Platinum Internet Benefit

[Daniel A]

This will be my first sailing with Platinum benefits.  There are a couple of things I'm not clear on.  The instructions say to wait until I am on board ship then log on to the internet and the system will recognize me as platinum and give me 250 minutes (15 day cruise.)  It then says that I can purchase additional internet packages at the available rate and I can only purchase them at initial log in.  I am getting the standard pre cruise offers of discounted internet packages that need to be purchased before boarding.  Are the packages offered at initial log in discounted for Platinum members?  How does the benefit of 250 free minutes work with the packages that are essentially unlimited packages with restricted bandwidth being the difference?  DW is also Platinum.  Does she get an additional 250 minutes making for a total of 500 minutes for our cabin?

 

Anyone with experience using the Platinum internet benefit?  Thank you.

[voljeep]

you both get the minutes ... not sure about the packages ... which ship ?

[CineGraphic]

I can only answer part of our question, yes, you both get 250 minutes.

[WisCruiser2]

Yes, you both get the minutes. You can each use them on your own devices or use the free minutes consecutively on one device. Only you can determine if you need/want the additional minutes. I haven't had to purchase minutes but I ration my connectivity 🙂

[Daniel A]

5 minutes ago, voljeep said:

you both get the minutes ... not sure about the packages ... which ship ?

Coral - the pre cruise advertisements for this cruise aren't showing limits to the available minutes for the packages, rather they are showing packages with different speeds.  It looks like they're not offering minute packages, rather they are offering how fast your package is.  One for streaming, one for e-mail (without streaming) one in the middle.

Edited March 8, 2019 by Daniel A

[famski740]

You both will get the minutes (250 each) but this is for one device at a time.  If you both sign on then you each get 250 minutes on one device each.  My wife does not use the internet so when cruising, I will sign on and use my 250 minutes and when I run out of minutes I then sign on to my wife's account and use her 250 minutes.

[Daniel A]

This is what is being offered as a pre sailing internet offer on the Coral.  I don't see how 250 free minutes per person fits with these.  Has anybody combined their Platinum/Elite free minutes with these packages?

 

PrincessCONNECT — Premium Package

$199.99

From e-mail to streaming, enjoy truly premium, unlimited access!
Original price: $234.99 USD

All Internet usage subject to Princess Cruises' standard policies, which may limit browsing of sites due to network security and bandwidth usage. Applications that use high bandwidth may be blocked and offerings subject to change.

 

 

PrincessCONNECT — Surf Package

$139.99

Surf your favorite sites from e-mail, news, sports and more.*
Original price: $169.99 USD

*May not allow for audio/video calling and streaming.

 

 

PrincessCONNECT — Social Package

$99.99

Unlimited access to the most popular social websites and applications.*
Original price: $119.99 USD

*May not allow for audio/video calling and streaming.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 8, 2019 by Daniel A

[Mytravellove]

Yes being Platinum, you will each get 250 mins on 15 day cruise if you use one device at a time. That's 500 mins that you can use consecutively instead of simultaneously. I have never had to purchase additional minutes, but I ration my usage. So in your case, approx. 33 minutes a day. I usually save approx. 10 minutes to do my airline check-in if I am flying out on debarkation day.

[dstables]

4 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

This is what is being offered as a pre sailing internet offer on the Coral.  I don't see how 250 free minutes per person fits with these.  Has anybody combined their Platinum/Elite free minutes with these packages?

 

PrincessCONNECT — Premium Package

$199.99

From e-mail to streaming, enjoy truly premium, unlimited access!
Original price: $234.99 USD

All Internet usage subject to Princess Cruises' standard policies, which may limit browsing of sites due to network security and bandwidth usage. Applications that use high bandwidth may be blocked and offerings subject to change.

 

 

PrincessCONNECT — Surf Package

$139.99

Surf your favorite sites from e-mail, news, sports and more.*
Original price: $169.99 USD

*May not allow for audio/video calling and streaming.

 

 

PrincessCONNECT — Social Package

$99.99

Unlimited access to the most popular social websites and applications.*
Original price: $119.99 USD

*May not allow for audio/video calling and streaming.

 

 

 

 

If you want to purchase one of these packages you for go your free minutes. It’s one or the other. You can not use up your free minutes first and then go to the package because the packages are priced for the entire length of the cruise. 

[goofy559]

If you buy those packages in advance you will forfeit your free minutes.  On board, you can use your minutes first, then buy additional unlimited internet for the days remaining on your cruise.  That's how it was on the Ruby cruise I just finished.  

[Daniel A]

3 hours ago, goofy559 said:

If you buy those packages in advance you will forfeit your free minutes.  On board, you can use your minutes first, then buy additional unlimited internet for the days remaining on your cruise.  That's how it was on the Ruby cruise I just finished.  

So, If I have to buy a package after a week, I have to pay for another week at the full price, not the discounted price available today?

[dstables]

1 minute ago, Daniel A said:

So, If I have to buy a package after a week, I have to pay for another week at the full price, not the discounted price available today?

I do beleivevthat’s the risk you take by not purchasing now when it’s discounted and waiting till you are on board and using up your free minutes first then purchasing the plan. 

[Thrak]

On our last couple of cruises we haven't even used all of our free minutes. Yes, it's slow. Yes, if you don't log out properly you will end up losing all of your minutes. Just be certain you actually log out properly and then verify that you are actually logged out. To us, purchasing minutes isn't of interest. We're on a cruise.

[Daniel A]

2 hours ago, Thrak said:

On our last couple of cruises we haven't even used all of our free minutes. Yes, it's slow. Yes, if you don't log out properly you will end up losing all of your minutes. Just be certain you actually log out properly and then verify that you are actually logged out. To us, purchasing minutes isn't of interest. We're on a cruise.

It has only become an issue since DW discovered word search games on her Ipad.  I think she needs to be connected to play them, otherwise I used to just hit my e-mail every other day to make sure no family were trying to contact me.  (I was on an Alaska cruise once when my boss sent me an e-mail asking me to call him and suggesting we make a telephone appointment.  I called and got a big promotion...)

[Michelle1234]

I think what you are seeing are the new MedallionNet packages (unlimited internet). Supposed to launch on Coral on April 5th. But I do not know how they work with the Platinum level internet benefit. Perhaps someone who has sailed with MedallionNet can enlighten us.

[Colo Cruiser]

If it is still the old system when you sail and they have not installed MedallionNet yet........

I would use your free minutes and really think about it before you pay those prices for additional internet.

The old system is slow and frustrating. You might be fighting to keep track of your minutes being burned up.

The old system is notorious for not logging you out when you try and burning through minutes fast as well as locking up.

[Sarah Jane Smith]

12 hours ago, Daniel A said:

It then says that I can purchase additional internet packages at the available rate and I can only purchase them at initial log in. 

OP... an answer to this part of your question..We are Platinum and when we cruised on Sea Princess in 2018, when we logged on the first time we were given an option to purchase additional minutes on  top of the allocated platinum free minutes. It was a very good deal for us (worried about matters at home at that time) and we both took it. My guess is that is was another A$40 for an addition 200 minutes, but memory might not be correct. We were not offered it again half way through the cruise, but didn't end up needing the extra minutes anyway.

[joybook]

From Famski740

You both will get the minutes (250 each) but this is for one device at a time.  If you both sign on then you each get 250 minutes on one device each.  My wife does not use the internet so when cruising, I will sign on and use my 250 minutes and when I run out of minutes I then sign on to my wife's account and use her 250 minutes.

 

This is exactly how we use it and if you essentially just want to check emails/write emails etc and do a little more on the internet you will find it is sufficient. I have never had to purchase additional minutes. Just make sure you logout correctly and if you see you are having problems with your time clock not stopping after you logout go and see the internet guy. I have always found them great to deal with.

[caribill]

10 hours ago, Michelle1234 said:

I think what you are seeing are the new MedallionNet packages (unlimited internet). Supposed to launch on Coral on April 5th. But I do not know how they work with the Platinum level internet benefit. Perhaps someone who has sailed with MedallionNet can enlighten us.

 

No, the offer is for PrincessConnect which uses the old (slow, slow) technology. If it was for the new technology it would be for MedallionNet, not PrincessCommect.

 

Basically the decision is:

a) Just keep your free minutes (or add on the additional minutes at a low rate) and hope you do not use them all up; or

b) Throw away your free minutes and purchase an unlimited plan.

 

However, if DW needs to use the Internet frequently, just purchase one unlimited package (in her name). You can use your free minutes for what you need to do on the Internet. If you use them all up, you can "share" your DW's unlimited minutes by signing her off and then you signing on with her sign on credentials. When you are finished, she can sign on again.

 

Frankly, in my opinion Princess should credit the value of the free minutes towards the purchase of an unlimited package, but that is not the path they have chosen.

[Daniel A]

16 hours ago, Michelle1234 said:

I think what you are seeing are the new MedallionNet packages (unlimited internet). Supposed to launch on Coral on April 5th. But I do not know how they work with the Platinum level internet benefit. Perhaps someone who has sailed with MedallionNet can enlighten us.

You win the chicken dinner!!!  Your post led me to look up Princess' web page about MedallionNet.  Although the e-mailed ads say "PrincessCONNECT,"   The MedallionNet web page says Coral will start offering MedallionNet (Internet service - not Medallion Class cruises) starting April 2, 2019.  My cruise on Coral starts April 5.  The Princess MedallionNet webpage also says this:  "Purchase MedallionNet for as low as $9.99 per day when you buy a package on board for your entire voyage. You can also get up to 10% off when you purchase pre-cruise.* Platinum and Elite guests can use MedallionNet with their Captain’s Circle minutes or, better yet, choose an exclusive embarkation day discount on an unlimited package once on board."

 

It seems I now have my answer.  I will take the embarkation day discount on an unlimited package.  Thanks to all who took the time to respond to my question.