Need Savvy Internet/Key adviser for computer challenged seniors

[OC PAT]

Hello wise ones and that includes you OCSC Mike!

We are Diamond, leaving on an 8-day cruise on the Enchantment to New England at the end of the month.  We are seniors who fake their understanding of the Internet World.  She has a laptop for emails and FB and an iPad for games. He has an iPad for delving into the secrets of the Internet world and a reader pad that he downloads books pre-cruise.  We have 1 cell phone rarely on for emergencies. We want to continue our internet behaviors.  How does the Diamond discount figure into the costs of the Key, do we get something off?  If we don't do the Key, how should we purchase our Internet package?  Right now, the costs are $27.99 per person per day for the Key, $21.99 Voom Surf Package for 1 device, per day, per guest and states discount for additional but doesn't quote that price, and the Voom Surf Voyage is $17.99 per day, per guest, per device and again not quoting the additional costs for additional devices.

If we go on one device each and compare the Key costs to the Voom surf, we are paying about $50.00 more for the priority perks offered so I am thinking that's not so bad, but do we really need the Voom surf and if not, we are paying $80.00 more.

We would appreciate your thoughts as to what we should book.   Also, any chance the rates will go down?  THANKS!

[HicksRA]

Really depends on if the two of you can get by on just one Voom pkg or if you each need it. 
If both don’t need Voom, the Key would be a waste of money IMO. In fact, it’s always a waste of money in my view. 

Edited August 9, 2022 by HicksRA

[OC PAT]

Just now, HicksRA said:

Really depends on if the two of you can get by on just one Voom pkg or if you each need it. 
If both don’t need Voom, the Key would be a waste of money IMO. 

That is part of my challenge.  What would getting by on 1 Voom pkg mean?  

[HicksRA]

2 minutes ago, OC PAT said:

That is part of my challenge.  What would getting by on 1 Voom pkg mean?  

Unless you both need to be on Voom at the same time, you can each use one account and there’s no need to buy two. If you buy the key, everyone in the cabin has to buy it. 

[robmtx]

3 minutes ago, OC PAT said:

That is part of my challenge.  What would getting by on 1 Voom pkg mean?  

When you buy Voom, you choose the number of simultaneous connections you'd like to have. Royal calls it number of devices, but really it's simultaneous connections. You can bring 10 internet capable devices with you, but you can only login to 1 at a time, 2 at a time, etc., depending on the package you select.

 

So what we mean is, do you both want to be surfing the web at the same time? If so, you want a 2 device package. If you don't mind taking turns, you can get 1 device package.

 

The package is given to you like a website login (like e.g. you created an account here and login with your pw). When you login to your device with the instructions provided,  you get internet access.

 

If you want to use another device, you login with the info you created during the setup. If you have 1 device plan, you'll get a message saying there's an active device..and for your convenience there is an option to kick the other device offline so you can use your new device.

[robmtx]

To further clarify:

You can buy a Voom acct for each person OR you can buy an account for one person and choose to have multiple devices. 

The latter is cheaper as you get discount for multiple devices.

We never buy more than one account, and just choose the number of devices we need. I think the max is 4 per account now.

 

Again, they should clarify that by "devices" they mean "simultaneous connections" as there really is NO LIMIT to number of devices. This is why we recommend one acct and one device connection if you will never be on the internet at the same time. You can just share it.

[firefly333]

There is no way to get any discount for diamond before you cruise..once you board prices are higher so even a discount doesnt really help. 

 

I do games so always get the higher pkg which bought for one day onboard lately has been 32.99. So now I wait for the end of the cruise pricing. I don't buy for the whole cruise. Lol everyone was critical when I said wifi is why I want pinnacle some day.

[LeeW]

Seniors here.  We use our Diamond single day first, one each for the first two days (you will have to create two voom accounts for the two people unless you go down to the help desk).  Then buy surf only for the rest of the cruise.  One connection - we take turns.  Now with Diamond +, we get two days each so may need to rethink.

[OC PAT]

Thank you all.  I think I got it.  Diamond discount of a free day first. Can we both have our free day on the same time?  We both will want to use the internet at the same time, so we then get the package for 2 devices/connections. Should we get surf or voyage?

It seems like the general consensus is that the Key is not a good deal because we have to buy 2 packages whereas, be it surf or voyage, we buy 1 package for 2 connections which make more dollar sense.  The additional perks of Key are not considered a value for the costs or needed perks.

 

[brillohead]

My recommendation, if you're both going to want to use the internet at the same time, is to forget about your Diamond benefit.

Purchase Voom Surf-n-Stream for two devices now, before the cruise.  When you go into your Cruise Planner, select Voom, and then as you go through the purchasing process, there will be a drop-down menu where you can change the number of devices.  Choose "2" and check out.  (You only need to do this for ONE person on the reservation.) It will show you the price for each option.

For example, one of my cruises is $175.92 for one device and $303.92 for two devices.  If I bought two single devices, it would cost about $48 more than purchasing a two-device plan.  (I actually did this -- got a two-device plan and I'm splitting it with a friend who is traveling in a separate room.  We're sharing the savings!)

The reason I recommend forgetting about your Diamond discount is because the on-board price is likely to be $30/day, so even with your free day each, you're going to end up spending way more than the cost of just purchasing the entire thing in advance.

I hope this makes sense.  Feel free to ask any questions for clarification.  Also, there is a Voom specialist on board with regular hours posted and they can help you with connection issues on board, if you have any. 

[livingonthebeach]

The Key is advantageous when it is only a few dollars over Surf and Stream and you are traveling solo. Otherwise, like others have pointed out, it is not worth it. 

 

I wish RCI would credit the 24 hour Diamond benefit to the cost of the internet package -- but they won't. 

[Biker19]

19 hours ago, OC PAT said:

Hello wise ones and that includes you OCSC Mike!

If you want to notify someone use the @OCSC Mike call out.

[OC PAT]

On 8/10/2022 at 7:49 AM, Biker19 said:

If you want to notify someone use the @OCSC Mike call out.

Of course, thanks for the nudge reminder!