Can you have your phone on a cruise?

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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Do cell phones work on cruise ships? It's a common question with varying answers. Guests are free to utilize their cellular data or connect to our onboard Wi-Fi on any ship. But, please be aware that cellular data used on the ship or in certain ports of call will result in charges from your cell phone provider.

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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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Most cruise lines these days have options for onboard internet, but you'll need to pay for access, and not all types of internet service are equal. When you book a cruise, you'll generally be given the opportunity to purchase Wi-Fi before boarding.

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To ensure you are not charged by your phone company on your cruise, you have two choices: Turn off your phone as soon as your cruise ship leaves port, or, if you want to use offline applications, put your phone into airplane mode.

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Free Activities on Cruises: Trivia, pool games, big-screen movies, dance classes and sports deck activities (basketball, rock climbing, mini-golf, shuffleboard and more) are all normally free on a cruise ship. Ships that offer enrichment classes do not typically charge extra for them.

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Passengers must pass through an airport-style detector and they will have a digital photo taken. Most cruise lines employ former police or military personnel to process boarding checks, and scent dogs may be present to check for drugs, which are among many items prohibited on board.

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The only time a cruise ship will wait for late passengers is if they are on a ship sponsored shore excursion, meaning the tour was booked and operated through the cruise line.

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The provider's rates on cruises are considered international roaming and charged accordingly with no data option. It costs 50 cents to send a text; received texts are taken from your domestic texting plan's allotment, and a pricey $5.99 per minute applies to voice calls.

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As you sail into international waters, these expenses can add up, so we recommend that guests turn off their cellular data and connect to the ship's Wi-Fi instead.

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Do I need a passport? We recommend that everyone taking a cruise from the United States have a passport book. Though some “closed-loop” cruises may not require a U.S. passport, we recommend bringing yours in case of an emergency, such as an unexpected medical air evacuation or the ship docking at an alternate port.

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Alternatively, turn off your cellular data and use your phone's Wi-Fi capability to send and receive text messages (such as iMessages on an iPhone). You can also use messaging apps like WhatsApp, which will also function over your ship's Wi-Fi network.

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Yes, while Carnival used to only allow Netflix streaming on select ships, it is now available fleetwide.

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