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Staying Connected: A Guide to Your Cruise Ship’s Internet

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Staying Connected: A Guide to Your Cruise Ship’s Internet

Along with the usual holiday essentials like sun cream and shades, more and more passengers are bringing their laptops, tablets and smartphones onboard – because who doesn’t love making everyone back home jealous with a few sunny snaps on their Facebook feed?

A Woman using a phone in a forest

Thanks to the ever-improving technology on cruise ships, and the fact that nobody wants to go without it nowadays, Wi-Fi is now a common onboard feature, giving guests the chance to stay connected with friends and family over the course of their cruise.

You’ll be glad to hear that onboard Wi-Fi is getting faster and cheaper too, so surfing the web while you sail the seas is a far less frustrating experience that it used to be. But what kinds of internet packages do the big cruise lines offer – and at what cost? We’ll answer both, and take a look at where water-based Wi-Fi is heading too, below…

Earth from Space

Do cruise ships have Wi-Fi?

They do indeed! All cruise ships offer their own supported internet connectivity. However, you can still connect to the internet using your phone’s 3G or 4G so long as you’re not too far from shore if you don’t fancy paying for your ship’s internet. Remember to turn off your data roaming if you don’t want hefty charges on your phone bill, too! When you’re way out at sea, you’re less likely to have access to this though.

That said, connecting to the internet at sea might not be the same as your internet at home. You might need a fair bit of patience when it’s time to sign in. There’s still hope though. With advancing technology and state-of-the-art equipment coming out at a rate of knots, it’s becoming much easier and quicker to get online.

Icons for internet Connections

If you’re taking a trip to the Caribbean, for instance, then you’ll certainly be in luck. Why is this? With more satellites in low orbit above the area, ships can stay within these satellites’ footprint for a journey’s duration – keeping you connected throughout your cruise.

Many cruise lines are also turning to hybrid solutions which combine satellites with terrestrial broadband connectivity. So even if you happen to be in a location where internet access isn’t great, you’ll still be able to send that email, upload that picture or do a spot of retail therapy.

Resilient Lady - Virgin Voyages
The Resilient Lady

The next step: Starlink on cruise ships

Developed by tech boffin Elon Musk, Starlink is a satellite-based internet company that’s capable of delivering internet speeds of 150Mbps to pretty much anywhere on the planet. In other words: it’s pretty fast.

Voom Logo

And five cruise liners have plans to offer it to guests, including Carnival, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean – whose Starlink trial on Freedom of the Seas was a rousing success. As well as quicker connectivity and faster speeds, the use of Starlink will also allow guests to use more high-bandwidth activities like video streaming and video calls!

The Sky at sunset showing stars

Cruise line internet packages: what’s available?

Surf the web on your next cruise adventure

With technology advancing and equipment constantly being revolutionised, it’s a wonderful opportunity for guests to be able to share their cruising experiences with family and friends at home.

A surfer

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