Wifi packages help please

[gamecockinnc]

Can anyone provide some feedback on CCL's wifi packages?

I'm cruising on the Breeze next Saturday and then again with my husband and three sons on the Christmas sailing.

The last 2 times we were on the Breeze the wifi was still slow/typical cruiselines slow connection.

I gave up trying to use my iPhone, iPad or Kindle Fire and used the desk tops in the Internet cafe.

I need wifi to check in with my husband and sons. And if the connection is better and I would pay to use the Internet more.

thank you!

T

[NoName]

I used the new wifi on the Freedom. It was fast enough to check out facebook and general internet browsing I used the ipad and my phone. The new internet is much better than the old. I think you will be pleased.

 

Don't forget, it is so much cheaper now as well. $25 will get you social sites for the week (facebook etc).

 

Kim

[gamecockinnc]

So the Breeze has faster internet this year too? Was it as fast in your cabin ? How many devices can you use it with? Is there a limit?

 

What is the difference between the Value package at $16.00 a day or the Premium package of $25.00 per day? I have read the descriptions but am confused if the premium truly is that much faster at the advertised 3 times faster?

 

And it states it can be used with one device at a time. Does this mean I can sign in my iPhone and then switch to my iPhone or even one of Internet cafes desk tops?

Edited November 2, 2015 by gamecockinnc

[mkbnoc]

I have used the new WiFi packages twice this year. Once was the value and once the premium. The premium is a bit faster, I was able to stream a music app for periods of time. If you just are answering emails or posting a couple of pics on FB the value package will work fine.

 

You can sign onto any device but only one at a time. Say you are signed on your iPhone and log on to an iPad, the system will log you off the first device.

 

Carnival has the new system on quite a few ships now from the last update I saw:

 

The ships that already have the faster Wi-fi include Carnival Freedom, Carnival Breeze, Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Ecstasy, Carnival Sensation, Carnival Paradise, Carnival Fascination, Carnival Victory, Carnival Elation, Carnival Pride, Carnival Imagination, Carnival Inspiration, Carnival Glory, Carnival Conquest, Carnival Splendor, Carnival Magic, Carnival Triumph, Carnival Valor, Carnival Fantasy, Carnival Liberty

 

Hope this helps.

 

Mike

[QTPieRye]

If you're only interested in FB, I believe CCL was launching a $5.00/day rate for FB only.

[cruisinparamedic]

If you're only going to check in with family at home, you can get the social media package for $25 for the entire cruise. Facebook messenger works!

 

If you're going on the breeze and only need to check in with family that is on the cruise with you, get the Hub app (download prior to boarding), and it's $5 (per device) for the entire cruise to use the "text message" feature threw the app.

 

Hope this helps.

[munchkin4]

Do you have to get the package for the week or can you get it by the day? I will need to check my work email but not everyday.

[Honolulu Blue]

Do you have to get the package for the week or can you get it by the day? I will need to check my work email but not everyday.

 

The new packages are available by the day. The old by-the-minute plans (are there any ships that still have this?) are not.

[splintz]

i bought the wifi package on my 8 day cruise on the pride. i was not very impressed with it.

 

i downloaded the whatsapp app thinking i could use it to call my mother in law who was watching our kids for the week. the feature worked great when testing it at home. i also needed to be connected for fantasy football and to keep up to date on some hockey scores.

 

so at first i bought the value plan for the week for $60. it was very very slow and i could not use the call feature on the whatsapp app. i could use the chat feature and leave and listen to voice mails on the whatsapp app. i did a speed test and it wouldn't even register enough to complete the test. i was able to search the web but it was very slow and sometimes during peak times it wouldn't work.

 

so about 3 days into the cruise i upgraded to the premium plan thinking it would be fast enough to call on the whatsapp app since they advertise that it is fast enough and that it supports skype. well that didn't work either. and to be honest it didn't even seem any faster. i ran a speed test and sometimes it would complete the test but only register like .20-.40 mbps.

 

i went to customer service to ask if there were problems with the internet and that the premium service was terrible and does not support what they claimed. the customer service woman was very nice and ended up telling me that she doesn't really think there is much difference in the 2 plans. she ended up refunding me my upgraded money that i paid for the premium plan. this was on the 4th day of an 8 day cruise. she said she would refund me the money i spent on the value plan too if i just wanted to cancel the internet. i thought that was really great customer service and i appreciated it, but i kept the value plan because i still needed the internet to set my fantasy football since we didn't return to baltimore until monday not sunday like normal.

 

on my next cruise i think i will just get the social plan for $25 which seems like a good deal.

[CRUZBUDS]

We had some OBC to use so we bought a few days of internet. The first day I bought the standard $16, it was slow. The next day I tried the $25 plan -- I couldn't tell the difference.

 

We were on our way back from Hawaii, so being in the middle of the Pacific may have hurt the satellite coverage.

 

It is still far less frustrating than the old days of slow internet with per minute charges.

[LaCal]

On the $25 Social plan are you able to check email? Or only go on FB, Twitter etc

[mamajules]

On the $25 Social plan are you able to check email? Or only go on FB, Twitter etc

 

The social plan only allows social websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Facebook Messenger works with this plan. To check emails you need to go the next level up. Here are the plans:

 

Social ($5 USD per day) – Access the most popular websites and applications. Includes: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Linkedin, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Snapchat. Does not include access to other websites or apps.

 

Value ($16 USD per day) – Surf all your favorite sites, including e-mail, news, sports, weather, banking and finance. Note: Does not support Skype calling or music streaming (such as Spotify).

 

Premium ($25 USD per day) – From e-mail to Skype, our Premium plan promises the fastest possible connection, at speeds up to 3 times faster than our Value Plan. Supports Skype video calling, where coverage allows.

[NCTribeFan]

There are several existing threads out there about the "new" plan. If you search this board, you should find what everyone has already said.

 

And if you go to Carnival's website, you can see the various levels and which ships have the plans.

 

I've now had it twice - last December on Freedom I bought the mid-level plan so I could check email and didn't need it. Bought the Social plan on Splendor at the end of last month. It was fine. Cabin-mate would've preferred the next level as she wanted to check email, but I have no desire to do so. Speed hasn't been an issue, but I'm not trying to stream anything.

 

One thing to note. Since we had different folio numbers, if I didn't remember to log out, she couldn't log in, but if she forgot to log out, I could log her phone out and mine back in, probably because I was the "primary" on the plan (it was billed to my folio number).

 

Not sure what we'll do on Sunshine in a couple of weeks. It's 11 nights and I think it costs more. I just have so many other things to waste my money on! ;)

[crzndeb]

I just returned from the Journeys B2B on the Triumph..I purchased the Value plan on both legs (11 and 10day) and it was $90 for the entire cruise on each leg. Shorter legs will be less.

 

It worked perfectly fine for my needs. I was able to text my daughters and send towel animal pics to my grandkids. I was able to play my IPad games that needed wifi and kept up with emails, deleting unwanted ones daily. I could not Facetime, nor do any updates on apps.

 

Some prime usage times were slower than others, but didn't really bother me.

[10Jan54]

Honestly we are on vacation, leave it all off! Family knows how to reach us for an emergency. I go on vacation to escape all the electronics, stop and smell the ocean breeze!;)

[MintChocolate]

Is Value plan ($16 USD per day) unlimited? Or is there a limit on how much time you can be online?

[kwbound]

Is Value plan ($16 USD per day) unlimited? Or is there a limit on how much time you can be online?

 

We are just off the Triumph today. All of the plans were unlimited but they ask you to log off if you are not using it. iMessage is not guaranteed on any of the plans. We were told by guest services that it usually works, but it is not guaranteed. It never worked for me. Facebook messenger did work.

[MintChocolate]

Thank you, Kwbound. It's good to know that the internet access is unlimited. We'll try it then.

[cruiseonthebrain]

Another dumb question from me- and I am a tech idiot- on a Bahamas cruise on the Fantasy is there any time a VPN connection air card might work? Just found out I may have to work for a few hours a day on an upcoming cruise:-(