Princess Wifi Increase

[datone]

Apparently Princess is increasing the price of wifi from US $14.99 per day to US $24.99 for those that don't have packages and take the standard fare.   So US $10 per day or around $15 per day for us here in Aus.   A 66% increase which is steep.  This is if you take it for the whole cruise, otherwise US $30 per day for casual use according to the thread on the Princess board.  Makes you wonder if the next step is to increase the cost of Princess Plus and Premier.

[MicCanberra]

Very steep, especially as it isn't the best wifi.

[joejoe 59]

31 minutes ago, datone said:

Apparently Princess is increasing the price of wifi from US $14.99 per day to US $24.99 for those that don't have packages and take the standard fare.   So US $10 per day or around $15 per day for us here in Aus.   A 66% increase which is steep.  This is if you take it for the whole cruise, otherwise US $30 per day for casual use according to the thread on the Princess board.  Makes you wonder if the next step is to increase the cost of Princess Plus and Premier.

Thanks for posting.  What a huge jump that is. I don't think it means the plus packages are due to go up, what I do think is they're trying to make the cost of everything very unattractive unless you have a a package. 

[Cbtours]

41 minutes ago, datone said:

Apparently Princess is increasing the price of wifi from US $14.99 per day to US $24.99 for those that don't have packages and take the standard fare.   So US $10 per day or around $15 per day for us here in Aus.   A 66% increase which is steep.  This is if you take it for the whole cruise, otherwise US $30 per day for casual use according to the thread on the Princess board.  Makes you wonder if the next step is to increase the cost of Princess Plus and Premier.

its more like penalising us standard fares

[sewgood]

I jumped in and purchased wifi for my next Princess cruise today before the price rise tomorrow.

Since it is a long cruise it was worth prepaying.

[sewgood]

1 hour ago, Cbtours said:

its more like penalising us standard fares

 

I'm not being serious with the following but...

 

I feel like they have a target to reach with a certain percentage buying Plus and Premium, if they don't reach the target this month then they will just charge us standard fare people for something else.

Who knows by the end of the year we could be paying for movies on the TV if you are on the standard fare. I'd better not give them any ideas.

 

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, datone said:

 Makes you wonder if the next step is to increase the cost of Princess Plus and Premier.

 

I'm sure that won't be far off. They'll wait until the furore about the internet price increase dies down then they'll announce yet another version of Plus and Premier.

[joejoe 59]

15 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I'm sure that won't be far off. They'll wait until the furore about the internet price increase dies down then they'll announce yet another version of Plus and Premier.

Nooo please don't say that.

[Relaxing Robbies]

21 minutes ago, sewgood said:

I jumped in and purchased wifi for my next Princess cruise today before the price rise tomorrow.

Since it is a long cruise it was worth prepaying.

I rang my PVP and added wifi for a long cruise in October 2025. I don ‘t have to pay for it until final payment.

[arxcards]

2 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Very steep, especially as it isn't the best wifi.

It is pretty decent now. The latency is much improved since they changed to Starlink.

[MicCanberra]

1 minute ago, arxcards said:

It is pretty decent now. The latency is much improved since they changed to Starlink.

Of course the dearer the price the fewer people will use it, which means the service is better.

[arxcards]

It was mentioned in another thread here on Saturday.

 

Yes, I do think the packages will be going up again soon, but I don't think they would be so dumb to create new versions of the packages.

 

I have noticed that the "door prizes" has quietly disappeared from the Australian premier package a few months ago, without creating a different version. If it was part of the package when you booked, you till get it. If you have booked in the past few months, it won't be listed on your itemised list of inclusions and you won't get it.

[arxcards]

2 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Of course the dearer the price the fewer people will use it, which means the service is better.

The connection was excellent in November, months prior to tomorrows' price rise, and with more than half the passengers having internet as part of their plus/premier packages. Prior to Starlink it wasn't crappy because of traffic, but due to high latency caused from distance to the satellite.

[2022cruisey]

Internet excellent on the Grand from Melbourne to NZ and return.  Worth it as part of plus.

[Over from NZ]

3 hours ago, Cbtours said:

its more like penalising us standard fares

Yep. They're mongrels. They'll keep pushing till they get critical mass.. and then standard fare will be extinguished. Plus fare will be the base-line fare. Then.. they'll start upping the cost.. and then start watering it down and adding other supposed gimmicks, I mean perks.. to whatever will be the "new plus", and start the whole process off again. Their primary job is to milk you for all they can. 

[sewgood]

2 hours ago, Relaxing Robbies said:

I rang my PVP and added wifi for a long cruise in October 2025. I don ‘t have to pay for it until final payment.

That's great I hope others were able to do this or can do this.

My final payment is next month so I didn't mind paying now.

With the new price coming this week I would have paid at least $300 more for my long cruise.

[arxcards]

3 hours ago, Over from NZ said:

Yep. They're mongrels. They'll keep pushing till they get critical mass.. and then standard fare will be extinguished. Plus fare will be the base-line fare. Then.. they'll start upping the cost.. and then start watering it down and adding other supposed gimmicks, I mean perks.. to whatever will be the "new plus", and start the whole process off again. Their primary job is to milk you for all they can. 

They won't be ditching the standard fare. They will always have an entry level fare to compete with no-frills lines, then continue to pitch a fare "upgrade" to your email address until sailing day. What will change with standard fare though is that the standard will slip. As examples, many of the "casual restaurants" were part of standard fare, but no longer. Ocean Now delivery was part of standard fare, but is no longer. Who knows, cracked pepper on your MDR meal may become part of plus and incur a charge for standard.

 

For context, this price increase is nothing to do with anything being watered down, but purely about a price increase. Elite minutes excepted, ship internet has never been a freebie. Once upon a time not too far gone, you purchased minutes of crappy service, and all your minutes disappeared if it didn't logout properly. In those days, you took a laptop so you could type up your blogs and messages, then connect to send and hopefully disconnect successfully. Now to be connected for the whole trip, and being able to video message, stream TV channels, do emails & messenger, post on Cruise Critic etc, the value runs rings around what it used to be. There is an issue, but that was their decision to take away free minutes from elite captains circle. Been a while now - 200 minutes if I recall correctly. That is a watering down of Captains Circle, not a standard or package fare.

[Tranquility Base]

7 hours ago, arxcards said:

the value runs rings around what it used to be.

I agree.

 

I cruise on other cruiselines where internet for everyone is included in the base fare.

 

On Princess on shorter cruises,  I purchase the plus package as that is good value for me.

On longer Princess cruises  I just buy internet for the whole voyage once onboard.

It is usually paid using OBC which Princess has gifted to me anyway.

 

Due to personal circumstances and personal choice I consider unlimited onboard internet a welcome part of my cruise experience.

 

 

[MMDown Under]

17 hours ago, datone said:

Apparently Princess is increasing the price of wifi from US $14.99 per day to US $24.99 for those that don't have packages and take the standard fare.   So US $10 per day or around $15 per day for us here in Aus.   A 66% increase which is steep.  This is if you take it for the whole cruise, otherwise US $30 per day for casual use according to the thread on the Princess board.  Makes you wonder if the next step is to increase the cost of Princess Plus and Premier.

Virgin wifi is free included!

[arxcards]

17 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Virgin wifi is free included!

Nothing is free. It is just part of your fare.

[Over from NZ]

13 hours ago, arxcards said:

They won't be ditching the standard fare. They will always have an entry level fare to compete with no-frills lines, then continue to pitch a fare "upgrade" to your email address until sailing day. What will change with standard fare though is that the standard will slip. As examples, many of the "casual restaurants" were part of standard fare, but no longer. Ocean Now delivery was part of standard fare, but is no longer. Who knows, cracked pepper on your MDR meal may become part of plus and incur a charge for standard.

 

For context, this price increase is nothing to do with anything being watered down, but purely about a price increase. Elite minutes excepted, ship internet has never been a freebie. Once upon a time not too far gone, you purchased minutes of crappy service, and all your minutes disappeared if it didn't logout properly. In those days, you took a laptop so you could type up your blogs and messages, then connect to send and hopefully disconnect successfully. Now to be connected for the whole trip, and being able to video message, stream TV channels, do emails & messenger, post on Cruise Critic etc, the value runs rings around what it used to be. There is an issue, but that was their decision to take away free minutes from elite captains circle. Been a while now - 200 minutes if I recall correctly. That is a watering down of Captains Circle, not a standard or package fare.

I don't necessarily agree. They'll just tighten the screws till there's nobody left on the old standard. Then once they get to critical mass.. plus will become standard. I.e. Plus will be the entry level fare.

 

The internet - yes, understood. I'd prefer it was still as it were - with my free 200 minutes. However.. I think the angle right now with the fairly substantial price jump is just to tighten the screws and push even people towards the Plus package. It makes "currently" the plus look more attractive. Once all are on Plus.. they can start pushing the plus price up.. or then split out another version of plus and standard. 

[Cbtours]

13 minutes ago, Over from NZ said:

I don't necessarily agree. They'll just tighten the screws till there's nobody left on the old standard. Then once they get to critical mass.. plus will become standard. I.e. Plus will be the entry level fare.

 

The internet - yes, understood. I'd prefer it was still as it were - with my free 200 minutes. However.. I think the angle right now with the fairly substantial price jump is just to tighten the screws and push even people towards the Plus package. It makes "currently" the plus look more attractive. Once all are on Plus.. they can start pushing the plus price up.. or then split out another version of plus and standard. 

For us it’s always standard as we can’t justify the drinks as don’t drink alcohol. And we don’t automatically do wifi. Next cruise is nz so in port 6 days gives us chance if we want to catch up emails etc.

[OzKiwiJJ]

51 minutes ago, Over from NZ said:

I don't necessarily agree. They'll just tighten the screws till there's nobody left on the old standard. Then once they get to critical mass.. plus will become standard. I.e. Plus will be the entry level fare.

 

The internet - yes, understood. I'd prefer it was still as it were - with my free 200 minutes. However.. I think the angle right now with the fairly substantial price jump is just to tighten the screws and push even people towards the Plus package. It makes "currently" the plus look more attractive. Once all are on Plus.. they can start pushing the plus price up.. or then split out another version of plus and standard. 

And by that time they'll be getting close to luxury line prices but with smaller cabins, lower quality food, the same ridiculously cheap quality wines provided for the package, and they'll probably have cut back on service as well.

[Cbtours]

Just now, OzKiwiJJ said:

And by that time they'll be getting close to luxury line prices but with smaller cabins, lower quality food, the same ridiculously cheap quality wines provided for the package, and they'll probably have cut back on service as well.

Too true!

[aussielozzie18]

Bugger!  - I missed this post.  3 x 20yo on board for our Alaska cruise.  Just checked - yep $38aud pp, per day for our upcoming cruise.  Ouch!  
 

Weird that the price in the app comes up in AUD but the excursions are in USD.