Some like to truly unplug during a vacation but it is becoming increasingly common that vacationers want or need to stay connected while traveling. This post will talk about the unique challenges related to connectivity while cruising and provide practical tips.
While at Sea
There are no cell towers in the middle of the ocean so your normal cell phone plan will not provide you any service while at sea. Additionally, if you don't take steps to turn off the cellular features on your phone, your phone may try to connect to any connection it can find which could result in huge roaming fees from your carrier and/or your phone battery draining.
So how do you stay connected while at sea?
Your best option is to purchase an internet plan through the cruise line. Check with your cruise line to see what types of plans they offer and how much they cost. On some lines there can be as many as three plans (1) a social plan that only allows access to social media, (2) a surf plan that does not allow any streaming but allows access to most other sites, and (3) a streaming plan which often provides better speeds. Which plan you need will depend on what your connection needs are.
What is the difference between 1 device plans, 2 device plans, and 4 device plans?
When you purchase an internet plan from the cruise line, you are purchasing that plan for a specific number of devices to be connected at the same time. Plans can be shared between devices and even between travel companions but you cannot exceed the number of devices connected at the same time that your plan allows. The following are a few common scenarios to help illustrate how these plans work and how they can be shared.
A family of four who needs four devices will likely save money by having one family member purchase a 4 device plan who will then share the login details they receive or create on embarkation day.
An individual that has both a laptop and a phone they want to be able to connect has two options. They can purchase a 1 device plan and log in and log out to switch between devices - only 1 device will ever be connected at the same time. Or if they would prefer not to have to log in and log out of devices, they can purchase a 2 device plan which will allow both devices to stay connected the entire cruise.
A couple who doesn't need continuous internet access throughout their cruise and who doesn't need both people to be logged in at the same time, can share a 1 device plan that only one of them purchases.
Can you make traditional calls and receive traditional texts with a cruise line internet plan?
In most cases, yes! If your cell phone supports wi-fi calling and you activate that feature before your cruise, you will be able to make and receive traditional calls and texts. Be sure to test this out before leaving. Go to the settings of your phone and turn on wi-fi calling. Then turn on airplane mode, connect to your home wi-fi, and try making and receiving calls and texts. If your calls and text go through while in airplane mode, you have been successful in enabling wi-fi calling.
If your phone does not support wi-fi calling, there are many internet-based apps that will work with an internet connection. WhatsApp, FaceBook Messenger, and Skype are three I am familiar with that provide texting, voice calls, and video calls all through wi-fi.
Do I need to pay for an internet plan to use my phone to communicate with others in my travel party on the ship?
That depends on the cruise line. Without an internet plan, your only possible option is through the cruise line's app. Some cruise lines include it for free in the app (such as Princess). Other cruise lines charge a small fee for this feature (such as Royal Caribbean). And some cruise lines do not have this function built into the app or do not use an app on all their ships yet. Note, one complaint with messaging in cruise line apps is that they often don't come with notifications so you have to remember to check the app regularly to see if you received any messages.
Do I need to pay for an internet plan to use the cruise line's app?
No, just by connecting your phone to the ship's wi-fi (their intranet), you are able to access the cruise line's app (which often includes the daily planner, menus, operating hours, ship maps, the ability to make reservations, an itemization of your on board account, etc.). It is only if you want to connect to the internet that you need to purchase a plan.
How do I avoid roaming fees from my carrier?
Before you sail away from your embarkation port, open the settings of your phone and turn on "airplane mode". This turns off all your cellular and data options. It may also turn off your wifi so you may then have to go to your wifi settings and turn wifi back on. You should then be able to connect to your ship's wifi and log in to the internet plan you purchased using instructions provided by your cruise line.
How reliable and fast is cruise line internet?
There is no fiber cable that follows the ship and so the high speeds that are possible on land are just not available on cruise ships. Cruise ships depend on satellites for the internet they provide. These satellites can be affected by weather and there isn't equal satellite coverage across the entire globe so some areas in the middle of the ocean may not have any coverage (this is often true for portions of transatlantic and transpacific cruises). Additionally, the internet system speeds on cruise ships aren't always keeping up given the skyrocketing increase in the number of devices connected at the same time. Often speeds are slower when more users are online.
All that said, internet on cruise ships is improving at a fast rate. It wasn't too many years ago that they only offered packages by the minute and the speeds were as bad as what dial-up used to be. Now, all the major cruise lines offer unlimited packages and the speed has improved and continues to improve. Princess Cruises invested in MedallionNet which is now implemented fleet wide and has shown to be a noticeable improvement. And most recently Royal Caribbean Group (which includes Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity, and Silversea) partnered with StarLink (which uses lower orbiting satellites). Rollout of StarLink across the entire fleet has just begun this fall but initial reports are incredibly promising.
Is there an alternative to cruise line internet?
Yes, Cellular at Sea is available on some ships and through certain carriers. It makes use of a satellite based tower on the cruise ship and is available when the cruise ship is at least 12 nautical miles from land. If you are considering this option, I strongly encourage you to very carefully research the plan that is available through your cell carrier. There often are very restrictive data limits and any overage on data comes with huge fees. I know people who have signed up for a Cellular at Sea plan without truly understanding what it did and did not cover and came home to a huge surprise bill. This is not an option I personally recommend.
What are my options while in port?
Most ports have cell towers and good cell coverage. However, many US cell plans only cover the US (and sometimes Canada and Mexico) so it is important you contact your cell company to find out what your plan covers and if you don't already have sufficient coverage for your ports, to see if there are any add-on international plans you can purchase for your time at the ports. Just a reminder that the US Virgin Islands (such as St. Thomas) and Puerto Rico are US territories and US cell plans usually provide coverage in those ports.
An alternative in port, is to seek out free or inexpensive wi-fi hotspots. Sometimes the terminal will have free wi-fi. Other times local bars or restaurants will provide wi-fi to those that purchase food or drink. The crew on the ship can be great resources on where to find free or inexpensive wi-fi on shore.
In summary, whatever your connection needs may be while cruising, it is important that you take the time to find out what coverage you have in ports, adjust the settings on your phone so you don't incur unintended roaming fees, and sign up for an internet plan that will meet your needs.
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