HAL unlimited WiFi

Can anyone provide any info on the new HAL unlimited WiFi packages? Lots of confusing info from HAL for our upcoming Asia-Pacific with multiple available segments......some have packages to purchase pre cruise, while others don’t. Could you book pre cruise or only after boarding? Do they still allow purchase by minutes? What were the rates like? What were the primary differences between the 3 levels? It sounds like the only benefit for premium is streaming, Skype, Netflix? Can you blog, download books, etc from the “surf”package? Thanks!

We used the unlimited WiFi plans available on westerdam on 2 wk Panama Canal trip in December and had very good service and it was a caped amount of 160.00 or so?? .there were 3 levels of packages depending on how much you needed and what you were doing. (Email facebook and web surfing was cheaper than using a lot of video download). Westerdam was cheaper than several other holland ships including earlier trip on Nordam.......so it appears they have different packages......

Meant to say that we could sign up first day for same discount price as paying ahead but after first day we did not have that choice......it got costlier

We’re on the Westerdam in October for a 28 day Asia cruise, but I’ve found no place on the website to pre-purchase internet. Is it even possible?

Sent from my iPad using Forums

We’re on the Westerdam in October for a 28 day Asia cruise, but I’ve found no place on the website to pre-purchase internet. Is it even possible?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

As of now, I think that it might be a perk available only to GV customers.

Sue - I'm waiting for a definitive response from the WC desk to your questions. I am also waiting on a return call from Michelle in the Ships Store. Until I see something in writing, I am not going to presume anything.

Can anyone provide any info on the new HAL unlimited WiFi packages? Lots of confusing info from HAL for our upcoming Asia-Pacific with multiple available segments......some have packages to purchase pre cruise, while others don’t. Could you book pre cruise or only after boarding? Do they still allow purchase by minutes? What were the rates like? What were the primary differences between the 3 levels? It sounds like the only benefit for premium is streaming, Skype, Netflix? Can you blog, download books, etc from the “surf”package? Thanks!

last July got the package with out the option for Skype .. the service was great it came out to about 12 a day for 12 day cruise

Do they still allow purchase by minutes?

I've never seen or heard of a case where block minutes are offered when the ship is using the unlimited plans. It's one or the other.

Early booking Great Voyages comes with a list of freebies, among them a number of free internet minutes. At the same time 3 different internet packages are offered which can be purchased. That created a lot of confusion, of course and it is not clear at all how that will work out.

By the way, are there any restrictions on how minutes can be used, e.g. streaming, etc.?

At the same time 3 different internet packages are offered which can be purchased.

Minute packages and all day packages are handled by the billing server. They could easily coexist, as could fixed MB and GB packages. Doesn't mean that they will, but they certainly could.

The minute by minute packages, for us, just don’t work. I’ve waited for a half hour on the Zandaam to just load my email, using up pricey minutes I was paying for.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

We were just on the Amsterdam and the unlimited internet was offered at 3 tiers starting at $14.95/day. My son needed to complete homework and take a quiz for an online college class and so paid for the mid-tier for one day. The speeds were not sufficient for him to take the simple 10 question quiz online (kept timing out). The staff refunded his fees and were super helpful finding a place for him to access high speed internet in port (and his teachers were also very accommodating with his due dates)

Early booking Great Voyages comes with a list of freebies, among them a number of free internet minutes. At the same time 3 different internet packages are offered which can be purchased. That created a lot of confusion, of course and it is not clear at all how that will work out.

 

By the way, are there any restrictions on how minutes can be used, e.g. streaming, etc.?

There was no restriction listed. Assuming that we can use our 600 minutes, I would guess that if we choose to use them up faster by streaming (it does use them up faster, doesn't it???), it is our choice.

:confused: That's strange, since if you have an unlimited package the "free minutes" are meaningless. I suppose you could use up all the free minutes before buying an unlimited package. I thought that on ships with the unlimited packages that they didn't even track how many minutes or MB are used.

These are not "free" minutes. We got them in consideration for booking early, thus tying up several thousand dollars for up to 15 months in the necessary initial deposit. From my purely legal background, it is a contract and susceptible of being enforced.

That having been said, I wouldn't bet on how HAL is going to handle this.

I've never seen or heard of a case where block minutes are offered when the ship is using the unlimited plans. It's one or the other.

Since these unlimited plans are brand new, I assume that you are using other cruise lines for this observation?

Since these unlimited plans are brand new, I assume that you are using other cruise lines for this observation?

The unlimited plan is not new. It has been on the Westerdam for at least 2 years ;)

IIRC on that ship, (I sailed it twice with this package) you could select unlimited for one day if you wanted but it was pricier per day than taking it for the whole cruise, but, if that's all you need then it's definitely cheaper.

Minute packages were not available other than the last day which was technically a discounted unlimited package for airline/hotel checkin, etc.

Since these unlimited plans are brand new, I assume that you are using other cruise lines for this observation?

The unlimited plan is not new. It has been on the Westerdam for at least 2 years ;)

 

IIRC on that ship, (I sailed it twice with this package) you could select unlimited for one day if you wanted but it was pricier per day than taking it for the whole cruise, but, if that's all you need then it's definitely cheaper.

 

Minute packages were not available other than the last day which was technically a discounted unlimited package for airline/hotel checkin, etc.

The Zuiderdam previewed unlimited WiFi as far back as Sept 20, 2014. At that time there was only one plan and it was $99.99 for 1 week in Alaska. There were no minute packages available on that cruise.

IIRC, there were people who had an Internet promo on our last cruise. I believe that they could apply it toward a bigger package. These were all minute plans though.

These are not "free" minutes. ...

Early booking Great Voyages comes with a list of freebies, among them a number of free internet minutes.

I think one reason for the unlimited plans is that the internet on HA is, sadly, monumentally, titanically slow. For us, as much as we love the cruise line, it has been almost nonexistent. The glacial download speeds make it hard to justify a per minute plan.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

The unlimited plan is not new. It has been on the Westerdam for at least 2 years ;)

 

IIRC on that ship, (I sailed it twice with this package) you could select unlimited for one day if you wanted but it was pricier per day than taking it for the whole cruise, but, if that's all you need then it's definitely cheaper.

 

Minute packages were not available other than the last day which was technically a discounted unlimited package for airline/hotel checkin, etc.

My mistake. From what HAL told me, the roll out of the flat rate was brand new. (I guess they meant specifically for the Amsterdam) and the early booking minutes for a GV was still in the "now what" stage. As of yesterday, the powers-to-be had still not decided how they were going to handle it.

IIRC, there were people who had an Internet promo on our last cruise. I believe that they could apply it toward a bigger package. These were all minute plans though.

That's what I am afraid of, no minutes to apply it against. Suggestion to HAL - if you are there - reduce the flat rate by what 600 minutes would have cost. I think that cost would be $255? Wasn't that $100 for 250 minutes; $55 for 100 minutes?

Wishful thinking.

My mistake. From what HAL told me, the roll out of the flat rate was brand new. (I guess they meant specifically for the Amsterdam) and the early booking minutes for a GV was still in the "now what" stage. As of yesterday, the powers-to-be had still not decided how they were going to handle it.

No worries ;)

Yes, I do believe it is new to the Amsterdam.

That must be frustrating not knowing how the wifi will be handled for the GV. Hopefully there are some answers for you soon (yn)

on the Oosterdam right now, and i gotta say the internet is SOOO weak. over $100 and i can't really get any work done...

7 minutes ago, shiframeir said:

on the Oosterdam right now, and i gotta say the internet is SOOO weak. over $100 and i can't really get any work done...

What is your location?