Internet

Would someone please advise us of the internet packages usually offered on the QM2. Do they have entire trip packages, or is it a daily rate only? Do they offer unlimited, or is it only by minutes? On other cruise lines, they offer a first day special, does Cunard usually do that too?

Thank you

By minutes only, no unlimited packages.

Basic package prices are (approximately):

120 minutes - $47.95

240 minutes - $89.95

480 minutes - $167.95

You get a few extra minutes (maybe 20 on the 120 minute package) by signing up on the first day.

Connections are a little faster if you connect early am or late night when others aren't using the service as much. It's not fast but not really unbearable.

By minutes only, no unlimited packages.

 

Basic package prices are (approximately):

120 minutes - $47.95

240 minutes - $89.95

480 minutes - $167.95

 

You get a few extra minutes (maybe 20 on the 120 minute package) by signing up on the first day.

Connections are a little faster if you connect early am or late night when others aren't using the service as much. It's not fast but not really unbearable.

Thank you. How many days usage is this rate? So, they don't offer any unlimited packages, is that correct?

Correct, no unlimited packages at the moment just minutes which can be used for as many days as you make them last. Once you have used up your minutes you can buy another package or move to a pay as you go rate.

I can't remember what that is but it's more expensive.

I seem to remember pay as you go is in the order of 75 cents per minute.

Cunard World Club members get an increasing allocation of free minutes beginning with their third cruise. As a result the actual cost of the minutes isn't something that sticks in my mind. I do my best not to go above the free allocations for myself and my wife. My cellphone plan includes data in most ports of call which helps.

I seem to remember pay as you go is in the order of 75 cents per minute.

 

Cunard World Club members get an increasing allocation of free minutes beginning with their third cruise. As a result the actual cost of the minutes isn't something that sticks in my mind. I do my best not to go above the free allocations for myself and my wife. My cellphone plan includes data in most ports of call which helps.

That's correct. The pay as you go rate is 75 cents per minute. I hadn't noticed this before, but the sheet I have listing the internet plan prices has a note stating that the pay as you go rate is limited to a maximum of 60 minutes.

The Cunard World Club benefits are as follows. This benefit applies to each passenger with the relevant status.

Gold = 120 minutes free ($47.95 credit applied after purchase)

Platinum = 240 minutes free ($89.95 credit applied after purchase)

Diamond = 480 minutes free ($167.95 credit applied after purchase)

The details for the embarkation special I have from last year were 15 minutes added to the $47.95 plan, 25 minutes added to the $89.95 plan and 50 minutes added to the $167.95 plan.

Perhaps of some minor nostalgic interest is a list of internet prices I found from our first voyage on the QM2 in 2005. At that time the pay as you go rate was 50 cents per minute, but the 2 hour, 4 hour, and 8 hour plans were exactly the same prices as they are now. Back in 2005, they also offered 1/2 hour, 1 hour, 16 hour, and 32 hour plans.

Regards, John

On Holland America this summer I paid $100 for 250 minutes, so Cunard's price is in the same league as that. But on their ships the New York Times website is included in the free access (including access to the crossword puzzles via the app) so a good portion of my idle surfing went there.

Connections are a little faster if you connect early am or late night when others aren't using the service as much. It's not fast but not really unbearable.

Connections are also faster if you use the desktop computers in the Internet Center rather than using one of your personal devices in your stateroom.

Log on when you're ready to use it and log off the minute you're done, and watch your usage carefully - we were charged twice for Internet time we didn't use. A quick visit to the Internet Center had it fixed quickly, though.

The woman working there was a saint, btw - every time I went, there was a long line of (mostly elderly) passengers who couldn't get their Internet working. Some would yell I CAN'T UNDERSTAND YOU at her because she spoke English with an accent.

The WiFi was reworked during the remastering (so my connection to WiFi has been reliable) but the satellite bandwidth doesn't seem to have increased. Maybe someday...