Rumor - changes to wifi policy?

[AtlantaCruiser72]

One of my colleagues stated that the Silversea wifi policy has now changed and there will only be 1 login per suite included at a new "basic" tier (will not support streaming, VoIP, high bandwidth items like photo/video uploading/downloading, etc) and that it can be upgraded to premium for $29/day for duration of cruise.  If a second wifi login is needed/desired it will cost $30/day for basic and $59/day for premium.  No grandfathering of booked guests. 

 

I cannot find anything that supports this, does anyone have information whether this is true or not?  I'd call but their travel agent service desk is just as abysmal these days as the consumer direct service agents are.

[MJN1]

9 hours ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

One of my colleagues stated that the Silversea wifi policy has now changed and there will only be 1 login per suite included at a new "basic" tier (will not support streaming, VoIP, high bandwidth items like photo/video uploading/downloading, etc) and that it can be upgraded to premium for $29/day for duration of cruise.  If a second wifi login is needed/desired it will cost $30/day for basic and $59/day for premium.  No grandfathering of booked guests. 

 

I cannot find anything that supports this, does anyone have information whether this is true or not?  I'd call but their travel agent service desk is just as abysmal these days as the consumer direct service agents are.

We boarded SDawn yesterday.  There is free WiFi for one device for each passenger for basic (so 2 per suite). If you want to use an additional device, you need to log out of the 1st and log in to the second one. If you want to use both devices simultaneously (eg phone and Ipad),  you need to upgrade and pay. 

Streaming with basic does work with some pauses, but probably not good enough for a live  NFL game or a movie. No problems with What's App voice calls, still need to try video calls

[Port Power]

10 hours ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

One of my colleagues stated that the Silversea wifi policy has now changed and there will only be 1 login per suite included at a new "basic" tier (will not support streaming, VoIP, high bandwidth items like photo/video uploading/downloading, etc) and that it can be upgraded to premium for $29/day for duration of cruise.  If a second wifi login is needed/desired it will cost $30/day for basic and $59/day for premium.  No grandfathering of booked guests. 

 

I cannot find anything that supports this, does anyone have information whether this is true or not?  I'd call but their travel agent service desk is just as abysmal these days as the consumer direct service agents are.

I haven’t heard any such plans.  Rumour mill?  Currently there is one device per passenger, but it is only $30 per cruise to add a second device to the standard plan.  Basic never did support streaming, but no problems with downloading/uploading.

[jollyjones]

3 hours ago, Port Power said:

I haven’t heard any such plans.  Rumour mill?  Currently there is one device per passenger, but it is only $30 per cruise to add a second device to the standard plan.  Basic never did support streaming, but no problems with downloading/uploading.

 

I was on the Shadow very recently and this was the case for using the standard, free (well, included in the fare), wifi.

Maybe there is some confusion about the double options to upgrade?

 

Using the standard plan, one can upgrade to a second device per log in for $30 per cruise.

OR one can upgrade to the premium wifi which (very recently anyway) is $20 per day whole cruise or $29 per 24hr slot for up to four devices simultaneously.

 

When setting up the wifi log in it can be a bit confusing - I once upgraded from one device on standard to two when I meant to upgrade from standard to premium - I had to go to reception to sort it which they did very quickly.

 

Looking at the prices quoted by the OP, they seem to be a mangling of both sorts of upgrade?

 

Now, I'm not saying this hasn't changed but no-one else has reported a change - perhaps we must wait for further reports? I'm not back on board till November ...

 

Edited September 20 by jollyjones

[Port Power]

53 minutes ago, jollyjones said:

 

I was on the Shadow very recently and this was the case for using the standard, free (well, included in the fare), wifi.

Maybe there is some confusion about the double options to upgrade?

 

Using the standard plan, one can upgrade to a second device per log in for $30 per cruise.

OR one can upgrade to the premium wifi which (very recently anyway) is $20 per day whole cruise or $29 per 24hr slot for up to four devices simultaneously.

 

When setting up the wifi log in it can be a bit confusing - I once upgraded from one device on standard to two when I meant to upgrade from standard to premium - I had to go to reception to sort it which they did very quickly.

 

Looking at the prices quoted by the OP, they seem to be a mangling of both sorts of upgrade?

 

Now, I'm not saying this hasn't changed but no-one else has reported a change - perhaps we must wait for further reports? I'm not back on board till November ...

 

I don’t know why you quoted me, when you were simply expanding on what I had already stated.  I hope the OP is following this thread.

[jollyjones]

 

Quoted you to indicate I was, indeed, expanding on what you had stated.

 

I sometimes get the impression that not everyone appears to follow a whole thread in order.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Thanks all for the input. It seems my colleague either misinterpreted the situation or was given bad information.  This is why I trust this community so much!

Edited September 20 by AtlantaCruiser72

[Fletcher]

@Silver Spectre on a parallel thread aboard the Moon is reporting a speed of 0.75mb, a third of what he experienced only a few months ago on another Silversea ship.  It does appear they have quite deliberately dialled down, or slowed down, the wifi and they have done so quite malevolently and secretly.  Surely there must be some heated exchanges at the reception desk. At the very least I would have expected some sort of official notification or email.   My Personal Cruise Consultant in London claims to know nothing about it.  Such shabby conduct.

Edited September 22 by Fletcher

[coldweathergirl]

I’ve read a lot of comments on a Silversea Facebook group about the changing of the wifi so that unless you upgrade you’re unable to even make a WhatsApp call.  This is similar to what we experience on Celebrity so it looks like they’re following the lead of the parent company and now charging for what was an included service before.  I wonder if they will give their loyalty members complimentary minutes of premium wifi like they do on their other brands.  I haven’t seen anything announced but I’m sure they’ll do it with great fanfare to pretend they’re giving something instead of showcasing how they actually took away. 
 

I also think it’s not fair that if booked on the old terms that you now have to go by the current policy.   We’re sailing on the Cloud to Antarctica in November and although we have substantial OBC I don’t feel I should have to use it to upgrade my wifi to what it was when I booked.  

[Silver Spectre]

The management on the ship is not thrilled with the current downgrade of the WiFi speed as it’s causing consternation with existing Venetian guests who waited so long for it to be improved under BM. Mother Royal really doesn’t care anymore about repeat guests IMHO.

[DavyWavey70]

I Can't believe they've made such a cheap move. To limit it to 0.75 is ridiculous. "All inclusive luxury" shouldn't involve having to stand on your left leg and turning clockwise with your right arm extended just to make a call. Or, of course, pay $29 a day for something that's usable. The lunatics really have taken over the asylum. 

[beaujolais]

5 hours ago, Silver Spectre said:

The management on the ship is not thrilled with the current downgrade of the WiFi speed as it’s causing consternation with existing Venetian guests who waited so long for it to be improved under BM. Mother Royal really doesn’t care anymore about repeat guests IMHO.

 

Why do you continue to use SS?

We have 900 days and have now moved on

[jpalbny]

It's rapidly becoming our line of second choice. Only two of our six future bookings are on Silversea.

[A Tucson Guy]

13 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

It's rapidly becoming our line of second choice. Only two of our six future bookings are on Silversea.

And which line is choice #1?

[Silver Spectre]

13 hours ago, beaujolais said:

 

Why do you continue to use SS?

We have 900 days and have now moved on

This one and the next one are both 7 day freebies. We are looking elsewhere after that.

[drron29]

Well we are at 495 days. We did have Mumbai to Mahe booked to get us to 500 days then Mahe to Capetown to use our complimentary 7 day cruise. Finally 14 days around Tahiti for our 14 day complimentary cruise.

Now they have stuffed it up by probably cancelling Mumbai to Capetown. So we will have to book another over priced 7 day cruise. Fortunately it will qualify for the free cruise and to get us to 500 days.

[christraveller]

Cheap cheap is for birds, not a luxury cruise line. 
 

Quality fast and reliable online access has become a necessity.

[turtlemichael]

Bean counters rule OK. I well remember a very angry meeting a few years ago, on the subject of internet speeds, at which Barbara and Norman were present. Many notes were taken. After that, but most certainly not because of the meeting solely, Starlink was born on board Silversea ships. Because it provided usable speeds, I guess the revenue from internet access dried up. Now the wheel has turned, and they have deviously reinstated a profit centre. They'll get the same response. Do they care now? I doubt it.