Per-Minute Internet Access on Coral Princess

My wife and I are taking our first cruise in August, Vancouver to Anchorage on the Coral Princess. I have purchased an internet package and am wondering how it will work.

I'm used to paying by the MB or GB but not by the minute, at least since the days of dial-up. Since my meter is running when my laptop or tablet is connected, even if I'm not sending or receiving any data, there must be some easy way to log on and off the system. Does Princess provide a connection app for Windows and Android, or do I have to do that manually?

Also, I do wonder why they charge by the minute instead of by the MB. Charging by the amount of data used would discourage internet hogs who try to use Skype and similar applications, or at least make them pay for their habit.

So you believe that people who use Skype or similar applications are "internet hogs".

But you feel that you personally should be entitled to leave your device continuously online even when not in use sending or receiving data.

Hate to burst your bubble but satellite-based internet service is pretty much a throwback to dial-up days. That's the way the system operates, and why it costs what it costs. Either get with the program or do yourself a favor and disconnect while on the ship (like most everyone else does) and just use your device while in port.

But you feel that you personally should be entitled to leave your device continuously online even when not in use sending or receiving data.

 

Hate to burst your bubble but satellite-based internet service is pretty much a throwback to dial-up days. That's the way the system operates, and why it costs what it costs. Either get with the program or do yourself a favor and disconnect while on the ship and just use your device while in port.

Per mega-byte charging is available to crew on princess.

This is a great improvement, as they receive notifications without needing to connect.

Also, I do wonder why they charge by the minute instead of by the MB. Charging by the amount of data used would discourage internet hogs who try to use Skype and similar applications, or at least make them pay for their habit.

Because billing per byte is HARD. You don't want Princess to keep copies of every packet (nor do they - the disk cost would be astronomical), and they don't want to build an on-ship architecture to match up user registrations to (temporary) IP address assignments (hint: very hard, and competing goals: they want the IP address assignments to be essentially static for the duration of the cruise, but they want them all to expire at the end of the cruise, but they want to be nice to B2Bers to be able to match up the assignments as they stay aboard; even after all of that, the task of tracking even just packet headers is quite tedious). Charging for time is easier; charging by MB for crew is easy enough because their presence is a lot more static.

Because billing per byte is HARD. You don't want Princess to keep copies of every packet (nor do they - the disk cost would be astronomical), and they don't want to build an on-ship architecture to match up user registrations to (temporary) IP address assignments (hint: very hard, and competing goals: they want the IP address assignments to be essentially static for the duration of the cruise, but they want them all to expire at the end of the cruise, but they want to be nice to B2Bers to be able to match up the assignments as they stay aboard; even after all of that, the task of tracking even just packet headers is quite tedious). Charging for time is easier; charging by MB for crew is easy enough because their presence is a lot more static.

In March, on the Regal, buying by the minute was .76 cents per minute.

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The packages are quite reasonable.Pre booking internet or first day, you will get 20 free minutes as a bonus.Packages start with 150 minutes, then 250 minutes etc. Never buy just by minutes without the package, works out too expensive. Now if you only want to sign on to check into airline , and you didn't buy a package, then you can get by the minute. In the internet cafe, printing is free. They use to charge by the page.

I sign on , read my email, sign off. Compose off line (have my own device not using ship's computers) and send the next time I check my email.The speed has much improved over the years. I don't do any internet surfing like I do at home unless there is something I have to check out.

Because billing per byte is HARD.

I suppose for the princess it folks, it probably is. My recollection is that when you log off,

the usage summary page shows minutes and megabytes. (but I could be mis-remembering)

Most systems would use the MAC address, then you don't care if a user has a static IP.

That way you can sell to a device, like royal caribbean does.

Disney is able to offer per megabyte packages.

As they hired someone from disney to implement medallions, maybe he can work on internet

offerings next...

http://disneycruiselineblog.com/2014/04/connectsea-internet-data-plans-review/

Pay As You Go 25¢ per MB, etc.

match up user registrations to (temporary) IP address assignments (hint: very hard, and competing goals: they want the IP address assignments to be essentially static for the duration of the cruise, but they want them all to expire at the end of the cruise, but they want to be nice to B2Bers to be able to match up the assignments as they stay aboard; /quote]

 

This is really nonsense.

 

The billing is handled by the login process, not by some IP restriction.

For instance, I can log in from my cabina with a laptop, and log in from the internet cafe

with a princess desktop, and log in with my phone anytime. All with completely different

IP addresses. And, my dhcp lease doesn't have anything to do with the length of my cruise.

 

It's just a captive portal with billing. With a little looking, you can probably find one for free.

Princess likes Drupal, they can probably even (found?) something that links to that.

Does Princess provide a connection app for Windows and Android, or do I have to do that manually?

Once on the ship turn your device to Airplane mode. The on board system is wi-fi, not cellular. If you use cellular you will be charged a large per min. fee from Cellular @ Sea plus whatever your provider charges. Visit the internet cafe and they will assist you in logging in to the wi-fi system and instruct you how to log off. There is a specific way you must log off manually after each use. If you fail to log off you will be charged for every min. you are connected.The system is slow especially during peak times. Generally we have found faster service on port days, early morning, late evening and during dinner time. There is no charge to use the ship's intranet system called Princess @ Sea

This is really nonsense.

No, it isn't. I've got twenty years in the networking industry. Everybody wants redundancy, 99.9999999999% availability, and all of that. As such, there's often two (or more) paths from anywhere to anywhere, making it a lot more complex to track the traffic (AND make sure you only counted it once). And with today's speeds, the ASICs that forward the traffic specialize in forwarding the traffic, not necessarily having accurate counters. Inevitably, the one device that handles the actual satellite link will end up being very proprietary, so there's not great management available on it and therefore no easy way to extract good billing data without a deep, deep integration with the logon system (which is not easy to do when it's proprietary gear).

Regardless, it is the way it is. If you don't like it, go cruise on a different line because they charge you for Internet the way you like it.

Regardless, it is the way it is.

Um ... Disney is able to offer per megabyte packages. So, your pronouncement that this is "the way it is"

is rather hollow. And it can't really be too complex to count the data usage, as even princess is able to

do it for crew.

Um ... Disney is able to offer per megabyte packages. So, your pronouncement that this is "the way it is"

is rather hollow. And it can't really be too complex to count the data usage, as even princess is able to

do it for crew.

They count it for passengers also. They just do not use it as a billing method.

I found an undated article on internet prices/packages available from various cruise lines here:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=45

One price per day (or per cruise) seems to be becoming more common.

I read this under Princess:

"As part of a Carnival Corp. initiative, all Princess ships will have Wifi@Sea enhanced internet by the end of 2016."

It must be marketing hype, as I don't recall any giddy posts here about internet speed.

And, I found a more up-to-date article here:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1419

Relevant to this thread:

"On many ships, payment is per megabyte instead of by minute. On Disney Cruise Line ships, one MB costs 35 cents. As with per-minute pricing, buying megabytes via a package brings the price down. Pricing by the megabyte is also offered on Carnival Cruise Line ships, as well as select Royal Caribbean ships. "

It must be marketing hype, as I don't recall any giddy posts here about internet speed.

Two components go into the "speed" of your experience: bandwidth, and latency. Current satellite internet relies on geostationary satellites (the ones where you can point an antenna at them, at least from dry land, and almost never have to change the aim of the antenna). Even with as fast as light is, there's no way to escape the ~120ms delay in sending a signal up to the satellite, 120ms back down to the ground, (insert usual Internet latency here), 120ms for the reply to go up to the satellite, and 120ms for the reply to come back down, so nearly a second of latency. That's why phone calls feel "painful", chat sessions seem slow, gaming is impossible, etc. If you were crazy enough to do a big download, it would settle out to a slow but consistent rate, but because it's one long-running flow, you'd see what looks like better performance than you'd have expected with a chat session, right up to the point that it was actually competing for bandwidth.

Several companies are talking about "real" Internet access from low Earth orbit satellites. It'll most likely require an antenna unit with two or more tracking antennas, so that one antenna can be following the currently-selected satellite through the sky, and the other antenna can be aligning with the next-to-be-selected satellite. Latency will be significantly reduced, but will become a lot more variable, as the traffic will most likely need to go up, then over to another satellite (if not multiple hops), before going back down, and all of those distances will be changing in real time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_Internet_access#Signal_latency

You will connect through the Princess at Sea app. As soon as you finish be sure to disconnect through the app. We were in the aft on deck 10 and our connection was very spotty. So lots of minutes were used with the device spinning. Service was better mid-ship the closer you got to the Internet Cafe. Your cell service data works well in the ports, Whittier, & Vancouver so you really only have 3 days without cellular data. I have Verizon & actually picked up data near Gustavus (Glacier Bay) & the Inside Passage.

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When I board the ship do I need to immediately go into airplane mode? Or can I still use my regular phone and data plan until we leave port?

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When I board the ship do I need to immediately go into airplane mode? Or can I still use my regular phone and data plan until we leave port?

The ship's system is activated when at sea.

Usually after leaving port. When the shoreside signals subside.

On your phone it will say something like maritime services when it's hooked up to the ships cell service.

You will be ok in port unless you are in a country roaming etc.

On your phone it will say something like maritime services when it's hooked up to the ships cell service.

Really? Because I read a post here last week that there is no cell service on princess ships.

In this rare occassion Keith, I agree with you.

:cool::cool:

The ship's system is activated when at sea.

Usually after leaving port. When the shoreside signals subside.

On your phone it will say something like maritime services when it's hooked up to the ships cell service.

You will be ok in port unless you are in a country roaming etc.

THANK YOU!

I am meeting friends on the ship and being able to text one another will make that easier! Not everyone knows we will be on the ship together. We are surprising a friend for their Birthday. So exciting! :cool:

:cool::cool:

 

 

THANK YOU!

I am meeting friends on the ship and being able to text one another will make that easier! Not everyone knows we will be on the ship together. We are surprising a friend for their Birthday. So exciting! :cool:

I hope you are keeping in mind that cell data will be rediculously expensive,

and SMS (text) messages might be $0.50 (or more) each, depending on your plan.

I hope you are keeping in mind that cell data will be rediculously expensive,

 

and SMS (text) messages might be $0.50 (or more) each, depending on your plan.

Not planning to use cell data at sea. Just when we're planning our surprise meeting... before we leave the dock.

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