If you can set up this router correctly, your cabin will have its own WiFi network.
Types of Wi-Fi on cruise ships
Onboard credit is free “cash” used to make purchases on a Royal Caribbean cruise. You can receive onboard credit several ways, but most commonly when booking a cruise during a Royal Caribbean promotion and/or booking through a travel agent. Passengers who are Pinnacle Club members, with over 700 loyalty points, receive a free Surf & Stream internet package for one device. Offering free wifi to Pinnacle Club members is another way Royal Caribbean rewards its top tier members, and this perk can easily save cruisers thousands of dollars over time.
Royal Caribbean WiFi Packages
Carnival Cruise Line offers guests the option of three plans via the line's satellite providers. These innovations are good news for ALL cruise lines passengers. Cruise lines are striving to meet the need of cruisers to maintain a reliable connection with home and work. Additional charges in most cases will apply for streaming or higher/longer coverage periods and can have a significant impact on the cost of your cruise experience if not booked in advance.
Cobranded Cards
They convince their potential passengers through their website using a secured WiFi network. If you have purchased an internet package from this ship, you have undergone this procedure. There is a bug in this system that you can use to access free WiFi. The same holds true for airline and credit card travel planning sites such as United Cruises, Delta Vacations and Cruises or the Amex Cruise Privileges program. So, let’s say you’re interested in staying connected while aboard ship.
Celebrity Cruises Crew to Get Full Day Free Wi-Fi During Holidays and Key Celebrations - Crew Center
Celebrity Cruises Crew to Get Full Day Free Wi-Fi During Holidays and Key Celebrations.
Posted: Tue, 27 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Cruise liners usually offer apps with free WiFi but only for a limited time and data. The simplest way to get free WiFi is to use the app that is a complementary part of your cruise package. There are also several other ways to get free WiFi on a cruise ship.
That will effectively reduce individual costs of using the WiFi of the ship. The more members in the group, the lesser will be the cost per person. Everyone will be able to get WiFi access and use the internet virtually for free. In today’s connected world, it is really impossible for you to exist without having a WiFi connection. Many people share this concern of having no possible means of communication while onboard a cruise liner.
Choose free Wi-Fi as a booking perk
They also feature onboard cafes where you may use their computers and other devices or bring your own and access the internet throughout their ships. Costa features a Data and Social package for their internet, with access available in all public areas and cabins throughout their ships. They have an Internet Point area where you can use onboard devices or bring your full ship usage. Norwegian also has an option where you can purchase 250 minutes of internet for use any time during your cruise for the price of $105.00 if purchased in advance of your cruise.
Do I Have to Buy Internet for Every Day of the Cruise?
If you’re not fond of interacting with the crew, observe them when the ship is docked in the ship’s ports of call. When they disembark from the ship carrying their laptops or mobiles, they will often go straight to their favorite bar or restaurant. More often than not, there is free WiFi in their usual hangouts. Befriend crew members of the ship, particularly those whom you feel are safe to talk to. You’ll get tips from them on how to get free WiFi while onboard their ship. They can also show you the areas of the ships where you can get free and fast WiFi.
Buy a day pass
But perhaps the biggest development in cruise internet costs in recent years is that many higher-end lines have begun offering internet access for — get this — free. Viking, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Silversea Cruises are among lines now including unlimited internet time in the base cost of a voyage. At some of these lines, such as Regent, you can pay extra for faster service. It can be very expensive to access the internet while onboard a cruise ship.
Doing so connects your accounts together, permitting you to message each other. Depending on the destination, you may also be able to use your cellular coverage as normal while in port. If you’re cruising to Alaska, for example, your regular US phone coverage will work while visiting Alaska cruise ports. At Carnival, you'll pay $5 per cruise to add a "chat" feature to the line's otherwise free HUB app that will let you communicate via text-like messages with other app-enabled passengers. Norwegian Cruise Line also requires passengers to pay a fee (currently $9.95 per cruise) to use a messaging and calling feature of its Cruise Norwegian app.
All Silversea Cruises vessels feature Starlink connectivity on board. The line provides free, unlimited internet access with all cruise fares. Guests can log on to the internet throughout the ship, including in their cabins or suites or in public spaces and outdoor areas.
Whether you want to check in on your kids (fur babies count, too!) or need to have access to your email, one non-negotiable cruise add-on might be wi-fi. If you are close to land then any Internation Romaing package may work – but as soon as you get out to sea you will find yourself connected to the “Cellular At Sea” service which is MEGA-expensive. Royal Caribbean has always claimed to have the fastest internet at sea. If you ever experienced their Internet prior to Starlink, you’ll realize that wasn’t much to boast about. Fortunately, all ships in their fleet now have Starlink, so that boast now actually means something. Internet access quality can fluctuate based on your location at sea, the weather conditions, and even the time of day, as onboard networks can get congested during peak usage hours.
You can almost think of Starlink as a “mesh” of connections in the sky, so location issues have mostly been resolved or minimized. So before we get into the nitty gritty of what different cruise lines have to offer, let’s cover the basics of what you need to know about Internet and WiFi on cruise ships. To avoid all internet charges on vacation, instead of connecting to WiFi on cruise ships, opt to link to free WiFi when your ship docks at your port of call and you leave the cruise ship. Sometimes you can find the best prices around Black Friday, when the cruise line may offer special deals on internet packages.
Wi-Fi plans available for purchase by the day or for the cruise duration include a Premium plan that has full Internet connectivity other than video streaming. To stream video from services like Netflix, Disney Plus and Prime, the Stream plan is available at a higher price. Keep in mind that these services often have licensing restrictions outside the U.S. and some content may not be available. The Essential plan provides access to web browsing, email and social media. The line offers discounts for multi-device plans and on voyages of 16 nights or more.
If you are a Platinum or Elite guest, you’ll get 50% off, or if you purchase Princess Plus, your Wi-Fi will be included. From my own personal experience, I tested StarLink internet onboard the Brilliance of the Seas in January 2023. For most users, even heavy users, this speed is more than fast enough for streaming as well as work applications. In order to use the app, be sure to download the Royal Caribbean app prior to your sailing. Once onboard, connect to Royal Caribbean’s wifi—and no, you don’t need a wifi package in order to access the app. Because your cruise ship is usually docked between 8-10 hours at a time, this should provide enough time to find and use free wifi or cell phone data before getting back onboard.
Luxury cruise lines like Viking Ocean and Silversea Cruises include WiFi for the duration of your cruise. When it comes to mainstream cruise lines, Virgin Voyages includes basic internet with the cost of the cruise. Wi-fi can be expensive, so getting Wi-Fi or internet for free on a cruise is always good. Unfortunately, most cruise lines don’t include unlimited Wi-Fi in the cost of the cruise. Cruise ship WiFi has changed over the years, making it more accessible, less expensive, and faster than ever. However, many cruisers are making huge mistakes when it comes to cruise ship WiFi.
