Will NCL be the first cruise line to offer free internet for all?

[jerseylily]

I guess not, but wouldn't it be great?

 

They could have a ship app that could send you the dailies and all offers and opportunities that suit those in your specific cabin each morning. Think of the positive publicity for NCL.

 

I guess they won't, too many use thier 'free' OBC credit on it and that probably is cheaper to them than cruisers using it on goodies or drinks which cost them much more.

 

Go on NCL, surprise all us cruisers and create an earthquake in your industry and bring them into the 21st century!

Edited June 20, 2015 by jerseylily

[computerworks]

I

They could have a ship app that could send you the dailies and all offers and opportunities that suit those in your specific cabin each morning. Think of the positive publicity for NCL.

 

They have that right now... it is free ... and called iConcierge. :cool:

[NLH Arizona]

If they offered it for free, they would then have to raise the price of something else or cruise fares to offset the revenue that they would be losing.

[$hip$hape]

I guess not, but wouldn't it be great?

 

Go on NCL, surprise all us cruisers and create an earthquake in your industry and bring them into the 21st century!

I get this image of a shipload of zombies, all looking at their cellphones.:eek:

[jerseylily]

Iconcierge looks good...still not internet access though....I think the publicity and extra bookings would more than makeup the costs. Hotels do it so does Starbucks and MacDonalds.

[TrueAggie]

Iconcierge looks good...still not internet access though....I think the publicity and extra bookings would more than makeup the costs. Hotels do it so does Starbucks and MacDonalds.

 

It is very inexpensive for a brick and mortar store to bring high bandwidth to their customers. A cruise ship must use expensive satellite equipment with high usage charges to bring slow speeds to their customers.

 

But, it might be pretty inexpensive for a cruise line to offer Internet access for free while at port - say on embarkation day or while at specific ports in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

[TrueAggie]

As a side note, I kind of like that the outside world can't expect me to answer email or take phone calls unless there is an emergency. A cruise ship is one of the few places I can tell my co-workers not to expect me to be available.

[hpecorari]

I guess not, but wouldn't it be great?

 

They could have a ship app that could send you the dailies and all offers and opportunities that suit those in your specific cabin each morning. Think of the positive publicity for NCL.

 

I guess they won't, too many use thier 'free' OBC credit on it and that probably is cheaper to them than cruisers using it on goodies or drinks which cost them much more.

 

Go on NCL, surprise all us cruisers and create an earthquake in your industry and bring them into the 21st century!

 

Sure NCL could do that.....and up the cost of the cruise to cover it. However, why should Mary have to pay extra for her cruise to cover Internet when Mary does not use internet? Sometimes, there's nothing wrong with paying for what one uses and not paying for what one does not use.

 

Harriet

[maywell]

As a side note, I kind of like that the outside world can't expect me to answer email or take phone calls unless there is an emergency. A cruise ship is one of the few places I can tell my co-workers not to expect me to be available.

 

Oh good, I thought I was one of the few that didn't like taking business calls while sunbathing on the sun deck....So, you know I can't stand my boss when he calls from beaches of St. Johns asking who called him at the office like 20 times a day....:(

[bangzoom6877]

As a side note, I kind of like that the outside world can't expect me to answer email or take phone calls unless there is an emergency. A cruise ship is one of the few places I can tell my co-workers not to expect me to be available.

 

Yes!! While taking work calls doesn't apply to me or DH since we are teachers, on every vacation there are some things we choose to avoid until we are home, to add to the escape from reality. One is watching the news. Even on land vacations when we have internet access, to check the weather we either use our weather app or watch the weather channel only, never turn on the news! Another is social media. No facebook or anything until we get back. We have never used the internet on a cruise. On land vacations, I only use the internet to search for restaurants in the area where we are staying, and not even so often for that because I ask the hotel manager to recommend restaurants the locals go to eat.

 

The only phone calls and texts on land vacations are to family that we miss back home.

 

Sure NCL could do that.....and up the cost of the cruise to cover it. However, why should Mary have to pay extra for her cruise to cover Internet when Mary does not use internet? Sometimes, there's nothing wrong with paying for what one uses and not paying for what one does not use.

 

Harriet

 

I totally agree with this! I don't mind that cruise fares stay low and people have some choices when it comes to drinks (packages or paying as you go per drink), specialty restaurants (again, packages or paying as you go per meal), internet, etc. Sometimes it's nice to have a choice of where to spend your money. This makes it more flexible.

[jerseylily]

Cruise companies need to negotiate with communication providers to get their costs down if they are too high...it is so last century to charge for this.

[watchdiva]

Sorry but I disagree...if I want internet access I will buy it and not expect it to be a freebie.

[ColinIllinois]

Cruise companies need to negotiate with communication providers to get their costs down if they are too high...it is so last century to charge for this.

 

 

Many budget hotels and places like McDonalds cater to people who may not have much disposable income. They couldn't charge customers for wifi if they want to succeed and stay in business. People who cruise can afford to pay for wifi and the cruise companies know this. Same with many hotels, including the fancy ones. Many hotels dangle free wifi out there as a promo for loyal customers just as NCL is using free wifi as a promo currently.

 

When you have people willing to pay for packages who have disposable income that source of income is not going to be eliminated by the company.

 

Basic business.

[RuthlessBoss]

I get this image of a shipload of zombies, all looking at their cellphones.:eek:

 

And your image is correct. It's like that now in all aspects of life, and includes break time at work. The world is becoming disconnected socially.

[martinchem]

I get this image of a shipload of zombies, all looking at their cellphones.:eek:

 

I guess that's better than looking at their watches waiting to go to dinner.

[Iluvcruising2]

They could do it this way.

 

Offer free for all but dedicate very little bandwidth, which means people who try will almost always not be able to connect. When they complain to the front desk, the explanation is that this is a free service and the capacity is limited. Try again during off-peak hours, like in the middle of the night when the ship is sleeping.

 

Offer a premium service - which guarantees decent bandwidth and you can charge good dollar for it.

 

This is what the Premier Inn chain in UK is doing. They offer free, but the bandwidth is very limited.

Edited June 21, 2015 by Iluvcruising2

[NLH Arizona]

They could do it this way.

 

Offer free for all but dedicate very little bandwidth, which means people who try will almost always not be able to connect. When they complain to the front desk, the explanation is that this is a free service and the capacity is limited. Try again during off-peak hours, like in the middle of the night when the ship is sleeping.

 

Offer a premium service - which guarantees decent bandwidth and you can charge good dollar for it.

 

This is what the Premier Inn chain in UK is doing. They offer free, but the bandwidth is very limited.

If they did what you are suggesting, can't you just hear the complaints. "They give you free internet, but I can never get on and it is all just a money grab to get me to purchase the premium service".

[4774Papa]

We get 45 free minutes on Celebrity (we do both Celebrity and NCL) because we are elite. I try reading and sending emails, but the service is so slow, it is hardly worth the effort.

I have found that it takes me about 30 minutes just to go into my email, read and/or delete about 30 emails and I am so fed up with the process, I quite.

Frankly, I have found that I can do without the internet while on a cruise.

 

Perhaps someone with a business, not retired like me, needs to be in constant contact back at the office, but not me.

[Out to sea!]

Iconcierge looks good...still not internet access though....I think the publicity and extra bookings would more than makeup the costs. Hotels do it so does Starbucks and MacDonalds.

 

The difference is you can walk across the street to another hotel or restaurant. You can't easily hop onto another cruiseliner in the middle of the ocean though.

[Travelcat2]

If they did it (which they won't), they would be the third cruise line to have it. http://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2015/06/19/silversea-cruises-free-wifi/28990853/

[EyeSeaEwe]

I hope they NEVER do this. The speeds are slow enough as they are. I cannot imagine if the limited bandwidth had to be shared among 2000-5000 people. Besides if you can't unplug for a week the you really ought not be on a cruise anyway.

[dcipjr]

I relish the "unplugged" part of a cruise vacation. Work can't reach me when I'm at sea, and that's just the way I like it.

[cassie55]

I hope they NEVER do this. The speeds are slow enough as they are. I cannot imagine if the limited bandwidth had to be shared among 2000-5000 people. Besides if you can't unplug for a week the you really ought not be on a cruise anyway.

 

Sometimes you can't unplug for a week. I don't go near my work email and don't take my work phone on holiday with me but my husband runs his own business. He needs to know what's going on, especially as any problems affect his clients' businesses - and we tend to do 2 or 3 weeks away at a minimum.

 

So because he wants to keep in touch we shouldn't be on a cruise? :confused:

[$hip$hape]

Sometimes you can't unplug for a week. I don't go near my work email and don't take my work phone on holiday with me but my husband runs his own business. He needs to know what's going on, especially as any problems affect his clients' businesses - and we tend to do 2 or 3 weeks away at a minimum.

 

So because he wants to keep in touch we shouldn't be on a cruise? :confused:

 

Checking your phone a lot during a cruise?

OK if important; Not OK if you're standing in the middle of a walkway,

randomly checking Facebook.

Edited June 21, 2015 by $hip$hape

[RuthlessBoss]

Sometimes you can't unplug for a week. I don't go near my work email and don't take my work phone on holiday with me but my husband runs his own business. He needs to know what's going on, especially as any problems affect his clients' businesses - and we tend to do 2 or 3 weeks away at a minimum.

 

So because he wants to keep in touch we shouldn't be on a cruise? :confused:

 

You are getting a bit picky about being in touch. There may be circumstances, but generally if a person cannot disconnect, then why cruise? The power of all the gadgets now has produced a world of people who need or think they need to know everything as it happens. A vacation is to get away and recharge back to the way things used to be before the advent of gadgets.