SHOCKING! Another price jump

[Warm Breezes]

People that have an issue with the 18 percent on the UBP, should take the internet minutes as their perk - thus, two issues solved in one fast swoop.

 

That's what we did along with SDP.

[Demonyte]

Could they charge less, sure, but with so many people NEEDING to be connected at all times why not take advantage of a captive audience. They are in business to make money.

 

RCI's latest internet services on newest ships are:

 

a) a LOT faster than NCL's (except for Breakaway)

 

and

 

b) a LOT cheaper to use.

 

I doubt that one could say that they are not "in business to make money", they actually are expanding VOOM services to older ships too and that must mean that they are making more money than before investments to new, faster satellite hardware and connection.

[Warm Breezes]

I think that's a little silly. The prices for the cruise itself is the same no matter which perk you chose. The 18% gratuity is (I think) $99 per person for a 7-night cruise? So, essentially, you are drinking for a week on a cruise for $99, whether it's soda, juices, or alcohol. Even if you have one soda during the day, and one glass of wine with dinner each night, it has paid for itself ... no?

 

The total beverage bill for DH & myself on our last 7 day cruise was $60 total for the 2 of us. It does not pay for us to get it.

[barnacle_boy]

I don't know how much internet is on other lines to compare to this.

 

Cheaper. Much cheaper. And for Royal Caribbean, it's much faster too. NCL provides the slowest connection at the highest cost amongst the major mass-market cruise lines.

 

RCI offers $15/day for Voom (free on some ships in the future). Carnival offers an extremely innovative and flexible pricing structure: $5/day for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. $16/day for everything but heavy bandwidth applications (VoIP, streaming, etc.). $25/day for unrestricted access.

 

So paying $30/day for headache-inducing slowness on NCL is hard to justify when you can get broadband-like (I've streamed Netflix on Voom) speeds for half the price on their competition. NCL is so far behind the curve in this regard.

[Sissaaaaaa]

Well they are giving 250 minutes as I free perk and I took it.....but now it ofcourse....

 

They will do everything in their power to reduce connectivity speed

 

 

Otoh pax seem to gravitate to the free ubp and sdp and ignore the free wifi...

 

That's a good thing in my book

 

I was on the Escape March 5th. I knew I was going to buy a future cruise credit, so I wanted to look at NCL's site to see if I could pick a cruise to book. It was free, and after 20 minutes I gave up. Came back later, same issue. Next day, same issue. The internet on NCL has never been stellar, for whatever reason that is.

[NLH Arizona]

Cheaper. Much cheaper. And for Royal Caribbean, it's much faster too. NCL provides the slowest connection at the highest cost amongst the major mass-market cruise lines.

 

RCI offers $15/day for Voom (free on some ships in the future). Carnival offers an extremely innovative and flexible pricing structure: $5/day for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. $16/day for everything but heavy bandwidth applications (VoIP, streaming, etc.). $25/day for unrestricted access.

 

So paying $30/day for headache-inducing slowness on NCL is hard to justify when you can get broadband-like (I've streamed Netflix on Voom) speeds for half the price on their competition. NCL is so far behind the curve in this regard.

That is what is so great about competition....if you don't like what one company offers, there are others to choose from.

[SPB in da RVA]

Did you adjust for inflation? Gas prices were higher in the 60's than now. Yes, that's how bad we're getting screwed.

 

Still playing the same stupid game. Prices change over time for everything.

[SPB in da RVA]

Subsidize what? LOL It's a satellite. NCL is not paying per person connecting.

 

I never said that they were. The cost of anything that is included 'free' is added to the cost of every passengers cruise. It is basic economics.

[sfaaa]

NCL shareholders will be pleased. Thank you DR. Good job.

[Casino Comp Chick]

Probably not. Just someone who knows you well.

 

Uh huh, I believe you

 

 

Join Date

March 7th, 2016

Total Posts

152

 

:rolleyes:

Edited March 24, 2016 by iimmie

[SeaShark]

$29.99 per day for unlimited Internet comes to about $900 per month. I won't speak for anyone else, but my monthly rate for unlimited Internet is SIGNIFICANTLY less than that!

 

People on these forums are typically outspoken over the mark up the cruise lines place on drinks. People on these forums are typically outspoken over the mark up the cruise line places on excursions. People on these forums are typically outspoken over the mark up the cruise line places on photos. However...Internet at the rate of $900 per month and nobody blinks an eye.

 

Wonder what drinks or excursions would cost if they were marked up like Internet access is? :eek:

 

 

OTOH....I can't help but notice just how many people there are with jobs that they simply can not disconnect from who decide to cruise for vacation.

 

It sometimes seems like the number is equal to the number of people whose change in Latitude status just so happens to hit right in the middle of a back-to-back cruise. :rolleyes:

[SuiteCruiser]

I am one of those who can't disconnect and yes, I too am an accountant. I have my own firm and if an issue arises with a client, I need to be able to hop online and solve it. Most things can be handled by my staff, but when you're dealing in confidentiality and finance,you can't just leave a book of pass codes lying around.

 

I pay the insane $30 a day and I am incredibly frustrated at the poor excuse for Internet service that is offered, but my only choices are leave NCL or not cruise at all.

[NLH Arizona]

$29.99 per day for unlimited Internet comes to about $900 per month. I won't speak for anyone else, but my monthly rate for unlimited Internet is SIGNIFICANTLY less than that!

 

People on these forums are typically outspoken over the mark up the cruise lines place on drinks. People on these forums are typically outspoken over the mark up the cruise line places on excursions. People on these forums are typically outspoken over the mark up the cruise line places on photos. However...Internet at the rate of $900 per month and nobody blinks an eye.

 

Wonder what drinks or excursions would cost if they were marked up like Internet access is? :eek:

 

 

OTOH....I can't help but notice just how many people there are with jobs that they simply can not disconnect from who decide to cruise for vacation.

 

It sometimes seems like the number is equal to the number of people whose change in Latitude status just so happens to hit right in the middle of a back-to-back cruise. :rolleyes:

Wondering, do you or anyone else know what the monthly rate is for a cruise line and how much the pay the onboard support staff to sit in the internet room to help passengers?

[newmexicoNita]

I am one of those who can't disconnect and yes, I too am an accountant. I have my own firm and if an issue arises with a client, I need to be able to hop online and solve it. Most things can be handled by my staff, but when you're dealing in confidentiality and finance,you can't just leave a book of pass codes lying around.

 

I pay the insane $30 a day and I am incredibly frustrated at the poor excuse for Internet service that is offered, but my only choices are leave NCL or not cruise at all.

 

certainly can not speak for all cruise lines but I do know NCLs internet service is far superior to Princess. Of course that isn't saying much.

[SeaShark]

Wondering, do you or anyone else know what the monthly rate is for a cruise line and how much the pay the onboard support staff to sit in the internet room to help passengers?

 

Well, we all know that the de facto Cruise Critic opinion is that the onboard support staff, like any other crew member, are only paid a pittance...so there is no significant cost factor there. :rolleyes:

 

As to the actual Internet itself, the Cruise Line pays for access because it is required for ship operations. A portion of that bandwidth is allocated to guest use and the funds collected are used to offset the cost for the line. However, a $900 per month rate comes to $1.8 million for a 2000 passenger ship and $3.6 million for a 4000 passenger ship. Hard to imagine that the cost of the Internet connection is anywhere near those numbers.

 

 

Of course, this is based on $29.99 per day for unlimited Internet. When guests were gouged $0.75 a minute for access...well, $0.75 x 60 min in an hour x 24 hours in a day x 30 days in a month comes to a paltry $32,400 per month...per guest for unlimited access. :eek:

 

Gotta be glad to not have to pay THOSE rates!

 

 

A great question though, but you can bet the folks here opining about the cost of drinks and/or excursions don't have any detailed information on the actual cost of those items either...not that it would stop them anyway. ;)

[CasinoCruzGirl]

Wondering, do you or anyone else know what the monthly rate is for a cruise line and how much the pay the onboard support staff to sit in the internet room to help passengers?

 

You do realize someone sits at the Internet desk about 2 hours total a day. I can't tell you how many times I went down to talk to someone and no one was ever available. You make it sound like someone sits at the desk 9-5 that is NOT the case by any means

Edited March 24, 2016 by CasinoCruzGirl

[SeaShark]

I am one of those who can't disconnect and yes, I too am an accountant. I have my own firm and if an issue arises with a client, I need to be able to hop online and solve it. Most things can be handled by my staff, but when you're dealing in confidentiality and finance,you can't just leave a book of pass codes lying around.

 

I pay the insane $30 a day and I am incredibly frustrated at the poor excuse for Internet service that is offered, but my only choices are leave NCL or not cruise at all.

 

Are those really your ONLY choices? Wouldn't another choice be to empower someone at the company to handle things in your absence?

 

"Sorry, we can't help you right now because the boss is on a zip-line excursion in Cozumel" isn't going to help anyone.

 

Hopefully nothing bad ever happens to you...if you can't go on a simple vacation without being connected, if something did happen to you, what would happen to your company...or more importantly your clients?

 

People were able to cruise long before the Internet existed. Don't see how they all managed without Internet and all of a sudden we simply can not.

[newmexicoNita]

Cheaper. Much cheaper. And for Royal Caribbean, it's much faster too. NCL provides the slowest connection at the highest cost amongst the major mass-market cruise lines.

 

RCI offers $15/day for Voom (free on some ships in the future). Carnival offers an extremely innovative and flexible pricing structure: $5/day for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. $16/day for everything but heavy bandwidth applications (VoIP, streaming, etc.). $25/day for unrestricted access.

 

So paying $30/day for headache-inducing slowness on NCL is hard to justify when you can get broadband-like (I've streamed Netflix on Voom) speeds for half the price on their competition. NCL is so far behind the curve in this regard.

 

How about Princess? We have been on Princess but had free service for being VIP. Even free it was too expensive. lol

[SeaShark]

You do realize someone sits at the Internet desk about 2 hours total a day. I can't tell you how many times I went down to talk to someone and no one was ever available. You make it sound like someone sits at the desk 9-5 that is NOT the case by any means

 

Good Point! If they only work 2 hours a day, that would minimize the cost even further.

 

 

Of course, that only works if they are not getting paid or otherwise incurring a cost to the cruise line for the other 22 hours a day when they aren't working but are still onboard. It isn't like they just have one of the Room Stewards act as the Internet Cafe Manager during their free time...

[NLH Arizona]

 

People were able to cruise long before the Internet existed. Don't see how they all managed without Internet and all of a sudden we simply can not.

Actually, this is exactly why I started cruising. I had a high stress job selling to my company's #1 customer and was responsible for $100 million a year in sales and they always seemed to find me on vacation, that is until I found cruising. When I was working, I would sometimes do 3 or 4 cruises a year, just to be able to rest and relax and not think about work.

[CasinoCruzGirl]

Are those really your ONLY choices? Wouldn't another choice be to empower someone at the company to handle things in your absence?

 

"Sorry, we can't help you right now because the boss is on a zip-line excursion in Cozumel" isn't going to help anyone.

 

Hopefully nothing bad ever happens to you...if you can't go on a simple vacation without being connected, if something did happen to you, what would happen to your company...or more importantly your clients?

 

People were able to cruise long before the Internet existed. Don't see how they all managed without Internet and all of a sudden we simply can not.

 

 

My husband owns his own business and he thinks the world will end if he can't answer his phone. I dragged him on a cruise last year saying he must have a vacation. Of course he plugged in his laptop as soon as we got to our cabin and kept his phone on (yeah we got the Verizon international plan). Some people just feel very obligated to speak to their clients and are very dedicated. He has since told me he rather stick pins in his eyes than cruise again lol so for me its always girls cruises. Works out well he pays I play lol

 

Makes us both happy ❤️❤️❤️

[CasinoCruzGirl]

Good Point! If they only work 2 hours a day, that would minimize the cost even further.

 

 

Of course, that only works if they are not getting paid or otherwise incurring a cost to the cruise line for the other 22 hours a day when they aren't working but are still onboard. It isn't like they just have one of the Room Stewards act as the Internet Cafe Manager during their free time...

 

Well I have no idea what they are doing the other 22 hours a day but clearly not sitting at the Internet cafe helping people.

[newmexicoNita]

Ok. I will bite. Took my niece on 18th birthday and HS grad cruise 1 week on Jewel. All her teachers were fine with it. She kept in touch and did studies online. With great scenery.

 

That one makes sense but how many people would this apply to on any cruise? And I really don't think any cruise line should keep prices on something like the internet because a handful of passengers need or want to use it. This is just my humble opinion

[newmexicoNita]

That's your choice. I can't see why anyone should have to explain why they need something.

 

The fact remains 95% of the people cruising to not need internet services. For years it wasn't available and we did just fine. The cruise lines offer it as more out of a courtesy, thus anyone who uses it should be willing to pay for it. It is an option for heavens sake. No one is suggesting you need to explain why you need something and I don't think I said or even indicated that.

[StolidCruiser]

Just because people seem to not read posts throughly here, for my own amusement I'll repeat myself:

 

This SHOCKING price jump happened already almost six months ago.

 

 

I think this bears repeating... and repeating... and repeating...

 

Is there such as thing as AutoPost?