What are the internet packages that can be purchased?

[fairy100]

Are there different packages that can be purchased and are they per device? Thank you.

[moki'smommy]

It depends on the ship. Most of the ships are still on "by the minute" packages. If purchased in advance, you get "bonus" minutes based on the size of the plan you got. You can see all the available choices on the Princess web site. This can be used on multiple devices, but one at a time.

 

A few of the ships have become equipped for an "unlimited" internet package with the cost based on the length of your cruise. Again, you'll be able to go into your cruise personalizer and see which is available for your cruise. Dito, one device at a time.

[skynight]

Are there different packages that can be purchased and are they per device? Thank you.

On most ships internet minutes can be purchased as follows:

120 mins. @ $69

240 mins. @ $99

460 mins. @ $159

680 mins. @ $199

There are usually some bonus mins. when pre-purchased in the cruise personlizer.

 

Some ships, I think maybe two or three, have a different system where you purchase unlimited internet at a daily price. This system has three different levels which allows access to more of the internet. The internet costs for your cruise will be shown in your cruise personlizer under the heading onboard reservations.

 

To answer your second question you can use as many devices as you like, but only one device can be logged on at a time. Internet time is purchased by the individual. That individual identifies him/herself and sets a user ID and password on the first log in. If you want to share you have to provide the ID & password. Don't forget to log out. You are charged for all time connected.

 

I found this regarding the Grand and I think it is also available on the Regal

 

Grand Princess Internet Packages.jpg

[dad2my3]

Here are the available options for my upcoming Alaska cruise on the Grand next month:

 

PrincessCONNECT — Premium Package

$139.99

From e-mail to streaming, enjoy truly premium, unlimited access!

PrincessCONNECT — Surf Package

$99.99

Surf your favorite sites from e-mail, news, sports and more, enjoying unlimited access.*

*May not allow for audio/video calling and streaming.

PrincessCONNECT — Social Package

$69.99

Unlimited access to the most popular social websites and applications.*

 

*May not allow for audio/video calling and streaming.

[fairy100]

Oh dear just checked and we can only buy set amounts of minutes on the Sapphire Princess. Husband will need pretty much constant internet access for work emails/calls - going to cost an absolute fortune!

[IECalCruiser]

Oh dear just checked and we can only buy set amounts of minutes on the Sapphire Princess. Husband will need pretty much constant internet access for work emails/calls - going to cost an absolute fortune!

Thats not much of a vacation. I will assume that you are sailing the Sapphire in Europe. I know some US cellphone carriers offer cruise ship packages using the ship’s cell tower and/or $10/day passes using your home plan when ashore and these options may be less expensive.

 

 

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[shirazcruiser]

Just got off the Star today and we had the worst internet ever! It took at least 5 minutes to download daily email and approx 4-5 minutes to send 1 photo via text. The paperwork indicated that wi-fi calling wasn’t available. It is nothing like the speed on RCCL and Celebrity.

[fairy100]

Thats not much of a vacation. I will assume that you are sailing the Sapphire in Europe. I know some US cellphone carriers offer cruise ship packages using the ship’s cell tower and/or $10/day passes using your home plan when ashore and these options may be less expensive.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Thank you. Yes you are correct in Europe. I will look into UK cellphone carrier equivalents of the packages you refer too but have never seen any of these.

[caribill]

Oh dear just checked and we can only buy set amounts of minutes on the Sapphire Princess. Husband will need pretty much constant internet access for work emails/calls - going to cost an absolute fortune!

 

Assuming you are using an e-mail; program such as Outlook, you can sign on, download the new e-mails and then sign off. You then can prepare any responses or new e-mails while not connected to the Internet. Then sign on, send out the outgoing e-mails and sign off again until the next time you need to see e-mails.

[antsp]

Thank you. Yes you are correct in Europe. I will look into UK cellphone carrier equivalents of the packages you refer too but have never seen any of these.

Buy a UK pay as u go sim, if you have a unlocked modern phone you will be far better of. If you imagine the worst possible internet you can then that’s princess by the minute internet, it’s almost a waste of time.

A 6gb SIM card will probably cost about $20. And will work in eu countries with no roaming charges or data.

[fairy100]

Buy a UK pay as u go sim, if you have a unlocked modern phone you will be far better of. If you imagine the worst possible internet you can then that’s princess by the minute internet, it’s almost a waste of time.

A 6gb SIM card will probably cost about $20. And will work in eu countries with no roaming charges or data.

 

Hi and thanks for this. I am UK based too and in the UK (and therefore Europe) have unlimited data and minutes. But how does this work on ship? Is there any free wifi anywhere and if I connect to this will be able to check messages and face time? or does my free data work without connecting to ship wifi (sometimes)? I am trying to work out how my unlimited free minutes and date actually helps me, if at all, in this scenario. Thanks.

[skynight]

Hi and thanks for this. I am UK based too and in the UK (and therefore Europe) have unlimited data and minutes. But how does this work on ship? Is there any free wifi anywhere and if I connect to this will be able to check messages and face time? or does my free data work without connecting to ship wifi (sometimes)? I am trying to work out how my unlimited free minutes and date actually helps me, if at all, in this scenario. Thanks.

 

Internet - Many places on shore have free wi-fi. Ask the crew, but be careful some are not secure.

 

Your unlimited data and minutes are for cell service, correct? This does not help you when you are on board at sea. At sea you will be charged per minute for cell service plus, if any, for service from your carrier and roaming. The ship's cell charge is very high. Keep your phone in airplane mode and use wi-fi calling, texting, etc. When you are in port you can connect to the shore side cell towers, thus your unlimited plan will work then.

[Haboob]

⋮

I found this regarding the Grand and I think it is also available on the Regal

⋮

 

The thread on Regal's "MedallionNet" is full of sturm und drang because when she sailed

to the Baltic, she sailed out of range of any satellites that could provide the bandwidth to

deliver the promised of level service!?!

[donaldsc]

Are there different packages that can be purchased and are they per device? Thank you.

 

Try typing "princess cruise internet package" into Google.

 

DON

[fairy100]

Try typing "princess cruise internet package" into Google.

 

DON

 

Thanks did this - absolutely extortionate compared to other cruise lines we have been with - wish we had been told this by TA before booking.

[voljeep]

EXACTLY why you should have researched it yourself and not depended on a TA..:evilsmile:

 

it's amazing how many people post that they have booked a cruise on Princess and then ask the most basic of questions...

 

DO YOU OWN HOMEWORK...

[fairy100]

EXACTLY why you should have researched it yourself and not depended on a TA..:evilsmile:

 

it's amazing how many people post that they have booked a cruise on Princess and then ask the most basic of questions...

 

DO YOU OWN HOMEWORK...

 

I was unable to obtain details of cost of internet packages available for this cruise before we booked the cruise - the information for specific cruises is not available on Princess website search and customer services were unable to confirm either - only able to check once we had booked and we had reference number to plug in - rather disingenuous behaviour actually. Thanks for your concern anyway ... :confused:

[voljeep]

you made 3 mistakes -

 

 

you were trying to find an internet package on a "specific' cruise - not just a specific ship

 

you called princess customer service

 

you relied on a TA

 

 

note the first word in the above postings

 

 

sorry

[Haboob]

Buy a UK pay as u go sim, if you have a unlocked modern phone you will be far better of. If you imagine the worst possible internet you can then that’s princess by the minute internet, it’s almost a waste of time.

A 6gb SIM card will probably cost about $20. And will work in eu countries with no roaming charges or data.

 

Yep. ...but only when you're feet-dry. Aboard and underway? Non-starter.

[Haboob]

Thanks did this - absolutely extortionate compared to other cruise lines we have been with - wish we had been told this by TA before booking.

 

::blinks::

 

"Absolutely extortionate"? Compared to Carnival's $4/day or its $25/day? (Same ship,

same voyage, different bandwidths).

 

There is a satellite constellation called "O3b". These satellites are in medium Earth orbit,

so they move across the sky rather than stay in one, fixed spot in the sky, They have

a dozen steerable dishes that can track a ship as they fly over it, giving connections

with wondrous bandwidth. Regal Princess set a record with 1500 simultaneous video

streams last February using the O3b's.

 

If your ship has antennae capable of tracking a satellite moving that fast, and one of the

limited number of connection contracts via them (12 dishes to a satellite, remember?)

you'll find internet metered by bandwidth ("email-only" ... up to ... "streaming HD video").

 

Otherwise, you'll pay around $50/hr, with a fat chance of uploading photos, much less

streaming any video.

 

PS: Methinks you may want a better-informed TA -- that's what they're supposed to be

getting their commissions for.

 

PPS: Princess' call center is a notoriously poor source of information. Just like most

(all?) of the other cruise lines.

[IECalCruiser]

On most ships internet minutes can be purchased as follows:

120 mins. @ $69

240 mins. @ $99

460 mins. @ $159

680 mins. @ $199

There are usually some bonus mins. when pre-purchased in the cruise personlizer.Forums

[fairy100]

::blinks::

 

"Absolutely extortionate"? Compared to Carnival's $4/day or its $25/day? (Same ship,

same voyage, different bandwidths).

 

There is a satellite constellation called "O3b". These satellites are in medium Earth orbit,

so they move across the sky rather than stay in one, fixed spot in the sky, They have

a dozen steerable dishes that can track a ship as they fly over it, giving connections

with wondrous bandwidth. Regal Princess set a record with 1500 simultaneous video

streams last February using the O3b's.

 

If your ship has antennae capable of tracking a satellite moving that fast, and one of the

limited number of connection contracts via them (12 dishes to a satellite, remember?)

you'll find internet metered by bandwidth ("email-only" ... up to ... "streaming HD video").

 

Otherwise, you'll pay around $50/hr, with a fat chance of uploading photos, much less

streaming any video.

 

PS: Methinks you may want a better-informed TA -- that's what they're supposed to be

getting their commissions for.

 

Sadly yes and will be speaking to them today but bear in mind we also spoke to princesss themselves who could not tell us about packages on ship.

 

PPS: Princess' call center is a notoriously poor source of information. Just like most

(all?) of the other cruise lines.

 

Yes but as a new cruiser this is who I called and who I expected to have the information. I asked several things and they agreed it was poor that the information was not available on the website (not that that gets us anywhere).

[Haboob]

Yes but as a new cruiser this is who I called and who I expected to have the information. I asked several things and they agreed it was poor that the information was not available on the website (not that that gets us anywhere).

 

Background (not that it gets us anywhere, either :halo:). Princess got caught mid-way

through their hoopla over rollout to the O3b satellites: They sailed their one --so far--

ship equipped for them out of range (too far north). D'oh!

 

They've got their pants well-tangled around their ankles, with Santa Clarita trying to

somehow paint that little blunder as a ...feature, not a bug.

 

 

I suppose the rest of us are more sanguine about the situation because it's only been

in the last 6 months that the latest flight of O3b's came online and the constellation

became practical for cruise-ship use. We're still used to paying dearly for dialup speed.

[caribill]

Thanks did this - absolutely extortionate compared to other cruise lines we have been with - wish we had been told this by TA before booking.

 

I recently had to pay about $25/day for unlimited Internet on another cruise line. I considered that to be extortion.

[Haboob]

I recently had to pay about $25/day for unlimited Internet on another cruise line. I considered that to be extortion.

 

I've seen $25/day for full HD video streaming, but always with cheaper, narrower bandwidth options available...?