What to Expect on a Cruise: Internet Onboard

Table Of Content

• Disney Cruises WiFi Packages
• With varying internet speeds, will I still be able to stream movies or music or use programs like Skype and FaceTime?
• Celebrity Cruises WiFi Packages
• Where can I keep my laptop, tablet, e-reader or cellphone safe onboard?
• Why Is StarLink Internet a Game-changer for Cruise Ship Internet?

Solutions have included adding more satellites and linking their systems to land-based towers that connect with ships as they near shore. To start, there is no Comcast cable wire running to your cruise ship. On cruise ships, every packet of data you are downloading onto your phone or computer, for the most part, is coming over a satellite, which is not a quick or inexpensive proposition. Once onboard, instructions on how to create an account and pricing details are present on-screen in the Internet Café or on your wireless device during the log-in process. Internet pricing is the same, whether you are using the Internet Café terminals, or any other wireless devices. All internet access charges will be billed directly to your onboard account.

Disney Cruises WiFi Packages

One login is provided per suite for use with one device at a time. Gold and higher-level members of the Seven Seas Society and guests in Concierge Suites and higher receive up to four logins/devices per suite. Princess Cruises claims the "fastest Wi-Fi at sea" with its MedallionNet technology, with download speeds of 12.6 Mbps and upload speeds of 1.9 Mbps. Carnival Corporation and Princess achieve this speed by working with SES Networks, a leading satellite connectivity provider. One-day internet packages are $29.99 per day (for Browse) and $34.99 (for Browse & Stream). The Stream package is $45.99 per day, per device, and includes streaming capability and all the benefits of the Surf Voyage and Premium packages.

With varying internet speeds, will I still be able to stream movies or music or use programs like Skype and FaceTime?

If guests would like to have more devices individually or for a 3rd or 4th guest on their booking, guests can purchase upgrades to multiple device plans onboard. This can be done seamlessly from their first device just like upgrading service level package. Guests on a multiple device plan will all have the same service level package. Yes – upgrades are available for our Surf Wi-Fi plan, the plan included as part of the Have It All fare. Once on board, guests can upgrade to Premium or Stream, higher service level packages or to multiple devices.

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Celebrity Cruises WiFi Packages

Certain apps, a variety of service options, port of call, and destinations along your cruise can all impact the internet service on a ship. Their social package has a list of sites it allows access to in a more economical fashion – or you can pay as you go if you aren’t sure of your needs before sailing. You can also share the package between devices simultaneously, as Disney’s technology will combine the amount of data.

Fast and reliable internet

The change came with the introduction of new satellite systems and significant investments in on-ship technology. In 2014, Royal Caribbean formed a partnership with O3b Networks generating a new system touted to be six times faster than that of other cruise ships. Premium internet access is also available, free of charge, to all passengers on world cruises. Passengers on Silversea can use their own personal devices to access the internet in their cabins or throughout the ship. Computers with internet access are also available onboard via internet cafes on all ships. Seabourn offers a complimentary Surf package to all guests, one device per guest.

Can I Use the Wi-Fi to Call or Message With My Phone?

Guests often complain about clicking on websites only to be frustrated by how long it takes to load–if it even loads at all. Celebrity offers Basic and Premium packages, both by the day and for the duration of the cruise, on all ships except Galapagos-based ships. Prices for Wi-Fi packages are discounted before sailing.

Where can I keep my laptop, tablet, e-reader or cellphone safe onboard?

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. Royal Caribbean offers high-speed internet fleetwide, as well as on its private Bahamian island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. The service, called Voom, is very speedy and can be used for streaming movies and music, and video chatting via services such as Netflix, FaceTime and Spotify. Ships also have computers available for passenger use in their iCafe internet cafes. MSC offers five tiers of connectivity, with connections that work onboard or on the line's private Bahamian island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.

You can turn a discount into free Wi-Fi by combining two perks. For example, you could use onboard credit to cover the remaining cost of Internet after your loyalty program Wi-Fi discount. 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. Despite working off Wi-Fi, they do not require guests to purchase an internet plan to operate them. Additionally, most don’t have an added fee for most of the features. The pre-purchase window for certain products and activities closes between one and three days prior to the sail date.

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The Disney Wonder cruise ship retains the old internet connection service, which uses Connect@Sea for guests. With this program, you’ll pay a set price for the amount of data you use rather than how long you use it. As a rule, the more you pay for your cruise, the more likely you are to have free internet onboard.

A - Please be aware that some websites and Internet services will be restricted due to bandwidth limitations, depending on the plan selected. Q - Can I check-in for my post cruise flight and print my boarding passes prior to leaving the ship? A - Yes, you can check-in online and print your boarding passes in the Internet Café. Please note that regular printing and online time charges apply. A - Yes, we have Internet/Wi-Fi available on all of our ships. Our Internet Café Managers will be able to assist during posted hours with any questions / concerns you may have during your cruise with us.

AT&T does offer a "Cruise Plus" plan for a flat fee of $100 that allows unlimited talk and text during sailings up to 30 days in duration. But it only comes with 1 gigabyte of data (which may seem like a lot until you start streaming movies), with any overage billing at a still-hefty $10 per 100 megabytes. Cruise line loyalty programs would seem to be a good fit for free Wi-Fi for frequent cruisers, but historically, these programs have leaned more toward discounts than freebies. Only Cunard offers genuine free Wi-Fi, starting at two free hours after two voyages or 20 nights onboard.

So, let’s say you’re interested in staying connected while aboard ship. 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. Finally, Carnival’s Wi-Fi packages start at $12.75 per day for access to social media, while premium access goes as high as $18.70 per day. If internet connectivity is important to you, there are more and more cruise ships outfitted with technology that enables high-speed internet. 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.