Internet costs

[caribill]

RCCL is trying something new on their oldest ship.

 

The Majesty of the Seas will be upgraded and will feature free, fast Internet for passenger.

 

Says their spokesperson: "With these exciting new features as well as unprecedented fast and free unlimited Internet for guests on Majesty of the Seas, we are stepping up our game and offering a phenomenal short cruise adventure for our guests."

[HUNKY]

According to cruisemaven, it will be fast enough to stream video. Guess RCCL is preping for the future by testing it out on a small ship. Let's hope Princess is paying attention.

[satxdiver]

I agree. Princess are you listening to your competition?

[Sillyjilly]

Not a fan of RCI. I would rather stick with Princess and pay for my internet.

[cclvr]

As a new Platinum Member I know I will get free internet minutes on my upcoming cruise....but will I still have to pay that one time log in fee??

[Mom33]

As a new Platinum Member I know I will get free internet minutes on my upcoming cruise....but will I still have to pay that one time log in fee??

 

No, you won't. :)

[cclvr]

no, you won't. :)

 

n i i c e !!!!:)

[Colo Cruiser]

As a new Platinum Member I know I will get free internet minutes on my upcoming cruise....but will I still have to pay that one time log in fee??

 

Not applicable to any member who has the perk. ;)

[PescadoAmarillo]

It will eventually come to Princess, too, if for no other reason than every time RC/Celebrity introduces something and it is poo-pooed here as something Princess would never do (short cruises, AIBP, AIBP bundled with cruise fare, charges for certain room service items)...Princess eventually does it. But, for this, it is absolutely inevitable simply on its own merits.

[shredie]

As a new Platinum Member I know I will get free internet minutes on my upcoming cruise....but will I still have to pay that one time log in fee??

 

Get help in the Internet center on board when you first log in. It isn't as straightforward a process as it could be. You have to "buy" the $0 option. Made me crazy the first time I tried it.

[paul929207]

As a new Platinum Member I know I will get free internet minutes on my upcoming cruise....but will I still have to pay that one time log in fee??

No,the set up fee is not charged for Platinum and Elite passengers

[Colo Cruiser]

Get help in the Internet center on board when you first log in. It isn't as straightforward a process as it could be. You have to "buy" the $0 option. Made me crazy the first time I tried it.

 

 

It is strange. :eek:

[cubfan63]

According to cruisemaven, it will be fast enough to stream video. Guess RCCL is preping for the future by testing it out on a small ship. Let's hope Princess is paying attention.

 

 

I see this as a way for RCCL to differentiate this particular ship only, given its age and itineraries, rather than a test for roll out across the entire fleet.

[Meanee]

I see this as a way for RCCL to differentiate this particular ship only, given its age and itineraries, rather than a test for roll out across the entire fleet.

 

I think it's a test of refit. Their newest ship, Quantum, uses same technology, and actual reasonable pricing. But Quantum was built with all necessary communication tech from the start. Testing on oldest ship makes sense. It will show their IT team how would it work when ship is not designed for equipment that's being mounted. What would be the cost, and possible challenges. Will it improve sales on the ship. How many people will take advantage if we allow it free. Is that going to reduce number of people in entertainment venues. And so on.

 

It just makes sense to test a refit on smallest ship. They need to get as much info as they can, before they plop it on their "Floating Megapolis Visible From Space of the Seas" fleet.

[HUNKY]

Seems the cruise lines of Carnival Corporation plans on leapfrogging RCCL. "In November 2014, Carnival unveiled the cruise industry's first-of-its-kind hybrid wireless network - an enhanced high-speed service that will eventually be rolled out to all 101 of its ships across its nine brands." According to Ramon Millan the CIO of Carnival.

[caribill]

Seems the cruise lines of Carnival Corporation plans on leapfrogging RCCL. "In November 2014, Carnival unveiled the cruise industry's first-of-its-kind hybrid wireless network - an enhanced high-speed service that will eventually be rolled out to all 101 of its ships across its nine brands." According to Ramon Millan the CIO of Carnival.

 

That is still slower than what the Quantum has. RCCL says the Quantum's internet bandwidth is larger than the total of the bandwidth of all other cruise ships in the world at the time Quantum first sailed.

[Meanee]

Seems the cruise lines of Carnival Corporation plans on leapfrogging RCCL. "In November 2014, Carnival unveiled the cruise industry's first-of-its-kind hybrid wireless network - an enhanced high-speed service that will eventually be rolled out to all 101 of its ships across its nine brands." According to Ramon Millan the CIO of Carnival.

 

Announcement mentioned a hybrid connection, mixed satellite, port wifi and shore to ship long range wifi. I've seen long range wifi implemented, but they require very narrow beam, and using parabollic antennas. This means that ship and ground station will have to constantly track each other, and point specific dish at specific location, toward the ship.

 

While tracking an object and pointing antennas at it is pretty easy (hobby multirotor fliers do it with more advanced FPV sets), the infrastructure part is difficult. Crusieline must build and maintain shore stations, along with proper data circuits to sustain a shipload of people using the internet.

 

And the moment you are more than 40 miles away from ground station, back to slow-as-snails satellite.

Edited July 11, 2015 by Meanee

[Colo Cruiser]

Not a fan of RCI. I would rather stick with Princess and pay for my internet.

 

 

 

I agree. :)

[islandatsea]

Get help in the Internet center on board when you first log in. It isn't as straightforward a process as it could be. You have to "buy" the $0 option. Made me crazy the first time I tried it.

 

We noticed that too when we logged on for the first time.