Wi-Fi: Access question regarding Free at Sea Plus package

[Sigyn]

I don't think anyone has ever asked a Wi-Fi question on this board before, so I'll be the first. 

 

(Thank you, thank you. If you'd like to see my second show, I'm on at 10 pm, too.)

 

Seriously, I searched for this very specific topic and while I found about 18 dozen internet/Wi-Fi threads, I didn't find exactly this question answered. I'm sure it's out there, but I didn't see it because there are SO MANY internet questions.

Here's my question: Our cruise is on the Prima in 16 days (Oh my God I'm so excited!) We had the regular Free at Sea package and we upgraded to the Free at Sea Plus package, which gives us some sort of upgraded Wi-Fi. I have no idea what exactly that means. There are three of us in the cabin. Two adults and one 15-year-old boy. Which means he's the REAL Wi-Fi user. Although I would like to browse a bit at night or in the morning, posting a few vacation photos, etc. How exactly does the Free at Sea Plus package work? How many devices are we allowed and while it says Unlimited, what does that actually mean and what kind of access do we get (streaming? I have no desire, but the boy will likely want to because why focus on the ocean and cruise when you can watch YouTube, right?!)

Any info would be much appreciated.

[hallux]

Each passenger pays for the FAS+ to get the upgraded WiFi plan.  If only 1 + 2 upgrade (I'm not sure if only 2 of 3 passengers can add the FAS+ plan), your son will need to use one of your logins to get unlimited internet and whichever one he uses can't be online at the same time.

[kenzie]

9 hours ago, hallux said:

Each passenger pays for the FAS+ to get the upgraded WiFi plan.  If only 1 + 2 upgrade (I'm not sure if only 2 of 3 passengers can add the FAS+ plan), your son will need to use one of your logins to get unlimited internet and whichever one he uses can't be online at the same time.

You have to pay an additional $70 for streaming, so the FAS + with streaming is £413, and you need to call to book that package. I did it last week

 

[cruiseny4life]

You don't need streaming Wi-Fi for YouTube though. If your boy wants to stream Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, etc. ad nauseum, you'll need to do what @kenziesaid and call NCL. I'm not exactly a teenage boy anymore, but I do enjoy my reels, TikToks, and texts via whatever service. I don't need the streaming package to do any of that. Sometimes there is buffer, so you'll hear a frustrated kid complain about the lag time. This will happen on the streaming plan too, so there really is no way around it. 

 

As for logging in, you and your husband will have access to unlimited internet (and streaming if you upgrade). You need to sign off on your device (or your boy can kick you off via the sign-in screen). I wouldn't know about that...oh wait, I kick my husband off his phone all the time, because we typically share Wi-Fi. Anyway, with unlimited you can have unlimited devices (by signing off/being kicked off the last device signed in). 

 

I hope that helps. 

[MarkusToe]

We got one !!!! package for one device.

2 Pax plus package.....

Youtube Video do not work on Bliss...

Edited December 8, 2022 by MarkusToe

[Sigyn]

On 12/8/2022 at 7:06 AM, kenzie said:

You have to pay an additional $70 for streaming, so the FAS + with streaming is £413, and you need to call to book that package. I did it last week

 

 

23 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

You don't need streaming Wi-Fi for YouTube though. If your boy wants to stream Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, etc. ad nauseum, you'll need to do what @kenziesaid and call NCL. I'm not exactly a teenage boy anymore, but I do enjoy my reels, TikToks, and texts via whatever service. I don't need the streaming package to do any of that. Sometimes there is buffer, so you'll hear a frustrated kid complain about the lag time. This will happen on the streaming plan too, so there really is no way around it. 

 

As for logging in, you and your husband will have access to unlimited internet (and streaming if you upgrade). You need to sign off on your device (or your boy can kick you off via the sign-in screen). I wouldn't know about that...oh wait, I kick my husband off his phone all the time, because we typically share Wi-Fi. Anyway, with unlimited you can have unlimited devices (by signing off/being kicked off the last device signed in). 

 

I hope that helps. 

Okay, so the Free at Sea Plus isn't the upgrade to Streaming? That's yet another package? I'm so confused! Yikes.

[zzdoug]

Internet service in the middle of the ocean is difficult to accomplish technologically, so it is almost always very costly and unreliable. Even though I am an internet addict, I avoid it altogether while at Sea. Whatever you can do on your phone should be available while in port if your plan permits so you can do your internetting then. 

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, njsmom said:

 

Okay, so the Free at Sea Plus isn't the upgrade to Streaming? That's yet another package? I'm so confused! Yikes.

Free at Sea = a certain number of minutes free, depending on length of cruise

Free at Sea Plus = upgraded to unlimited (non-streaming) Wi-Fi

Free at Sea Plus, plus streaming = upgraded to unlimited streaming Wi-Fi (it seems that you have to call in to do this.

 

[dexddd]

Hopefully the speed with the upgrade is better than the regular package as for us on Prima it was like dial up at best.  Also, they say to hit the 'logout' button when done but that page always disappeared for us after logging in so we just closed browser.  No noticeable loss of minutes by not logging out.

[cruiseny4life]

Just now, dexddd said:

Hopefully the speed with the upgrade is better than the regular package as for us on Prima it was like dial up at best.  Also, they say to hit the 'logout' button when done but that page always disappeared for us after logging in so we just closed browser.  No noticeable loss of minutes by not logging out.

Interesting! I always lost minutes when I didn't go to 'logout.com' to log myself off the minute internet plan. 

 

On the Getaway, I've always had decent internet (with the non-streaming option). I was able to load videos on YouTube, Reels on Insta/TikTok, news websites, etc. I guess it just depends on where you are in the world. 

[cruiseny4life]

42 minutes ago, zzdoug said:

Internet service in the middle of the ocean is difficult to accomplish technologically, so it is almost always very costly and unreliable. Even though I am an internet addict, I avoid it altogether while at Sea. Whatever you can do on your phone should be available while in port if your plan permits so you can do your internetting then. 

I enjoy having the option of going online. It's not an either/or. I'm glad you experience your vacation how you want to. I will experience my vacation how I want to, especially when it has absolutely no impact on you whatsoever. It's kind of ridiculous people try to force their views of how vacation should be upon others. 

 

If this person's 15 year old son wants the internet (and she is ok with it), then there is no judgment necessary from you, or anyone else. Her son, and I, will continue internetting wherever we'd like, thanks. 

[zzdoug]

6 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

I enjoy having the option of going online. It's not an either/or. I'm glad you experience your vacation how you want to. I will experience my vacation how I want to, especially when it has absolutely no impact on you whatsoever. It's kind of ridiculous people try to force their views of how vacation should be upon others. 

 

If this person's 15 year old son wants the internet (and she is ok with it), then there is no judgment necessary from you, or anyone else. Her son, and I, will continue internetting wherever we'd like, thanks. 

Well, I sincerely apologize to @njsmom if I came across as judgemental. To clarify, I have no opinion about what anyone does in private on their vacation with their own money. Perhaps I should have said "I" or "one" instead of "you", as in a general term, not referring to anyone in particular. I  accept responsibility for that miscommunication. I was only trying to provide information with regard to my own experience and a potential workaround which perhaps the op or other viewers had not considered, and is perfectly welcome to disregard. 

[Sigyn]

24 minutes ago, zzdoug said:

Well, I sincerely apologize to @njsmom if I came across as judgemental. To clarify, I have no opinion about what anyone does in private on their vacation with their own money. Perhaps I should have said "I" or "one" instead of "you", as in a general term, not referring to anyone in particular. I  accept responsibility for that miscommunication. I was only trying to provide information with regard to my own experience and a potential workaround which perhaps the op or other viewers had not considered, and is perfectly welcome to disregard. 

you were fine, no worries! I appreciate the info.

[kenzie]

On 12/9/2022 at 3:12 PM, cruiseny4life said:

I enjoy having the option of going online. It's not an either/or. I'm glad you experience your vacation how you want to. I will experience my vacation how I want to, especially when it has absolutely no impact on you whatsoever. It's kind of ridiculous people try to force their views of how vacation should be upon others. 

 

If this person's 15 year old son wants the internet (and she is ok with it), then there is no judgment necessary from you, or anyone else. Her son, and I, will continue internetting wherever we'd like, thanks. 

Well said 

[jbcallender]

Access is for one device at a time.  You could power down your connected iPad and thne connect with a phonem as long as only one device is connected.