg

[radgroup]

Sailing Millenium May 21,2004:Venice-Barcelona. I Read on "Cruise Critic Tips" one can purchase Celebrity Internet pkgs. for daily Internet use @$25.00 DAY/$100.00 week. I called Celeb to purchase and that is NOT the case. $25.00 is for 50 minutes! Then, extra packages of minutes can be purchased for addt'l internet time.
The tip reads extra minute packages are rqd for Infinity, but the extra minute packages are REALLY rqd for all the M-class ships (Infinity-Constellation-Millenium-Summit). Since I was planning on checking in with clients and purchasing a "Connect at Sea" pkg. this is not sitting well. Anyone found other options - I don't really want to haul a laptop to connect in cyber cafes in Med-perhaps pre-write email and haul in computer to connect in town?
[email]radgroup@aol.com[/email]
RADGroup

[plvogel]

It has traditionally been a flat fee to purchase unlimited internet if you bring your laptop. You rent the phone and connection equipment, Alternatively, you can use the internet cafe at a per-minute fee. Get to the guest services desk early, as they only have a limited number of connection kits available.

Sun Princess 5/96
Sun Princess 12/97
Crown Princess 1/98
Sun Princess 11/99
R2 5/2000
Sea Princess 9/2001
GTS Summit 12/2002
GTS Summit 5/2003
GTS Summit 9/2003

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Until Galaxy Transatlantic

[radgroup]

Thank you! [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]
radgroup

[raudacruise]

Ummm. Don't think so. The new pricing went into effect and you can really get burned if you don't watch it. Your call to celebrity gave you the correct information ($.50 per minute).

Keep in mind, Celebrity doesn't run the internet access on board, its outsourced and subject to change.

George & MaryBeth

[radgroup]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by raudacruise:
Ummm. Don't think so. The new pricing went into effect and you can really get burned if you don't watch it. Your call to celebrity gave you the correct information ($.50 per minute).

Keep in mind, Celebrity doesn't run the internet access on board, its outsourced and subject to change.

George & MaryBeth<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Thought so... what did you use? Any secrets?
radgroup

[raudacruise]

At US ports such as St. Thomas and San Juan you can go to the public library for free. Other ports in the Carribean reportedly offer fees as low as $1/hour at internet cafes.

Have not needed constant internet access for a while so the pricy stuff Celebrity offers is usually good enough.

Amazed that the price change happened so fast and unexpectly. We had not just one, but two internet connections on Summit a while back. One was devoted to a web-cam and the other was for normal email type things. It was $100 for the 11 day cruise.

The new pricing is going to cause folks to seek alternatives, but Celebrity doesn't care. Its totally outsourced.

George & MaryBeth

[busykymom]

My cruise book/tickets I just received for 4/11 cruise on Millinneum says $.75/minute for Internet access!

RCL Nordic Empress 6/93
RCL Rhapsody of the Seas 9/98
NCL Majesty 1/13/03
RCL Vision of the Seas 9/14/03
Celebrity Infinity (now Mellennium!) 4/11/04

[klfowler]

Wow, no internet connections was a surprise to me. The past 3 years we have sailed on Royal Caribbean on the Explorer, the Adventurer, and the Navigator, and all 3 had internet connections in the cabins for a flat charge of $100 per week. This was the only way my husband would agree to go on the cruise.

We are booked on the Star Princess at the end of May 2004 and I assumed since it was a fairly new ship with an internet cafe that it would have internet connections in the rooms. I was surprised to find out today when I called that they do not have any room connections. The internet cafe costs $.35 per minute according to the Princess representative. There are no packages with a certain number of minutes.

I hate to use the time we have while on shore to locate and use internet cafes. My DH was already complaining that 12 days was going to be too long. This is my daughters graduation cruise with a friend and I had hoped everything would be great.

Great thread, thanks for bringing up the subject.

[ccletzgo]

so there are no cabins on any celebrity ships that have internet hook up? I was hoping the sky suites on galaxy or mercury would have them

Lets Go!

Royal's Viking Seranade 1/94
Carnival, Holiday 12/95
Carnival, Jubilee 12/96
Royal's, Song of America 11/98
Celebrity Galaxy 9/99
Royal's, Viking Seranade 6/00
Celebrity, Millennium 12/00
Royal's Vision 2/02
Royal's Vision 12/02
Royal's Monarch 6/03
Navigator of the Seas 12/2004

[raudacruise]

The M-Class ships have internet hookup in suites but its no cheaper than walking to the one of the internet kiosks they have spread around. Don't know what the charges are if you only want to check your email on your own laptop an hour a day.

24/7 hookups simply do not exist anymore unless your wallet is big.

Again, this is all outsourced from Celebrity (but certainaly not for free).

George & MaryBeth

[flyaway]

So, do all Celebrity ships have internet cafes? I'll be on the Century the week leading up to the Olympics, and I think I'll die if I can't check in to see any last minutes developments with gymnastics.

I know that sounds weird to most people, but we all have our interests. [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[tbelian]

The Century does have an internet cafe.

[ccletzgo]

All of Royals new ships have internet hook up in there cabins. If you take a lap top you can pay a set fee. (I think its $100 for a full week) and have internet 24/7

that would be worth it to me. You can really run up a bill at the internet cafe. No matter how fast I was, I couldnt walk away for less then 7 or 8 dollars. Just depends on your situation, and if keeping in touch with home is something that you need to do.

[radgroup]

Hmmm,
I :eek would be delighted if it was $100 a week on Celebrity Millenium as the Cruise Critic M-Ship article implies.
As I learned from Celebrity it's $100 a week if you are on 50 minutes or less a day.

So, YEOWWWWWW!

radgroup

[lysolqn]

The $100/week flat rate for unlimited in-cabin internet service is no more. It disappeared perhaps six months ago after Celebrity outsourced its computer services. The private company that now handles computer services upped the charge to $25/day for 50 minutes of service. Any time beyond the alotted 50 minutes is billed at a per minute rate. However, you can purchase bundled minute packages like 200 minutes/$75, but those minutes kick in only after the initial 50 minutes, and the cost is in addition to the $25/day rate.
When the flat rate was in effect, the in-cabin kits were gone in a flash. Since the new rates went into effect, demand has decreased substantially and availability is no a problem.
You've heard of highway robbery? The new rates are seaway robbery!