Is it worth paying for WiFi on a cruise?

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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Pro tips for using cruise ship Wi-Fi If you can't get cruise ship internet included, don't wait to purchase your internet package until you're on board: It's usually less expensive to purchase Wi-Fi packages before sailing. Buying a package for the entire cruise is typically a better deal than the daily rate.

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The price of Wi-Fi on a cruise ship can range from $15 to $30 and more per device per day. On luxury cruise lines or even some premium lines there is free Wi-Fi included in the cost of the cruise fare.

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Wi-Fi on cruise ships is expensive because of the unique challenges associated with providing internet access in a maritime environment. Cruise ships are constantly moving, which means that they must rely on satellite technology to provide Wi-Fi service.

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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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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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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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Your phone's hotspot will also work on a cruise ship as long as you have cell service, are docked or close to land and roaming is included in your plan. To help you stay connected during your cruise, this article will look at the best ways to connect to the internet including hotspots, roaming and WiFi costs.

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At sea, mainstream cruise lines usually do not include Wi-Fi in their cruise fares, but premium and luxury lines almost always do. Cruise lines that include free Wi-Fi for all passengers are luxury lines like Seabourn, Silversea and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, along with upscale cruise lines Oceania Cruises and Viking.

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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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Guests must purchase a plan that covers the entire duration of their cruise. Plans may be pre-purchased up to two days before embarkation. Daily plans are available for purchase on board. On board: Turn on your device's Wi-Fi feature and access the Wi-Fi settings to receive instructions on how to purchase our plans.

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Out at sea, there are no cell towers. That's why cruise ships utilize at-sea providers like Wireless Maritime Services or Cellular at Sea. Guests can use their mobile devices and ship-to-shore services. However, sending and receiving texts and using your phone can be very expensive using these services.

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No, you do not need an internet package to use the app onboard. Simply connect to your ship's guest Wi-Fi to use the app for free without an internet package. The easiest way is to connect to the ship Wi-Fi, is via your phone Settings once onboard. Every ship's Wi-Fi follows the same format: Guest-(ship name)-Wi-Fi.

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The average speed for cruise ships is around 10 to 20 Mbps per ship, according to Carnival.

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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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Of course, that doesn't mean you have to keep your cell phone off the entire time. If you choose to use your cell phone while on a cruise ship, it is important that you keep it on airplane mode, regardless of whether or not you're purchasing an internet package.

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According to Travel and Leisure, there has never been a crash due to a phone not being in airplane mode. It's more of a courtesy to make sure that there isn't distracting interference. Even though the plane won't crash, it's important to switch your phone to airplane mode.

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Debit card This method of payment is not recommended. If you use a debit card, a request for pre-authorization will be made by the cruise line to ensure the availability of funds. This request will freeze the pre-authorized amount for up to 30 days.

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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.

MORE DETAILS