Free Internet eliminated from all suites

[ehschief]

We are platinum members, have an internet business and we never use all are minutes... we write emails off line and then send them. When not on Princess we buy a minimum amount of minutes and have never had trouble.

 

When you are on vacation that is what you are suppose to be, on vacation. Every port has an internet place close so if you absolutely need to use internet and don't want to pay, go to a Starbucks, McDonalds or any fast food place, they all have free minutes.

[Pam in CA]

I checked with a very reliable source and here is the answer: "the internet amenity is just off the list. It wasn't replaced with any kind of limited use amenity. It's now just like all the other stateroom types" and "there are no current plans for changes to the loyalty program."

When you are on vacation that is what you are suppose to be, on vacation. Every port has an internet place close so if you absolutely need to use internet and don't want to pay, go to a Starbucks, McDonalds or any fast food place, they all have free minutes.

All very well and good, and this is your preference, except for a number of issues: some of us have elderly relatives and need/want to stay in touch; many cruises have a lot of sea days in a row with few port days which means being out of touch for days at a time; and, some are able to cruise only if they can remain in touch with the office or work. Each of us has a different reason to want/need the Internet, and some don't have any need or desire. We're all different.

[Coral]

Princess is closing loopholes that some have used for an unintended reason such as eliminating lifetime brewed coffee with one punch remaining in a coffee card. We've all read posts from those bragging about a way to manipulate some benefit so I see no need to rehash those things in this discussion about a change to a suite benefit. I seem to recall reading that at one time the Captain's Circle internet benefit was unlimited but is now limited. Why? Too many qualifying? Too many abusing it? I don't have the answer & each of us can speculate about why without ever knowing the real reason.

 

 

Platinum used to offer free internet (unlimited). They used the excuse that they were implementing a new system and did not know how to give people free internet using the new system but obviously they did, if they accommodated the suites with free internet.

 

In reference to the coffee situation - the sad thing is that before they came out with the (first) coffee card, the Patissere gave out free fresh brewed coffee to everyone free of charge. I am not a coffee drinker (so this doesn't affect me) but really, how petty is it to charge for brewed coffee?

[PescadoAmarillo]

For someone with an MS in this stuff, I would think that you would understand the problem. Of course satellite internet has greatly improved on land as the demand is so much greater than in the middle of the ocean. To achieve the same level of coverage over such a vast area there would have to be many more satellites purchased and launched. Each satellite offers only limited coverage area. The cost of improving the service by launching new satellites has to be absorbed in the price somehow. You must already know this.

We can argue this point until ubiquitous Internet at sea becomes a reality (because it will). There is no doubt in my mind. Competition will drive it and technology will deliver it. I'll concede that it will be slower to arrive in certain parts of the world than others, but imagine the marine Internet market, both commercial and private, cerastes such as the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. Imagine the number of ships passing through the enlarged Panama Canal. Perhaps the southern Atlantic might not see it in the next 10 years, but those areas definitely will.

[LARGIN]

Wondering how many of those upset about losing the suite unlimited internet are Platinum's that are getting free internet anyway.. :confused::rolleyes::confused:

[TheBestIsYetToCome]

We are platinum members, have an internet business and we never use all are minutes... we write emails off line and then send them. When not on Princess we buy a minimum amount of minutes and have never had trouble.

 

When you are on vacation that is what you are suppose to be, on vacation. Every port has an internet place close so if you absolutely need to use internet and don't want to pay, go to a Starbucks, McDonalds or any fast food place, they all have free minutes.

 

They're on a cruise. Whether they're on vacation is up to them, and not to us.

[bhopal21]

Platinum used to offer free internet (unlimited). They used the excuse that they were implementing a new system and did not know how to give people free internet using the new system but obviously they did, if they accommodated the suites with free internet.

 

In reference to the coffee situation - the sad thing is that before they came out with the (first) coffee card, the Patissere gave out free fresh brewed coffee to everyone free of charge. I am not a coffee drinker (so this doesn't affect me) but really, how petty is it to charge for brewed coffee?

 

Exaclty!

 

We are not coffee drinkers either and having just checked, the MOST internet we have used averaged a little over 20min per day so it is not the internet minutes it is just the continued cheapening of a product that we once admired.

 

Mike:)

[Sunviking]

We are platinum members, have an internet business and we never use all are minutes... we write emails off line and then send them. When not on Princess we buy a minimum amount of minutes and have never had trouble.

 

When you are on vacation that is what you are suppose to be, on vacation. Every port has an internet place close so if you absolutely need to use internet and don't want to pay, go to a Starbucks, McDonalds or any fast food place, they all have free minutes.

 

There aren't many ports with free internet when you're taking a transoceanic cruise. Your needs are clearly different from those of some of us who have family to check on or work demands that necessitate staying in touch or you don't get to go on vacation. Lucky you, that you don't have issues like those.

[fishin' musician]

Coral, I'm mobile so I can't easily quote one paragraph of your post, but, oh yes, I agree with you. I, too, am tired of hearing about how it's satellite internet, it's on a ship, as an excuse for poor Internet quality. It CAN be better. We know crewmembers who video Skype their spouses every day while on a ship. They obviously have the "good stuff" when it comes to Internet quality.

 

And Matcodixon, I'm as average a person as you'll find, but I do have a MS degree in this stuff. Costs are dropping dramatically. Technology is improving exponentially. The fact that it's satellite doesn't make it magic. We had satellite based Internet at our home 7 years ago. It's simply a matter of time before Internet quality becomes a competitive advantage for one cruise line over others, just as it was when it first started appearing on ships. I paid $0.75 a minute for internet on a cruise in 2002. It's about $0.50 a minute now. How much has the cost of providing that minute dropped? Probably 80%.

 

I have a hard time believing the crew has a larger pipe than the paying guests.

[Pam in CA]

I have a hard time believing the crew has a larger pipe than the paying guests.

I think it's a matter of timing. The crew usually use the Internet when passengers are either asleep or off the ship. They are working except for a few hours off during the day from early morning until late at night. Just saying... as I think this makes a difference. If passengers use the Internet at midnight or 6:00am, for example, the Internet is pretty good.

[ehschief]

I know we all have different issues, and I respect that, however it is not necessary to hang out on the internet, checking on family members does not take that much time, besides when you are in the middle of the ocean for days what are you going to do if there is an emergency back home. You would have to wait for the next port.

 

I do have an elderly mother and I do check on her almost everyday, we also have an internet business and check on it everyday, but again, not all day.

 

Saying this, if I booked a suite because of the unlimited internet, I would expect just that, it is not fair to take them away if a person is booked, I think that would be not fulfilling a contract. Future bookings are a different story.

[gottagocit]

I checked with a very reliable source and here is the answer: "the internet amenity is just off the list. It wasn't replaced with any kind of limited use amenity. It's now just like all the other stateroom types" and "there are no current plans for changes to the loyalty program."

All very well and good, and this is your preference, except for a number of issues: some of us have elderly relatives and need/want to stay in touch; many cruises have a lot of sea days in a row with few port days which means being out of touch for days at a time; and, some are able to cruise only if they can remain in touch with the office or work. Each of us has a different reason to want/need the Internet, and some don't have any need or desire. We're all different.

 

Well said Pam. Changing the perks of those who have already booked or even worse paid in full is bad business.

 

I'm trying to wait patiently for more info from Princess before reacting to this policy change in a vocal, loud and wide spread manner in travel forums. I believe they will apply reason to the change for those of us who have booked and/or paid for suites for upcoming cruises. I hope I am not wrong.

[travellover3]

I personally don't care to access internet during a cruise vacation, but I think it is pretty sleazy for Princess to eliminate that perk after a cruise has been booked; and especially if fully paid.They certainly can change a policy for a time forward. I thought better of Princess than this.

[caribill]

People, two credits of 250 minutes, eight hours, what else do you need.

 

On a seven day cruise, it is only 150 minutes.

[Matcodixon]

We can argue this point until ubiquitous Internet at sea becomes a reality (because it will). There is no doubt in my mind. Competition will drive it and technology will deliver it. I'll concede that it will be slower to arrive in certain parts of the world than others, but imagine the marine Internet market, both commercial and private, cerastes such as the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. Imagine the number of ships passing through the enlarged Panama Canal. Perhaps the southern Atlantic might not see it in the next 10 years, but those areas definitely will.

I certainly agree that over time, this will certainly improve. High volume areas, like the Caribbean and the Mediterranean will certainly be first, In fact, the announcement that RCI is launching a new satellite to provide better service over the Caribbean is a step towards this. Consider the fact that they currently have the two largest ships in the industry that are positioned there year round, along with other ships at various time of the year. This will help defray some of the cost, as their market there is very large. I am predicting a couple of things regarding this. First, the cost of the internet service on those ships will go up, not down for quite a period of time, and that RCI will probably try to sell their satellite service to other cruise lines, assuming that they have the necessary bandwidth available.

 

BTW your 100 nights at sea was amazing! I would love to do something like that, but currently that "work" stuff keeps getting in the way of my vacation time.

[robgvic]

I don't know why but I thought Princess did not own the internet connection. Like their spa it is leased out. an anyone confirm this?

[LARGIN]

On a seven day cruise, it is only 150 minutes.

 

The person talking loudly is going on an 18 day cruise so 250 minutes per person if Platinum. That equates to a little less than a half hour of internet time per day. Since you can compose & read email offline, seems plenty of time to me... just saying..

[tgwabd]

On a seven day cruise, it is only 150 minutes.

No, on a seven day cruise it 300 minutes, 150 each, that is almost five hours, you are on vacation, not at work.

[cherylandtk]

It is unfortunate that Princess chose to implement this change without any warning or notice to those who are impacted. In the past, I seem to think some changes have been announced in advance (fuel surcharge, cabin re-grading) but others have not (this, coffee card change, most perks). I can see that additions don't necessarily need much notice, but removing perks, especially after final payment, is lousy customer service.

 

It matters not the reason anyone wanted the Free Internet. But now that it has summarily been removed, those affected should be given the option to cancel without penalty. For all we know the free Internet use was a significant part of choosing to book a suite. I imagine that few will actually cancel for this reason, but it would be a smart business move by Princess to offer it. Unfortunately, smart moves are not exactly Princess' strength these days.

[Loonbeam]

Someone else brought up the difficulties in deploying new hardware so I will leave that part other than to agree its not so simple as one might think.

 

I'll speak to cost. Yes, the cost per MINUTE has dropped to the cruiser. Except the cruise line itself doesn't pay by the minute, they pay based on data transfer, and the amount of THAT has gone up astronomically. With advances in technology and equipment, the amount of data a 'minute' of use requires may be up as much as 1000% over 7 years.

 

If the cost per MB goes down 10 percent BUT the MB usage increases 20 percent, thats a net increase in cost to the cruise line. What they really should do is charge for actual usage at a markup, but most people wouldn't understand that model (I need to buy how many gigwhatsis?).

 

Coral, I'm mobile so I can't easily quote one paragraph of your post, but, oh yes, I agree with you. I, too, am tired of hearing about how it's satellite internet, it's on a ship, as an excuse for poor Internet quality. It CAN be better. We know crewmembers who video Skype their spouses every day while on a ship. They obviously have the "good stuff" when it comes to Internet quality.

 

And Matcodixon, I'm as average a person as you'll find, but I do have a MS degree in this stuff. Costs are dropping dramatically. Technology is improving exponentially. The fact that it's satellite doesn't make it magic. We had satellite based Internet at our home 7 years ago. It's simply a matter of time before Internet quality becomes a competitive advantage for one cruise line over others, just as it was when it first started appearing on ships. I paid $0.75 a minute for internet on a cruise in 2002. It's about $0.50 a minute now. How much has the cost of providing that minute dropped? Probably 80%.

[Loonbeam]

This is quite correct and very relevant. It also makes more sense for them to use this time frame especially in the US/Carib/Alaska area due to the time difference to their home countries.

 

I think it's a matter of timing. The crew usually use the Internet when passengers are either asleep or off the ship. They are working except for a few hours off during the day from early morning until late at night. Just saying... as I think this makes a difference. If passengers use the Internet at midnight or 6:00am, for example, the Internet is pretty good.

[ehschief]

When using the internet on shore, it is wise to follow a crew member because they always know the free places. Of course if you have an early excursion it isn't always possible. When traveling in the Caribbean water excursions are often at 10 or 11 so get up early and follow a crew member.

 

When we use the internet on the ship we try to do it early or late, less people are using it and it is faster.

[gottagocit]

It is unfortunate that Princess chose to implement this change without any warning or notice to those who are impacted. In the past, I seem to think some changes have been announced in advance (fuel surcharge, cabin re-grading) but others have not (this, coffee card change, most perks). I can see that additions don't necessarily need much notice, but removing perks, especially after final payment, is lousy customer service.

 

It matters not the reason anyone wanted the Free Internet. But now that it has summarily been removed, those affected should be given the option to cancel without penalty. For all we know the free Internet use was a significant part of choosing to book a suite. I imagine that few will actually cancel for this reason, but it would be a smart business move by Princess to offer it. Unfortunately, smart moves are not exactly Princess' strength these days.

 

 

Offering to allow you to cancel without penalty is not a good resolution at all! We reserved this trip to Asia almost a year ago and have been planning two weeks of additional time in China and South Korea after our departure. I can't tell you how many flights, hotels, guides and side trips i've reserved over the 30+ day trip many of which are nonfundable.

 

Cancellation of our silver anniversary dream trip over this is not an option. Hopefully princess will offer some reasonable exception to this change for those who have booked and paid in full. We shall soon see.

[Coral]

Someone else brought up the difficulties in deploying new hardware so I will leave that part other than to agree its not so simple as one might think.

 

.

 

I work in IT and understand all of this.

 

I also understand that Princess (and other cruise lines) are making money off of this. It is definitely a money maker for them and they are easily making a pretty good profit off of this. They are not losing money or breaking even.

 

This is a money making opportunity for Princess along with selling pictures, soda cards, coffee cards, wine tasting, etc... Princess is not alone in this.

[Coral]

In fact, the announcement that RCI is launching a new satellite to provide better service over the Caribbean is a step towards this. Consider the fact that they currently have the two largest ships in the industry that are positioned there year round, along with other ships at various time of the year. This will help defray some of the cost, as their market there is very large. I am predicting a couple of things regarding this. First, the cost of the internet service on those ships will go up, not down for quite a period of time, and that RCI will probably try to sell their satellite service to other cruise lines, assuming that they have the necessary bandwidth available.

 

Not sure if you read what RCCL is doing. They are signing a multi-year contract from a company called O3b Networks with a product called O3b Maritime. It will be O3b Networks that will be courting other cruise lines to sell their services, not RCCL. RCCL is simply a client of theirs.