RCCL's new internet policy for crown and anchor members....not good!!

[Royal2464]

The bottom line seems to be that they are trying to force top tier C&A members to buy unlimited plans. That way the folks who used the "duration" plans will not be able to check emails for free, they will have to buy the unlimited plan and therefore generate income for Royal. Imagine if everyone does buy the unlimited plan. You will need it just to open one email, as the Internet service will slow from a crawl to a total stop. They already have a serious shortage of bandwidth available for customer usage.

 

Before you "texting wizards" chime in, not everyone wants to, needs to, or does carry a smart phone. Deal with the issue at hand and don't offer useless suggestions.

[Nanannjen]

The bottom line seems to be that they are trying to force top tier C&A members to buy unlimited plans. That way the folks who used the "duration" plans will not be able to check emails for free, they will have to buy the unlimited plan and therefore generate income for Royal. Imagine if everyone does buy the unlimited plan. You will need it just to open one email, as the Internet service will slow from a crawl to a total stop. They already have a serious shortage of bandwidth available for customer usage.

 

Before you "texting wizards" chime in, not everyone wants to, needs to, or does carry a smart phone. Deal with the issue at hand and don't offer useless suggestions.

 

Thank you for bringing this back to the original issue - the reduction/elimination of the benefit for Crown and Anchor Society members.

 

I have no idea if it's true, but I was told by a telecommunications specialist passenger on our cruise that 50% of the bandwidth is used by the ship - navigation, etc. Passengers are allotted 20%, 10% to crew, and I think the rest was hotel operations, etc. It took us an average of 5 minutes to log into email - ugly, but expected. But add in a bunch of unlimited users, and that will get much worse!

[Cigar King]

On our 3/21/15 Quantum cruise. We had a choice of several packages. We was able to take the 60 min. total for the cruise. Applied coupon cost us nothing. With the fast internet this was plenty for us. This could change any time with RCCL.

 

This is what we saw on our March Quantum cruise as well.

[Cruzin-K]

On the Serenade 13 night error we paid $299 for unlimited for two devices before discount. We used my Emerald discount which was more than my cabin mate's Diamond discount. She got $29. 95 and I got 15%, so we used mine. Seems silly that Emeralds get a better deal than Diamonds for the most expensive pkg.

[foxgoodrich]

Interesting discussion here! I'm trying to think back to the days when we paid by the minute for internet, and seems like the "rack" rate was about 65cents/minute and the smallest package was 30 min for about 15.95 or so, and 60 min for $29.95. :confused: Anyone remember for sure? Anyway…back in those days we had some free minutes, varying according to our loyalty level at the time, so we used those too.

 

Our MO was always to start with the free minutes…first we used mine, then we used DH's…and when that was gone we would buy some more minutes. I always tried to get the best deal possible on the per min cost, so usually bought 2 hours for about $45-49 (???) as that brought the cost down to about 40cents or less per min. That, in addition to the freebies, was plenty for a 7 day cruise. (For us, it's mostly just checking email a couple of times a day, and emailing a few times.) We learned tricks! (using our own laptop on wifi, always one device) Like log off to compose your email, then log back on to send it. (Please note that I may not be totally accurate with the cost of that package - just don't remember - but I think I'm in the ballpark.)

 

So, while I agree that these new internet packages seem unnecessary and crazy for those of us who just use 15-20 min per day, it does seem that the cost per minute actually is less now than it used to be. (I basically used to spend 50 bucks on a 7 night cruise for 2 hours.) With the 'NEW' plan, here's how I see our situation: DH and I are D+ now, so we can each use up our free 24 hours of internet. Probably start it at 3 or 4pm, then we'd be good for a late afternoon/evening that day plus morning & afternoon of next day. Doing that twice (one for each of us) would cover 4 days. Then I could buy 24 hours with 15 bucks and similarly spread it across 2 days. No internet package will work after 8am on the day you disembark anyway, so I see no need to consider that day. Thus, I collect our freebies and spend $15 with the 'NEW' internet plan.

 

Maybe I've got this all wrong, but it looks like I'll be spending less with this plan. I think I'll be spending $15 on a 7 nighter instead of $50. Please understand that I'm enjoying a glass of merlot :o as I type this, so my math might be affected, and I won't be offended if somebody points that out. But 24 hours is 24 hours and surely you get to choose when you start the clock, so it's an easy stretch over a 2 day period.

 

An interesting comparison…we cruised Disney for the first time in March with our son and his family. On Diz they sell internet by DATA, not by time. They give everyone (even 1st timers!) 50mb of free data transfer if you sign up for it on Day 1. That lasted me 2 days (it was a 4 night cruise) so I bought an additional 100mb so I could email a few more times and send some pics and used that for the last 2 days. Cost was $19 and I made a point to use it all. I have no idea if that was good deal or not since I've never bought internet by the mb before!

Judy

[stompy]

Just got off the Adventure yesterday - Diamond status get 1 hour of internet loaded on your seapass card (1 hour per stateroom). You have to set up an account but once you do so go down to Guest Services and they will apply the Diamond discount ($29.95) to your account. Easy.

 

We're Diamond + and this cruise they bumped it up to $59.95 off a package or 2 free days. Whenever you try to sign up it says "sorry the coupon system is unavailable at this time"

 

Like Toby said, you had to sign up for the $49.95 daily plan, go to Guest Services, and they credit it off each day.

 

Not quite as "easy" as it sounds. Also, the in-cabin service was pretty spotty. Cafe Promenade's service was much more consistent.

 

We lost connectivity often and were logged off a few times.

 

With 2 people that equates to 4 days of access on a 7 night cruise with a turnaround day in San Juan so we're just going to log in with our phones when we get off the ship for the day.

[kernow]

We´re currently on Splendour TA and they are still using the old system, 1 hour (29.95 credit) internet for D+ which can be used a few minutes at a time.

 

Julie

[Clarea]

...Like Toby said, you had to sign up for the $49.95 daily plan, go to Guest Services, and they credit it off each day....

We have had to go to Guest Services to have the internet credit applied on the last 3 cruises. This sounds simple, but each time it takes around 10 minutes (on top of waiting in line) for the Guest Services rep to apply the credit. I don't know what they have to do, but it does not seem like a simple process.

[cruisenfever]

Just off our b2b on Legend. On the first cruise which began on March 29th, our internet allowance was 2 hours each. Beginning with the April 15th cruise, our internet was complimentary for the duration of the cruise. We were able to use 2 devices since each of us receives the complimentary benefit.

 

Diamond Plus Members were given 2 hours each and Diamond Members were given 24 hours each. Minutes could not be spread out over the cruise.

 

We were told that this new program is being rolled out slowly to each ship.

Edited April 30, 2015 by cruisenfever

[shadowtiger]

We just got off the Serenade last Friday the 24th and internet for Diamond was ONE 24 consecutive hour period. Diamond Plus was 48 consecutive hours. Because the program was new the computer was not yet programed to accept the coupon loaded onto the sail pass so we had to purchase it and then go to the guest services desk to get the refund. We could break down the 48 hour benefit into two 24 hour periods as the 48 hour was not yet programmed into the computer. However they were in the process of installing it so I don't think future passengers will have the option of using 2 separate 24 hour periods. Many were upset with the "consecutive" only option especially as we were on a 13 night cruise. I saved my 2 days for the last 2 nights and my husband saved his for the 2 before that so we had 4 straight days of internet but only used about 4 hours total. I saw no option for a credit if we did not want to take advantage of the comp internet. At the time it was $59.99 for 2 days unlimited.

[cruisenfever]

I saw no option for a credit if we did not want to take advantage of the comp internet. At the time it was $59.99 for 2 days unlimited.

Since it is a complimentary benefit, you either use it or lose it.

[Ocean Boy]

We have had to go to Guest Services to have the internet credit applied on the last 3 cruises. This sounds simple, but each time it takes around 10 minutes (on top of waiting in line) for the Guest Services rep to apply the credit. I don't know what they have to do, but it does not seem like a simple process.

 

I think it took me less that 2 minutes on Indy to get the credit applied at Guest Services. Fortunately for me, I am awake at times when most people on the ship are asleep.:)

[Clarea]

Just off our b2b on Legend. On the first cruise which began on March 29th, our internet allowance was 2 hours each. Beginning with the April 15th cruise, our internet was complimentary for the duration of the cruise. We were able to use 2 devices since each of us receives the complimentary benefit.

 

Diamond Plus Members were given 2 hours each and Diamond Members were given 24 hours each. Minutes could not be spread out over the cruise.

 

We were told that this new program is being rolled out slowly to each ship.

Welcome back Patti.:) My in-laws just got on Legend for the trip to San Diego.

[Clarea]

I think it took me less that 2 minutes on Indy to get the credit applied at Guest Services. Fortunately for me, I am awake at times when most people on the ship are asleep.:)

I always thought they were checking with Miami to get Goldstein's personal approval for my credit.:rolleyes:

[cruisenfever]

Welcome back Patti.:) My in-laws just got on Legend for the trip to San Diego.

Thanks Bob, glad to be back.

 

I do hope their embarkation was better in FLL than it was in San Diego after the sanitizing.

Edited April 30, 2015 by cruisenfever

[heatherb1958]

We just returned from 3 cruises on 3 different ships B2B2B.

 

On joining Indie on 28th March I could not believe I was reading on the Welcome aboard C&A perks letter free Internet for the whole cruise and had to check it with Guest services before setting up an account. It was explained to me it was a new internet programme and the lovely young lady printed off the new breakdown of the perks.

Brilliant, free internet for 8 nights.

 

We leave Indie and join Brilliance the next day. Low and behold the C&A letter stated 2hours to be used through out the cruise. What? I took my print out to Guest services. They had no idea about the new programme and graciously gave us free Internet for the 5 nights.

 

We left Brilliance and joined Vision the same day for the TA, letter stated 2 hours for the duration of the cruise for 15 nights. On speaking with Maurice , the LA on Vision , he told me the new rates were being trialled on select ships .He did not say it was a roll out programme.

 

I have scanned the print out.

Going off the conversation so far it seems the old programme is preferred. As I do not do FB , twitter etc, etc I do prefer my minutes over the whole cruise .

 

sorry cannot make image bigger

Edited April 30, 2015 by heatherb1958

[cruisenfever]

We just returned from 3 cruises on 3 different ships B2B2B.

 

On joining Indie on 28th March I could not believe I was reading on the Welcome aboard C&A perks letter free Internet for the whole cruise and had to check it with Guest services before setting up an account. It was explained to me it was a new internet programme and the lovely young lady printed off the new breakdown of the perks.

Brilliant, free internet for 8 nights.

 

We leave Indie and join Brilliance the next day. Low and behold the C&A letter stated 2hours to be used through out the cruise. What? I took my print out to Guest services. They had no idea about the new programme and graciously gave us free Internet for the 5 nights.

 

We left Brilliance and joined Vision the same day for the TA, letter stated 2 hours for the duration of the cruise for 15 nights. On speaking with Maurice , the LA on Vision , he told me the new rates were being trialled on select ships .He did not say it was a roll out programme.

 

I have scanned the print out.

Going off the conversation so far it seems the old programme is preferred. As I do not do FB , twitter etc, etc I do prefer my minutes over the whole cruise .

Maurice gave you correct information. It was first introduced on Oasis, Allure and Quantum the beginning of April and then was being introduced gradually to other ships. It was not rolled out to all ships at the same time.

Edited April 30, 2015 by cruisenfever

[heatherb1958]

Is this better? Tough if it isn't:)

[Nanannjen]

If I wanted to write a letter to someone at RCCL expressing my displeasure with the new policies, who would be the best person to address it to? Any recommendations?

[TOM CRUIZES]

On Freedom at the moment first Cruise after refurbishment, some initial hiccups but coming together nicely, Internet for D+ is a one off period of 24hrs continuous access, tried to combine my wife and myself for one package but no can do, old system of 60 mins throughout the cruise worked better for us.

[Ourusualbeach]

On Freedom at the moment first Cruise after refurbishment, some initial hiccups but coming together nicely, Internet for D+ is a one off period of 24hrs continuous access, tried to combine my wife and myself for one package but no can do, old system of 60 mins throughout the cruise worked better for us.

 

Don't you mean Explorer and not Freedom?

[critterchick]

Since it is a complimentary benefit, you either use it or lose it.

 

Welcome home.

 

I think that the poster meant that there was no option to apply the amount to a package, not that she wanted money back for unused time. In February, we bought an unlimited package and were able to apply our $59.95 credit toward it. Hoping we won't have to deal with that again.:)

[The Sunset Glow]

Most Caribbean ports charge around .99cents a.m. or so to use your cell phone. If one had 4 ports and made a 3 minute call at each port, 4 calls, you have only spent 12$. If you made the same 4 calls with your cell phone on ship, the price would still be only around 30$. Pretty cheap compared to internet. Texting would be much cheaper.

 

Unfortunately, not everyone is from the US where you can get cheap phone/text plans while cruising the Caribbean.:rolleyes:

Edited April 30, 2015 by The Sunset Glow

[ChipLondon]

And as you would expect, I will write one thanking them for the new benefit.

 

Although what is not really being considered here, is that the price of the new Internet has tumbled, to a much fairer price for all that want to use it :D

 

 

If I wanted to write a letter to someone at RCCL expressing my displeasure with the new policies, who would be the best person to address it to? Any recommendations?

[setsail]

Unfortunately, not everyone is from the US where you can get cheap phone/text plans while cruising the Caribbean.:rolleyes:

 

Who said everyone could:rolleyes: Its an alternative to the high cost of the ships internet

 

This looks a lot cheaper than ships internet

http://www.vodafone.co.uk/cs/groups/public/documents/webcontent/vftst054442.pdf

Edited April 30, 2015 by setsail