Internet

[cruisinmeme]

Refresh my memory.  Is it cheaper to go ahead and purchase internet from the app rather than waiting until you get on the ship. It looks like the automatically give you credit for the free minutes they give you with the free at sea. 

[fredflint]

I did it by calling getting credit from my minutes to convert to unlimited.

[CaptainBazz]

If you wait until day 2 and then login to your free minutes you will get a bigger discount to switch to  the full plan. At least that has been my experience.

[mking8288]

If you have and/or expect to receive any non-refundable Onboard Credit while on the cruise, wait until you are on the NCL ship.  And, as said, if you do this at 00:01 hours on Day 2, you will be charged for 1 less day of unlimited access - that's typically $30 per day.  

 

Platinum discount, if any, does not apply or cannot be stacked together for these upgrade.  

 

Another case in point, passengers that are on current GEM cruise that stay docked at NY's Pier 88 for 2 days, on the delayed departure due to the massive winter storm - had very little need for ship's satellite WiFi, many were able to use their own cellular data.  Unclear if those that prepaid or purchased the unlimited plans will get any adjustments or prorated non-refundable OBC.  

[MoCruiseFan]

20 hours ago, cruisinmeme said:

Refresh my memory.  Is it cheaper to go ahead and purchase internet from the app rather than waiting until you get on the ship. It looks like the automatically give you credit for the free minutes they give you with the free at sea. 

 

 

There is absolutely no need to upgrade.  The free minuets that NCL gives are way more than enough to do things like check your email, etc.  Other than that stay unplugged and enjoy your cruise.  We have never come close to using all of our minutes (usually we get 300 for a 7-day cruise that's FIVE HOURS).  I am a small business owner and till do not use all my minutes.  No one should be online wasting their cruise time.  Simply remember to log out each time you are done.  Save your money and unplug, enjoy your cruise.

[Greenpea2]

On 12/25/2022 at 2:46 PM, MoCruiseFan said:

 

 

There is absolutely no need to upgrade.  The free minuets that NCL gives are way more than enough to do things like check your email, etc.  Other than that stay unplugged and enjoy your cruise.  We have never come close to using all of our minutes (usually we get 300 for a 7-day cruise that's FIVE HOURS).  I am a small business owner and till do not use all my minutes.  No one should be online wasting their cruise time.  Simply remember to log out each time you are done.  Save your money and unplug, enjoy your cruise.

I agree to some extent. But some people (like me) enjoy posting trip reports from the ship. That can't be done on 300 minutes, especially since as large chunk of those "free" minutes are waiting for the internet to actually send something! 

[Ken the cruiser]

21 minutes ago, Greenpea2 said:

I agree to some extent. But some people (like me) enjoy posting trip reports from the ship. That can't be done on 300 minutes, especially since a large chunk of those "free" minutes are waiting for the internet to actually send something! 

Let me add to that a little as we just came off a 38-day B2B. If you enjoy periodically using the internet while onboard, spend the extra $$ needed prior to boarding if it’s in your budget to upgrade your account to unlimited. This move will definitely help minimize your overall stress level on your cruise, especially if it’s a longer one.

[cruiseny4life]

On 12/25/2022 at 2:46 PM, MoCruiseFan said:

 

 

There is absolutely no need to upgrade.  The free minuets that NCL gives are way more than enough to do things like check your email, etc.  Other than that stay unplugged and enjoy your cruise.  We have never come close to using all of our minutes (usually we get 300 for a 7-day cruise that's FIVE HOURS).  I am a small business owner and till do not use all my minutes.  No one should be online wasting their cruise time.  Simply remember to log out each time you are done.  Save your money and unplug, enjoy your cruise.

Sorry bud...I know you make this argument all the time. 

 

Actually, before the sorry, not sorry, I do agree with you about one thing. You shouldn't be checking on work on vacation, except in very limited circumstances. Trust me, that email can wait. 

 

Now...I'll enjoy my internet on the cruise (and not check work email, thanks). I like having internet service. It's entertainment. So yea, not going to unplug here. 

[Davechipp74]

On 12/25/2022 at 9:47 AM, mking8288 said:

If you have and/or expect to receive any non-refundable Onboard Credit while on the cruise, wait until you are on the NCL ship.  And, as said, if you do this at 00:01 hours on Day 2, you will be charged for 1 less day of unlimited access - that's typically $30 per day.  

I'm confused, if you don't turn on your FAS Internet till day 2 you will receive ~$30. non-refundable credit to your account, and so on and so forth each day you don't use it?    

[Greenpea2]

2 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Let me add to that a little as we just came off a 38-day B2B. If you enjoy periodically using the internet while onboard, spend the extra $$ needed prior to boarding if it’s in your budget to upgrade your account to unlimited. This move will definitely help minimize your overall stress level on your cruise, especially if it’s a longer one.

The stress thing is so true! Excellent advice! Then last time I posted regularly from the ship (or tried to) it became so frustrating I had to just stop for awhile. This time I have vowed to just expect that and NOT let it get me annoyed! Vacation is for fun! 

[Ken the cruiser]

1 minute ago, Greenpea2 said:

The stress thing is so true! Excellent advice! Then last time I posted regularly from the ship (or tried to) it became so frustrating I had to just stop for awhile. This time I have vowed to just expect that and NOT let it get me annoyed! Vacation is for fun! 

When we were on one of our excursions, we overheard one person asking the tour guide if there was an internet "hot spot" near the ship where he could access "fast" internet service, even if he had to pay for it? My DW and I were wondering (quietly between us) what was wrong with the Jade's onboard internet service he was experiencing?

 

He then mentioned he had the FAS 300-minute package, and then it dawned on us what the issue was. On various occasions depending on our location, the download/upload internet speeds could be a little slow at times. However, since we both had upgraded to the unlimited package, the impact had always been minimal. But we could see how stressful it could be if someone was on the "by the minute" plans. But at the same time, upgrading to the unlimited plan worked out to about $20 per day. So there is that fee to consider. But since NCL prices are so much cheaper than the Princess and Celebrity prices we're used to, it's still a good deal in our opinion.

[CaptainBazz]

1 hour ago, Davechipp74 said:

I'm confused, if you don't turn on your FAS Internet till day 2 you will receive ~$30. non-refundable credit to your account, and so on and so forth each day you don't use it?    

No, you don't get a credit for each day you don't use it...if you wait until day 2 you will receive a discounted price which is cheaper than buying before you board and cheaper than day 1 price when you board. After day 2 I don't think they offer the unlimited internet package.

[mking8288]

9 hours ago, Davechipp74 said:

 

Not in the form of nonrefundable OBC, rather - you aren't charged for additional days in the beginning of the cruise. Just make sure you don't login to use those free minutes until 00:01 on Day 2.

 

These are the upgrade pricing on a 7 nights cruise. Screenshot shown for 7 days and 6 days, with the trade-in value credited and net cost ... 

 

NCL hasn't raised these prices in years, unlike just about everything else ... psssst, hush.  I suspect that if and when they team up with StarLink, the cost will probably go up, but at least it'll be comparable to land speed over cable broadband or Fios ... 

 

For that cruise that we are both on, we have 600 minutes in our "bank" to use, except it isn't much allocated over a span of 12 days, even if one don't use anything on Day 1 and that last (Sea) Day coming home - nearly 5 full days at sea, at 2 hours daily.  

Edited December 28, 2022 by mking8288