In this age of social media, people want to Facebook, Tweet and Google with their friends and family.
In fact you would think it would be in the cruise lines best interest to let people have cheaper or free Wi-Fi, after all if they are on holiday on a ship what are they going to be Facebooking and Tweeting about? Der! Its common sense really.
One cruise line, Carnival has introduced a new free mobile App being that provides customers with useful info about their cruise whilst on-board and allows them to chat and exchange messages with the travelling companions throughout their whole trip for a flat $5 fee.
The App features information like:
A day-by-day schedule of hundreds of on-board events, from nightly show times at the Punchliner Comedy Club presented by George Lopez and Playlist Production shows to movies and sporting events on the big screen at Seaside Theatre and Seuss at Sea events.
A “favourites” feature that allows guests to see what events and activities their sailing companions are participating in
Information on casual dining options such as Guy’s Burger Joint, Blue Iguana Cantina and The Taste Bar, along with details on the Red Frog Pub and other popular watering holes
Searchable deck plans with key areas highlighted, providing a comprehensive layout of the ship’s various on-board offerings
Itinerary details, including current ship time and arrival/departure times for upcoming port calls
So will be very useful I am sure.
More interestingly for most customers though is that Carnival are also piloting a scheme on 3 of their ships which will see vastly improved ‘and here’s where it gets a bit techy’ connectivity with increased bandwidth and speed.
This will run alongside a new social media package which provides unlimited access to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest and other popular sites for a flat $5 per day or $25 a voyage.
Guests can also upgrade to a “value” package that includes unlimited access to the Web for checking email, sports scores, weather updates and a wide range of other applications.
There’s also a “premium” package that provides the fastest available connection speed allowing guests to access video calling sites like Skype.
At the moment this is just during the testing period so I hope they don’t get greedy and decide to put the prices up as this will really defeat the object.
Interestingly enough most River cruise ships include free WiFi on all their cruises. So if they can do it why can’t the big boys.
Want to know who will charge you what.
Take a look at our Wifi and Internet guide.
Click the link Guide to Wi-Fi