NCL Internet needs a major upgrade, slow and expensive

[Sailorman2022]

I love NCL but sorry if I have to say this their internet provider is an expensive rip off and shame for NCL up-charging their customers to visit certain sites for a "Premium Plan" The last cruise I was on I spend over $300 for internet where I got no work done at all, and pages loaded slower than a dial up connection on a sunny day. I had internet on other cruise lines like "Princess" for example that only charges you $10 per day and has way faster internet using low orbit satellites and now RCL has announced they are teaming up with "Starlink" to give customers high speed internet like you would have at home. I was simply amazed and happy that they noticed more and more people are working while traveling and upgrading their technology. NCL is stuck in the prehistoric age using the oldest satellite technology with slow high orbit satellites and doing absolutely nothing to move to the future and keep costs low. While other cruise lines are upgrading their systems NCL internet just keeps getting worse and noticed last year the prices for internet went up.

 

On my cruises on NCL I meet a lot of people that travel and complain the same thing that no work can be done and NCL all these years are doing nothing at all to improve their service but keep raising their prices. As a person myself that needs to get some work done I am really hesitant booking anymore cruises with NCL and having to give them money for subpar internet and the price of $30 - $35 for slow internet is crazy.

 

Really the CEO of NCL really needs to step up his game, as more people need to be connected and travel a good internet is key. Just look how open RCL is and once they have starlink on it will really be like being at home with pages loading almost instantly, while on NCL you will be paying $300 for a webpage to load for 10 seconds, NCL it's 2022 time to do something!

 

 

 

Edited August 31, 2022 by Sailorman2022

[ChiefMateJRK]

I'm guessing that the vast majority of cruisers don't do any work while on vacation, so ultra high speed internet simply isn't a priority.

[Sailorman2022]

8 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I'm guessing that the vast majority of cruisers don't do any work while on vacation, so ultra high speed internet simply isn't a priority.

Maybe it was not in the past, but the more and more people I meet on my cruises including myself like NCL the past few months and year I noticed a big uptick of people needing to get work done, with remote work becoming very popular now internet is very crucial. I actually met a few people on other cruise lines that are actually working from the cruise ships and get to have their office out on the open ocean which is pretty cool, with RCL's starlink it's gonna be a gamechanger and good for them since they will get more business for that group that really need good internet while enjoying a cruise. Wish NCL started doing at least something.

Edited August 31, 2022 by Sailorman2022

[UKstages]

free and fast internet is "table stakes" in the hospitality industry.

 

if it works properly, even if slow, cruise lines could justify charging for it.

 

but NCL has subpar internet at best. i bought the so-called "premium" plan on my last cruise and suffered through speeds (1.5 Mbps) that might amuse a dial up modem.

 

i'm about to head out on a 15 day back-to-back and will not purchase a plan. i'll make do with a few minutes here and there  and then use cell phone service in my port-intensive itinerary to bermuda, new england and canada.

 

as for whether or not people work while cruising, many do indeed work while on holiday, or at least need to check on certain things, even if they are mostly taking it easy. but whether they are working is largely irrelevant to a person's need or desire to satay connected. email, banking, monitoring security back at home, social media, keeping in touch with friends and family... these all require an internet connection.

 

again, in 2022, free and fast internet is table stakes.

[graphicguy]

Honestly, I've head all the marketing brouhaha about "improved" internet at sea.  All of it is just "fluff" at this point.

 

It has way more to do about where you're located at sea than the marketing names the cruise lines use.

 

I had excellent internet on both NCL and Celebrity in the Caribbean.  I had terrible internet on both Royal and NCL while in Alaskan waters.

[ChiefMateJRK]

2 minutes ago, UKstages said:

whether they are working is largely irrelevant to a person's need or desire to satay connected. email, banking, monitoring security back at home, social media, keeping in touch with friends and family...

We generally don't do any of that while on vacation.  Some still don't do any "social media" at all.  Many here are old enough to remember when going on vacation meant leaving the house key and hotel phone numbers with the neighbor and then just fully enjoying the time away.  "Keeping in touch" might mean sending a post card with a nice photo of the destination being visited.  Better times?

[ColeThornton]

2 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Better times?

 

Maybe not, maybe yes.

 

How about it's just "different times", just as things have changed over the history of mankind. 

 

[UKstages]

whether or not somebody works on a vacation, or sends an email or makes a video call to friends and family, is a personal choice, much like whether or not they eat at the american diner, make use of the arcade or the casino.

 

but if you do decide to pay for a meal at the american diner, you expect your food to be cooked, brought to you within a reasonable amount of time and served on plates with the use of free utensils and napkins. similarly, if you play skeeball, you expect nine balls to drop down each time the machine is activated and tickets to spit out after a successfully completed high scoring game. if you should be fortunate enough to get a handpaid jackpot at the casino, it is reasonable to expect them to bring you the correct amount of money without a three hour wait. 

 

if they make you wait three hours to get paid in the casino, or if they serve you an uncooked hamburger at the american diner or the skeeball machine only dispenses six balls and no tickets... you have a right to complain. and in many cases, you should receive compensation.

 

people who complain about internet speeds and reliability on NCL have a legitimate beef that remains largely unaddressed by NCL's resolution team or those responsible for the IT infrastructure on the ship.

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, UKstages said:

if they make you wait three hours to get paid in the casino, or if they serve you an uncooked hamburger at the american diner or the skeeball machine only dispenses six balls and no tickets... you have a right to complain. and in many cases, you should receive compensation.

 

people who complain about internet speeds and reliability on NCL have a legitimate beef that remains largely unaddressed by NCL's resolution team or those responsible for the IT infrastructure on the ship.

I agree, but you're kind of supporting my point.  If 80% of cruisers were hyper-focused on skeeball or high stakes gambling, then there would be a strong business incentive for NCL to focus their limited resources on those areas.  They aren't and they don't.  I believe that the same is true, to an extent, with high speed internet.  CC is very likely not a representative slice of the demographic when it comes to internet usage.  More likely, the top 5% wrt focus on internet as a key part of their vacation.  Even here, some (like myself) couldn't care less about internet speed/reliability.  I use about ten minutes of the 150 free (or whatever it is now) minutes and could easily live without it.  Does that mean everybody feels that way?  Of course not.  But if 90% of the cruisers are like me (I think they are), then don't expect internet complaints to get a lot of attention at NCL any time soon.  They're too focused on more important things (like not running out of booze).

[UKstages]

35 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I agree, but you're kind of supporting my point.  If 80% of cruisers were hyper-focused on skeeball or high stakes gambling, then there would be a strong business incentive for NCL to focus their limited resources on those areas.  

 

actually, you don't agree at all with what i am saying. and my statements certainly do not support your point. you either believe that the internet is "table stakes" for hospitality companies (including cruise lines) or you don't. i can't change your mind on that. you eschew the internet and have little use for it. but that doesn't change the fact that 92% of americans have some sort of internet connection and most use it every day.

 

respectfully, the flaw in your logic is actually why NCL internet sucks so badly. it was built for the world in which you live, a world in which few people use the internet while on vacation, rather than the world most NCL customers today inhabit... one in which daily internet connectivity is required, regardless of where they are or what they are doing.

 

and i certainly never implied that 80% of cruisers were "hyper-focused" on anything and certainly not on skeeball. my arcade, american diner and casino references were to illustrate that if any other part of the ship's services are not functioning, there are systems in place to ensure guest satisfaction and rectify the lapse in service. they wouldn't knowingly or intentionally serve you raw or undercooked food and if they do, there are a series of corrective measures that they take to ensure that it (most likely) won't happen again.

 

but NCL's attitude on internet is seemingly that "this is the very best we could possibly do" and "if it doesn't work properly because the number of passengers using the internet exceeds the capacity of our provider to provide the expected speeds, please do not expect a refund or OBC." 

 

and not for nuthin', but a substantial number of cruise ship passengers do indeed gamble and NCL does focus many resources on a robust player development program. the casino is a major revenue center!

Edited August 31, 2022 by UKstages

[ChiefMateJRK]

25 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

actually, you don't agree at all with what i am saying. and my statements certainly do not support your point. you either believe that the internet is "table stakes" for hospitality companies (including cruise lines) or you don't. i can't change your mind on that. you eschew the internet and have little use for it. but that doesn't change the fact that 92% of americans have some sort of internet connection and most use it every day.

 

respectfully, the flaw in your logic is actually why NCL internet sucks so badly. it was built for the world in which you live, a world in which few people use the internet while on vacation, rather than the world most NCL customers today inhabit... one in which daily internet connectivity is required, regardless of where they are or what they are doing.

 

and i certainly never implied that 80% of cruisers were "hyper-focused" on anything and certainly not on skeeball. my arcade, american diner and casino references were to illustrate that if any other part of the ship's services are not functioning, there are systems in place to ensure guest satisfaction and rectify the lapse in service.

 

but NCL's attitude on internet is seemingly that "this is the very best we could possibly do" and "if it doesn't work properly because the number of passengers using the internet exceeds the capacity of our provider to provide the expected speeds, please do not expect a refund or OBC." 

 

and not for nuthin', but a substantial number of cruise ship passengers do indeed gamble and NCL does focus many resources on a robust player development program. the casino is a major revenue center!

Lighten up....

[fredflint]

When RCCL came out with  VOOM a while ago and it was pretty good I am hoping that starlink is just as good.

 

prices were not cheap though:

The "Voom Surf and Stream" package is available for $17.99 per day, per device, and includes the ability to stream your favorite shows, movies and music at sea. "Voom Surf and Stream" also offers discounts for multiple devices, with a family rate starting from $11.99 per device, per day.

 

 

We always get the package so we can do as video call back home if we need to and to steam some  shows as well as check on the house etc.

 

We are usually taking 14 day cruises and on a Transatlantice we have had 5 days in a row at sea so  using an islands internet is not always an option.  If the Internet is poor on our next cruise on the Star we will probably cross NCL off of our list.  We were on the Epic quite a few years ago and I think the internet was OK then but a lot more people are using it now than 5 years ago!

[cruiserbear55]

5 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Lighten up....

  I think you might have been called "old"!!

[ChiefMateJRK]

27 minutes ago, cruiserbear55 said:

  I think you might have been called "old"!!

🤣I think you're right.  The ironic thing?  DD has cruised with us and she used the internet even less than I did (think "zero").  I get it that some folks have a job that truly requires them to be on the internet during vacation.  For every one of those, there are nine who pretend to be important and like to "dial in" back at work just to feel like the place can't run without them and also to annoy their coworkers with tales of having a fantastic cruise ("then why are you on the internet talking to us??" 😝).  If you are a manager at Megacorp and you can't be gone for a week, then you've done a lousy job training and equipping your staff.  If, OTOH, you're a small business owner taking your first vacation in ten years, then you are that 10% and you have my sympathy.  I'll buy you a (free) drink while you recharge (your device, not yourself).

[Sweetnspicy]

If the internet was better I would go on more cruises. I work remotely and can go wherever I like and work. I would love to work on the Bliss to Alaska but unfortunately the WiFi just isn’t going to cut it. I don’t even need to work all day but probably 2-4 hours. We’re going to Mexico soon and I’ll be doing my work by the pool for a couple hours. When I get hot I’ll cannonball in and then get back to my spreadsheets and emails until the margaritas arrive. 

[cruiseny4life]

13 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

🤣I think you're right.  The ironic thing?  DD has cruised with us and she used the internet even less than I did (think "zero").  I get it that some folks have a job that truly requires them to be on the internet during vacation.  For every one of those, there are nine who pretend to be important and like to "dial in" back at work just to feel like the place can't run without them and also to annoy their coworkers with tales of having a fantastic cruise ("then why are you on the internet talking to us??" 😝).  If you are a manager at Megacorp and you can't be gone for a week, then you've done a lousy job training and equipping your staff.  If, OTOH, you're a small business owner taking your first vacation in ten years, then you are that 10% and you have my sympathy.  I'll buy you a (free) drink while you recharge (your device, not yourself).

I'm one of those managers at a Megacorp...except that our company is about 500, so not really mega. There is not a chance in he!! that I'm signing in to any work-related app while I'm gone. I'm not that important and I do prep my staff so I can be away and not give a flying monkey about work. 

 

Oh Saturday can't come soon enough Chief!

[uneamie]

The fact that Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Silversea ships are all implementing new high speed Internet must mean that there is a call for it. Norwegian is launching 2 new ships, one would think that they thought ahead and have added this to them. They are advertising them both as their new "Luxury" ships which implies to me that they are an upgrade to their other ships. I am sailing on the Prima in May with a bonus free Internet package, meaning I get a whole 72 minutes for free. When speed is crawling 72 minutes is hardly a bonus. I do not work while vacationing but I do have a disabled brother I take care of that will be at home and need to communicate with him and his sitter daily so I may need to buy some time. I still love Norwegian so this is not a deal breaker for me...just a frustration when you see other lines upgrading their Internet and booking a NEW ship that is not up to date on that. 

[graphicguy]

Royal's VOOM was/is underwhelming.  Tried it on a couple of cruises with Royal.  Meh!

 

People who have Starlink on land are not enamored with it, either.  I think it's kind of like Hughesnet or any of the other Sat based ISPs.

 

To me, it's another internet marketing term.  Is/will it be better than VOOM or NCL's internet?  Fundamentally, it's still Sat based ISP.  

 

I have been sailing since internet wasn't even available on ships.  Had a good time with and a good time without internet.

 

As far as doing work?  I have always been able to connect to internet when docked.  If there is something so dire, so in need of my input, so life and death, that someone needs to reach me immediately, I shouldn't be on vacation.

 

Retired now...but surprisingly, while I was working and told people I was going on vacation, there were some who wanted to know if they could reach out to me.  The answer was always "NO, I'll be on a ship".  Know what?  The sky didn't fall, the earth kept spinning, the company did not collapse, and when I returned, aside from some catching up, things were normal.

[MoCruiseFan]

It is NOT s NCL issue... You obviously are like many if not most people who have no clue how the internet works.  Thia is a satellite connection that by its very nature is slow (especially compared to the typical high speed home internet connection).  Then add to that the fact that more than just a few people are using that narrow pipeline concurrently and you get slow downs on top of a (By its nature) is a slow connection. 
Do yourself a favor and unplug while you are in vacation.
 No one "NEEDS" to be on lien while on a cruise.  Unplug for a few days and enjoy things.  Your job will be there when you get home.

[wil e coyote]

Personally, I am firmly in the camp of those who cruise to get away from work and the internet. But that doesn't mean my perspective is the only correct one.

To the OP and others who believe faster internet onboard is important, I suggest you send your opinion directly to NCL, if you haven't already done so. As far as I know, NCL leadership doesn't monitor these discussion boards.

[julig22]

57 minutes ago, MoCruiseFan said:

It is NOT s NCL issue... You obviously are like many if not most people who have no clue how the internet works.  Thia is a satellite connection that by its very nature is slow (especially compared to the typical high speed home internet connection).  Then add to that the fact that more than just a few people are using that narrow pipeline concurrently and you get slow downs on top of a (By its nature) is a slow connection. 

Was just coming to post the same.

Also had a discussion with the IT manager while in the Baltics and he was saying that the political/war issues were also affecting reliability and security.

[PTC DAWG]

On 8/31/2022 at 11:29 AM, ChiefMateJRK said:

I'm guessing that the vast majority of cruisers don't do any work while on vacation, so ultra high speed internet simply isn't a priority.

Yeah, I’m glad I’m not that important, the world will keep spinning without my input for a week or so.  

[Laszlo]

4 hours ago, graphicguy said:

As far as doing work?  I have always been able to connect to internet when docked.  If there is something so dire, so in need of my input, so life and death, that someone needs to reach me immediately, I shouldn't be on vacation.

I used to be like that. Now I when I leave work on vacation I tell people don't contact me. If the building burns down send me an email so I won't bother coming in. If them company can't get along without for a week or two something is very wrong. I've told my brother, BIL and SIL if someone dies keep it to yourself and put them on ice. Nothing we can do while we are on a ship and we are not flying home until its over Lol

[Sailorman2022]

2 hours ago, MoCruiseFan said:

It is NOT s NCL issue... You obviously are like many if not most people who have no clue how the internet works.  Thia is a satellite connection that by its very nature is slow (especially compared to the typical high speed home internet connection).  Then add to that the fact that more than just a few people are using that narrow pipeline concurrently and you get slow downs on top of a (By its nature) is a slow connection. 
Do yourself a favor and unplug while you are in vacation.
 No one "NEEDS" to be on lien while on a cruise.  Unplug for a few days and enjoy things.  Your job will be there when you get home.

I know how satellite internet works and do understand the pipeline that it's using, my concern is why NCL is not doing anything to move to a different provider all these years that uses lower orbit satellites to at least give us better performance and bandwidth. Well I run my own business so I cannot just shut everything down like some retired millionaire like you that has tons of money in your bank account and getting social security every month and can go on dozens of cruises each year, I have to check a few emails for an hour or two and some of us or not living in that old generation of people. Not everyone is rich like you and I'm very lucky I can be on a cruise ship like a few times a year. I work hard for my money, If I am going to pay $300+ for internet I at least expect to work.

 

What really bothers me is the rip of price NCL is charging people, and the "Premium Plan" scam just to visit other sites or connect to your VPN. Other cruise lines have a flat rate from $10 - $20 a day while NCL is charging insane rates of almost $35 now after last years increase for this internet they have that the worst out there. An example is Princess, only $10 a day or $5 if your Platinum, no "Premium" plan scam, no prices rip offs, uses more up to date satellites bandwidth, If Carnival Corp can make prices low and provider better quality internet I am sure NCL can, It's all just greed in the industry.

[MoCruiseFan]

55 minutes ago, Sailorman2022 said:

Well I run my own business ...

 

What really bothers me is the rip of price NCL is charging people....

I run my own business as well but I have people who work for me, some of whom are able to run the business for a week without me.

If the price bothers you then don't buy the WiFi packages.