WIFI Package Comparison 2022

[cat.dog]

Hi, Does anyone have the details of the three wifi packages. I see the price list in the forum but nothing about what each package offers. Thanks so much!

[CruiserBruce]

Do you have a cruise booked? If so, there are descriptions of the internet plans available under Cruise Activities/Gifts and Indulgences/Internet. This below is for the Premium Plan:

 

Whether emailing friends or streaming a movie, enjoy truly premium, unlimited access throughout your voyage—at a savings of at least 50% compared to the daily rate—with our Premium Internet Plan. All onboard Internet usage is subject to Holland America Line standard policies, which may limit browsing of some sites due to network security and bandwidth usage. Applications that use high bandwidth may be blocked and offerings are subject to change with or without notice. The plan can be activated on any device but only one device can be actively connected at a time, the rate calculation is based on prorating the voyage package by length.

[kazu]

44 minutes ago, cat.dog said:

Hi, Does anyone have the details of the three wifi packages. I see the price list in the forum but nothing about what each package offers. Thanks so much!

 

There are 3 packages - Social - which lets you get into facebook and a few other social media sites - it is very limited.

 

Surf ; - lets’ you access email, surf the internet use social media sites, etc

 

And premium which lets you do all the things already listed and stream.  It also allows more MB I believe per day (note MB limit does not stop you from using any service but it does slow down IME).

[VMax1700]

Taken from the HAL website.  Ignore the prices, but the descriptors are current (AFAIK).

source: https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/faq.shipboard-life.can-i-use-the-internet-mobile-phones-or-webcams-on-board.html

Available Packages:

1. Social: Per day package, $14.99. (Access the most popular social websites and applications. May not allow for audio/video calling and streaming.)
2. Surf (most popular): $24.99. (Surf your favorite sites including e-mail, news, sports and more. May not allow for audio/video calling and streaming.)
3. Premium: $29.99 (From e-mail to streaming, receive the highest volume of data. Supports audio/video calling and streaming where coverage allows.)

[victory2020]

Can you do wi fi calling on regular package? I also understand you can get internet for $99 for the week.

[IPB4IGO]

1 hour ago, victory2020 said:

Can you do wi fi calling on regular package? I also understand you can get internet for $99 for the week.

Some people have been successful using Wi-Fi calling with the Premium plan and others have not. We were not successful when aboard the Zuiderdam last month.

 

Here are the current prices. There is no "weekly" pricing, but you can see the price for a 7-day cruise here.

Edited February 16, 2022 by IPB4IGO

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, victory2020 said:

Can you do wi fi calling on regular package? I also understand you can get internet for $99 for the week.

Maybe, but I wouldn't bet on it.

[stevoca03]

Does anyone know how much data comes with the premium package? We are on the Rotterdam in a few weeks and wondering what I should expect. Is it good enough to stream netflix? Thanks in advance!

[USN59-79]

One thing to consider is whether or not you really need the ship's internet.  We have sailed enough on HAL to be 5-star and have never bought their package.  I like to check my email every day or two and have always been able to do that for free in the ports; sometimes in the terminal.  Sometimes I might have to buy a coffee at Starbucks or something at McDonalds, but no big deal.

[ilv4cruising]

Question regarding the different packages.  My understanding is the Have it All package includes the WIFI Surf package.

 

1 - is that true?

2 - is that good enough to upload one picture on a blog or another forum?

 

Thanks,

[ciabelle]

On 2/15/2022 at 5:57 PM, CruiserBruce said:

The plan can be activated on any device but only one device can be actively connected at a time

Clarification: Is this per guest or per stateroom? I'm considering getting the package primarily to facilitate communication with my cabin mate given that we'll probably be off doing different things onboard. That'd be pretty much useless though if only one of you can be logged in at a time. 

[Gray Lady]

Has anyone used the premium package while in the Inside Passage to do a proctored self-COVID test?

[CruiserBruce]

31 minutes ago, ciabelle said:

Clarification: Is this per guest or per stateroom? I'm considering getting the package primarily to facilitate communication with my cabin mate given that we'll probably be off doing different things onboard. That'd be pretty much useless though if only one of you can be logged in at a time. 

Per stateroom.

[VMax1700]

14 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Per stateroom.

Per person, but you can share!  It is not per stateroom as that would imply that both occupants can use it simultaneously, which is not true.

 

@ciabelle when onboard, there is a messaging facility on the Navigator app that is free to use.

Edited May 29, 2022 by VMax1700

[ciabelle]

19 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

Per person, but you can share!  It is not per stateroom as that would imply that both occupants can use it simultaneously, which is not true.

 

@ciabelle when onboard, there is a messaging facility on the Navigator app that is free to use.

A bit of confusion on the semantics.  Per person: each guest could use their own device at the same time; Per stateroom: Only one device per cabin could be used at a time. From what you and Bruce said, it appears the latter is the case.  

Happy to hear that messaging is including in the app. Probably won't get the wifi package at all then. Work and the internet at large can live without me for a couple weeks. 

[VMax1700]

33 minutes ago, ciabelle said:

A bit of confusion on the semantics.  Per person: each guest could use their own device at the same time; Per stateroom: Only one device per cabin could be used at a time. From what you and Bruce said, it appears the latter is the case.  

Sematics yes.  If we get OBC 'per stateroom' DW and I can spend it at the same time! but wifi per stateroom and we can't connect at the same time.

[CruiserBruce]

26 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

Sematics yes.  If we get OBC 'per stateroom' DW and I can spend it at the same time! but wifi per stateroom and we can't connect at the same time.

But the fee and wifi login and account is for the cabin.

[Cruise Suzy]

20 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

But the fee and wifi login and account is for the cabin.

 

The wifi account/fee is for one devise at a time. An add-on fee can be paid if you wish more than one devise per account to be active at the same time. Or both occupants of the cabin can purchase a wifi account.

[TiogaCruiser]

2 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

But the fee and wifi login and account is for the cabin.

That’s interesting.

 

We didn’t have HIA 2 months ago on Zuiderdam, and wifi was only available on my account. I DID buy it. But short of having DH log in with my Navigator credentials on his Navigator app, he could not get on.
 

Internet was not handled by HAL giving you a username tied to your cabin, and then you creating a password ( as you are describing). 
Are you saying HIA gives each person their own access from their device, but the occupants can only get on one at a time? Or are you describing the previous way?
 

 

[CruiserBruce]

1 minute ago, TiogaCruiser said:

That’s interesting.

 

We didn’t have HIA 2 months ago on Zuiderdam, and wifi was only available on my account. I DID buy it. But short of having DH log in with my Navigator credentials on his Navigator app, he could not get on.
 

Internet was not handled by HAL giving you a username tied to your cabin, and then you creating a password ( as you are describing). 
Are you saying HIA gives each person their own access from their device, but the occupants can only get on one at a time? Or are you describing the previous way?
 

 

On our recent KDam cruise, internet access was through the Navigator App. DW has the app as well, primarily for internet access. We had our plan through HIA, which is the booking for our cabin...so the internet plan is for the cabin. Yes, two people can use the plan, but not at the same time, except if the second person buys their own plan, or they pay extra for two devices on at once.

[Crew News]

On a cruise last year, I tried to add an additional device to my premium $20/day internet plan as a test for my last two days onboard.  I could only add three additional devices, not just one. The  additional charge for the three devices was $10/day.  A separate plan for only one device would have cost me $20/day more.  In other words, two devices with the premium plan would cost $40/day while four devices would cost $30/day. 

 

For $30/day, I connected a phone, two tablets, and a laptop

 

It must be noted that the device trying to connect to the internet can disconnect a device currently connected without asking permission of the currently connected device's user. 

 

Last January aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam, four people in the Deck 9 hot tub were passing an IPad tablet to each other in order to wave at folks back home on a live connection.

[TiogaCruiser]

4 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

On our recent KDam cruise, internet access was through the Navigator App. DW has the app as well, primarily for internet access. We had our plan through HIA, which is the booking for our cabin...so the internet plan is for the cabin. Yes, two people can use the plan, but not at the same time, except if the second person buys their own plan, or they pay extra for two devices on at once.

Were you both logged in to the Navigator using credentials of the person whose name the booking was under? (I logged in using my mariner number.)

 

If my DH logged in under HIS mariner number, he couldn’t access our internet plan. It was only available under my mariner number. He could see the booking and only his expenses. 

[CruiserBruce]

7 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

Were you both logged in to the Navigator using credentials of the person whose name the booking was under? (I logged in using my mariner number.)

 

If my DH logged in under HIS mariner number, he couldn’t access our internet plan. It was only available under my mariner number. He could see the booking and only his expenses. 

Nope, we were logged into Navigator with separate Mariner accounts.

[TiogaCruiser]

3 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Nope, we were logged into Navigator with separate Mariner accounts.

Thanks! And interesting.

 

(DH and I have been discussing our guesses on how the database for Navigator is structured. When we were aboard we saw a change occur that was helpful, that we were going to suggest /comment on.)

Edited May 30, 2022 by TiogaCruiser

[AFNavigator]

19 hours ago, ciabelle said:

Happy to hear that messaging is including in the app. Probably won't get the wifi package at all then. Work and the internet at large can live without me for a couple weeks

The Navigator App's free text chat feature works great as long as every person you want to communicate with has the app installed...obviously smartphones or tablets are needed.  The one thing I don't like about the app is it doesn't alert you when someone sends you a text.