Cruiseship | Wifi

How much is Wi-Fi onboard?

Although some cruise lines have moved towards free Wi-Fi onboard, you will most likely need to pay for internet when cruising. 

Those sailing on Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line can expect to spend anywhere from $20 to $30 per day per device onboard. Again, you can purchase daily passes or pre-purchase Wi-Fi for your entire cruise. 

Some cruise lines have multiple tiers of packages that you can choose from. Royal Caribbean offers a premium VOOM service that allows you to surf and stream the web at speeds 3x faster than the basic plan. It usually costs anywhere from $5 to $10 more per day for the higher package, although the experience is much better. 

 

Similarly, Carnival Cruise Line offers its Social Wi-Fi plan for as little as $8.50 while its Premium Wi-Fi package sells for $14.45 per day. 

The cost for onboard Wi-Fi can be discounted if you pre-purchase your internet package before boarding. As always, the price onboard will be more expensive compared to the pre-purchased price. 

Some luxury cruise lines, like Viking Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Silversea and Virgin Voyages, have started to include basic internet in their cruise fares. This is a welcomed change in the cruise industry, as almost everyone onboard will seek some sort of Wi-Fi service during their cruise. 

Saving money on Wi-Fi

You might be feeling bummed that the Wi-Fi on your upcoming cruise will not only cost you, but also be lacking in performance. There are a few ways to save money with Wi-Fi, though.

 

First, cruise lines normally have a loyalty program that is free to sign up for. Some of these benefits for higher tiered loyalty members include free and discounted Wi-Fi onboard. For example, when I cruise on Royal Caribbean, I receive 2 free days of Wi-Fi included because I am a Diamond + member. 

Second, consider pre-purchasing your internet packages before boarding your cruise ship. Just like drink packages, these will almost always be cheaper when you pre-book rather than waiting until you're on your ship. Cruise lines frequently run sales that you should monitor to get the best price possible. 

Another tip to save money is to use one a PC laptop to create a hotspot in your cabin. Although this might not always work depending on the cruise ship’s enabled capabilities, I’ve successfully used my laptop as a hotspot multiple times. This allows us to purchase Wi-Fi for just one device and then create a hotspot for other devices to connect to.