Ok, I got some WIFI updates!

[screenname2004]

2 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

 

hm.. on your bliss cruise, maybe when you're down to 3 days ($90 cost), you can use the $100 trade-in to get free unlimited?

That is not how it work. Day 3 - 7 is $90 regardless if you used your free minutes or not. If you haven't used any of your minutes, you can upgrade from the app. If you have used your minutes, go talk to the internet manager.

[rockfsh]

How do you get your username and password if you have a package?

[DorothyB]

4 minutes ago, rockfsh said:

How do you get your username and password if you have a package?

It has been a few years since I sailed, but it was a relatively simple process requiring use of your stateroom number and name - can't remember if birthdate was part of it also, but don't think so.  I get a package every cruise and never had an issue.

[mking8288]

12 minutes ago, rockfsh said:

How do you get your username and password if you have a package?

Nowadays, whether you have a package or not, and regardless of which one, free or otherwise - you connect to ship's correct WiFi onboard (there are several, some are hidden ones - SSiD) - it will prompt you for specific info unique & should not be known to you - verified or validated, it will auto-assigned userID, etc.  On that basis, you login and logout - especially if you are using more than 1 device, sharing or using among multiple devices and/or users. 

 

And, you do not get a reduced or discounted upgrade cost total if you wait until Day 2, Day 3 or Day 4 - as prorated like before - that is no longer valid or offered/available - it is a flat rate (no Latitudes discount combinable or stacked, either - changed from before / years ago as in pre-Covid)  

 

This is true on the Getaway and the Joy, once onboard at Day 1 and get a chance, I check & proceed to do the one person, one device-at-a-time upgrade & trade-up, and go that to offset those non-refundable OBC associated with the account. 

[lkjacobs]

12 minutes ago, rockfsh said:

How do you get your username and password if you have a package?

There’s no username or password. You enter your last name and birthdate. A pop up will display available options, such as free or prepaid packages, if any, or what can be purchased if not. 
 

Tap “Redeem” for your package. If available when redeemed, another pop up will offer upgrade options. Read it carefully, since it may present a credit for your free package. Either select the upgrade or scroll to the bottom to keep your current plan. If you’re eligible, the upgrade will only be presented this one time. Like just about everything aboard, charges will be billed to your cabin, so be sure to have a credit card on record. 

[lkjacobs]

58 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

Nowadays, whether you have a package or not, and regardless of which one, free or otherwise - you connect to ship's correct WiFi onboard (there are several, some are hidden ones - SSiD) - it will prompt you for specific info unique & should not be known to you - verified or validated, it will auto-assigned userID, etc.  On that basis, you login and logout - especially if you are using more than 1 device, sharing or using among multiple devices and/or users. 

 

And, you do not get a reduced or discounted upgrade cost total if you wait until Day 2, Day 3 or Day 4 - as prorated like before - that is no longer valid or offered/available - it is a flat rate (no Latitudes discount combinable or stacked, either - changed from before / years ago as in pre-Covid)  

 

This is true on the Getaway and the Joy, once onboard at Day 1 and get a chance, I check & proceed to do the one person, one device-at-a-time upgrade & trade-up, and go that to offset those non-refundable OBC associated with the account. 

Sorry, but that’s not completely accurate. 
 

Once you log in on each device, using your last name and birthdate, it will remember your credentials. When “login.com” (without quotes) is again typed in the browser’s address bar, you’ll get the screen showing remaining minutes and a “Go Online” button. Tapping that button will put you on the internet if it was the last device used, or will offer a button to disconnect the other device if not. 
 

Except for short itineraries, upgrades from Free-at-Sea minutes to an unlimited plan are available on Days 1 and 2. Waiting for Day 2 reduces the upgrade cost by one day, though the credit for your FAS package is the same. The Internet Manager may choose to extend the upgrade window, particularly on cruises longer than 7 days, but that’s at his/her discretion. 
 

A Latitudes discount is available for the full purchase of a basic or premium unlimited package for Platinum members or above. It cannot be applied to upgrades nor the unlimited social media plan. 
 

Except when grandfathered for old reservations, free Latitudes minutes no longer are offered. If your booking was made long ago, those minutes can be added to the FAS minutes if the reservation wasn’t a Sail-Away rate. 
 

You are correct that internet purchases made aboard, including upgrades, can be debited against non-refundable OBC. 

[robin13]

I'm going on a 10-day British Isles cruise in three weeks.  I received 150 free minutes but I want to upgrade to the Unlimited Wi-Fi.  It says the price is $199.  If I go to the internet cafe when I board how much will they credit me for not using the free 150 minutes?  Also, I swear in the past the Social Media package included web browsing and looking at emails.  Now it is just for social media and nothing else.  Did they change that since my last cruise last September? 

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, robin13 said:

I'm going on a 10-day British Isles cruise in three weeks.  I received 150 free minutes but I want to upgrade to the Unlimited Wi-Fi.  It says the price is $199.  If I go to the internet cafe when I board how much will they credit me for not using the free 150 minutes?  Also, I swear in the past the Social Media package included web browsing and looking at emails.  Now it is just for social media and nothing else.  Did they change that since my last cruise last September? 

The upgrade cost is the same on the ship. You just need to wait in line for an hour if you want the internet manager to help you. 

[robin13]

Just now, BirdTravels said:

The upgrade cost is the same on the ship. You just need to wait in line for an hour if you want the internet manager to help you. 

I thought you got a credit for not using their free minutes?  Is that not true?

[lkjacobs]

7 hours ago, robin13 said:

I'm going on a 10-day British Isles cruise in three weeks.  I received 150 free minutes but I want to upgrade to the Unlimited Wi-Fi.  It says the price is $199.  If I go to the internet cafe when I board how much will they credit me for not using the free 150 minutes?  Also, I swear in the past the Social Media package included web browsing and looking at emails.  Now it is just for social media and nothing else.  Did they change that since my last cruise last September? 

The price for Basic Unlimited internet is (rounding off) $30 per day. That’s $300 for a 10-day cruise. You’ll get a $100 credit against that cost for your 150 minute promotion. That’s where the price you see comes from. It’s the same in advance or onboard on embarkation day. On Day 2, the cost drops by one day ($30). On a 10-day itinerary, the Internet Manager may extend the upgrade window to 3 days, but that should be confirmed before assuming anything. 
 

When you redeem the promo minutes onboard, a pop-up window will offer you the upgrades (Basic and Premium unlimited). You don’t need to speak with anyone to avail yourself of the offer and receive the $100 credit (read the small print under the prices to verify the credit). 
 

The Unlimited Social Media plan is half the price of the Basic Unlimited, so it never included what’s the heart of that plan. Otherwise, there’d be no sense offering both. By the way, there’s no upgrade credit for the USM package. 
 

All of this, and much more, is included in my earlier posts on this board. 

[fstuff1]

On 9/3/2022 at 1:58 PM, robin13 said:

I'm going on a 10-day British Isles cruise in three weeks.  I received 150 free minutes but I want to upgrade to the Unlimited Wi-Fi.  It says the price is $199.  If I go to the internet cafe when I board how much will they credit me for not using the free 150 minutes?  Also, I swear in the past the Social Media package included web browsing and looking at emails.  Now it is just for social media and nothing else.  Did they change that since my last cruise last September? 

 

the trade-in requires you buying at least 5 days worth of service according to the internet mgr i spoke to earlier this year.

 

so you can't upgrade to unlimited 3 days before the cruise is over for free. :(

 

thus upgrade price last 5 days of cruise:

($30 x 5) -100 for 150min trade in = $50 or $10/day

 

Confirm with internet mgr on day 2 if you're going to follow my plan!

Edited September 4, 2022 by fstuff1

[lkjacobs]

32 minutes ago, fstuff1 said:

 

the trade-in requires you buying at least 5 days worth of service according to the internet mgr i spoke to earlier this year.

 

so you can't upgrade to unlimited 3 days before the cruise is over for free. :(

 

thus upgrade price last 5 days of cruise:

($30 x 5) -100 for 150min trade in = $50 or $10/day

 

Confirm with internet mgr on day 2 if you're going to follow my plan!

The upgrade parameters typically relate to cruise length. The standard for 7-day itineraries is to charge one day less on Day 2 and then either to remove upgrade options completely or lock the cost at the Day 2 price. I’ve seen the occasional manager who does something different, but most follow one of those two paths. 
 

On very short itineraries, upgrading may only be allowed on embarkation day. 
 

For the 10-day cruise being questioned, I’d strongly recommend touching base with the Internet Manager to clarify his/her plan. Though it may be extended to Day 3, I’d be more than shocked if upgrading to a 5-day price was allowed. It’s not just a matter of revenue; such a policy would overstress available bandwidth with lots of passengers uploading photos and videos saved over all the previous days. 

[bundtkate]

Does the social media package generally support all chat apps that work over WiFi? I know the list in the description on NCL's site isn't meant to be exhaustive, but I want to make sure my pet sitter can reach me in case of emergency. My 250 free minutes won't last long if I need to always be logged in, but I also don't see myself actively using the WiFi much so it would be great if the social media package would do the trick. 🤞

[lkjacobs]

9 hours ago, bundtkate said:

Does the social media package generally support all chat apps that work over WiFi? I know the list in the description on NCL's site isn't meant to be exhaustive, but I want to make sure my pet sitter can reach me in case of emergency. My 250 free minutes won't last long if I need to always be logged in, but I also don't see myself actively using the WiFi much so it would be great if the social media package would do the trick. 🤞

To specifically answer your question, the Unlimited Social Media package supports just about every app that anyone typically would put in that category, except for TikTok, which is considered to be streaming. It certainly includes FB, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp. Stand-alone video conferencing apps, other than FaceTime, (Zoom, Duo, Teams, etc.) require the Premium Unlimited package, though similar functions are supported in all packages if they’re within social media apps. 
 

However… if you have promotional minutes (250 or, more likely, 150) do the math. You’ll probably end up better off upgrading it to a Basic Unlimited plan and taking the credit for your promo. On a 7-day cruise, for example, upgrading on embarkation day would cost (7 x 30) = $210 minus $100 for 150 minutes or $125 for 250 minutes. The USM plan would be (7 x 15) = $105. If you can wait until Day 2, it gets even better, since the BU drops by $30 but the USM only goes down $15. 

[robin13]

Just now, lkjacobs said:

To specifically answer your question, the Unlimited Social Media package supports just about every app that anyone typically would put in that category, except for TikTok, which is considered to be streaming. It certainly includes FB, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp. Stand-alone video conferencing apps, other than FaceTime, (Zoom, Duo, Teams, etc.) require the Premium Unlimited package, though similar functions are supported in all packages if they’re within social media apps. 
 

However… if you have promotional minutes (250 or, more likely, 150) do the math. You’ll probably end up better off upgrading it to a Basic Unlimited plan and taking the credit for your promo. On a 7-day cruise, for example, upgrading on embarkation day would cost (7 x 30) = $210 minus $100 for 150 minutes or $125 for 250 minutes. The USM plan would be (7 x 15) = $105. If you can wait until Day 2, it gets even better, since the BU drops by $30 but the USM only goes down $15. 

Thanks for explaining this.  I have OBC and will use it to upgrade when I board.  

[bundtkate]

4 hours ago, lkjacobs said:

However… if you have promotional minutes (250 or, more likely, 150) do the math.

An excellent point, but on a 14-day itinerary, the math is not in my favor assuming no special considerations for longer itineraries. $30 per day would be $420 - $125 (I do have 250 promo minutes) = $295 while the social media package is a cool $175. I'll defs keep that math in mind for my next 7-day, though! And thanks for the info about what's included. Sounds like it will do the trick. 🙂

[lkjacobs]

2 hours ago, bundtkate said:

An excellent point, but on a 14-day itinerary, the math is not in my favor assuming no special considerations for longer itineraries. $30 per day would be $420 - $125 (I do have 250 promo minutes) = $295 while the social media package is a cool $175. I'll defs keep that math in mind for my next 7-day, though! And thanks for the info about what's included. Sounds like it will do the trick. 🙂

I obviously made an assumption about cruise length, not knowing that you’re on a 14-day itinerary. Be sure to check with the Internet Manager before making a decision to assure that the daily rates don’t change on such a long cruise. You can also view the upgrade costs when you log into your My NCL account and look at the Summary page. 
 

By the way, I think that 14 x 15 = $210 rather than $175. 
 

If you select the Social Media plan, realize that it will block everything else. You can’t Google, check any emails, access banking apps or even check in for your flight home. 

[bundtkate]

19 minutes ago, lkjacobs said:

I obviously made an assumption about cruise length, not knowing that you’re on a 14-day itinerary.

Oh, for sure. Definitely did not mean to imply anything by that at all. It was all definitely good advice regardless and I don't expect anyone to read minds.

 

21 minutes ago, lkjacobs said:

By the way, I think that 14 x 15 = $210 rather than $175. 

 Now, this is interesting. You're right, but I pulled that cost from My NCL, not math, so it seems they are charging a bit less per day there. Or maybe still giving me some credit for my minutes? My NCL says $294 for the regular unlimited so looks like past knowledge held true there. I wonder why the difference? 🤔

 

22 minutes ago, lkjacobs said:

If you select the Social Media plan, realize that it will block everything else. You can’t Google, check any emails, access banking apps or even check in for your flight home. 

A valid point about the flight. I can totally do without the rest of that (and most social media, for that matter), but we're flying home on Southwest so checking in right when it opens is kind of important for getting seats together. We're traveling with a group, so I guess I'll see if anyone else caves and gets the full package. If not, well, I guess that could be worth the extra ~$125.

[EllieinNJ]

Let me see if I get this right.  If we have the FAS 300 minutes on a 7 day cruise and want to upgrade on embarkation day it will cost $110.  If we wait until day 2 it will only cost $80?  Do they add any cost if you use any of the free minutes on day 1?

[lkjacobs]

36 minutes ago, bundtkate said:

Oh, for sure. Definitely did not mean to imply anything by that at all. It was all definitely good advice regardless and I don't expect anyone to read minds.

 

 Now, this is interesting. You're right, but I pulled that cost from My NCL, not math, so it seems they are charging a bit less per day there. Or maybe still giving me some credit for my minutes? My NCL says $294 for the regular unlimited so looks like past knowledge held true there. I wonder why the difference? 🤔

 

A valid point about the flight. I can totally do without the rest of that (and most social media, for that matter), but we're flying home on Southwest so checking in right when it opens is kind of important for getting seats together. We're traveling with a group, so I guess I'll see if anyone else caves and gets the full package. If not, well, I guess that could be worth the extra ~$125.

Looks like they’re offering the social media for only $12.50 per day. Again, check with the Internet Manager onboard. Also ask if there’s a special package available only on the last day that accesses all non-streaming sites. That’s specifically for flight check-ins. I’ve seen things like 30 minutes for 20 bucks. 

[hallux]

10 minutes ago, EllieinNJ said:

Do they add any cost if you use any of the free minutes on day 1?

If one of the passengers in the cabin activates their minutes they no longer qualify for the upgrade pricing as the upgrade is offered at the time of the activation.  You'd have to sweet-talk the internet manager to allow you to upgrade on day 2 if you've activated and used some of your time...

[lkjacobs]

13 minutes ago, EllieinNJ said:

Let me see if I get this right.  If we have the FAS 300 minutes on a 7 day cruise and want to upgrade on embarkation day it will cost $110.  If we wait until day 2 it will only cost $80?  Do they add any cost if you use any of the free minutes on day 1?

Not quite. You and the second person in the cabin each have a 150 minute FAS plan. They’re separate plans. Neither, one or both may be upgraded to the Unlimited Basic package each for the prices you note. Most Internet Managers don’t care if minutes have been used before upgrading, though they need to manually process those upgrades (you can do it yourself if not redeemed), though I can’t speak for every one of them.