What To Know About Cruise Ship Wi-Fi Before You Set Sail
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On land, low to mid-priced hotels often include Wi-Fi for free, while premium and luxury brands are more likely to charge for internet. At sea, mainstream cruise lines usually do not include Wi-Fi in their cruise fares, but premium and luxury lines almost always do. If you want to be able to stream as well as browse the internet, the VOOM Surf and Stream package would be for you at an average of $22.99/day.
Have an iPhone? You May be Able to Text for Free Onboard
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Most carriers offer cruise packages, contact yours directly to find out the options available to you while cruising. You can purchase packages with your cell phone provider, but they may be more expensive than packages on board. You will also need to know whether the cruise line participates in this plan, which can make things challenging. If you need cell service, disable apps operating in the background. While you may only be able to use it on some cruise ships, over 170 cruise ships are in the program.
Do Cruise Ships Have Wi-Fi – 5 Things to Know
Cruise ships traveling through the famed Norwegian fjords, for instance, can lose their satellite signal due to the height of surrounding mountains. Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) is one of the few we’ve found that explicitly says they will let you access via a VPN. If you purchase their Unlimited Premium package, you are allowed access using one. Many people use a VPN in order to access their work privately. As well, you can setup your phone to call over wi-fi or call through a communication app. Either way, you can use the ship’s wi-fi to keep in touch.
Minutes of Internet Access Package
Computer centers with internet access are available on all Regent ships. The Cruise Norwegian app allows users to tap into their onboard passenger information and manage their onboard account, make their own dining and excursion reservations, and view all ship activities. The Cruise Norwegian app is free to download, but there is a nominal one-time fee to make and send unlimited calls and messages to other passengers while onboard. Satellite Wi-Fi connectivity is available for purchase throughout all Disney ships. Wi-Fi is not available on Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. Passengers on Crystal Cruises' ocean ships can surf the internet on complimentary standard Wi-Fi throughout the ship on both Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity.
Post your picture-perfect dessert from your dinner table. Thanks to state-of-the-art technology, you can now stay connected with Wi-Fi coverage as you sail. 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. Wi-Fi is getting better for certain and more readily available.
Cruise internet costs have gone down
By considering your need for Wi-Fi against the cost and quality aboard your cruise ship, you can find the right balance between staying online and truly relaxing on the cruise. Cruise lines have recognized this need and offer a range of Wi-Fi packages tailored to different needs and budgets. Whether you’re an experienced cruiser or a new cruiser, there is so much to know about cruise wi-fi.
Price: Complimentary to $9.99 per day

Unless you have purchased an unlimited plan, you will need to make sure you log out of the internet when you're done using it. When logging out or back in, the system will tell you how many minutes you've used and how many you have left. You can keep this tracker open in the background while on the internet so you can keep tabs on your time at any given moment. For the fastest internet possible on your ship, try to use the internet when others aren't. Early mornings and port days are good times, as are late nights. You'll find the slowest speeds during the day, especially when the ship is at sea.

Conclusion – Internet on Cruise Ships is not cheap and look for Starlink if speed and reliability is important
For example, you could use onboard credit to cover the remaining cost of Internet after your loyalty program Wi-Fi discount. If you're wondering how to avoid this expense and get free cruise Wi-Fi, you'll be relieved to know you do have options. Here are some tips and tricks for getting onboard internet with no charge. Learn how MedallionNet Wi-Fi works and discover how speed and connectivity may be affected while sailing in different regions. Depending on the destination, cruise ship capabilities, and even your stateroom location, the variances in coverage can be significant.
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Unusually NCL has been known to offer heavy discounts once you have been on the cruise for a couple of days, but again this can vary depending on the sailing. If you do upgrade from the Free At Sea package you will usually get a 15-20% discount off the price. Since the rollout they have consolidated their Internet offering to just one service “Voom Surf and Stream”. Royal does offer discounts pre-boarding, but this can vary wildly.
Guests often complain about clicking on websites only to be frustrated by how long it takes to load–if it even loads at all. Some cruise lines offer free Wi-Fi to guests sailing in their top suites. With Star and Sky Suite Class perks, suite guests onboard Royal Caribbean's Oasis and Quantum class ships get free premium Voom Wi-Fi.
Remember, staying connected throughout the entire cruise is possible, but it’s about finding the right balance for your budget and connectivity requirements. For more cost-effective methods, consider using specialized cruise roaming packages or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots in port. Most of the other major cruise lines are not far behind either. In fact, for me it’s now one of my deciding factors on what cruise ships I will sail on – Do they have Starlink?
For some, if you permit your phone to roam, you can be charged $2.05/megabyte of data. New cruisers will want to know whether the ship has Wi-Fi and at what cost. Meanwhile, experienced cruisers are aware of how temperamental some systems can be. They want to know the best way to access a faster connection across devices while reducing unnecessary expenses. Here are five essential things to know about cruise ships and Wi-Fi.
This is a great way to reach your friends, family, and other passengers you meet on the cruise ship. You can often look look at the dining room menus, order room service, and even order food to your location or to pick up (on certain cruise lines). Nowadays, cruise line apps are more important than ever for seeing the daily activities, making reservations, and booking shore excursions. It’s best to purchase your WiFi, specialty dining, and drink packages on the cruise website’s cruise planner before you go. The old pay-by-the-minute system, which could leave even modest internet users with sky-high bills, is now giving way to simpler and more affordable "all you can browse" plans on many lines.
Only Cunard offers genuine free Wi-Fi, starting at two free hours after two voyages or 20 nights onboard. The free time online increases to four hours at the Platinum level and eight complimentary hours at the Diamond level. For example, The Points Guy did a recent sampling of fares on the Amex site, checking them against Holland America's and found that the fares were quite similar, but the bonuses were not.
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