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

[knittinggirl]

We waited until the end of our cruise, day 4, and our Diamond+ bonus took care of the last 4 days. That's when we'd want to use our internet anyway to get boarding passes.

 

Next time, we may use DH's early in the cruise and save ours for later. To get that $15 rate, you need to get it for the whole cruise. Rate fluctuates as high as $40 a day, and I'm not sure how it works.

 

With the slow speeds, it makes more sense to have an entire day. Other times, I could burn through my 30 minutes waiting for my email to work. Also, bring your tablet on your shore excursions with you. I had at least one Royal excursion that offered wifi, and I also downloaded email in the dock.

Edited February 10, 2016 by knittinggirl

[eel]

How come the internet at the Next Cruise Office is never as slow as the once we pay extra for?

 

Royal purchases a certain amount of satellite bandwidth for the ship. Then they divide it into a network for operations and another network for guests. I am sure you can figure out which one gets the lions share of the bandwidth....

[Ander026]

You're on a 4-day cruise, correct?

 

Yes I am currently on the Enchantment for the 4 night cruise.

 

[steveru621]

We waited until the end of our cruise, day 4, and our Diamond+ bonus took care of the last 4 days. That's when we'd want to use our internet anyway to get boarding passes.

 

Next time, we may use DH's early in the cruise and save ours for later. To get that $15 rate, you need to get it for the whole cruise. Rate fluctuates as high as $40 a day, and I'm not sure how it works.

 

With the slow speeds, it makes more sense to have an entire day. Other times, I could burn through my 30 minutes waiting for my email to work. Also, bring your tablet on your shore excursions with you. I had at least one Royal excursion that offered wifi, and I also downloaded email in the dock.

 

That's how we did it. Used my D+ 2 x 24hr credits from noon to noon day 2 & 3. Then used DW's credits for the last four days for unlimited. Worked for us.

[awhcruiser]

Paragraphs are your friend...

Just found out from our daughter who's presently on Liberty that RCCL has changed their internet policy for crown and anchor members. Diamond members use to get 30 free minutes to use how they pleased throughout the cruise....well now it's gone!!!!!!!!!! Instead someone came up with this crazy plan to give a one time 24 hours of unlimited internet. Don't know about others but I don't plan on sitting at the computer while on a cruise for most of my one day of free internet nor do I plan to use it during the midnight hours. We used the 30 minutes during our cruises just to keep in touch with family members back home and that amount of time was sufficient and we got to use it during the whole cruise so it was enough to check in especially with an elderly parent. Now the new plan is if I understood it correctly $15.00 per day for unlimited internet and there is no per minute plans nor any plans except for unlimited so for those of us who need to keep in touch with family members or wish to use the computer for a short period of time we are now going to have to add $15.00 per day even if you use it for just a few minutes per day.:( I believe if you don't want the free 24 hours Diamond members can get a credit of $29.99 but remember there is no per minute charge anymore and no packages just unlimited per day at a cost of $15.00. So if you do the math and take the credit it still will cost you close to $120 for a ten day cruise no matter if you use it for a short period of time. Don't know how others feel but we feel like RCCL is nickle and diming us once again. They know people need to keep in touch with family or require the internet for short periods and they also know most people aren't going to sit at the computer for hours on end while cruising but yet they offer this ridiculous plan and take away another perk to loyal customers. Hopefully they'll come to their senses on this like they did when Dynamic Dining upset a lot of customers and they'll end up offering an alternative or reinstate the 30 free anytime minutes. I have NO intention of spending $120.00 (150.00 minus discount) for a ten day cruise or more on longer cruises in order to be able to use the internet for less than 5 minutes per day. Unlimited internet is great for those that spend a long amount of time on the computer and can be an option but it's unfair of RCCL to take away our perk of 30 minutes free throughout the cruise and make purchasing unlimited internet mandatory because you need the internet for a few minutes. This is also true for Diamond Plus and Pinnacle but not sure of their discount amount. I called RCCL today and there representatives didn't even know about this new change. I had to get transferred to another dept. where they confirmed this. Was planning on booking one of their ships for our Europe cruise again but may switch to another line where they honor their loyal passengers and still give them the choice when to use their free minutes. Just thought others should know about this new policy.

[Virtopia]

My next cruise will be my first as Diamond and I just want to confirm that I get 1 24 hour period of internet AND a discounted rate if I buy a package? Or is it one or the other? I'm deciding if I want to do a review during the cruise.

[Daghis]

It's a one-time use coupon (free 24 hour period or discount off the cruise-long package).

Edited February 11, 2016 by Daghis

[csnarpy]

Question about the Internet: is the high speed internet limited to Oasis and Quantum classes? Are they on the Freedom class or any other?

[Merion_Mom]

Question about the Internet: is the high speed internet limited to Oasis and Quantum classes? Are they on the Freedom class or any other?

 

Not yet. RC has not published a schedule for adding VOOM to the rest of the fleet.

[xxHadleyxx]

Personally I really liked having the 24 hours on our last cruise. The 30 minutes was never enough time for me to bother with it (easier just to bop onto email from our phones in port and pay some roaming if we were just keeping in such brief touch).

 

We sail as a couple and are both diamond so that gave us a chance to get two 24 hour periods over the course of our week long cruise--plenty really and it was nice to be able to take more time to just chat with my daughter one day and to help a fellow cruiser deal with an airline strike which was going to affect her trip home on another.

 

I guess this falls into the you can't please everyone category--some people preferred the old way and some of us are happier with the new. (though I admit to actually sort of missing the days when the only way to contact someone on a cruise was an expensive ship to shore call--meaning no one did except in true emergencies)

[robtulipe]

Do you recall how late in the cruise you able to buy internet at the $15 per day rate?

Our friends, who are D, were able to get the last 2 days at no cost on Allure and non-voom Freedom with one of their D discounts and we, as D+, the last 4 days on all of our cruise since this change happened with one of our D+ credits. The other internet credits were used for 24 hours consecutive periods.

On Anthem last month same friends and us shared our internet so were able to have internet for no cost for most of our 12 days onboard by starting it on day 2, had internet embarkation morning at our pre-cruise hotel, and skipping a few days in between the 24 hours periods thus were able to check for emails every day onboard except for embarkation day one. ;)

 

PS- Same friends are on with us on our Brilliance TA in October thus we plan to do the latter above together again. :D.

Edited February 11, 2016 by robtulipe

[Clarea]

My next cruise will be my first as Diamond and I just want to confirm that I get 1 24 hour period of internet AND a discounted rate if I buy a package? Or is it one or the other? I'm deciding if I want to do a review during the cruise.

One or the other.

[Clarea]

Our friends, who are D, were able to get the last 2 days at no cost on Allure and non-voom Freedom with one of their D discounts and we, as D+, the last 4 days on all of our cruise since this change happened with one of our D+ credits. The other internet credits were used for 24 hours consecutive periods.

On Anthem last month same friends and us shared our internet so were able to have internet for no cost for most of our 12 days onboard by starting it on day 2, had internet embarkation morning at our pre-cruise hotel, and skipping a few days in between the 24 hours periods thus were able to check for emails every day onboard except for embarkation day one. ;)

 

PS- Same friends are on with us on our Brilliance TA in October thus we plan to do the latter above together again. :D.

Thanks for the info Bob. Looking forward to the TA.:)

[nelblu]

Do you recall how late in the cruise you able to buy internet at the $15 per day rate?

 

I chose the last 5 days. ( (15x5=75)-60)=$15. Don't know if it could have been applicable the last 4 days. I did not want to get greedy and $15 is a bargain.

[Clarea]

I chose the last 5 days. ( (15x5=75)-60)=$15. Don't know if it could have been applicable the last 4 days. I did not want to get greedy and $15 is a bargain.

Thanks for the update. I'm trying to get an idea of how late they extend the best prices.

[roquejo]

I initially taught that there is another change of internet policy for 2016.

 

Bumping an old thread when the news is no longer new can be misleading as a new/recent change.

 

It's been this way since May 2015 and many of us are already used to this policy.

 

I actually prefer this way as to check emails consumes little bandwidth, and you can simply do it in port with your smartphone.

 

With the internet on most ships without VOOM being very slow, you basically cannot do anything with the small free minutes except for checking emails.

 

But with continuous 1 or 2 free 24 hour blocks, you can basically blog all day, upload pictures, check emails, download news on any given sea days you choose. And do the rest of your connection needs during port.

Edited February 11, 2016 by roquejo

[Clarea]

... I actually prefer this way as to check emails consumes little bandwidth, and you can simply do it in port with your smartphone.....

I prefer it too. I don't get as frustrated as before. When the speed is very slow, I can set the laptop to sync email and go do something else, without being concerned with how many minutes are being used.

[cruislovin]

That's how we did it. Used my D+ 2 x 24hr credits from noon to noon day 2 & 3. Then used DW's credits for the last four days for unlimited. Worked for us.

 

How much is it per day? Per week? If your D+ credit covered day 2 and 3, how did DW'S cover days 4, 5 ,6 , and 7? Foes the price change throughout a 7 night cruise?

[Clarea]

How much is it per day? Per week? If your D+ credit covered day 2 and 3, how did DW'S cover days 4, 5 ,6 , and 7? Foes the price change throughout a 7 night cruise?

The D+ credit is either two 24-hour periods of free internet, or $60/$80 (depending on ship) off a package.

[cruislovin]

Thanks, clarea! Does anybody know the pricing on Freedom?

[Clarea]

Thanks, clarea! Does anybody know the pricing on Freedom?

Freedom internet is $20 per day for one device and $30 per day for two devices.

[Zengl]

Is it possible to combine 2 Diamond vouchers in one account (2x29,95=59,90) and spend it on 1 device week pass?

[Clarea]

Is it possible to combine 2 Diamond vouchers in one account (2x29,95=59,90) and spend it on 1 device week pass?

Nope.

[robtulipe]

Is it possible to combine 2 Diamond vouchers in one account (2x29,95=59,90) and spend it on 1 device week pass?

 

That would be really nice especially for the 14 night TA we're doing this Fall and the fact DW and I are D+ but as Bob already mentioned no that can't be done. Each must log on separately and set up their own internet account to use their C&A internet. :(

[Clarea]

That would be really nice especially for the 14 night TA we're doing this Fall and the fact DW and I are D+ but as Bob already mentioned no that can't be done. Each must log on separately and set up their own internet account to use their C&A internet. :(

One of the things I miss from the paper C&A coupons. But, I still don't want to go back to buying minutes.