Kids and the Internet

[Amaroo Andrew]

I have a friend travelling with his wife and two grandchildren in December. What is the best and cheapest way he can get internet access for the kids? Can internet access by itself be purchased for children without upping the Drinks Package to the Premium level to get more devices connected?

[MustangGT]

If each passenger booked with the Plus fare, each would have their own access.  If they are all booked on the Standard fare, I believe it would be most economical to purchase a 4 device plan for one person that can be used by the 4 people. 

[memoak]

Or the 2 parents could get plus and share a login with the kids. It just means that only one person per login can be connected at a time

[Amaroo Andrew]

I know they would book the Plus package for themselves but the kids are not covered. If they were to go Premier that would get net access for the grandkids but it would cost each another $30 per day. Can a cabin share a Plus and Premier to get the kids their access?

[cr8tiv1]

How old are the grandkids?  How economical do they want to spend?  Lots of different options out there.

 

1.  Adults get Plus.  Will give them 2 devices.

    Adults get one.  Kids get one (shared time/even-odd hours)

 

2.  Adults get Plus.  Adults purchase 2 single = 4 or 4 device plan = 6 accesses

 

3.  Adults get Premier.  Access to 8 devices.

 

4.  Adults get Plus.  Kids get Plus = 4 devices.

 

and there are probably many more combinations.

[Amaroo Andrew]

Can you buy just an Internet Package? Princess seems to have hidden that on their web page. The twins are about 8 or 9 and they will be limited into how much junk and fizz they can get.

[NavyVeteran]

Internet access is one of the few Plus or Premier items that can be shared. If the two adults have Plus, then the family can log onto the Internet on two devices at the same time - one using each of the two adult's information to log on. Note that this is one device at a time on each account - you can't use two devices on the same account at the same time even if the other one isn't being used. If someone tries to log on, they will log off whoever was previously logged on. This may be enough, but it may require some coordination among the four people. Or you could assign two people to each logon, and they would need to coordinate.

 

They cannot split Plus and Premier - the first two passengers in the cabin have to have the same fare.

 

If they get Premier, then they would have four logons at a time for each adult. That would mean all four of them could be logged on with two devices each at the same time, so no coordination would be needed.

 

You may also want to consider the Plus fare for the grandkids. If you would want them to have access to sodas and mocktails, then the Plus fare may make sense even for minors who can't drink alcohol. If you want four simultaneous Internet logons (one each) and if the grandkids would drink sodas and mocktails, then the Plus fare for all four may be less expensive than the Zero Alcohol package for the grandkids, crew appreciation, and upgrading the Internet package.

[NavyVeteran]

4 minutes ago, Amaroo Andrew said:

Can you buy just an Internet Package? Princess seems to have hidden that on their web page. The twins are about 8 or 9 and they will be limited into how much junk and fizz they can get.

I wrote my previous response before seeing this one. If you are limiting their sodas and mocktails, then you could consider a standalone Internet package. The question I would ask is do the four of you need more than two Internet logons at the same time? 

[Amaroo Andrew]

16 minutes ago, NavyVeteran said:

I wrote my previous response before seeing this one. If you are limiting their sodas and mocktails, then you could consider a standalone Internet package. The question I would ask is do the four of you need more than two Internet logons at the same time? 

Thanks. What they want is their own device coverage with a Princess Plus package and just plain old wi fi access for the two granddaughters. Nothing super special for them. But try to find if you can buy a simple separate access package on the Princess website and you go around in circles.

I'll be on this cruise with my son and I'm a bit old school, I'll check emails and read the news on a laptop in the morning. A mobile phone sits in the desk drawer until we go ashore. It is the last thing I want to carry around with me. The Medallion is good for opening the cabin door and don't get me started about how much better it is than the old cruise card!

Whereabouts in Texas?

[jean-lynd]

1 hour ago, Amaroo Andrew said:

Thanks. What they want is their own device coverage with a Princess Plus package and just plain old wi fi access for the two granddaughters. Nothing super special for them. But try to find if you can buy a simple separate access package on the Princess website and you go around in circles.

I'll be on this cruise with my son and I'm a bit old school, I'll check emails and read the news on a laptop in the morning. A mobile phone sits in the desk drawer until we go ashore. It is the last thing I want to carry around with me. The Medallion is good for opening the cabin door and don't get me started about how much better it is than the old cruise card!

Whereabouts in Texas?

You can purchase a one device plan for $24.99/day or a 4 device plan for $44.99/day.

[cr8tiv1]

Keep in mind:  Plus = $60 per person/per day

 

Gratuities/Crew appreciation runs $16 - $18 per person/per day/average $17

Internet will cost $24.99 per day per/person

 

$60 - (24.99 + $17) = $18.01 (or about 3 sodas/mock cocktails/specialty desserts/coffees, etc).

 

If the kids will be limited, then I would get the 2 Plus for the adults and allocate time slots for the kids from the Plus devices.  

 

I do understand that kids want to be on the internet 24/7.  I am a teacher and a grandparent.  But this is a family vacation.  I'm old school.  Limit wifi to 6 hours a day and that's a lot of savings.

[cruzsnooze]

I don't drink and don't want prepaid gratuity so I buy the individual internet package at $25 daily and if anyone is platinum or elite tier you get half off so it's $12.50 daily. That is for one device which can be shared, I just leave my computer on our desk turned on.

[Amaroo Andrew]

54 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

I don't drink and don't want prepaid gratuity so I buy the individual internet package at $25 daily and if anyone is platinum or elite tier you get half off so it's $12.50 daily. That is for one device which can be shared, I just leave my computer on our desk turned on.

This is probably the cheapest option for them, they will stick with their Plus Package and buy an extra internet device package each for the kids. As they have both just become Platinum they can get each one at half price.

[NavyVeteran]

7 hours ago, Amaroo Andrew said:

This is probably the cheapest option for them, they will stick with their Plus Package and buy an extra internet device package each for the kids. As they have both just become Platinum they can get each one at half price.

They will need to purchase the extra Internet packages for the adults - not for the kids - if the adults are Platinum and the kids are not. But the kids can then use the Internet package by using the adults' logon information.

 

If the two adults don't use the Internet much, you may be able to save a little more by just purchasing one standalone one-device Internet package. Then you could use three devices at a time - one for each of the kids and one shared between the two adults.

[cr8tiv1]

3 hours ago, NavyVeteran said:

They will need to purchase the extra Internet packages for the adults - not for the kids - if the adults are Platinum and the kids are not. But the kids can then use the Internet package by using the adults' logon information.

 

If the two adults don't use the Internet much, you may be able to save a little more by just purchasing one standalone one-device Internet package. Then you could use three devices at a time - one for each of the kids and one shared between the two adults.

Sharing is a good thing. 😉

[DCThunder]

Maybe they try to get the grandkids to do an internet withdrawal for the cruise.  A crazy idea, I know, but just a thought.😁

[cruzsnooze]

2 hours ago, DCThunder said:

Maybe they try to get the grandkids to do an internet withdrawal for the cruise.  A crazy idea, I know, but just a thought.😁

Or at least cut back a significant amount, cold turkey might be too much to handle. 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

17 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

If the kids will be limited, then I would get the 2 Plus for the adults and allocate time slots for the kids from the Plus devices.  

I would do this.

Heck, when we bought a stand alone wifi package for 1 device, all three of us shared it just fine. DH checked in with work a couple of times a day, I checked the email once in a while and checked in with the petsitter, and kid played an occasional game on the phone/Switch using wifi. We cruise to cruise, not to spend 24/7 on our respective devices. We can do that at home for $70 a month.

Edited May 18 by Itchy&Scratchy