While most cruisers are positive, ask them what bugs them most about cruising and one of the answers will be 鈥渢he Internet.鈥�
On ships, Internet access can be slow, with connections being lost, and cost a lot. Prices can range from 55 to 75 cents a minute and in 50-to-500-minute packages. The cost is adjusted by the number of minutes.
Viking Cruises, the new name covering both Viking鈥檚 river and ocean cruises, has determined that Internet connection bugs passengers so much that it鈥檚 offering free web access on the Viking Star, the first ocean-going ship that will launch in 2015. On Viking鈥檚 river ships, the Internet is always free as the ships are within yards of shore so connections, while balky at times, are local.
But Viking isn鈥檛 alone in improving Internet access. On many ships you can now connect from anywhere 鈥� your room, the bar and so on 鈥� and the cost is usually the same. This happens in an age when all generations are connecting online with family and friends, including by streaming video, and expect Wi-Fi to be faster and cheaper.
Royal Caribbean鈥檚 chief information officer Bill Martin, in a recent interview with Information Week, indicated his company increased its bandwidth sevenfold this year, enabling more guests to be online simultaneously. The cruise line is currently piloting fibre-like service on Allure of the Seas, with test packages for $49.95 a day, or a seven-night unlimited data package for $179. The minute rates is 65 cents.
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After an engine room fire on Feb. 10, Carnival鈥檚 Triumph was left adrift in the Gulf of Mexico. Since then, Carnival has spent $300 million US on engineering upgrades and fire suppression equipment.
Now, Carnival is rebranding the company and, according to president and CEO Gerry Cahill, it is stepping up with a strong guarantee.
鈥淭he Great Vacation Guarantee is designed to provide an assurance to those [passengers] who, if they are dissatisfied for any reason, have a simple and hassle-free means for receiving a full refund and more,鈥� said Cahill.
Unhappy passengers can notify the guest services desk within 24 hours of departure to receive a full refund of their fare plus 10 per cent, along with complimentary return air transportation from the next port of call.
They will also get complimentary ground transportation and hotel accommodations, if necessary, along with a $100 shipboard credit to be used on a future Carnival cruise.鈥�
The guarantee covers cruises of three to eight days to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, sa国际传媒 and New England departing through April 30, 2015.
Obviously, the idea is to encourage people who have never tried Carnival 鈥� for whatever reason 鈥� to give it a whirl.
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Phil鈥檚 Pick of the Week
Since they were launched as the world鈥檚 two biggest cruise ships, the popularity of Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas has kept price points higher than most ships in the fleet.
Here鈥檚 a reasonable deal, with prices available at time of writing and based on per-person, double occupancy.
It鈥檚 a seven-day cruise on Allure of the Seas and leaves Dec. 1, 2013 from Fort Lauderdale. Ports include Labadee (Haiti), Falmouth (Jamaica) and Cozumel. Starting price: $690 (balcony, $819).
See a cruise travel agent or go to royalcaribbean.com.
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Visit portsandbows.com for daily updates on the latest cruise news, best deals and behind-the-scenes stories from the industry. You can also sign up for an email newsletter on the site for even more cruise information. Phil Reimer can be contacted directly at [email protected].
