One of the most common questions that first-time and newer cruisers ask is Do Cruise Ships Have Wifi? We have the good (and not-so-good) news!
First and foremost, the good news: ALL cruise ships on major cruise lines (we’re talking Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Disney, Holland America, Princess…and the list goes on..) have wifi on their cruise ships. This also goes for luxury cruise lines such Viking, Crystal, Windstar…once again the list goes on.
At the top of our head we can’t think of a single mainstream cruise line that doesn’t have wifi.
Wi-Fi is absolutely a standard in the cruise industry, and every year, as technology advances, it gets better and better.
If you haven’t sailed in a few years you will be blown away at the difference in wifi speed today versus just a couple of years ago. It’s like night and day!
The not-so-good news, and this is only if you REALLY need to use wifi on a cruise ship, is that it is still unreliable. Even with advanced tech and satellites, you have to remember you’re on a moving ship in the ocean.
For example, don’t expect to have a Zoom, Skype or Teams meeting at sea and have the connection go smoothly— some cruise line plans promise the fastest possible connections, however service when you need it is unpredictable. That may seem silly, but with so many of us working remotely, it’s a valid question/concern.
If you just want to post on social media or check your email, you’re golden. Most cruise lines have tiered wifi packages for different speeds, in case you want to stream Netflix or YouTube, for example. The price of internet service at sea increases as speed increases.
Another thing to remember is that cruise ship wifi quality varies by ship and line.
Do Cruise Ships Have Free Wifi?
The next big question after if there is wifi on cruise ships is do cruise ships have FREE wifi.
This one is a little trickier. The answer is sometimes— it depends on the cruise line OR package you choose when you book your cruise.
Cruise Lines with Free Wifi
Most luxury cruise lines offer complimentary wifi with basic connectivity as a minimum (Streaming may be an additional charge depending on the line). Viking, Oceania, Seabourn, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas and Virgin Cruises all come to mind for offering free wi-fi.
How to get free wifi on cruise ships
If you’re not sailing on a luxury cruise line, there are still ways to get free wifi. The most common is to book a package with a wifi included perk.
Norwegian Cruise Line often has a “Free at Sea” program where wifi can be selected as a perk when booking your cruise directly through their website (other perks include open bar, specialty dining and shore excursions).
Additionally, if you book a cruise and receive any kind of free onboard credit, that can usually be applied to cruise wifi packages.
How Much Do You Pay for Wifi on a Cruise
Wifi package prices vary greatly by cruise line. Here are some current wifi plan prices, at the time of writing this post, for three of the most popular cruise lines. This will give you a general idea of what to expect to pay for wifi on a cruise.
Carnival Cruise Line Internet Packages & Prices
The prices below are when booked in advance of your cruise through Carnival.com. On-board internet packages are 15% higher.
- Social Wi-Fi Plan – Starting At $10.20 /person per day
- Value Wi-Fi Plan – Starting At $14.45 /person per day
- Premium Wi-Fi Plan – Starting At $17.00 /person per day
Norwegian Cruise Line Internet Packages & Prices
The prices below are for a single device. Norwegian offers higher-priced packages for connectivity for two and four devices as well.
- Unlimited Wi-Fi Package – 1 Device $25.50 USD (Online price per day) $29.99 USD (Onboard price per day)
- Unlimited Premium Wi-Fi Package – 1 Device $34.99 USD (Online price per day) $39.99 USD (Onboard price per day)
Royal Caribbean Internet Packages & Prices
At the moment Royal Caribbean is not displaying the prices of their internet packages without a cruise reservation as prices vary by ship and length of cruise. The prices below are what we know from previous cruises and may have increased. Royal Caribbean claims to have the fastest internet speeds at sea with their VOOM high-speed internet service which is in partnership with Starlink.
- Surf Package – $12.99-$15.99 per device per day
- Surf & Stream – $17.99-$19.99 per device per day
Cruise Ship Wifi Tips
If you’re on a cruise and need to do work or send out an important email, etc. be sure to purchase a premium wifi package. This will be the most expensive of the ship’s wifi offerings which is the fastest and almost always offers streaming .
The time of day you work online is also important. Try to avoid access when everyone else on board is online and connected to wifi— during the afternoon on a sea day, for example. Port days when everyone is off the ship are great times for essential work. We know from experience that as fun as cruise vacations can be, there are times when you need to stay connected — so no judgment here!
Our best luck with cruise ship wifi is early in the morning, when many passengers sleep in, or later in the evening when guests are enjoying onboard entertainment or winding down for bed.
In summary, all mainstream cruise ships have access to wifi so you can stay connected on your cruise vacation.
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