Need help figuring out the internet packages (particularly on the Grand)

[Dani24]

Help me understand the internet packages (especially on the Grand Princess - interested in how the performance is with the new wiring too). We’ve never bothered to purchase internet before, but my husband now needs to be able to check in on something daily in his email (gmail). 

 

We’re on a 10 day cruise to Alaska, leaving in 3 days! So we need to get this figured out fast. There are three packages available in our Personalizer. The Premium package for $140, the Surf package for $100, or the Social package for $70. The site does not expand upon exactly WHAT sites are included in the second two. Does gmail apply to all of them? What else is allowed in the Social or Surf packages?

 

Also, are these packages for only one device? Or can you switch devices, but only be logged in on one device at a time? 

 

Lastly, I had read some things suggesting that sometimes the price is actually better on embarkation day than in the Personalizer (although I gathered that maybe that was only for Platinum/Elite guests who could apply their free minutes against the packages?) We are in a suite this cruise, and I know they no longer come with any free internet, but does that ever affect the price of the internet on the ships?

[Steelers36]

38 minutes ago, Dani24 said:

Help me understand the internet packages (especially on the Grand Princess - interested in how the performance is with the new wiring too). We’ve never bothered to purchase internet before, but my husband now needs to be able to check in on something daily in his email (gmail). 

 

We’re on a 10 day cruise to Alaska, leaving in 3 days! So we need to get this figured out fast. There are three packages available in our Personalizer. The Premium package for $140, the Surf package for $100, or the Social package for $70. The site does not expand upon exactly WHAT sites are included in the second two. Does gmail apply to all of them? What else is allowed in the Social or Surf packages?

 

Also, are these packages for only one device? Or can you switch devices, but only be logged in on one device at a time? 

 

Lastly, I had read some things suggesting that sometimes the price is actually better on embarkation day than in the Personalizer (although I gathered that maybe that was only for Platinum/Elite guests who could apply their free minutes against the packages?) We are in a suite this cruise, and I know they no longer come with any free internet, but does that ever affect the price of the internet on the ships?

You can get the SURF package and will have access to email and other websites such as news, weather.  Streaming video may not work, depending where you are.  You can check on banking, etc if needed.  Phone apps like WhatsApp do not work under SURF.   I mean for video calling.  You can send text messages.

 

I upgraded from Surf to Premium for the final three days of a cruise earlier this year on Majestic.  The upcharge keeps going down as the cruise progresses.  I ended up paying an extra 3x $5 to upgrade for final days (all at sea).

 

Suite guests pay same for internet as anyone else.  I gather you are not yet eligible for the 25% discount in lieu of free minutes.  However, you will get the best deal booking your package on embarkation day.  No need to book now in Personalizer.  In fact, it may be too late since you mentioned 3 days to sailing.

 

PS - The Premium package has no restrictions on internet access or apps.  It works like the Minutes Plans in that nothing is restricted.  Of course, you can run out of minutes if you do a lot online.  Social is quite limited (IDK it all, but it's intended for Facebooking and such... no email).  

Edited July 23, 2019 by steelers36

[Steelers36]

Oh... yes the package is for one device (one login).  You can login to any other device and you will be warned that a prior device will be logged out.  You can also share with hubby if you guys can coordinate and not need/want to use internet at the same time.

 

[andio2of5]

Hi....we just got off the Grand last week. We both got 250 free minutes as Elite but on first day DH traded his minutes in for a discount and bought the Surf package (was that what it was called?  It was the middle package) for $106 (first day with discount). You can do email and surf the Internet with this package. You can stream with the higher priced one. I’m really not sure what you are limited to with the cheapest package. The package was for one sign in account which could be used on any device but only one device at a time. Our cruise was also 10 day to Alaska and Internet was slow.....best time to use it was between midnight and 6:00 am. 

[Steelers36]

2 minutes ago, andio2of5 said:

Hi....we just got off the Grand last week. We both got 250 free minutes as Elite but on first day DH traded his minutes in for a discount and bought the Surf package (was that what it was called?  It was the middle package) for $106 (first day with discount). You can do email and surf the Internet with this package. You can stream with the higher priced one. I’m really not sure what you are limited to with the cheapest package. The package was for one sign in account which could be used on any device but only one device at a time. Our cruise was also 10 day to Alaska and Internet was slow.....best time to use it was between midnight and 6:00 am. 

If it is for the same length voyage, your quoted price seems more like the Premium package ($140 less 25%)???  If the OP's prices are correct, the middle package is being offered at $100 without any Circle status.  Anyway, I am quite sure the OP will find a good price on board "Day 1".

[andio2of5]

8 minutes ago, steelers36 said:

If it is for the same length voyage, your quoted price seems more like the Premium package ($140 less 25%)???  If the OP's prices are correct, the middle package is being offered at $100 without any Circle status.  Anyway, I am quite sure the OP will find a good price on board "Day 1".

Yeah, you might be right about the price but I remember telling him to get the middle package cause he didn’t need streaming and I assumed that’s what he got. Anyway.....the internet speed was slow, slower and slowest.....reminded me of how it was a few years ago. .....I burned up my free minutes just trying to keep up with email and journaling. Unlimited package is the way to go .....no stress about using your minutes 😄

[Steelers36]

48 minutes ago, andio2of5 said:

Yeah, you might be right about the price but I remember telling him to get the middle package cause he didn’t need streaming and I assumed that’s what he got. Anyway.....the internet speed was slow, slower and slowest.....reminded me of how it was a few years ago. .....I burned up my free minutes just trying to keep up with email and journaling. Unlimited package is the way to go .....no stress about using your minutes 😄

True and internet is always slower at more extreme latitudes such as up towards Alaska.  Don't know the speed situation on your ship otherwise.

[Haboob]

Over and above everything else, Alaska is a special case...

 

The best satellites that relay internet to ships lie below the horizon when you are that far north, so bandwidth in Alaska is less than elsewhere = slower connections.

 

Worse, in Glacier Bay *all* the satellites that ships use lie behind the canyon walls = zero internet.  Ditto if you are berthed at the Railroad Docks in Skagway, or a berthed behind Davis Island in Juneau.

[Dani24]

1 hour ago, steelers36 said:

You can get the SURF package and will have access to email and other websites such as news, weather.  Streaming video may not work, depending where you are.  You can check on banking, etc if needed.  Phone apps like WhatsApp do not work under SURF.   I mean for video calling.  You can send text messages.

 

I upgraded from Surf to Premium for the final three days of a cruise earlier this year on Majestic.  The upcharge keeps going down as the cruise progresses.  I ended up paying an extra 3x $5 to upgrade for final days (all at sea).

 

Suite guests pay same for internet as anyone else.  I gather you are not yet eligible for the 25% discount in lieu of free minutes.  However, you will get the best deal booking your package on embarkation day.  No need to book now in Personalizer.  In fact, it may be too late since you mentioned 3 days to sailing.

 

PS - The Premium package has no restrictions on internet access or apps.  It works like the Minutes Plans in that nothing is restricted.  Of course, you can run out of minutes if you do a lot online.  Social is quite limited (IDK it all, but it's intended for Facebooking and such... no email).  

 

We'll be Platinum on our next cruise, so no free minutes for this one. 😞

 

Can you buy individual days? We really only need it for sea days. We'll have cell service in port. He should only need to check a couple of times a day. Or is it more cost efficient to get it for the whole cruise? We'd probably need 4, maybe 5 days if we did it daily. 

 

How does the Surf package work for things like uploading photos, or downloading audiobooks or Kindle books? If we have internet, I may want to make use of those features if possible. But not sure it's worth paying for the Premium for.

[Haboob]

50 minutes ago, andio2of5 said:

Yeah, you might be right about the price but I remember telling him to get the middle package cause he didn’t need streaming and I assumed that’s what he got. Anyway.....the internet speed was slow, slower and slowest.....reminded me of how it was a few years ago. .....I burned up my free minutes just trying to keep up with email and journaling. Unlimited package is the way to go .....no stress about using your minutes 😄

 

You got slower speed because your ship was using the same satellites it was using those few years ago.  The O3b constellation that allows the "just like home" speeds orbits much lower and doesn't reach Alaska.

[Dani24]

1 hour ago, steelers36 said:

If it is for the same length voyage, your quoted price seems more like the Premium package ($140 less 25%)???  If the OP's prices are correct, the middle package is being offered at $100 without any Circle status.  Anyway, I am quite sure the OP will find a good price on board "Day 1".

 

My prices were pulled from the Personalized this evening. It looks like they may still have it open for booking. I'd love if someone could confirm the embarkation day price so I know whether to jump on this or just wait. 

[Steelers36]

6 minutes ago, Dani24 said:

 

We'll be Platinum on our next cruise, so no free minutes for this one. 😞

 

Can you buy individual days? We really only need it for sea days. We'll have cell service in port. He should only need to check a couple of times a day. Or is it more cost efficient to get it for the whole cruise? We'd probably need 4, maybe 5 days if we did it daily. 

 

How does the Surf package work for things like uploading photos, or downloading audiobooks or Kindle books? If we have internet, I may want to make use of those features if possible. But not sure it's worth paying for the Premium for.

No, you cannot book individual days, such as periodic sea days (like you can with Sanctuary).  You might be better off to pay for a block of minutes package.  Except your downloads could take up time.  I suggest you download books before you go, or connect to Wifi/Cellular in port and download then.  You can book for less days than the full cruise, but whenever you do book, you are booking/paying for the balance of days left in the cruise. 

 

IDK where you want to upload pictures.  If just the odd ones to FB or Instagram, then okay, but it might take a few minutes.  Surf isn't for doing a lot of up/down, but hard to say what might work.  I was able to connect to news sites (CTV News and Fox News) and play some videos on Majestic, but it has better internet.

 

Edited July 23, 2019 by steelers36

[Steelers36]

2 minutes ago, Dani24 said:

 

My prices were pulled from the Personalized this evening. It looks like they may still have it open for booking. I'd love if someone could confirm the embarkation day price so I know whether to jump on this or just wait. 

Hope someone from a recent cruise who booked a package that way and has the info at hand.   GL.  It won't be worse than Personalizer pricing.  Do you have OBC to spend?

[Dani24]

1 minute ago, steelers36 said:

Hope someone from a recent cruise who booked a package that way and has the info at hand.   GL.  It won't be worse than Personalizer pricing.  Do you have OBC to spend?

 

We will have a good chunk of OBC available once we board. Though it's already earmarked for other stuff, so we'd likely be paying extra for internet. 

 

If you book in advance and the price is better the first day, will they adjust the price, or let you cancel and re-buy?

 

Do they advertise the embarkation price in the Patter? Someone posted those from our same ship/itinerary two months ago. I could check that if it might list the price.

[Steelers36]

12 minutes ago, Dani24 said:

 

We will have a good chunk of OBC available once we board. Though it's already earmarked for other stuff, so we'd likely be paying extra for internet. 

 

If you book in advance and the price is better the first day, will they adjust the price, or let you cancel and re-buy?

 

Do they advertise the embarkation price in the Patter? Someone posted those from our same ship/itinerary two months ago. I could check that if it might list the price.

Not in Patter, you will find the price offers when you connect to the internet (<shipname>.princess.com) once you are on board.  Or, you can visit the Internet Cafe, which will be staffed pretty much all afternoon, plus evening, on embarkation day.  They will have all the details there. 

 

As an example, on our recent Medallion cruise (Regal) I had booked ahead of time, but the price was $10 lower on board "day one" ($7.50 after our 25% discount).  The Internet Cafe manager cheerfully refunded $7.50 to each of our on board accounts.

 

ETA:  In my case I had called Princess and was told I was getting the best price in advance.  So I had something to stand on, but it wasn't an issue.  IC Manager knew what we had paid ahead of time.  I GTG - good night.  Will check this thread tomorrow.

Edited July 23, 2019 by steelers36