Update on Suite Internet Charges

[compozer]

does this just effect the suites, what about Platinum, do we still get the internet minutes for free?

 

 

Yes you still get them. They just took away the unlimited minutes from suites but platinum and elite's minutes have not changed.

[dickinson]

My June 15 Patter (last full day of sailing) from the Golden says for Internet Cafe:

 

Last Day Internet Access

15 min for $8.99

Time Plan can be used until you disembark the ship.

Check-in for your flight online!

Piazza - Deck 5.

 

Never having sailed on Princess before and never having had a suite, how would I know I wouldn't have internet access until I left the ship?

 

Anyways... It wasn't a big deal for us but certainly Princess has room to improve in their communications.

[jlf1]

this happened to us too in June. We had no clue it would happen. Not a big deal but would have been nice to know in advance.

 

Not sure if this is because you were in "full suites" but my DH and myself still had internet access on the day of debark. Used it until 30 sec. before getting off the ship.

[dickinson]

Not sure if this is because you were in "full suites" but my DH and myself still had internet access on the day of debark. Used it until 30 sec. before getting off the ship.

 

Apparently that was only available to people who paid for a package of internet and not for people in suites who had free unlimited internet. Not being elite or platinum I am not sure how that works with the limited internet available to those folks.

[Woobstr112G]

We are currently onboard the Ruby Princess in a suite and I thought I would update the internet situation for anyone sailing in a suite soon. We have been charged on our shipboard account for the time we have purchased. Each time I have had to go down to Passenger Services to dispute the charge. I have brought with me the e-mail I received showing that our complimentary usage was being grandfathered in and they have made a copy of this. Nonetheless, each time a new charge is made, I have to go back down, e-mail in hand. We use a lot of time because my husband keeps in touch with his office and I do a travel blog so our friends and family can keep up with us. I know some people say that you're on vacation and why bother. Well, I enjoy doing it just as some people get on a ship and enjoy playing bingo or gambling (neither of which are my cup of tea).

 

Also, as far as bar setups, you are supposed to get one setup for being in a suite and another if you're elite. Only one is provided and you have to request the second.

 

The ship is in good condition; the service has been excellent. We've been enjoying ourselves. Today we were to be in Mykonos but high winds prevented that so we have an unexpected sea day. It's a lovely day and we don't mind.

 

Ann;

 

Thanks for the update on the suite internet issue. Hope you and Al are having a fantastic cruise.....:):):)

 

Bob

[coo359a2]

We have the Elite minutes and I use them up until they call us to disembark.

 

It was explained to me that the accounting system closes out all the on board accounts at a certain time on the last evening (think it was 11pm) which means that you are unable to charge anything to you account after that time. This includes buying internet minutes on a minute-by-minute basis. Also, if you decide to have your last cup of brewed coffee, specialty coffee or whatever type bar drink while waiting to disembark, you pay in cash when you receive your drink.

[compozer]

 

Never having sailed on Princess before and never having had a suite, how would I know I wouldn't have internet access until I left the ship?

 

Anyways... It wasn't a big deal for us but certainly Princess has room to improve in their communications.

 

IF you had the internet manager that we did the last time - you probably wouldn't know - he was worthless. He had lines waiting at his desk and would just get up and walk away at the end of his shift without saying anything.

We always book suites and have always been able to use it up to the point we left the ship. You are correct about their need for better communications. I booked six cruises before that internet cut off point and will make sure I talk to the manager to make sure I have some minutes in my account before that 10pm cutoff.

[caribill]

Apparently that was only available to people who paid for a package of internet and not for people in suites who had free unlimited internet. Not being elite or platinum I am not sure how that works with the limited internet available to those folks.

 

At least some of the time in the past, a suite passenger could "purchase" a free package of minutes and in that case, could use them up until the time they left the ship.

 

Some suite passengers said why bother "buying" a package since the minutes were free anyway, and they were the ones hit by the cuttoff at 11 PM the last evening because you could not even buy free minutes after that time.

[Husky61]

I just spoke with Princess today, and they said that if I had booked my cruise in a suite, not a mini suite, before July15, I would receive unlimited internet access.:)

[dickinson]

IF you had the internet manager that we did the last time - you probably wouldn't know - he was worthless. He had lines waiting at his desk and would just get up and walk away at the end of his shift without saying anything.

We always book suites and have always been able to use it up to the point we left the ship. You are correct about their need for better communications. I booked six cruises before that internet cut off point and will make sure I talk to the manager to make sure I have some minutes in my account before that 10pm cutoff.

 

Please let us know after you take some of those cruises how it went with getting the free internet. As you can see by my signature I'm not cruising for another year :( so I wonder how it will go.

 

Carbill - IIRC we would purchase a package of internet for $0. I don't think it said how many minutes were included in this but we had no problem staying on for as long as we wanted... until of course we could not log on early on the day of disembarkation when we could not log on at all.

[compozer]

Please let us know after you take some of those cruises how it went with getting the free internet.

 

Will do and I hope to hear from others.

 

Still think they should allow some free minutes.

[livinforcruisin]

Just an update, we are joining the Ruby tomorrow in Venice and we booked this suite and another next spring before July 15th. I emailed Princess a few weeks ago and finally got a reply today which is honouring both lots of free internet, they said to simply talk to the passenger services desk. I will take the email for verification just in case. Finally packed and beyond excited.:D

[Luvmyrotti]

Just an update, we are joining the Ruby tomorrow in Venice and we booked this suite and another next spring before July 15th. I emailed Princess a few weeks ago and finally got a reply today which is honouring both lots of free internet, they said to simply talk to the passenger services desk. I will take the email for verification just in case. Finally packed and beyond excited.:D

 

Glad you got the e-mail in time for your departure. We booked a suite on our April cruise and will be bringing the e-mail that our TA secured for us when the change happened this summer. Enjoy the Med!

[compozer]

Just an update, we are joining the Ruby tomorrow in Venice and we booked this suite and another next spring before July 15th. I emailed Princess a few weeks ago and finally got a reply today which is honouring both lots of free internet, they said to simply talk to the passenger services desk. I will take the email for verification just in case. Finally packed and beyond excited.:D

 

 

HAVE A WONDERFUL CRUISE.

 

and enjoy the suite - we leave in five weeks - trying not to think about it yet.

[Matcodixon]

You do understand that your credit card is not charged until the cruise is over and the account is closed, don't you? If so why in the world would you waste your vacation time going to the service desk to fight this every day???

I just got off the Ruby last week and the cruise was so port intensive that I rarely had that kind of time to waste!

I did purchase a package before the cruise and got 50 extra free minutes, which was a better deal than anything I saw onboard. When it was all over, I had used all but 4 minutes.