Princess eliminates free internet for Platinum members

I don't know why this surprises you. Does it mean you resent it enough not to cruise with them? Probably not. Does it mean you won't buy it? Probably not....THEY know.....and...they don't care...they have people on payroll whose only job it is to reduce benefits and perks.

Sorry to hear this! It was the perk we were looking forward to!

I was just told by Princess that our new rate will be about $9.95 for the entire cruise, per day,

with a 50% discount. Roughly $5 per day for unlimited internet throughout your cruise.

Actually that rate doesn't seem too bad for our 25 night cruise. That's roughly $125

for unlimited internet. It sure beats the hourly or daily rates offered for internet.

It's too bad they don't just offer an either/or option on this one. Either the old free minutes or

the new discounted rate for unlimited time.

Well I do care and won't ever cruise with them. This is cheap and snarky. I have no issue with dropping any line that greases me for more money after being loyal. There are other lines who value their passengers. Princess is showing they are not the one.

Peace.

This doesn't surprise me, nor would it deter me from cruising with them. I NEVER use the internet (despite my Dad saying I can) when we cruise, as I'm busy enjoying new experiences. If I wanted to go online, I would have stayed home.

I understand that some people need to use the internet on a ship, but the prices really aren't that bad on some of the ships.

We’re now getting a 50% discount for unlimited wi-fi. They used to give 150 minutes for a 7-night cruise, 250 for 8 to 20 nights, and 500 for 21 nights or more. We always had to purchase more minutes anyway, and if you forgot to logout it was gone in no time. Plus, their new wi-fi is reportedly fantastic (we haven’t sailed with Medallion yet) while the old wi-fi was terribly slow. Overall, I’m okay with the change.

Thanks to everyone for your comments. For folks like us who just need to check in with work once a day or so, the original perk was perfect, and the new "benefit" is a downgrade which will end up costing us a bit more each cruise. I am curious how other lines are adjusting their various loyalty benefits as they prepare to set sail again.

Is this start of perks being removed?

I would submit that for many of us who have been cruising fort "awhile", those "perk adjustments" are a fact of life. They can be insidious, or obvious. A few years back NCL completely revamped their point system. We had already made platinum, or we'd STILL be working at it. I think that internet adjustment is the shape of things to come, bigger and better, and more "in your face"...I'll say it again, (and the responses here bear me out)...the cruise lines don't care..and for the most part, most cruisers won't either, if they do notice.....the lines do the multiplication fleetwide, and the difference can easily run to millions annually, depending on what they fiddle with...start talking about whats NOT on the menu anymore, for example, or... what the upcharge is for the steakhouse....they have people on the payroll whose sole job it is to analyze every single "interface" you can have with them....from the minute you even "think about" booking, until you're walking down the gangplank...and even after. When they fool around with my free laundry, watchout!!!!!

All lines are doing this, as stated, just look at the menus for an easy finger pointing. On Princess a lot of changes, even though the internet is very good now, it is a bummer for those who just need a few minutes a day. Look at musical entertainment, used to be very good and a lot, now ho-hum and some. At least the laundry is still there (it is isn't it?).