Can I watch Netflix on a cruise?

In general, you can expect streaming to be allowed if you purchase the top-tier wi-fi package. But even though Netflix is largely allowed, it's no guarantee that it will work well. While the technology has advanced, Internet on a cruise can still be spotty.



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First things first, if you want to stream Netflix, you'll need to purchase an wi-fi access on the cruise. Wi-fi Internet is available on every major cruise ship.

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If you're not able to wait for ports of call (or don't have international data on your phone), it might be worthwhile to pay for a Wi-Fi package. Although prices have decreased over the years, it can still be pretty costly to purchase Wi-Fi for your cruise.

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Cruise ships have cellular service that you can connect to. However, it's usually considered international roaming and means you'll be charged high rates to access. You likely know that instead of using a cell signal, you can hook your phone up to wi-fi and use the Internet to make calls, send texts, and surf the web.

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If you want to watch Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+ or other streaming services on a cruise, the best way to do so is to download the show you want to watch ahead of time. All the major streaming services allow downloading at least some of their library for offline viewing.

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Use onboard credit to pay for a Wi-Fi package You can use your credit to pay for onboard internet access, thereby getting Wi-Fi on your cruise for free! On most cruise lines, you'll need a minimum of $100 in onboard credit per device for a week's worth of free basic Wi-Fi.

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Even legitimate Wi-Fi networks (as mentioned in the 2021 EOS Report for NCLH) may be collecting information about you. If you don't want that to happen, then use a VPN. However, it is important to know that using a VPN can be a challenge on a ship since it can slow down your internet speed.

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Can You Still Text for Free in the Cruise Line's App if you Bring Your own HotSpot? Yes, of course! As long as you have the app downloaded on your phone and you're on their free wifi, you can use the app to text on a cruise ship for free.

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Set Your Phone To avoid unwanted charges, your safest bet onboard your cruise ship is to switch to airplane mode, reactivate your wireless feature and log in to the ship's Wi-Fi network. (Note: Switching to airplane mode will turn off wireless until you manually reactivate it.)

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It's possible to send and receive text messages at sea on a cellular signal, as long as you have a signal through your ship's roaming network. (Just make sure you turn on data roaming in your settings.)

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How to prevent roaming charges while at sea
  1. Turn off your phone. The easiest, but by no means the nicest, is to turn off your phone. ...
  2. Use airplane mode. Many of us can't go more than a few hours without our phones, so it's more likely you will opt for these other options such as using airplane mode. ...
  3. Use the ship's wifi.


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