Unlimited WIFI or pay as you go?

[sauyip]

Should I buy the one and only offer by HOL, unlimited WIFI for $300 for a 25 day cruise before boarding on 7/29/23 on Zaandam? Or should I wait until after I board the ship to see if there are other options? Is WIFI more expensive when I purchase on the ship? I do not wish to surf the internet much. I may check my emails once or twice a week. It is just a scary thought to do without the internet for 25 days.  

[CruiserBruce]

Welcome to Cruise Critic! The Mods will move this to the portion of Cruise Critic devoted to HAL (not HOL).

 

The Premium plan is cheaper if purchased in advance. There won't be a sale once you get on board. Have sailed on them 15 times...never anything cheaper on board in this vein.

 

Your phone plan might cover cell coverage in Canada...Ours does.

[edinburgher]

32 minutes ago, sauyip said:

I do not wish to surf the internet much. I may check my emails once or twice a week.

And consider not buying it onboard as many cruise pax wait until they are ported and use facilities ashore.  These are often found portside in or close to the cruise terminal.

 

If in doubt, ask a crew member as they all know where to find free WiFi.😉

Edited July 25, 2023 by edinburgher

[Mary229]

The only cost savings is if you only need internet for a limited time.  You will be given the option to buy the plan at any point in the cruise but the rates are the same, you would simply pay for less days. 

[crystalspin]

2 hours ago, sauyip said:

Should I buy the one and only offer by HOL, unlimited WIFI for $300 for a 25 day cruise before boarding on 7/29/23 on Zaandam? Or should I wait until after I board the ship to see if there are other options? Is WIFI more expensive when I purchase on the ship? I do not wish to surf the internet much. I may check my emails once or twice a week. It is just a scary thought to do without the internet for 25 days.  

Premium WiFi costs just a little more than Surf when bought before the cruise. It allows audio and video apps. It is not faster, just fewer apps blocked -- Surf = no audio or video. 

 

If you decide to pre-purchase, do it TODAY. I don't believe you can make any changes in the three days before sailaway. 

[trtog7]

I would not buy WIFI at all. Have found that a lot of time at sea it is not available or when it is too many people using itand it is slooow. 

Most ports have free wifi if all you want to do is check emails. You would have to forgo emails on sea days

[robotpony]

After using Starling on the Koningsdam in April, I am much more likely to buy an internet/wifi package on future cruises. It was available almost all of the time, and was able to stream video for the elite tier guests (and Facebook/Instagram for standard users). Apple messages and email worked well too, and web browsing (other than filtered sites) worked well. My phone was able to keep photos sync'd and well, which is my main concern when away from service areas.

 

For future cruises we're trying to book within 90 days of itineraries listing, which gets you elite wifi and drinks (and currently also includes gratuities). The bundled prices, for the advanced bookings are fantastic value in my opinion. 

[POA1]

Don't know if this applies in every case, but prepaying for Premium wifi cost the same or a teeny bit less than buying the lower tier surf package on board for our upcoming 7 day cruise.