Crystal Cruises joins Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Viking Ocean Cruises in offering free Wi-Fi (as well as wired internet) to guests. Like Regent’s program, Crystal’s has caveats. Only Crystal Society guests, the line’s repeat cruisers, will receive the perk. The offering is relatively generous, however, 60 minutes per day, per person. That means a couple doing a 10-day cruise will receive 1,200 free minutes.
The new program kicks off with Crystal Serenity’s September 19, 2014, New England/Canada sailing, followed by Crystal Symphony’s October 15 Panama Canal cruise. Crystal Society guests can use the new complimentary access wirelessly via iPad, iPhone, laptop or other wireless device or on Crystal’s own Computer University@Sea 27-inch iMac computers.
The company has spent more than a year planning and installing improvements to the onboard internet experience, including:
- Maximizing satellite bandwidth with the latest technology, allowing for more users and more content to stream simultaneously.
- Expansion of Wi-Fi signal range throughout the ships, making wireless connection available everywhere on board, including all staterooms, public spaces, and outdoor decks.
- The ability to access internet in regions that were previously unavailable, such as Japan.
All full revenue guests who have completed their first Crystal cruises automatically become Crystal Society members, meaning they can take advantage of the perk on all subsequent Crystal voyages.
This article is sponsored by:
Guests wishing to purchase additional minutes for $.75 per minute can do so without an activation fee. Internet packages that reduce the per minute charge are also available.
An avid traveler and an award-winning journalist, Ralph Grizzle produces articles, video and photos that are inspiring and informative, personal and passionate. A journalism graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ralph has specialized in travel writing for more than two decades. To read more cruise and port reviews by Ralph Grizzle, visit his website at www.avidcruiser.com
