princess cruises wifi cost

Cruise Lines

Princess cruises wi-fi: speed, reliability, cost, and more.

Key Takeaways

• Princess offers one tier of Internet service called MedallionNet, with no different tiers for different speeds or types of usage.
• The cost of Wi-Fi is $15 per day for one device, with an additional $10 per day for upgrading to four devices.
• Princess claims that MedallionNet exceeds residential service levels, but personal experience and speed tests showed slower speeds during a specific cruise, with speeds topping out at less than 2 Mbps.
• Streaming, FaceTime, and texting over Wi-Fi are allowed, but the quality and stability may vary.

Internet Packages and Pricing

Speed of Princess Internet Service

Switching devices with one-device access.

Streaming, Facetime, and Texting Over Wi-Fi

Reliability and overall experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i purchase wi-fi for only part of my cruise instead of the entire duration, is there a limit to the number of devices i can connect to the wi-fi, are there any restrictions on the types of websites or content i can access on the wi-fi, are there any additional charges or fees associated with using the internet cafe on the ship, is there a customer support service available for assistance with wi-fi connectivity issues.

Yes, there is customer support available for troubleshooting Wi-Fi connectivity issues. They provide assistance to help resolve any problems or concerns you may have with your internet connection.

Meet Asra, a talented and adventurous writer who infuses her passion for exploration into every word she writes. Asra’s love for storytelling and her insatiable curiosity about the world make her an invaluable asset to the Voyager Info team.

From a young age, Asra was drawn to the power of words and their ability to transport readers to far-off lands and magical realms. Her fascination with travel and cultures from around the globe fueled her desire to become a travel writer, and she set out on a journey to turn her dreams into reality.

Whimsical Seuss Breakfast on Carnival Cruise Line

Women Who Rock: A Music Cruise to Remember

Meet Asra, a talented and adventurous writer who infuses her passion for exploration into every word she writes. Asra’s love for storytelling and her insatiable curiosity about the world make her an invaluable asset to the Voyager Info team. From a young age, Asra was drawn to the power of words and their ability to transport readers to far-off lands and magical realms. Her fascination with travel and cultures from around the globe fueled her desire to become a travel writer, and she set out on a journey to turn her dreams into reality.

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Explore the Charming Streets of Charleston

Discover the city’s rich history and architecture, indulge in delicious southern cuisine, visit historic plantations and gardens, experience the vibrant art and music scene, relax on charleston’s beautiful beaches, take a boat tour of charleston harbor, shop for unique antiques and local crafts, attend a festival or event in the city, enjoy the southern hospitality and friendly atmosphere, how can i book a cruise ship tour in charleston, what are the top-rated restaurants in charleston for trying southern cuisine, are there any specific recommendations for visiting historic plantations and gardens in charleston, what are some popular art galleries or music venues in charleston, are there any specific beaches in charleston that are known for their beauty and tranquility, is cabbage beach a popular destination for cruise ship passengers in charleston.

Charleston, you never cease to surprise me with your Southern hospitality and endless charm.

Alfons is the visionary leader and driving force behind Voyager Info’s success. As the Editor in Chief, he brings a wealth of experience and an unwavering passion for travel to the helm of our cruise-centric platform.

With a lifelong fascination for exploring new horizons, Alfons discovered his love for the ocean and cruising at a young age. From sailing across pristine Caribbean waters to embarking on daring expeditions to far-flung destinations, he has amassed a treasure trove of first-hand experiences in the world of cruising.

What Cruise Ports Are On The East Coast

Did you know that the East Coast of the United States is home to some of the country’s most popular cruise terminals? With a diverse range of destinations and attractions available, it’s no surprise that these ports host millions of travelers embarking on their cruise vacations each year.

From the bustling streets of New York City to the sunny shores of Miami, there is something for every type of traveler along the east coast. In this article, I will take you on a journey to explore the top cruise ports on the east coast, including:

• New York City

Whether you’re a seasoned cruiser or a first-timer, this guide will provide you with all the information you need to plan your next unforgettable cruise adventure.

So, grab your sunscreen and get ready to set sail on the east coast!

• New York City, Miami, Charleston, Boston, and Portland are popular cruise ports on the East Coast.
• Some popular activities in New York City include exploring Central Park, visiting the Statue of Liberty, catching a Broadway show, and indulging in delicious steaks at Peter Luger Steak House.
• Cape Hatteras, Hilton Head Island, Assateague Island, Myrtle Beach, and Outer Banks are some of the relaxing beaches on the East Coast.
• Vibrant nightlife and entertainment options on the East Coast include live music, jazz bands, Broadway-style shows, and a variety of delicious cuisine.

New York City, New York

If you’re planning a cruise from New York City, you’ll be thrilled to explore the iconic sights and vibrant energy of the Big Apple before setting sail on your unforgettable adventure.

There are plenty of things to do in New York City, New York during a cruise. Take a stroll through Central Park, visit the Statue of Liberty, or catch a Broadway show. And when it comes to dining, the city offers some of the best restaurants in New York City, New York near the cruise port. Indulge in mouthwatering steaks at Peter Luger Steak House or enjoy a taste of Italy at Carbone.

With so much to see and savor, New York City is the perfect starting point for your cruise.

Now, let’s head south to Miami, Florida.

Miami, Florida

Miami, Florida is a fantastic destination for those seeking a relaxing beach getaway. With its pristine shores and warm, turquoise waters, it’s the perfect place to unwind and soak up the sun.

Additionally, Miami offers a vibrant nightlife and entertainment scene, with world-class clubs and live music venues that cater to every taste.

Lastly, don’t miss the opportunity to explore the unique Art Deco District, where you can stroll along Ocean Drive and admire the colorful, iconic architecture that makes Miami Beach truly one-of-a-kind.

Relax on Beautiful Beaches and Soak up the Sun

While you’re cruising along the east coast, you’ll definitely want to kick back and enjoy some of the stunning beaches. The east coast is home to a plethora of beautiful beaches, perfect for relaxing and soaking up the sun. Here are some hidden gems and secluded beaches that you should check out:

After a day of relaxation, don’t miss out on the vibrant nightlife and entertainment that awaits you along the east coast.

Experience Vibrant Nightlife and Entertainment

Indulge in the electrifying atmosphere and immerse yourself in the pulsating music and vibrant entertainment options that await you as you explore the bustling cities and towns along this captivating coastline.

Experience live music and performances that will leave you in awe as talented artists take the stage to captivate audiences with their melodic tunes and mesmerizing dance routines. Whether it’s a jazz band playing in a trendy nightclub or a Broadway-style show at the local theater, the East Coast offers an abundance of cultural experiences that will leave you wanting more.

And when you’re ready to satisfy your taste buds, indulge in delicious cuisine ranging from fresh seafood to international flavors. From cozy waterfront restaurants to bustling food markets, there’s something to please every palate.

So get ready to explore the unique art deco district and discover the hidden gems that await you in the next chapter of your journey.

Explore the Unique Art Deco District

Get ready to immerse yourself in the vibrant and unique atmosphere of the Art Deco District. Colorful buildings and retro charm transport you back in time. Explore historic architecture as you stroll through the streets lined with stunning examples of this iconic design style.

From the streamlined curves to the geometric patterns, every building tells a story of the glamorous past. Visit local art galleries and discover the work of talented artists who draw inspiration from the district’s rich history. Marvel at the intricate details and bold colors that adorn each canvas.

Whether you’re an art enthusiast or simply appreciate beautiful surroundings, the Art Deco District is a must-see destination on your East Coast cruise.

Now, let’s continue our journey to Charleston, South Carolina, where southern charm and historic landmarks await.

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina offers you the chance to explore its rich history and vibrant culture. It is home to one of the busiest cruise ports on the east coast, with over 200 cruise ships visiting each year.

As you step off the ship, you’ll find yourself surrounded by Charleston’s historic sites. These include the iconic Rainbow Row and the stunning Magnolia Plantation. Take a leisurely stroll along the charming cobblestone streets and immerse yourself in the city’s colonial past.

And when it comes to food, Charleston’s culinary scene is a true delight. Indulge in mouthwatering Lowcountry cuisine at the many acclaimed restaurants scattered throughout the city. From shrimp and grits to she-crab soup, there is something to satisfy every palate.

Soak in the charm and flavors of Charleston before setting sail to Boston, Massachusetts, where a whole new adventure awaits.

Boston, Massachusetts

As you step foot in Boston, Massachusetts, you’ll be captivated by its rich history and vibrant cityscape, leaving you eager to explore every corner and immerse yourself in its cultural tapestry.

Here are three must-see attractions in this enchanting city:

As we continue our exploration, let’s now venture north to Portland, Maine.

Portland, Maine

Moving north along the East Coast, we arrive at Portland, Maine, another charming cruise port that is worth exploring.

Known for its picturesque lighthouses, Portland offers a unique blend of history and natural beauty. As you disembark from the cruise ship, you will be greeted by the sight of the iconic Portland Head Light, a historic lighthouse that stands proudly on the rocky coastline.

For an unforgettable experience, consider taking a lobster tour, where you can learn about the local lobster industry and even have a chance to catch your own lobster. The tour guides are incredibly knowledgeable and provide fascinating insights into this traditional Maine activity.

As we continue our journey, we set our sights on Halifax, Nova Scotia, a destination that promises to captivate with its rich maritime heritage and vibrant culture.

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Halifax, Nova Scotia offers a captivating blend of rich maritime heritage and vibrant culture that is sure to leave a lasting impression on visitors. Here are four must-see attractions in this charming Canadian city:

When visiting Halifax, it’s important to note the weather. Summers are mild and pleasant, with temperatures ranging from 15 to 25 degrees Celsius, while winters can be cold, with temperatures often below freezing. Don’t forget to pack accordingly and enjoy all that Halifax has to offer!

Are there any cruise ports on the east coast of Canada other than Halifax, Nova Scotia?

Yes, there are other cruise ports on the east coast of Canada besides Halifax, Nova Scotia. One interesting statistic is that there are a total of five cruise ports in Eastern Canada. Transportation options to these ports include taxis, shuttles, and public transportation.

How can I travel from Boston, Massachusetts to the cruise port in Portland, Maine?

I can easily travel from Boston, Massachusetts to the cruise port in Portland, Maine. There are various travel options available, including driving, taking a bus or train, or even hiring a private car service.

Are there any popular cruise lines that operate from the cruise port in Charleston, South Carolina?

Yes, there are popular cruise lines that operate from the cruise port in Charleston, South Carolina. However, I am unable to provide specific details on cruises from Boston to Portland.

Are there any specific attractions or landmarks near the cruise port in New York City, New York?

As I step off the ship at the cruise port in New York City, a world of iconic landmarks and captivating attractions awaits. From the towering Empire State Building to the vibrant Times Square, and a plethora of mouthwatering restaurants, it’s a feast for the senses.

Can you recommend any hotels or accommodations near the cruise port in Miami, Florida?

I recommend the Hilton Miami Downtown for its convenient location near the cruise port in Miami, Florida. It offers comfortable rooms, stunning views, and excellent amenities, making it one of the best accommodations near the cruise port.

Well, now you know all about the cruise ports on the East Coast. From the bustling streets of New York City to the sunny shores of Miami, there’s something for everyone.

Charleston’s charm and Boston’s history will surely captivate you, while the picturesque beauty of Portland and Halifax will leave you in awe.

So, pack your bags, hop on a cruise, and get ready for an unforgettable journey along the East Coast. Trust me, it’ll be smooth sailing all the way… or maybe not.

What Cruise Lines Use Uplift

• Uplift is a popular financing option for budget planning on cruises.
• Uplift offers convenient and flexible payment options with low interest rates and no hidden fees.
• Uplift allows for better cabin upgrades, amenities, and a wider range of options.
• Cruise lines that use Uplift are not explicitly mentioned in the content.

Understanding Uplift in the Cruising Industry

Benefits of uplift for travelers, benefits of uplift for cruise companies, how uplift works in the cruise industry, cruise lines that offer uplift, tips for using uplift to book your cruise, compare financing options, consider the terms and conditions, plan your budget, common misconceptions about uplift, how uplift enhances the cruise experience, more travelers can afford a cruise, less financial stress during vacation, access to better cabin upgrades and amenities, alternatives to uplift for financing your cruise, conclusion: making the most of uplift for your cruise vacation, what are the eligibility criteria for using uplift to finance a cruise, are there any additional fees or interest charges associated with using uplift, can i use uplift to finance any type of cruise, including luxury or specialty cruises, how does uplift handle cancellations or changes to the cruise booking, are there any restrictions on using uplift for international cruises or cruises to specific destinations, does uplift offer financing for inspiration cruises.

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Wi-Fi on cruise ships: 5 things to know about internet use on board

I have good news for those of you who assume the only way to stay in touch with home from a cruise ship is via a message in a bottle: Cruise ships come equipped with internet, and cruise Wi-Fi connections have been getting faster at a rapid rate — and cheaper, too.

While checking emails and surfing the web on some vessels still requires the patience of Job, onboard technological improvements on many ships combined with new satellite and direct ship-to-shore systems is making cruise internet access much more like what you find on land.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

If you're a first-time cruiser, you're likely most concerned with the basics: Do cruise ships have Wi-Fi and how much does Wi-Fi cost on a cruise? Repeat cruisers who have paid the price for finicky service may be wondering the best way to access fast connection speeds across their devices while avoiding unnecessary charges.

I can guide you through the ins and outs of Wi-Fi on cruise ships. Here are five things to know about onboard internet before you set sail.

Wi-Fi on cruise ships will never be as fast (or reliable) as home

Yes, all cruise ships today offer an internet connection, but it might not be the seamless experience you've come to expect on land.

For most of the many years I've been writing about cruising, the typical internet connection at sea hasn't just been slow. It's been glacial. You'd click on a website only to experience many seconds of frustration. Maybe the page would come up. Maybe it wouldn't. Maybe the cruise would end while you were still sitting there.

Related: 16 mistakes cruise ship passengers make on disembarkation day

Why the slow speeds? 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.

The maritime communication companies that specialize in providing internet connections to ships have been trying to speed things up in recent years. Solutions have included adding more satellites and linking their systems to land-based towers that connect with ships as they near shore.

But, in the end, there are limits to just how well a satellite system can work. For starters, a ship needs a clear "line of sight" to a satellite to exchange data, something that isn't always the case. Cruise ships traveling through the famed Norwegian fjords, for instance, can lose their satellite signal due to the height of surrounding mountains.

And there are certain parts of the world where satellite coverage is too thin or nonexistent to allow for internet access on cruise ships. During a sailing in the Russian Arctic on a Hapag-Lloyd Cruises ship, I was forced to live without internet for a good part of a week due to a lack of satellite coverage in the area (something, I must say, was kind of wonderful).

So while onboard cruise Wi-Fi speeds are getting better, they'll never be as fast as at home, where a hard wire brings the signal straight to your router.

Onboard internet speed is getting much faster

On some cruise ships, the signal has become so much faster you now can stream Netflix from the comfort of your cabin — something that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

New satellite systems, paired with multimillion-dollar investments in shipboard technology, really are making things better in a big way. A turning point came in 2014, when cruise giant Royal Caribbean partnered with satellite company O3b Networks to create a new onboard internet system that it claimed was six times faster than anything else at sea. Called Voom, the system tapped into new Medium Earth Orbit satellites operated by O3b that can shoot their beams directly at ships as they move.

When I ran a speed test of Voom on Adventure of the Seas, I found the line's fastest option, the Surf + Stream service, usually offered download speeds of just around 3 megabits per second. I never found download speeds exceeding 4 Mbps, but I did see it drop as low as 1.5 Mbps. While still significantly slower than many home connections, that's fast enough to enjoy Netflix and other streaming video services, though I did experience grainy video and buffering issues on occasion.

Royal Caribbean still claims Voom is the fastest and best Wi-Fi option on cruise ships today. But we're a bit skeptical – not because the Wi-Fi is slower than stated, but because other cruise lines, like Carnival Cruise Line , are quickly catching up.

Carnival cruise Wi-Fi is also fast enough to support Netflix streaming on some ships, the company says. The cruise line uses a hybrid system that combines faster satellite connections at sea with a network of less-expensive land-based towers that take over as its vessels near coastal areas.

On a sailing on one of the Carnival ships outfitted for faster internet, Carnival Sunrise , I did notice a significant improvement in cruise Wi-Fi speed. But the promised access to Netflix streaming wasn't quite as smooth as I had hoped. Clicking on a favorite show, I only could watch for a few minutes before the connection inevitably froze.

Some lines in just the last year or so have begun partnering with Elon Musk's Starlink system for speedy internet.

Related: How fast is the internet on a Celebrity cruise? We put it to the test

Cruise internet costs have gone down

Just a few years back, you had to pay a small fortune for the privilege of accessing the internet on a cruise ship. The base rate for onboard Wi-Fi for years started around 75 cents a minute. That's $45 for a single hour online!

The old pay-by-the-minute system, which could leave even modest internet users with sky-high bills, is now giving way to simpler and more affordable "all you can browse" plans on many lines.

How much does Wi-Fi cost on a cruise today? Well, the highest-speed version of Royal Caribbean's Voom connection currently costs $26.99 per day for one device. In the old days of 75 cents-a-minute pricing, that same amount of money would have gotten you just 36 minutes of web time.

Royal Caribbean also offers a slower-speed version of Voom that can't support streaming for $19.99 per day for one device. For both cruise internet packages, there are discounts for adding more devices and purchasing a package online before your sailing.

Related: 15 ways that cruising newbies waste money on their first cruise

Another line bringing down internet costs dramatically is Carnival. At the very low end, it now offers a Social Wi-Fi plan that allows access to all the key social sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) as well as messaging services such as WhatsApp, for just $15.30 a day ($18 when purchased on board). A slightly more expensive Value Wi-Fi plan, at $19.55 per day when bought in advance ($23 per day when bought on board), adds access to email and most websites.

The line's top-tier Premium Wi-Fi plan, at $21.25 per day when bought in advance ($25 when bought onboard), triples the speed of the Value plan and adds access to VoIP calling on messaging apps and Skype (but not FaceTime). Note that you might be able to make Wi-Fi calls from an iPhone or via WhatsApp, even with the less expensive plan. Passengers who pay for a Carnival Cruise Wi-Fi plan in advance of sailing get a 15% discount.

But perhaps the biggest development in cruise internet costs in recent years is that many higher-end lines have begun offering internet access for — get this — free. Viking , Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Silversea Cruises are among lines now including unlimited internet time in the base cost of a voyage. At some of these lines, such as Regent, you can pay extra for faster service.

Another way to get free or cheaper internet time on ships is to join cruise line loyalty programs . Many offer free cruise Wi-Fi or discounted package pricing to customers who hit mid- to upper-tier levels.

At Celebrity Cruises, for instance, the top Zenith tier in the line's Captain's Club loyalty program comes with unlimited free Premium-level internet (the fastest plan at the line). At Princess Cruises , customers can get 50 percent off MedallionNet internet packages after reaching the Platinum level in the line's Captain's Circle loyalty program (to qualify, you'll need to complete either five cruises, or 50 cruise days).

On Royal Caribbean, the path to free Internet on a cruise is through its high-end suites . Book a room in a Sky Class or Star Class suite (all suites above the junior suite level), and you'll receive free Voom.

Apps offer an alternative to paid cruise Wi-Fi

In recent years, a growing number of cruise lines have rolled out free apps for your phone that will let you make reservations for onboard restaurants, spa treatments and other services without ever leaving your pool deck lounge chair. On some ships operated by Carnival, you even can order beer and pizza to wherever you happen to be using an app.

Many of these apps also will show you a schedule of daily activities, offer ship deck plans and sometimes port maps to help you get around, and let you check your onboard account statement in real time. On Celebrity Edge and other Celebrity Cruises Edge-class ships, you can even use an app to remotely open your cabin door, change channels on the television and turn off the lights.

While all these apps work off cruise ship Wi-Fi, the good news is they don't require the purchase of a plan to use. Nor do they come with any other sort of fee — at least for most features.

At Carnival, you'll pay $5 per cruise to add a "chat" feature to the line's otherwise free HUB app that will let you communicate via text-like messages with other app-enabled passengers. Norwegian Cruise Line also requires passengers to pay a fee (currently $9.95 per cruise) to use a messaging and calling feature of its Cruise Norwegian app.

Cruise internet tip: Use airplane mode to avoid unwanted charges

Whether or not you're purchasing a Wi-Fi plan on a cruise ship, I have one very strong piece of advice: Put your phone in airplane mode the moment you step on board the vessel and leave it that way for the duration of the sailing.

This is the safest way to avoid unwanted data charges, which can be enormous. (Remember the story of a family that racked up $14,000 in data charges on a cruise?)

As many cruisers have found the hard way, international phone plans such as AT&T's $10-a-day International Day Pass do not apply to cruise ships at sea. If you let your AT&T phone roam while you're on a vessel, you'll pay $2.05 per megabyte of data — even if your base plan at home offers you unlimited data. You'll also pay $3 per minute to make a call, $0.50 per text and $1.30 to send a photo. All that adds up very quickly.

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. It's also not available on every ship. More than 175 vessels are part of the program.

If you insist on leaving your cellular service on during a cruise, you should at least disable any apps running in the background (as they'll be eating up data, and running up your bill) and disable email auto-check.

Personally, I find it easier to just hit the airplane mode button. Once in airplane mode, I reactivate the Wi-Fi feature on my phone to access the cruise Wi-Fi, and sign up for a shipboard plan that will let me stay in touch by email or a VoIP service like WhatsApp.

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Princess Cruises MedallionNet WiFi: Speed Test and Review

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. We may receive compensation when you purchase via my links at no cost to you. See my disclosure for more information.

Princess Cruises promises guests the “best internet at sea.”

But is it really the best? And how fast are MedallionNet internet speeds?

We’ve tested Princess Cruises MedallionNet WiFi to determine if it lives up to the name. Read our review on Princess’ internet plans.

Table of Contents

Princess Cruises WiFi Plans and Prices

MedallionNet WiFi starts at $24.99 per device per day when purchased before sailing. Platinum and Elite Captain’s Circle members receive a 50% discount on all internet packages.

You can expect to pay a higher price for the internet plan if you purchase it on the ship.

Princess Cruises offers some of the lowest wifi prices in the cruise industry.

Still, you can get it even cheaper!

Guests who purchase the pricier Princess Plus fare receive free drinks, gratuities, and wifi. You’ll pay more for the Princess Plus or Princess Premier package. But the added perks make Princess Plus worth it.

Princess Plus includes free WiFi, gratuities, and a Princess Cruises beverage package.

How Does MedallionNet Work?

Before discussing the speed of Princess Cruises WiFi, it’s essential to understand how MedallionNet works.

Cruise ships often travel to remote destinations around the globe and spend vast amounts of time far away from land-based cell phone towers. For this reason, cruise ships rely on satellite connections to keep passengers connected at sea.

In the past, cruise ships connected to satellites in geostationary orbit – up to 22,000 miles (36,000 kilometers) from the Earth. Although radio waves travel at the speed of light, the distance means up to 240 milliseconds of travel time.

It may not sound like much, but consider that your home internet likely has a connection speed below 30ms.

What makes Princess Cruises MedallionNet WiFi so fast?

Princess Cruises partners with Starlink to provide high-speed internet to guests. Starlinks low earth orbit satellints provide faster internet speeds, reduced latency, and much more bandwidth.

Internet speeds on Princess cruises aren’t as fast as you’re used to back home, but they are fast enough to browse the web, use social media, and stream movies.

How Fast is Princess Cruises MedallionNet WiFi?

We conducted several speed tests during our Caribbean cruise on Regal Princess to accurately measure MedallionNet’s internet speed.

We found average download speeds of 5.3 Mbps and upload speeds of 1.2 Mbps.

We conducted our speed tests multiple times daily to get the most accurate data sample.

In our experience, MedallionNet Wifi provides similar internet speeds compared to other mainstream cruise lines.

However, it’s important to note that the internet speeds aren’t as fast as you might be used to back home. The onboard WiFi is great for basic web browsing, emails, and messaging, but you will notice pages take slightly longer to load.

Further, while you can video chat and stream movies, TV, and music, don’t expect 4k video.

That said, for a cruise ship traveling in the middle of the ocean, Princess Cruises provides incredible internet speeds.

How Do You Access the Internet on Princess Cruises?

Accessing the MedallionNet internet is a straightforward process. Just follow the steps below to get your device connected in minutes.

• Open your device’s WiFi settings and select the MedallionNet WiFi connection.
• After connecting, you’ll be automatically redirected to the login page.
• Sign in using your cabin number and birthdate.

If, for some reason, your device won’t connect to the ship’s internet, visit guest services for assistance.

MedallionClass Wearable and App

Unsurprisingly, Princess Cruises offers fast internet speeds thanks to Starlink’s internet service. Every ship in Princess’ fleet is equipped with OceanMedallion – the cruise line’s award-winning wearable device program.

OceanMedallion replaces traditional room cards with a wearable that provides passengers with touchless boarding, room access, locating family on the ship, ordering food and drinks, and making purchases around the vessel.

The OceanMedallion wearable and accompanying app create a more personalized experience for passengers.

With thousands of passengers simultaneously using the technology, Princess cruise ships require a serious internet connection.

Final Thoughts

Princess Cruises MedallionNet WiFi provides comparable internet speeds among mainstream cruise lines .

While not as fast as you’ll find at home, the internet connection works perfectly fine for web browsing, emails, and messaging. It’s even fast enough to video chat back home and stream videos from Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.

Marcello De Lio

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Internet Café & Library

Keep in Touch While Cruising at Sea

Our Internet Café is filled with computers so it’s easy to access your mail account or browse the Internet for world news, sports and stock trading. Or bring your own electronic devices and access the Internet through our improved onboard wireless service. The Internet Café is open 24 hours a day. For those looking to absorb more traditional media, our onboard library is fully stocked with up to 2,000 books, many specifically tailored to your itinerary as well as the classics and best sellers.

• Princess / Ship Reviews

How Strong is the Internet on Princess? A Review of MedallionNet

by Prof. Cruise · Published March 21, 2022 · Updated March 21, 2022

Go ahead, ask about internet speed in a cruise-related Facebook group if you want to be be virtually spanked for not entirely disconnecting on vacation. But don’t worry, I’m here to affirm you (or enable you?) and also answer your question: How strong is the internet on Princess? First though, let us enlighten those who may not understand why anyone would want or need internet access on a cruise ship.

Internet on a cruise ship? What’s the point?

There are many good reasons one may need strong and reliable internet access on their Princess cruise. Here are some of them:

• They “forgot” to tell their boss they were going on vacation and plan to “work” virtually.
• They guilted an extended family member into taking care of their kids while they cruised: “Come on, you saw so little of them during Covid, you need to make up for lost time.” But they feel obligated to at least check in a few times: “No one dead? Excellent! Love you, but gotta run – I have a spa appointment!”
• Nightly video chats with their fur baby whom they actually really miss: “Mommy ordered an extra prime rib at dinner tonight just for you! Paws crossed that I don’t get arrested for sneaking it off the ship.”
• So they can feel less guilty about the 10,000 calories they’re eating every day by sitting on an exercise bike at the ship gym while streaming Netflix.

I’m sure there are others too, but those are the ones that popped into my head for some reason (not that any of them are even remotely autobiographical).

Speaking of autobiographical, let me answer some questions you may have about MedallionNet internet on Princess ships by referencing my own recent experience onboard Princess. Remember that this is based on one person’s experience on one ship, but hopefully it can give you a sense of what to expect. I hope that others will chime in in the comments with their experiences too!

Is the Internet Strong Enough to Work from a Princess Ship?

When your professional title is “Professor of Cruising,” AKA “subpar cruise blogger,” you work to cruise and you cruise to work. And I was mostly able to fulfill my duty to keep my one loyal reader (hi, mom!) informed while on the Majestic Princess. There were a few spots and times of day where the internet signal wasn’t as strong, but it usually worked great in my cabin where I preferred to write, answer e-mails, and update my website and social media sites.

For those of you thinking, “But what about those of us with a real job?,” I say this…

I’ll have you know that I had to try six times to get a decent video for Instagram of the atrium as I traveled all the way up on the glass elevator because people kept getting in! If that’s not real work, I don’t know what is!

Also this…

While I wouldn’t feel comfortable guaranteeing that MedallionNet will allow you to accomplish everything you need to do for work from the ship (especially if it’s critical that you be able to always attend live meetings or respond immediately to messages and e-mails), this new and vastly improved Princess internet met my work-related needs MUCH better than any non-Princess ship I’ve ever sailed on.

Can I Stream Videos on a Princess Ship?

Yes. I was able to stream Netflix during a GRUELING hour long workout on a spin bike at the ship gym. Had I been on land, I would have peddled all the way from my apartment to Pike Place Market in Seattle in that time! (Psssst, it’s only two blocks away.)

Can I Zoom from a Princess Ship?

Let me tell you from experience that there’s nothing more zen than listening to your live weekly virtual yoga class over Zoom while you gaze out at the ocean and feast on a crap ton of free food delivery (go HERE to see my review of OceanNow food and beverage delivery on Princess along with the complete menu). I really hope I remembered to turn off my camera though, as I said my final “namaste” with a mouth full of chocolate cake.

In summary, Zoom worked well for me.

Can I Video Chat from a Princess Ship?

Yes, you can. At least I could – here I am tucking in my son over Facebook video chat before asking could he please put Henry (my dog) on now (remember that thing I said about missing one’s fur baby?).

How Much Does the Internet Cost on Princess?

As I discovered, that depends. But either way, it’s refreshingly reasonable! If you purchase a plan through the OceanMedallion App prior to sailing, the cost of a 1 device plan (meaning you can only use one device at a time) for a 7 night cruise for me was $69.93. For up to 4 devices (meaning you can use up to 4 devices at the same time) it was $139.93. I figured I’d wait to purchase my plan until I got onboard because I had a bunch of onboard credit to burn through.

However, once onboard, I discovered that it’s cheaper to pre-purchase a plan (that’s usually the case on other lines, but I didn’t see or read anything about that with MedallionNet, so I didn’t know). I paid $104.93 for my 1 device plan once onboard. Learn from my mistake and purchase your plan in advance!

So, how strong is the internet on Princess? Allow me to pitch this new slogan to the Princess marketing team: “MedallionNet, strong enough to keep you from relaxing on vacation!” Yes? No?

But seriously, it was strong enough to give my dog something to look forward to for 12 days. Unfortunately 8 of those days were unexpected and the prime rib I promised him over video chat went rancid while I sat in jail. Oh! I just thought of another slogan: “MedallionNet > JailNet.”

Cruising Pro Tip: You can’t take fruit, vegetables, dairy, grains, beverages or…prime rib on or off of a cruise ship (only packaged and sealed food is permitted).

*Note: Reports from some ships this week, now that they’re closer to full capacity, are that the internet has been slower and that the app hasn’t been functioning as well (I couldn’t really get the app to work at all on my sailing, but I’d made all my reservations in advance, used the TV to order OceanNow food to my cabin , and appreciated still receiving a hard copy of the Princess Patter for the daily schedule, so I didn’t really need it). So keep in mind, that while it is technically “possible” to do all the things I discussed above with MedallionNet, internet speed slows with increasing demand. Choosing an off time (early in the morning, late at night, or in port while most passengers are off the ship) to accomplish important internet-dependent tasks may be the best option in some cases. And it’s best to have a backup plan for communication with work and home just in case.

And with that…

Class Dismissed!

Don’t forget to PIN this so you can refer back to it later!

Homework (10 points):  Share your experiences with MedallionNet in the comments and check out my other recent Princess-related content…

Does Princess Really have the Best Pizza at Sea?

Princess’s 2022 Main Dining Room Dinner Menus  

Preparing For Your Princess Cruise in 2022

Princess Cruise Line’s OceanNow Food And Beverage Delivery Menu 2022

Majestic Princess Mini-Suite Review and Tour

Princess Cruise Line’s Elite Lounge: A Review

And don’t forget to subscribe to the blog (scroll up to the top right if on a computer or keep scrolling down if on a mobile device) and follow Prof. Cruise on your favorite social social media sites:

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Princess Medallion Net Internet is excellent at middle latitudes (say…south of Ketchikan). They use lower Middle Earth Orbit satellites which provide fast service. Not having to count minutes or worry about logging out is a great improvement. Works well for real estate contracts!

Thanks for sharing your experience! I’m glad it worked well for your needs and thanks for pointing out another important use for it (real estate contracts can’t really wait). Happy cruising!

[…] You can read my full review of MedallionNet (the new fleet-wide internet service on Princess) HERE: […]

[…] the massive technology upgrades required to support Medallion technology, internet service (called MedallionNet), while still not perfect, has vastly improved on Princess. You can read my complete review of […]

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About Prof. Cruise

Given name Sarah, but also answers to Prof. Cruise. Retired after 10 years as a college professor to focus full-time on her primary research interest: travel. With a concentration in cruising.  Home port: Seattle.  Mom of a shaggy-haired dog and a shaggy-haired human.  Lover of books and dessert.  Fancies herself a bit of a comedian – you’ve been warned.

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Princess cruise wifi in 2023 ⚓ cost + package + is Princess cruise ship internet good?

Your experience with wifi on a Princess cruise ship may vary!

This is based on my experience and understanding!

I am just a fellow cruiser!

I once got the Princess wifi package for a 25-day cruise that was in February and March 2023.

I bought the 1-device wifi package, and it was easy to switch between devices, my phone and my laptop.

I then had Princess cruises in April and May 2023, and I did not buy wifi on either one of the cruises.

I did not get the wifi package or the day-by-day wifi.

But I did look for cruises on princess.com 😆 so I did use the wifi.

You can browse future cruises at princess.com for free when you are on the cruise ship! And if you know you will be taking another Princess cruise, you will want to do the future cruise deposit when you are on the cruise ship. You will get free onboard spending money.

Then I had Princess cruises in September 2023, and I did buy wifi by the day during those cruises.

You don’t need to buy the wifi to use the Princess app on the cruise ship.

But you do need to download the app before you get on the cruise ship.

You will want everyone in your family to download the app before you get on the cruise ship.

I have also read that imessage works without buying wifi if you have an iphone. I don’t have an iphone so I can’t personally confirm that though.

You can buy a wifi package for the whole cruise before you get on the cruise ship, and you can buy it individually every day of the cruise ship that you want it.

For my April 2023 cruise, I did notice that the cost to buy the wifi package before I got on the cruise ship and the cost to buy it on the day I got on the cruise ship was the same.

On a per-day basis, buying the wifi package for the whole cruise is cheaper than buying wifi individually every day.

If you skip using wifi just a few days, it might be cheaper to buy wifi day-by-day instead of buying the wifi package before you leave for your cruise.

You’ll want to calculate it out based on how many days you think you will be fine using the wifi during your cruise.

If your cruise has tons of port days, you may decide that you will be just fine using the data from your phone in port and skip getting online on the sea days on the cruise ship.

During the day on sea days will tend to be the slowest days to use the internet since lots more people will be online at once.

You can see my experience with t-mobile in Alaska cruise ports .

The cost of the wifi package on a Princess cruise ship if you buy it ahead of time is $15 a day. You would be buying wifi for every day of the cruise.

The cost of wifi on a Princess cruise ship if you buy it on a day-to-day basis is $20 a day. You will buy this once on the cruise ship on the day you want the internet.

The cost of Princess wifi can change, but this is my experience for my September cruises in 2023.

It was cheaper for the cruise that started in February.

You also have the option of buying wifi for just 1 device, or for 4 devices.

Even if you buy wifi for just 1 device, you can use it on multiple devices.

It’s just that you can only use it for one device at a time.

• for women: hiking shorts | for men: hiking shorts
• for women: hiking pants | for men: hiking pants
• capris for women
• Easy-to-pack rain gear (instead of a proper rain jacket)

If you are at the loyalty level of platinum or elite , wifi is 50% off. ( pdf )

If you get the Princess plus package or Princess premier package , wifi is a part of your package, so you can check that for details.

Trouble shooting: How to connect to the Princess wifi on a laptop

• Connect to the free Princess medallionnet wifi, and click where it says you might need to sign in.
• If that doesn’t get your to a screen that prompts you to the paid wifi option, type into your browser: login.com
• If that doesn’t work, type into your browser: mnet.ap.ocean.com or mnet.di.ocean.com
• If that doesn’t work, check to make sure it is not defaulting to include the https (For example, it may or may not work as https://mnet.ap.ocean.com)
• If that doesn’t work, then I recommend you go to the Ocean Front desk which is by the photo gallery. They are the medallion people. Check the hours and location for Ocean Front on the back of your Princess Patter (the paper version of the daily activity schedule ). You can call guest services to ask where they are located if you’re not sure… and while you are at it, you can ask guest services for help, and maybe they can. But I feel it could be easier to just go and show the Ocean Front people your laptop so they can connect you, especially if there’s a wait at guest services.

I had trouble a couple of times getting the paid Princess wifi on my laptop.

But my troubles hopefully mean easy solutions for you if you are having trouble! (Above!)

More below about my experience with using internet on Princess cruise ships!

Now of course, you also want to know…

How good is the wifi on a Princess cruise ship?

Well, individual experiences vary.

For my first cruises, the wifi on Princess cruise ships was not good enough for me to want to buy a wifi package.

But my most recent cruises have given me more inspiration to buy wifi more!

It’s September 2023, and I’m currently on a Princess cruise ship, and I have been bought wifi on many days, because I have been happy with what I have been able to do with the Princess wifi.

This was NOT the case during my first cruise!

Even at that time when I thought it was terrible, I had read a lot of online reports, and there were people who say they have generally had good wifi experiences on Princess cruise ships.

Your internet experience may or may not depend on what cruise ship you are on, where your cruise ship is sailing (aka how remote you are), and how many people on your cruise ship are using the internet at the same time as you (aka using up tons of resources making your internet slow).

And it depends on what you want to do online!

For the best chance at having “good” internet on the cruise ship, try to think of times when less people will be using the internet and use it then.

“Good” is relative on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean!

I have read people say that they have been able to watch netflix on a Princess cruise ship.

During that first terrible internet cruise, I never did try netflix, but I tried several times to watch my CBS, NBC, and ABC shows online.

The shows would not start.

Loading… loading…

I finally gave up.

Later on in the cruise I did try again just out of curiosity, and a show did load.

But it’s not something I could count on.

That was the Diamond Princess sailing across the vast Pacific Ocean, so maybe that had something to do with it.

Also it was a transpacific cruise which means lots of sea days which maybe means lots more people are online throughout the day.

There are lots of TV shows on the stateroom TV in your cabin that you can watch if you are without internet! You can binge watch the Love Boat !

For e-mail and general web browsing, I have found the Princess wifi to be just fine.

But personally, I do not care to spend $20 a day on general web browsing.

I’ve read people say they’ve been able to do zoom meetings and video chats.

While it may work for some people, I think it’s important to also manage your expectations and not be surprised if it doesn’t work for you.

Because the cruise that I bought the wifi package on was across the vast and remote Pacific Ocean, I thought maybe it would be unfair to decide my cruise ship wifi usage based on that.

But then my experience using wifi to browse cruises on princess.com on my 7-day cruise on the Majestic Princess did not inspire confidence.

The princess.com website timed out several times.

We can make the excuse that it was also in a very remote area, because it was at sea in the Gulf of Alaska.

It was the last sea day before getting to Whittier. Sea days = more people using the internet!

But it surely didn’t make me want to buy a wifi package!

But then…

My September cruises happened!

Those were also Alaska cruises.

It was on the Grand Princess.

Overall, I am quite happy with how I’ve been able to use internet while sailing around Alaska, including the Gulf of Alaska.

There was a time that it did seem like maybe it was a little slower in one part of the Gulf of Alaska, but overall, I have been quite happy with it.

I also did watch several episodes of netflix (for research of course 🤣) and I was successfully able to watch netflix.

This cruise ship is soon going to be sailing across the Pacific Ocean (and I’m staying on), so we will see how the internet will be at that time!!

Your experience may vary!

Buy Princess wifi at your own risk! 🤪

How to buy the wifi for your Princess cruise

You can buy the cruise ship wifi before you board the cruise ship or once you get on the cruise.

You will look for “medallion net” in the Princess app in order to purchase cruise ship wifi!

And that’s a bit about internet on a Princess cruise ship!

More about getting online in ports during your cruise: t-mobile in alaska

HAPPY USING PRINCESS CRUISE SHIP WIFI!

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• What is the day you get off the cruise ship like: Disembarkation day
• Sample daily activity schedule on a cruise ship: Princess cruise activities (princess patter)
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Wi-Fi on a Cruise Ship: Cost of Internet for Each Cruise Line

Tips and ideas for getting the most out of a cruise ship internet package

Can you really get Wi-Fi on a cruise ship? Absolutely, yes. Is it as fast and reliable as it is at home? Not yet, but things are changing fast. Internet access on a cruise will soon be just as seamless as connecting from your living room.

On the many cruise ships I’ve sailed on, I’ve experienced both blazing fast internet and internet so slow it made me wish for dial-up speeds. (Forgive me if you’re too young to know what “dial-up” internet is. You can check out a local museum for details.)

Cruise lines realize how important it is for their passengers to stay connected at sea. Plus they know they can make a few extra dollars by offering it to passengers.

Uploading photos of your trip, using messaging apps with friends and family, and checking in on pets and loved ones back home is all easier than ever with most internet plans on a cruise ship. And now with streaming plans you can even keep up with your favorite shows through streaming apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney Plus. Even video calls can be clear and lightning fast if conditions are right on a cruise.

Related: 10 Ways Rookies Waste Money on a Cruise

In this article we will cover everything you need to know about Wi-Fi internet on a cruise ship, including how much it costs for each major line. We’ll keep this post updated as changes take place.

How does Wi-Fi on a cruise ship work?

Cruise ships are equipped with a variety of technologies to provide passengers with reliable and convenient Wi-Fi access. In most cases, cruise ships get Wi-Fi through satellite technology. This type of internet connection uses satellites in space to connect the ship to the internet. Additionally, some cruise lines may also use cellular networks or land-based wireless networks to supplement the satellite connection.

Cruises often install multiple antennas on board that are able to receive signals from multiple sources. Passengers can then access the Wi-Fi network on their own devices, such as phones and tablets. The cost of Wi-Fi may vary depending on the cruise line and package purchased, but we’ll cover more on that later on.

What slows down internet speed on a cruise ship

The primary factor that can slow down internet speed on a cruise ship is the limited satellite bandwidth available to the ship. Cruise ships are often in remote areas and away from land-based networks, making their access to internet speeds more limited than on land.

This can cause websites and applications to load slowly, or even not at all. The spinning wheel of death is all too common on voyages in remote locations.

Additionally, cruise ships may also experience congestion due to multiple people attempting to access the same network simultaneously, leading to slower speeds. Other factors such as weather conditions and technical issues can also contribute to slower internet speeds. Even mountain ranges can limit the line of site needed for reliable internet connectivity.

Don’t forget, you’re on a moving vessel. This means connection to the internet can be spotty and is much more reliable when you’re in port.

Why is that? Some cruise line like Carnival will combine satellites with land-based towers for internet when the ships are close enough to use them. The reliability of land-based towers will be much better as well, and this is more cost-effective for cruise lines.

Starlink on Cruise Ships

Starlink could be a game-changer when it comes to internet on a cruise ship. Operated by SpaceX, this revolutionary satellite internet service that has the potential to bring high-speed internet access to millions of people around the world who currently do not have reliable connectivity. And now it’s being implemented by cruise lines. By using a network of low Earth orbit satellites, Starlink aims to provide fast and affordable internet to just about anywhere on the planet. On cruise ships sailing all around the world passengers will be able to get online with speeds never dreams of at sea before.

In an effort to improve their reputation for unreliable Wi-Fi, cruise lines are turning to Starlink, a high-speed broadband internet service developed by SpaceX. Hurtigruten Expeditions has already equipped its entire fleet with Starlink, and other cruise companies like Norwegian and Royal Caribbean are also adopting the technology. Even luxury line SeaDream Yacht Club has added Starlink to their ships.

These are the beginning stages of this technology on cruise ships, so stay tuned to see how this effects both price and performance of Wi-Fi at sea.

Using Wi-Fi on a ship without paying for a package

Whether you sign up for the paid Wi-Fi or not, you should still connect your phone or tablet to the ship’s Wi-Fi. This will allow you to see all of the relevant information about your cruise the the cruise line’s app. You will be able to see the program for the day, the shows and events scheduled, and even the menu for the restaurants on board.

In fact, one of the first things you should do when you get on the ship is to connect to the ship’s Wi-Fi so you can make any reservations for shows or check out your account for adding any additional amenities to your journey.

How much does it cost to get Wi-Fi on a cruise?

In the “old days” of cruising you would pay for internet access by the minute. Today you pay for unlimited internet by the day, but you still typically pay for only one device. If you want more than one device connected to the ship’s Wi-Fi you will have to upgrade or buy a different internet package.

The price of Wi-Fi on a cruise ship can range from $15 to $30 and more per device per day. On luxury cruise lines or even some premium lines there is free Wi-Fi included in the cost of the cruise fare. Some cruise lines that offer complimentary internet include Viking, Virgin Voyages, Silversea Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. You can also sometime buy a package combo that includes free internet access with some lines like Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Princess.

We’ll have some tips for saving money when using Wi-Fi later on in this post.

Cost of Wi-Fi for Main Cruise Lines

Carnival offers three different internet packages that vary in speed in restrictions. Keep in mind that if you pre-pay for internet access before your cruise you will save money. The prices listed below are for pre-cruise prices. If you decide to wait and buy a Wi-Fi package after you get onboard the ship it will cost a few dollars above the listed price.

• Social Wi-Fi Plan ($12.75, per day) : As the name suggests this package only allows you to access social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. You can also use some of the most popular messaging apps such as Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger. While most websites will be inaccessible with the Social plan you will be able to access popular airline sites so you can check on your flights. What you can’t do with this plan is access any streaming services, most websites, email, Skype, and even Facetime services cannot be used. It really is only a good choice for updating your status or posting a photo on social media and not much else.
• Value Wi-Fi Plan ($17.00, per day) : The Value plan allows all of the above with social media sites and also allows passengers to access other websites such as news, finance, sports, weather etc. This plan is more suitable for surfing the internet. Speeds will be a little faster with this plan, allowing you to post pictures online faster than the Social plan, but services like Skype, Facetime, and streaming will not be accessible.
• Premium Wi-Fi Plan ($18.70, per day) : Carnival states that the Premium plan is up to 3 times faster than the value plan. With Premium you can access social sites, browse the web, and use services as Skype and Zoom. Streaming capabilities for services such as Netflix are only available on certain ships.

Carnival allows you to change your plan and upgrade if you need to. You can even use multiple devices per plan so you can switch back and forth between your cell phone and tablet with one plan. But with one plan you can only use one device at a time.

Celebrity now has “XCelerate” Internet at Sea, a cutting-edge Wi-Fi service that boasts faster speeds compared to typical internet access on cruise ships. This new service is now available on all ships in Celebrity’s fleet, except for those on Galapagos sailings.

Celebrity offers two internet packages for basic internet and streaming: Basic Wi-Fi and Premium Wi-Fi .

• With Basic for $20 per day you can use messaging apps, check your email, and browse the web. You cannot send large files via email nor can you upload photos and videos to social media accounts with this package.
• With Premium for $35 per day Wi-Fi passengers can use streaming apps like Netflix and Hulu and upload photos and videos to social media accounts. The unlimited Wi-Fi service allows users to use video chat apps as well like Skype and Zoom.

When you choose Celebrity’s “Always Included” fare option, your base fare will come with complimentary Basic Wi-Fi , gratuities, and the Classic Drinks Package included.

Costa Cruises

Costa offers internet packages in different sizes based on how much data you will be using and how you will be using it. There is a data package in which you pay for a set data amount and a social package where you pay a flat fee but can only access popular social media applications. There are three different amounts of data you can purchase with a data package: 250Mb, 500Mb, and 3GB.

Prices may vary but you can expect to spend about 35 euros for the 250Mb plan, 45 euros for the 500Mb plan and 110 euros for the 3GB plan. The social package can usually be purchased by the day and will cost about 5 euros for one 24-hour period.

For those just wanting to check something online and get right back off there is a Quick Check plan as well, in which you pay by the minute. Typical costs are .25 euros per minute.

Disney Cruise Line has different Internet plans for you to choose from on their ships through Connect@Sea. You can pick a plan that works best for you based on how often you want to use your phone or other devices while on the cruise.

Through the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App passengers can sign up for Wi-Fi service. With Disney you pay by the data you use. While you can use as many devices as you want on a single plan, all of the data accumulates and is charged against your account.

If you want to pay as you go rates can be around .25 cents per Mb of usage. Or you can buy larger amounts of data for less. A 100Mb package may cost $19 while a 1,000 Mb package can go for $89.

Concierge guest categories can get 100Mb of internet usage for free while others may get free unlimited internet for the duration of the cruise.

Holland America Line

Holland America has three different internet packages from which to choose. They call come with unlimited usage along with the restrictions of what apps or websites you can use with them. No video streaming services are supported with any of the packages below. So apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime video and Hulu will not be able to be used.

• Social, $10 per day : This package is mainly for using messaging apps only and keeping up with friends and family on popular social media sites. No audio or video features are supported on this plan.
• Surf, $15 per day : Along with what the Social package offers, Surf will let you browse the internet, check your email, and check on various sports apps. This package comes complimentary with the ‘Have It All’ fare.
• Premium, $20 per day : Audio and video streaming are supported with this package, including everything from the above two packages.

MSC offers both streaming and browsing internet services on their fleet of ships. There are two packages to choose from and you will save 20% off the price if you book before your cruise rather than waiting until you board the vessel. The pricing can vary depending on the number of days in the itinerary, the number of devices being used, and which package is selected.

• Browse Internet Cruise Package : This package allows you to browse the internet, send and receive emails (including attaching photos), and using popular chat messaging services like Whatsapp. You will not be able to use a video chatting app or streaming service like Netflix or Hulu with this package. The price starts around $12 per day .
• Browse & Stream Cruise Package : With this plan you can do all of the above, including use video streaming services, video chat, and live stream on social media websites. Prices start at $16 per day for this plan, but again, the itinerary and length of cruise may vary the price.

You will save about 15% off the price of Wi-Fi on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship if you buy the package before the cruise. There are basically two types of internet plans with Norwegian: one for browsing and one for streaming. You can determine how many devices you want to have access for those two types of packages and find a plan just right for you.

As you add on more devices you will save some money so let’s list all the packages and prices here.

The plans below are for browsing the internet, checking email, and checking social media sites. Video streaming services are not accessible with these plans.

• Unlimited Wi-Fi for 1 device: $25.50, per day .
• Unlimited Wi-Fi for 2 devices: $44.99, per day .
• Unlimited Wi-Fi for 4 devices: $84.99 per day .

The premium plans listed below allow for video streaming and video chatting. Services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Youtube can be used. The line states that a VPN may also be used with the premium packages.

• Unlimited Premium Wi-Fi for 1 device: $34.99, per day .
• Unlimited Premium Wi-Fi for 2 devices: $57.99, per day.
• Unlimited Premium Wi-Fi for 4 devices: $109.99, per day .

Princess claims to have some of the best Wi-Fi at sea, and you might be able to get it for free as well.  MedallionNet Wi-Fi is complimentary for those who book Princess Plus or Princess Premier.

Wi-Fi on a Princess ship will cost $15 per day for one device and $40 per day for a 4-device plan.

You will be able to post videos and photos, use streaming apps like Netflix and Hulu, browse the internet and FaceTime with friends and family back home.

Royal Caribbean International

Royal Caribbean has been a pioneer of innovation in the cruise industry, and that is also the case with how the line has implemented Wi-Fi on their fleet of ships. VOOM is the name of their high-speed internet service that the company claims is 6 times faster than any other internet at sea. The technology allows for passengers to use the internet from just about anywhere on the ship as well, so even staterooms should get a great signal for connecting online.

The VOOM service uses a combination of satellites and cellular networks to provide guests with fast internet speeds and low latency, making it possible to do things like stream videos and make video calls while at sea.

Recently, Royal Caribbean announced that some ships will start using Starlink technology for internet as well. It is only on select ships right now but should be fleet wide in the near future.

There are two types of internet plans to choose from with Royal Caribbean: VOOM Surf and VOOM Surf & Stream. These packages are made available for up to 4 devices.

• VOOM Surf (Around $22 per day): This package allows you to browse the internet, send and receive emails, and chat on popular messaging apps like Whats app.
• VOOM Surf & Stream (Around $27 per day): This package allows you to stream from video services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video, as well as live video chat, stream, and post videos and pictures on social media.

Royal Caribbean’s “ The Key ” program includes complimentary internet of surf & stream package for one device.

Virgin Voyages

Access to the internet is complimentary on Virgin cruise ships. With basic Wi-Fi included there is an option for “sailors” to upgrade for some faster download speeds if they’d like as well. For $10 extra you can get access to streaming services and carry out video chats with the onboard Wi-Fi.

Tips for getting better Wi-Fi speeds on the ship

• Use the Wi-Fi during non-peak hours. Early mornings and late nights can be the best times to use the Wi-Fi, but anytime you can get on the internet when most people are doing something else will allow for faster speeds. The more people on the network the slower it will be.
• Find areas of the ship that have a better signal . Whether you try the internet cafe or other public areas of the ship, there are always some parts of the ship with a better signal than others. You can even ask crew members about this since they will usually know where the best locations are.
• Try your stateroom balcony to see if there’s better signal. Even if your cabin gets a weak signal you might find that outside on the balcony you have a better connection.
• Disable background applications on your devices. This is always a good idea if bandwidth is limited. You don’t want all those background devices hogging the internet when you’re trying to check your email or send out a social media update. You can block these background apps in your settings.
• Turn off automatic updates of applications. In addition to turning off background apps it’s a good idea to make sure your phone will not start updating apps while you’re using the internet. Again, this will just slow down whatever you’re trying to do, and since Wi-Fi speeds can be unreliable you have to make every megabit count.
• Wait until you’re in port . As stated above, cruise ships will typically have a much better connection when in port because they can tap into some land-based towers for internet connections. Of course, if you’re in port you have some other options for connecting to the internet as well that we’ll talk about below.

Tips for saving money on Wi-Fi while on a cruise

• Check for promotional offers: Some cruise lines offer promotional deals on Wi-Fi packages, or even early bird specials if you buy a plan by a certain time.
• Use the Wi-Fi in port: If you are planning to spend time in port, you may be able to find free Wi-Fi in port towns. This can help you save on Wi-Fi costs while you’re on the ship. Some ports even have Wi-Fi for just $5 for the entire day so if you want to check all your email or download a few movies while in port you can save some cash.
• Use your phone’s data: If you have an international data plan, you may be able to use your phone’s data for internet access instead of purchasing a Wi-Fi package. I have T-mobile and love the free international data and texting. Just be sure to know what your plan covers so you don’t get a surprise bill when you get back home.
• Share a package: If you are traveling with friends or family, consider purchasing a larger Wi-Fi package and sharing the cost. This can help you save money on a per-person basis.
• Wait for deals: Some cruise lines and travel agencies offer different deals depending the period of the voyage and the advance you book it, look out for them.

FAQ on Wi-Fi on a Cruise Ship

Can i stream movies or music on a cruise.

Most cruise lines these days offer a streaming package that will allow you to stream with Netflix, Hulu, Youtube TV and other services. This plan will typically cost more than the basic package and keep in mind that the signal strength of the connection may not always allow for streaming. You should expect some buffering if you’re ship is out at sea. It’s usually best to download the movies you want to watch ahead of time so you don’t have to worry about signal strength during your cruise.

Can I use a VPN on the cruise ship?

It really depends on the cruise line and which VPN you are using. Some cruise lines state on their websites if they allow VPNs or not and others are more elusive. Here are a few things we know about cruise lines that mention using a VPN on their ships.

According to Carnival’s website, “VPN connections are not supported. Discuss your VPN limitations with your company’s IT department if you are planning to work while sailing. We are not able to change your settings on board”.

Celebrity’s websiteclaims that VPN’s may not work on their ships, saying that any applications that use a lot of bandwidth or require a dedicated connection may not be supported.

Norwegian Cruise Line states on their Wi-fi package page that VPN support is only offered with the premium internet packages and not with the basic offerings.

On Royal Caribbean ships users have reported a mixed bag of results. While most are not able to connect to the Wi-Fi on Royal Caribbean ships others have had limited success. This may depend on the VPN you are using as well, but for now just assume you will not be able to use your VPN with this line.

Why is cruise ship Wi-Fi so expensive?

Wi-Fi on a cruise ship can be expensive for a few reasons. One reason is that the cost of setting up and maintaining the necessary infrastructure to provide internet access on a ship is quite high. The ship needs to have special equipment on board to connect to satellite networks, and this equipment is expensive to purchase and maintain.

Additionally, because the ship is constantly moving, it can be challenging to maintain a stable internet connection, which can add to the cost of providing Wi-Fi. It’s also a way for cruise lines to generate revenue, and with more people feeling like connecting to the internet is a necessity rather than a luxury it can bring in a substantial amount of money.

Can I bring my own Wi-Fi on a cruise?

I’ve traveled with my own hotspot on a cruise before. And while it’s nice to have another access point to the internet if the ship’s Wi-Fi is acting up, you have to keep a few things in mind. That hotspot is really only useful while you are near land or a port. Out at sea you probably won’t have much of a signal at all. When walking around a port of call, however, it can be nice to have that internet connection so you don’t have to find a coffee shop or internet cafe to check emails and post to social media. After all, the ship’s Wi-Fi is only good if you’re actually on or near the ship.

Are there computers on the ship I can use for internet access?

Some ships have done away with internet cafes for using the internet, so you will want to check with the specific cruise ship you will be sailing on. Many of the newer or refurbished ships have gotten rid of this feature since most passengers bring their own devices on board. That being said, if your ship does have computers onboard you can usually expect a pretty good Wi-Fi signal in that area.

What happens if you don t put your phone on airplane mode on a cruise?

If you don’t put your phone on airplane mode on a cruise, it will continue to try to connect to cellular networks, even though you are far out to sea. This can result in high roaming charges depending on your network in addition to a significant drain on your battery. Nothing wears out a phone batter faster than not having any bars.

Some cruise lines will let you connect your cell phone to their networks as well and even offer packages for this, but it’s usually very expensive and I don’t typically recommend it.

Can you text on a cruise ship without Wi-Fi?

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Princess Internet Pricing

By OzKiwiJJ , September 12, 2022 in Australia & New Zealand Cruisers

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There has been some confusion over the pricing of the internet packages on Princess, for people who choose not to book a Plus or Premier fare.

This is the current pricing as at 11am Monday 12th September 2022 as sourced from the Internet Cafe on Coral Princess. 

- Platinum and Elite (P/E) passengers get a 50% discount on all internet purchases and I have shown those prices below as well as the full prices.

- If you buy an internet package for your whole cruise after boarding the ship it is $20 per day, $10 per day for P/E. If you are on a ten day cruise you pay for ten days, ie $200 or $100, and that covers you until you ding off the ship during disembarkation. In other words you should not get charged an extra day for the disembarkation morning.

- If after embarking you wish to buy internet for a single day, defined as a 24 hour period, the current price is $27 per day, $13.50 for P/E.

- The price for internet packages purchased before embarking on your cruise can vary depending on whether there is a promo running at time of purchase or not. At the moment it is typically $14-$15 per day, $7-$7.50 for P/E.

- There has been a rumour circulating that if you have an internet package you can't use the computers in the Internet Cafe.  This is false.  You can indeed use those computers.

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cruiser3775

Thanks for that information.  Is it possible to buy less than a one day package?  So, if I just wanted to check my emails, could I buy an hour or so at the internet cafe, and how much would that cost?

Aus Traveller

32 minutes ago, cruiser3775 said: Thanks for that information.  Is it possible to buy less than a one day package?  So, if I just wanted to check my emails, could I buy an hour or so at the internet cafe, and how much would that cost?

I don't believe they would cut the day rate further.

43 minutes ago, cruiser3775 said: Thanks for that information.  Is it possible to buy less than a one day package?  So, if I just wanted to check my emails, could I buy an hour or so at the internet cafe, and how much would that cost?

Guess depended on your phone you can check when we are in ports around Aus?

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said: There has been some confusion over the pricing of the internet packages on Princess, for people who choose not to book a Plus or Premier fare.   This is the current pricing as at 11am Monday 12th September 2022 as sourced from the Internet Cafe on Coral Princess.    - Platinum and Elite (P/E) passengers get a 50% discount on all internet purchases and I have shown those prices below as well as the full prices.   - If you buy an internet package for your whole cruise after boarding the ship it is $20 per day, $10 per day for P/E. If you are on a ten day cruise you pay for ten days, ie $200 or $100, and that covers you until you ding off the ship during disembarkation. In other words you should not get charged an extra day for the disembarkation morning.   - If after embarking you wish to buy internet for a single day, defined as a 24 hour period, the current price is $27 per day, $13.50 for P/E.   - The price for internet packages purchased before embarking on your cruise can vary depending on whether there is a promo running at time of purchase or not. At the moment it is typically $14-$15 per day, $7-$7.50 for P/E.   - There has been a rumour circulating that if you have an internet package you can't use the computers in the Internet Cafe.  This is false.  You can indeed use those computers.

Have they put the prices up for P/Elite if you buy it for the whole cruise ?

i came off the Coral a month ago and only paid $7 per day 

15 minutes ago, rkmw said: Have they put the prices up for P/Elite if you buy it for the whole cruise ? i came off the Coral a month ago and only paid $7 per day 

Pricing seems to be a 'moveable feast'. On a Live Chat with a Princess rep, I was told it was $12.99 per day with 50% discount for P/Elite. The same day people on the ship were told $10 per day for P/Elite.

38 minutes ago, rkmw said: Have they put the prices up for P/Elite if you buy it for the whole cruise ? i came off the Coral a month ago and only paid $7 per day 

Did you buy it before you embarked or once you were onboard?

The prices I listed are current as of 11am today. The pre-boarding price is still around $7-$7.50 for Elites.

23 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said: Pricing seems to be a 'moveable feast'. On a Live Chat with a Princess rep, I was told it was $12.99 per day with 50% discount for P/Elite. The same day people on the ship were told $10 per day for P/Elite.

I'm not sure some of the Live Chat people actually know the Australian pricing.

SinbadThePorter

On the app the P/E price is $AU 6.75/day for one connection.

Double that for four connections.

1 hour ago, cruiser3775 said: Thanks for that information.  Is it possible to buy less than a one day package?  So, if I just wanted to check my emails, could I buy an hour or so at the internet cafe, and how much would that cost?

1 hour ago, Aus Traveller said: I don't believe they would cut the day rate further.

More to the point is that they don't appear to offer hour or minute pricing any more. I think the smallest unit is now a 24 hour period i.e. a day.

1 minute ago, SinbadThePorter said: On the app the P/E price is $AU 6.75/day for one connection.   Double that for four connections.

Onboard or preboarding?

Deleted. Duplicate of Julie's question.

Please note - if you are posting prices that you have found would you please state whether that is a pre-purchase (pre-boarding) price or an onboard price. Thank you.

17 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said: Did you buy it before you embarked or once you were onboard?   The prices I listed are current as of 11am today. The pre-boarding price is still around $7-$7.50 for Elites.

No that was a pre purchase price

i just checked my pre pricing on my next cruise and still $6.70 per day

3 minutes ago, rkmw said: No that was a pre purchase price

Then it hasn't gone up, although that price can vary a little. The onboard purchase price is higher.

Just now, OzKiwiJJ said: Then it hasn't gone up, although that price can vary a little. The onboard purchase price is higher.

I have a future cruise with US currency and if you pre purchase the internet the price is AUD but if you wait until you board they’ll charge you US prices

6 minutes ago, rkmw said: I have a future cruise with US currency and if you pre purchase the internet the price is AUD but if you wait until you board they’ll charge you US prices

The US price is from $9.99 so $5 for P/E -  which would be pre-purchase prices and onboard prices would be higher - but not so different at current exchange rates. However you are at the mercy of the exchange rate if buying onboard.

Definitely $6.75 per day for our two cruise with Elite discount if purchased pre cruise.

2 minutes ago, resordanis said: Definitely $6.75 per day for our two cruise with Elite discount if purchased pre cruise.

As I said in my OP, the pre-purchase prices can vary a little due to the type of promo in place. That's the best so far. Lucky you! 😊

1 minute ago, OzKiwiJJ said: As I said in my OP, the pre-purchase prices can vary a little due to the type of promo in place. That's the best so far. Lucky you! 😊

Thanks but as they are both Australian cruises, I am thinking I might not take up the offer. I will save my money for your wine recommendation. 😁 Cheryle

7 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said: The US price is from $9.99 so $5 for P/E -  which would be pre-purchase prices and onboard prices would be higher - but not so different at current exchange rates. However you are at the mercy of the exchange rate if buying onboard.

It’s $28.80 for 4 days for a US currency cruise so still closer to $7 per day if I pre purchase now 

11 minutes ago, resordanis said: Thanks but as they are both Australian cruises, I am thinking I might not take up the offer. I will save my money for your wine recommendation. 😁 Cheryle

We've had a couple of bottles of the Grüner Veltliner on this cruise. There isn't sufficient variety in the white wines by the glass to suit our palates so we've had to resort to buying bottles to go with some foods.

6 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said: We've had a couple of bottles of the Grüner Veltliner on this cruise. There isn't sufficient variety in the white wines by the glass to suit our palates so we've had to resort to buying bottles to go with some foods.

We can’t wait to try it on Majestic shortly.

Wonderfully consistent Princess. Imagine when they go from one ship to three in the next month or so.

Too much info for me, glad that plus has it sorted already.

48 minutes ago, resordanis said: Definitely $6.75 per day for our two cruise with Elite discount if purchased pre cruise.

I had better check on the price for my up-coming cruises. Do you pay ahead or does it come out of OBC when you get on board?

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Everything to Know About Internet on a Cruise (Speed, Cost, & More)

It wasn’t that long ago that having internet access at sea was a nice perk, but hardly a necessity. Today, most people must have wi-fi — even if they are on a cruise in the middle of the ocean. In fact, we always sign up for service every time that we sail.

Of course, there are challenges to providing online access for thousands of people on a cruise ship that can be hundreds of miles of miles from the nearest land. That’s why in general you should expect the service on a cruise ship to be more expensive — and slower — than what you’d find back home.

Still, all cruise lines now provide wi-fi on their ships so that you can stay in touch whether it be for work or just checking in on the kids. You can also access social media sites, check email, and even stream movies in some cases.

But before you head out into the middle of the ocean, there’s likely a few things you’ll want to know about getting online on a cruise. We’ve answered some of the biggest questions so that you know what to expect once you board your ship.

In This Article...

How Much Does Internet Cost on a Cruise?

At your home, things are pretty simple. You pay one amount for your internet service and connect as many devices as you want — and they all have access to the full internet.

On a cruise, things are a little different. The cruise lines charge different amounts for different tiers of service. They also charge based on the number of devices used at one time. So if you want to connect two devices at once (such as a husband and wife both surfing the internet), then you’ll pay twice as much.

All that said, expect the price of service on a cruise to be much more than you pay back home. We’ve rounded up the costs of internet for several major cruise lines below.

In general, expect to pay about $20-30 per day, per device for wi-fi access.

Carnival Carnival offers three different tiers of service: Social, Value, and Premium wi-fi plans. Each offers different levels of access to the internet. One tip to save money: purchase your plan ahead of time to save off the rates on the ship .

Social Plan: Carnival’s Social plan offers access to social media sites, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and airline sites. However, most of the internet (such as email and news websites) are blocked. You also can’t stream music or movies. The cost is $18 per day for one device once you are on the ship.

Value Plan: The Value plan offers access to much of the internet, including websites for news, weather, sports, and most importantly — email. The service is also faster than the Social plan. For the extra access, you’ll pay $23 per day if you wait to purchase once you are on the ship.

Premium Plan: If you want the entire internet and you want the fastest speeds on Carnival, the the Premium plan is ideal. It offers full access at triple the speed of the Value plan. Depending on which ship you sail, streaming might be available. (Streaming is often provided on newer ships.) The Premium plan costs $25 per day. 

Royal Caribbean When it comes to internet on a cruise, Royal Caribbean is trying to position itself as a leader. The cruise line offers VOOM internet service , which it bills as “the fastest internet at sea.” If booked ahead of time, you can get up to 30% off the rates you’ll pay on the ship.

Surf + Stream: This package offers internet access, including the ability to stream music or movies. On a recent cruise the rate was $23.99 per day for one device when purchased on the ship. The cost was $29.99 if purchased for a single day only. Rates are considerably cheaper when booking ahead of time.

Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian offers a different take on internet access. That’s because the cruise line has a popular “Free at Sea” sale that allows passengers to get free perks with their booking. One perk is internet access. Still, if you book a cruise without the free internet, you have three different levels of service you can purchase.

Unlimited Wi-Fi : This plan provides full internet access, outside of streaming. It also includes access to email providers, social media, and more. The cost runs $29.99 per day for one device.

Unlimited Premium Wi-Fi : Want to stream Netflix, Hulu or other services? Then you’ll need Norwegian’s highest-level package. It allows streaming movies and music and costs $39.99 per day if purchased on the ship.

Norwegian also offers a packages of minutes of access. 

Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Cruises offers wi-fi service to its passengers across the fleet. Like sister cruise line Royal Caribbean, Celebrity now offers one level of service known as the Premium Wi-Fi Package.

This services includes full access to the web and streaming movies and music. While Celebrity doesn’t list costs publicly on their website, the rate for an upcoming cruise was seen $30 per day for one device, with a 20% discount if booking ahead of time.

One thing to know is that Celebrity trips often have a “Always Included” deal. With this offer, drinks and wi-fi service are already included in your fare.

Princess Cruises Princess offers service known as MedallionNet, which is dubs “The Best Wi-Fi at Sea.” The cruise line says that it can reach speeds “often eclipsing 100 Mbps,” which is faster than the average broadband speed on land.

The service is available starting at $24.99 per day for one device when purchased before the cruise.

Like Celebrity, Princess also has special fares with things like drink packages, gratuities, and wi-fi already included. In other words, you may have to pay nothing extra for service if you book one of these deals.

Other Cruise Lines If your cruise line isn’t listed above, that’s ok. Most lines have prices that vary based on the level of service, but most are in the $20-30 range for one device .

Additional devices are usually in the $15-$20 range.

How Fast Is Internet on a Cruise?

Expecting to have blazing fast internet on the ship like you would back at home? Well, it’s time to lower your expectations a little bit before you get online. While the cruise lines love to boast about the speed of their service, the actual speeds you see can vary.

We’ve been on ships with blazing fast connections and others that have been insufferably slow.

In our tests across different cruise lines, the speed of service has varied widely, but seems most consistently in the 3-5 Mbps range. That said, we’ve been on cruises with speeds in the 1 Mbps range and some that approached 60 Mbps .

Bottom line, it’s tough to say exactly what sort of speed you will experience. That said, with the introduction of Starlink (a satellite internet provider) across many lines, speeds do seem to be trending upward.

For lower-tier plans that are less expensive, expect the speed to be slower .

In other words, while you may find service is more than fast enough to meet your needs, be prepared for the possibility of slower speeds than you are used to.

Can I Post to Facebook, Instagram or Other Social Media Sites?

Absolutely. In fact, the cheapest plans usually have access only to the social media sites and apps like Facebook, Twitter, Snap, Instagram and more. If this is the main way you keep in touch with people back home, then it’s a cheap way to stay connected.

Even so, don’t expect the service to be blazing fast. You’ll have access but will still deal with the slower service you often find at sea.

Can I Stream Movies or Music on a Cruise?

Usually you can stream, however there are some caveats. First, you must purchase a plan that allows streaming. Many cruise lines offer lower tiers of service that are less expensive, but do not offer streaming capabilities. Those packages offering streaming are higher-priced.

Second, given the internet speed, you could see some lagging or lower-quality pictures. Many reports from users complain about streaming troubles. We’ve personally have had issues as well in tests we’ve done on cruises. Other times, it’s streamed perfectly.

There can be some hiccups. For example, a show might stream well for a while and then suddenly have a pixelated picture or pause while data loads.

Bottom line: Yes, you can stream while on a cruise, but don’t be surprised if there are times where it doesn’t work as well. If you want to watch a show, we think it’s a better idea to download it before you arrive on the ship. That way you don’t have to rely on internet access to watch.

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

Cell service is provided on the ship at sea, but it can be expensive. A much easier thing to do is simply use the ship’s wi-fi to send messages and even make calls.

Depending on your phone, it may be easiest to use a messaging app like WhatsApp. We’ve noticed that the iMessage service on iPhones seems to work well to send messages to other iPhones, but doesn’t easily text Android users over the wi-fi. Services like WhatsApp work with no issues.

As well, you can setup your phone to call over wi-fi or call through a communication app. Either way, you can use the ship’s wi-fi to keep in touch.

Are There Data Caps on the Plans?

Most of the cruise line plans these days are “unlimited” plans that don’t put a cap on your data. 

That said, we wouldn’t push it by trying to download the Lord of the Rings trilogy. First of all, it would take forever at the connection speeds. Beyond that, the internet is being provided by satellite for thousands of passengers at any given time. It’s likely that you would be asked about using such a massive amount of data.

If you’re doing what the service is designed for — streaming shows, checking email, etc. — you likely won’t be running into issues. But if you are using a ton of data, you might be asked about what’s going on.

Do I Have to Buy Internet for Every Day of the Cruise?

When we mentioned pricing above, you noticed that it was on a per-day basis. Most plans are sold this way ( similar to drink packages ). You pay a set amount per day, and the plan is purchased for the entire cruise. So if it’s $20 per day, you’ll pay $140 for a seven-day cruise. This gives you access for the whole trip.

But what if you want to only occasionally check email or post to Facebook? In that case, the cruise lines usually sell a smaller package. It can either be a 24-hour pass (unlimited access for 24 consecutive hours) or a number of minutes to access the web. 

This allows you online access without the cost of paying for service during the entire cruise.

Are Websites Blocked or Filtered?

As you might expect, there is some blocking and filtering of websites while on the ship’s wi-fi. Of course, if you buy a lower-tier plan that doesn’t allow full access to the internet (such as Carnival’s Social plan) then you won’t be able to access the full internet. Even if you do have full online access, you can still expect some content filtering.

For most people this will never be an issue. However, if you are trying to look at pages with adult themes, then you’ll likely find you’re unable to connect. For example, Carnival says that “access to certain sites such as mature or violent content is blocked” over their network.

In other words, expect to use the internet like you would at your local library. You’ll be able to access everything you need… but maybe not everything you want.

Can I Use a VPN on the Cruise Ship?

Many people use a VPN in order to access their work privately. Unfortunately, these don’t always work on a cruise.

Carnival, for instance, has stated clearly in the past that “VPN connections are not supported” on their network. Royal Caribbean doesn’t explicitly state one way or the other, but we’ve seen several reports that using a VPN can be hit or miss for passengers. In our experience, using a VPN led to some interruption in the connection.

Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) is one of the few we’ve found that explicitly says they will let you access via a VPN. If you purchase their Unlimited Premium package, you are allowed access using one. Lower-tier packages do not allow VPN access.

In other words, unless you are sailing on Norwegian, then you should just assume you can’t access with a virtual private network. You might get lucky and be able to, but chances are slim.

Cruise Internet Seems Expensive, How Can I Save Money?

You are right that getting online access is pricey on a cruise. The good news is that there are ways you can save. We’ve covered them in more detail here , but here are some ideas:

Book a Cruise With Free Internet as a Perk Norwegian, Celebrity, Princess and other lines have started to offer sales that provide free perks for cruising. One of those perks is usually free wi-fi during your cruise. Book one of these and you don’t have to worry about the cost of access. It’s already included in your fare.

Wait Until You’re in Port to Get Online If you don’t need access every day, there’s a free way to get service: wait until you get to port. In many cruise ports there are stores or restaurants that offer free wi-fi to customers. You can sit down, have a bite to eat, and check email, etc. Now you might not be able to spend all day loitering while you watch a movie on your phone, but it’s a good way to check your email for free.

Pay For a Smaller Package While the internet is most widely sold in a package that lasts the length of your cruise, there are options for smaller amounts of time. Head to the ship’s internet Café and you’ll find that you can access the internet by the minute. It can be pricey on a per-minute basis, but still much cheaper than buying a package for the length of the cruise.

Buy Ahead of Time Want to save? Book ahead of time. Cruise lines offer discounts to passengers who buy the service before they sail. This discount can be significant — often 10-20% off the price of booking onboard.

It won’t make the service “cheap,” but it can take the sting off the high price tag.

Share a Connection Internet plans on cruise ships charge per device. So if you want to have two devices connected at once, then it’s double the cost. However, they also allow you to share a connection. 

Say you have a wi-fi package with one device. Once a person is done with it, then another person can login to that account and access the internet from their own device. So a husband can hop online to check email on his laptop, and then a wife can login later to surf the web on her phone without paying for an extra device. It’s just that only one device at a time is allowed.

More on Internet on a Cruise:

• Royal Caribbean VOOM Internet at Sea (Speed, Features, and More)
• Carnival Cruise Wi-Fi Service (Speed, Reliability, Cost, and More)
• Princess Cruises Wi-Fi Service (Speed, Reliability, Cost, and More)

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I am going on the Silver Dawn in Dec 23 I have discovered that it is the only ship in the Silver Seas brand that doesn’t have a contract with ATT. I really need to be able to receive and make phone calls on a 10 day caribbean cruise. You mentioned What’s APP Unless the person I am calling has What’s APP can I still receive /call this person.

Hi Vickie, in the Caribbean we use whatsapp a lot instead of texts so most persons have whatsapp. The catch is both persons need to have whatsapp for the features to work for whatsapp calls or whatsapp video as it’s using voip. You will still need an internet service to use whatsapp . It doesn’t work like regular phone calls in that sense so you would have to tell people in advance call me via whatsapp call during this period. Hope this helps .

Is it possible to teach online while cruising? I need minimum 10mbps upload and download

That would be iffy. During our tests across several lines, we’ve seen speeds ranging from 1-5 mbps.

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Princess Changes All-Inclusive Offer to Have No Drink Limit, Unlimited Dining (And a Higher Price)

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From cell service to Wi-Fi: How to stay connected on a cruise ship

• Wi-Fi is a standard offering on cruise ships these days, and the quality has greatly improved in recent years.
• Cruise mobile phone service allows guests to continue using their cell phones much as they would on land – with some key distinctions.
• Travelers may have used foreign SIMs – the card that allows cellular networks to identify owner information – or eSIMs as fewer phones have physical SIM slots to get around roaming fees.

Get more news like this delivered to your inbox by signing up for our Travel newsletter here . 

I spent more than a week on an Antarctica cruise last winter walking alongside penguins, watching whales and sailing by icebergs. But one of the most jaw-dropping moments was when I uploaded Instagram Stories from the Aurora Expeditions ship thanks to shockingly fast Wi-Fi.

Modern technology allows passengers to stay connected in places they may never have expected. And while some travelers take a cruise to leave their day-to-day behind, keeping in touch with folks back on land is vital for others.

But Wi-Fi isn’t the only way to do that. Here’s what to know.

Do cruise ships have Wi-Fi?

Wi-Fi is a standard offering on cruise ships these days, and the quality has greatly improved in recent years. At one time, it was common for the internet to be slow, bump users off or go out entirely, according to Theresa Scalzitti, chief operations officer at Cruise Planners.

“It was a lot of, like, ‘Let me walk around the ship and see where I've got some good service,’ ” Scalzitti said. That began to change when many cruise lines equipped ships with SpaceX’s Starlink .

Carnival Corp., which owns Carnival Cruise Line , Princess Cruises , Holland America Line and more announced in May that installation was complete across its entire fleet. Other companies like Royal Caribbean Group have shared similar plans.

Wi-Fi is typically offered in packages with multiple tiers.

Carnival, for example, has three options :

◾ The Social Wi-Fi Plan costs $15.30 per person, per day for access to social media like Instagram and Facebook and major airline websites.

◾ The Value Wi-Fi Plan offers sites included in the Social plan at a quicker speed, along with email and additional browsing, for $19.55.

◾ The Premium Wi-Fi plan is up to three times faster than the other plans and allows users to video chat, stream movies, and more for $21.25.

Norwegian Cruise Line, meanwhile, has two options . The Unlimited Wi-Fi Package offers web browsing, email and messaging for one device for $29.99 per day, while the Unlimited Premium Wi-Fi Package includes video and audio streaming for $39.99. Guests can also add more devices for an extra charge.

Scalzitti said whether or not to purchase Wi-Fi is a “very personal decision” depending on a traveler’s priorities. For those who plan to work remotely, for instance, it may be a must-have. Others may opt to turn it off while in transit and reconnect in port to save money.

Can I get cell service on cruise ships?

Yes, believe it or not. Like Wi-Fi, cruise mobile phone service allows guests to continue using their cellphones much as they would on land – with some key distinctions.

WMS, a major provider, builds cellular networks on cruise ships. Its Cellular at Sea service operates over a satellite connection so users can make phone calls, browse the internet and send and receive messages – including SMS.

That makes it a better choice for passengers who want to text between Androids and iPhones, which show up in green rather than blue. “That would not work on Wi-Fi,” said Pramod Arora, president and CEO of WMS.

Travelers may also be able to use the Wi-Fi calling feature on their phones to make calls, but Arora said those are less secure and of typically of lower quality than the ones made via cellular.

The company has roaming agreements with 400 cellular carriers worldwide, which are accessible from 200 cruise ships across 25 cruise lines. In those cases, travelers’ devices will automatically connect to the network when the vessel gets far enough away from land – as long as roaming is enabled and airplane mode is off.

The specifics of the plans and pricing vary. Verizon, for example, offers a $30 Cruise Daily Pass that includes 50 minutes of calls, unlimited texts and 0.5 gigabytes of data (with an overage charge of $1.99 per minute) during a 24-hour period. The pass only covers users on board the ship, though, so they’ll be charged applicable rates in countries where they disembark.

Passengers can sign up for the service through their mobile carrier before or during their cruise, though it’s worth researching the options in advance.

Guests who plan to use their devices a lot, particularly for “data-centric” activities like watching YouTube videos or Netflix, may be better off opting for Wi-Fi, Arora said.

Can I work remotely from a cruise?: Here's what it was like

Can I use a foreign SIM or eSIM on a cruise?

Travelers may have used foreign SIMs – the card that allows cellular networks to identify owner information – or eSIMs as fewer phones have physical SIM slots to get around roaming fees . WMS offers a data-only eSIM option for users whose carriers don’t have a roaming agreement in place, which they can also use on land.

That said, there may not be as much difference in cost as there once was as cellular providers have moved to a more economical day-pass model for international coverage. “If you can get to a $10, $15, $20-a-day charge and you can get that from your home provider, well, the eSIM providers have to match that if they want to compete, right?” Arora said.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

The Key Points at the top of this article were created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and reviewed by a journalist before publication. No other parts of the article were generated using AI. Learn more .

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New unlimited features make princess cruises' premier package the best value in cruising.

Unlimited Drinks, Unlimited Specialty Dining, Unlimited Internet and More Make an All-Inclusive Princess Vacation Easy

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. , Aug. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine a vacation where your glass is never empty, and you can indulge in unlimited beverages - both alcoholic and non-alcoholic - without a second thought. Now add in world class meals at the best specialty restaurants every night of your cruise if you choose and have the best connectivity at sea. This kind of luxury and convenience, and more, will soon be available to guests on board ships from Princess Cruises, with the newest enhancements to its Princess Premier package.

The enhanced Premier package is on sale today for Princess voyages departing from North America and tomorrow, August 16 , for voyages departing from all other destinations, for sailings on or after August 31 .

Available for $90 per person per day, the Princess Premier package sets the new standard for all-inclusive travel, offering unparalleled value with three exceptional new enhancements:

Unlimited Premier Beverage Package:  Enjoy an unlimited number of drinks up to $20 , including alcoholic beverages, specialty coffees, smoothies, and bottled water.

Unlimited Specialty Dining:  Indulge in meals at world-class specialty dining locations every evening, including:

Unlimited MedallionNet Max Wi-Fi:  Prioritized access to the highest quality and highest performance bandwidth available anywhere in the world

"With the Princess Premier Package, we're delivering the absolute greatest value in travel and making all-inclusive cruising super easy," said John Padgett , president of Princess Cruises. "The most comprehensive package in cruise for an unmatched $90 a day ensures our guests can enjoy their vacation experience without any limitations."

The glass is always full for Premier guests, offering an unlimited number of drinks daily of up to $20 each. Princess Premier, which also comes with free OceanNow access, makes it easy for guests to enjoy their preferred drinks anytime and anywhere on the ship without worrying about additional costs.

An impressive array of beverages is available, including:

Top shelf spirits, reserve wines and signature cocktails by celebrity mixologist Rob Floyd

Selection of 75+ spirits, 40+ wines by the glass, 20+ high-end, crafted cocktails

Premier wines by the glass including Duckhorn, Stag's Leap, and Grgich Hills

Private Woodford Reserve Bourbon Selection created exclusively for Princess

Personalized Jack Daniel's Whiskey Single Barrel Select

25% discount on wine bottles (including rare vintages)

25% discount on large bottles of water

Dining reaches new heights with the addition of unlimited specialty dining options. Guests can savor gourmet meals at some of Princess Cruises' most beloved restaurants every night of their voyage if they'd like, including the sophisticated Crown Grill steakhouse, the authentic Italian trattoria Sabatini's, and the seafood haven The Catch by Rudi, crafted by award-winning Chef Rudi Sodamin as well as Makoto Ocean , The Butcher's Block by Dario and Umai Teppanyaki when sailing on Sun and Star Princess . This package also includes unlimited prix fixe meals at any casual dining location creating the ultimate in flexibility in your dining selections.

For those who value staying connected, the new Unlimited MedallionNet Max Wi-Fi provides enhanced connectivity designed to meet the needs of today's digitally connected travelers. Available exclusively as part of Princess Plus and Princess Premier inclusive bundles, MedallionNet Max offers guests prioritized access to the highest quality and highest performance bandwidth available anywhere in the world which is typically Starlink.

Fitness enthusiasts will appreciate unlimited premium boutique fitness classes, such as Pure Barre, Club Pilates, CycleBar, YogaSix, Stride, and StretchLab, ensuring they can maintain their wellness routines even while at sea. Additionally, guests will enjoy premium crafted desserts, fresh juices, and complimentary delivery service for all OceanNow and room service orders, adding to the all-inclusive convenience.

The Princess Premier Ultimate package also includes reserved seating in the Princess Theater and crew appreciation gratuities.

Guests purchasing Princess Premier for the new price of $90 per person per day, enjoy more than 70% savings* on the following inclusions:

NEW! Unlimited Premier Beverage Package

NEW! Unlimited Specialty Dining

NEW! Unlimited MedallionNet Max Wi-Fi

Unlimited prix fixe meals at any casual dining location: Enjoy unlimited access to casual dining options onboard.

Unlimited Delivery Service: Complimentary access to all OceanNow and Room Service orders.

Unlimited reserved seating in the Princess Theater: Enjoy premium seating for all shows and performances.

Unlimited premium boutique fitness classes per voyage: Stay fit with classes such as Pure Barre, YogaSix, and StretchLab.

Unlimited premium crafted desserts: A variety of exquisite desserts crafted by Princess pastry chefs.

Unlimited premium fresh juices: Refresh with an assortment of fresh juices.

Unlimited photos: Capture memories with an inclusive digital photo package.

Daily crew gratuities: Relax knowing gratuities are covered.

Princess Prizes: Participate in onboard giveaways and win exciting prizes.

Free Medallion device shipping: Enjoy the convenience of free shipping of the Medallion device to home before sailing.

The rollout schedule for the Princess Premier package enhancements is as follows:

Enchanted Princess: August 31

Majestic Princess; Sky Princess: September 1

Crown Princess: September 2

Ruby Princess: September 3

Grand Princess: September 4

Emerald Princess; Discovery Princess; Sun Princess: September 7

Caribbean Princess; Regal Princess: September 12

Royal Princess; Sapphire Princess: September 14

Island Princess: September 25

Diamond Princess: September 26

Coral Princess: October 17

Guests who previously purchased Princess Premier can upgrade by contacting their travel advisor or by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237). More details can be found at here https://www.princess.com/en-us/cruise-deals-promotions/plus-premier-cruise-packages .

About Princess Cruises Princess Cruises is The Love Boat, the world's most iconic cruise brand that delivers dream vacations to millions of guests every year in the most sought-after destinations on the largest ships that offer elite service personalization and simplicity customary of small, yacht-class ships. Well-appointed staterooms, world class dining, grand performances, award-winning casinos and entertainment, luxurious spas, imaginative experiences and boundless activities blend with exclusive Princess MedallionClass service to create meaningful connections and unforgettable moments in the most incredible settings in the world - the Caribbean , Alaska , Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Europe , South America , Australia / New Zealand , the South Pacific, Hawaii , Asia , Canada /New England, Antarctica, and World Cruises. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE:CCL; NYSE:CUK).

Newsroom: Additional media information is available at princess.com/news

View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-unlimited-features-make-princess-cruises-premier-package-the-best-value-in-cruising-302223508.html

SOURCE Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises expands Wi-Fi speeds on cruise ships and hosts UGC game competition

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Princess Cruises has launched MedallionNet Max, a new level of faster on-board Wi-Fi service for travelers on its cruise ships. It can deliver hundreds of megabits a second in some cases.

The aim is to meet the growing demands of today’s intensively digitally-connected travelers and continue to expand the market for cruise vacations. And, yep, we’ll probably see a lot more videos from influencers showing us how great a time they’re having on cruise ships. The speeds are available via premium packages.

Since 2018, Princess has led the industry on high-performance, onboard Wi-Fi aggressively adopting service new satellite constellations, including a Wi-Fi access point in every stateroom on every ship and ensuring that Wi-Fi service access is simple and hassle-free. It launched its Medallion wearables so you could locate your family members on a big cruise ship.

Princess is the only cruise operator that has adopted every source of bandwidth spanning the globally deployed fleet including LEO (Starlink), MEO, GEO satellite constellations as well as 5G terrestrial. The tech is helping to make the ships seem like less of an island, and they’re putting away the bad memories of when the ships were docked because of the pandemic .

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As for the post-COVID recovery, Padgett said, “It’s really been remarkable. We have great demand. We have great demand. We have great ratings, our guests are happy, and the business is going fabulous. We couldn’t be more happy. COVID was a very tough time. But the industry showed how resilient it was, and it is now really back to where it was before, if not better.”

Cruise ship tech

Cruises used to be desert islands for tech, but the tech has moved fast lately. I’ve been writing about Carnival’s Princess cruise ships since 2017, ever since they started adding mobile games for vacationers and launching the Ocean Medallion wearables and fast Wi-Fi on cruises. I’m old enough to remember when you had to pay $10 or more for 15 minutes of slow internet service on a cruise. I paid when I was desperate for some connectivity.

Back in 2017, John Padgett was chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival, which owns Princess Cruises. Now he is president of Princess Cruises. I liked the story because it was a story about technology created by a non-technology company to help ordinary folks have a better vacation experience. The tech faded into the woodwork while the services took the limelight. During the pandemic, cruise ships were grounded for a while. And so Princess Cruises accelerated the modernization of its fleet, retrofitting them with the satellite antennae to capture the broadband signals.

New service levels

Princess Cruises (AKA The Love Boat) will now offer two-tiers of Wi-Fi service – MedallionNet Classic and MedallionNet Max. MedallionNet Classic will offer the same service performance, reliability and global coverage that Princess guests enjoy today.

MedallionNet Max will now be the highest-performing service tier with prioritized access to the highest quality and highest performance bandwidth available anywhere in the world which is typically Starlink. MedallionNet Max will only be available in the brand’s industry-leading bundles – Princess Plus and Princess Premier. These packages are engineered to give guests the maximum experience with the maximum value.

A la carte pricing for MedallionNet Classic remains $15 per day for a single-device plan and $40 per day for a multi-device plan. Consistent with the cruise brand’s relentless focus on personalized and hassle-free service, guests will not have to do anything different onboard to access the different services.

The appropriate service level will be assigned based on each guest’s package, as indicated on the Princess app. A single guest network will remain, reduce guest confusion related to network names or any complications being added to the onboard experience.

To preview the new service tier, Princess Cruises will host the first-ever land/sea custom UGC competition, leveraging its own dedicated game – Princess Cruises Nautical Quest.

“Just like we did when we launched MedallionNet Classic almost seven years ago, Princess continues to ensure guests have access to highest performing connectivity available at industry leading value,” said Padgett. “By including MedallionNet Max in our incredible bundles we are guaranteeing the best possible onboard experience with the best value anywhere in the world as our guests explore over 330 destinations via our world-class globally deployed fleet.”

Minecraft on a Princess cruise

Meanwhile, branded game maker Moonrock is working with Princess Cruises on a first-ever Minecraft user-generated content event with 32 of the top influencers on the platform. Eight of them will be on the Enchanted Princess using the brand-new satellite Internet that’s being announced today. They will play a custom puzzle game map featuring the ship they’ll be on, said John Gaudiosi, cofounder of Moonrock.

The August 7 match up will feature 32 of the world’s most popular UGC players, with eight of the gamers — Shubble, Krinios, Fruitberries, vGumiho, Sneegsnag, JimmyHere, Smajor, and Hannahxxrose — competing aboard Enchanted Princess in the Caribbean against 24 others who will play from home as millions of fans tune in to watch online.

Padgett is aware of how many Americans play games and how many billions of games there are worldwide, especially among children. Adult gamers are now the majority of the population of gamers, and they are concerned about having enough connectivity wherever they are.

“We’re doing this event to demonstrate to the world that gamers can continue their gaming experiences any place, anytime, anywhere in the world, on any Princess ship, and be confident they can do it, not only from a performance standpoint, but also an affordability standpoint,” Padgett said. “Our objective here is to show the gaming community that Princess is a great platform for both their gaming and entertainment.”

“We’re really focused on rejuvenating it with experiences like this Minecraft event,” he said. “Demand for premium-level experiences continues to increase in the world. This is a premium brand, but it is also a big market. That’s where we’re playing, and that’s why we embrace the hundreds of millions of Americans that play games and welcome them on our ship.”

With eight of the 32 Minecraft competitors coming aboard, the Minecraft UGC event is sure to generate a lot of videos that will be viewed by the followers of the influencers, and that will help Princess Cruises.

“It introduces the concept of a cruise vacation to people who absolutely would likely have never considered cruising as a vacation option,” Padgett said.

Padgett said that native gamers would likely rate cruises pretty low as a vacation experience because they would be concerned about connectivity.

A history of upping the connectivity ante

In early 2018, Princess established a new standard of connectivity for guests on its cruise ships by beating the bandwidth-at-sea world record with the initial launch of its MedallionNet connectivity service aboard Regal Princess. At a time when the industry average was 10 megabits a second to 20 Mbps per ship, Regal Princess reached 2.25 Gbps, demonstrating there were no practical limits to progressing shipboard connectivity.

Since that time, the connectivity landscape has changed dramatically with Starlink, with onboard Wi-Fi increasingly becoming a commodity. However, Princess will continue to ensure connectivity experience differentiation by making it the best value and most hassle-free experience possible. The ships all have big domes like golf balls on a tee on top of their decks now; those are the satellite receivers. Starlink satellite’s, however, don’t need quite as much infrastructure.

While MedallionNet Max will only be available within the inclusive Princess Plus and Princess Premier bundles, guests opting to sail with the standard Princess vacation package still will be able to purchase MedallionNet Classic connectivity with no change to pricing.

In addition to premium connectivity, guests opting for the inclusive Princess Plus and Princess Premier will also enjoy popular amenities like beverages, casual dining, desserts, complimentary room service, fitness classes, crew gratuities and more at an even greater savings of up 65% than when the inclusive package amenities are purchased separately.

“It’s amazing how far things come,” Padgett said. “Everything we shared with you is still around. A lot of good companies label something innovative, but they don’t stick around. Unlike most, our Medallion Class stuck around.”

With the MedallionNet Max, for the first time, the cruise line is introducing a higher level of connectivity from a guaranteed performance standpoint, which the gamers will most appreciate, Padgett said. Yet it’s both affordable and reliable.

In the president’s role, Padgett said he has enjoyed moving Princess from really one of the most iconic brands in the world, with its history as the Love Boat, into modern, contemporary pop culture where the brand was born.

Universal access on board

Princess Cruises took time to retrofit each ship in its fleet. Before the pandemic, there were four or five ships ready with the broadband tech. Post pandemic, the company had 15 ships with Medallion Class service, Padgett said. The Sun Princess, the biggest ship ever built in Italy, has even more experiential content built into the ship thanks to the technology.

“Connectivity is, obviously, fundamental on land or sea, and from a Princess standpoint, we continue to be a leader in that space,” Padgett said.

The company has added Starlink low-earth orbit (LEO) broadband service, and now every ship in the fleet leverages it.

“It’s impressive. It brings essentially no latency. It brings global footprint, and it brings actually more affordable capacity. So it’s truly a trifecta from a connectivity standpoint,” Padgett said.

But no satellite connection is flawless, so the company has multiple broadband technologies running at the same time, includig Leo, Geo and 5G services as the sources for the bandwidth on the ships. At any given time, the highest-quality solution is used on the ships.

“It’s accessed by our ship infrastructure, all invisible to the guests themselves,” Padgett said. “They’re just getting great connectivity at a very affordable price so they would never know the difference of what particular bandwidth they’re using.”

There are hiccups like the Crowdstrike global outage, so the company stays diversified to make sure that its broadband sources are also coming from different providers.

A platform for more engagement

But the baseline is pretty good now. Gigabits of data can come into a ship, and then it is sliced and diced up among the passengers.

Princess has a Wi-Fi access point in every stateroom, and it has 100% coverage in every public area on a ship. The access is pretty universal.

The data rates are dynamic and vary throughout the ship based on the type of connection. But Padgett said, “You’re talking about hundreds of megabits a second.”

“We were able to finish our fleet at an expedited pace, changing out the compute infrastructure, the network infrastructure, all the antennae, embedding all the sensors and staging all our experiences, and we were able to do that very efficiently during the pause in service,” Padgett said. “So we came back stronger than ever before.”

There are 16 ships in the fleet now, with the Star Princess arriving in the fall of 2025 as the 17th ship. Princess Cruises has about 35,000 people working for it.

The cruise ship customers are more engaged. The demographic is skewing young, and the ships fit in with the mobile lifestyle that these people have, Padgett said.

“We are seeing a lot of the benefits,” he said. “Our ratings for your experience are higher than ever before.”

The Minecraft event is an example of how the ships now have “amazing platforms to stage experiences,” said Padgett. They have advantages in fun, food and entertainment.

“But what’s unique is, since we control the whole ship, we can stage unique experiences in a high-quality way. What I think is some of the pedestrians in the world as an example. Right now we have the 1900s Porsche enthusiasts on the Majestic Princess sale in Alaska. And so what do the Porsche enthusiasts love? What’s unique to them is we can stage what a Porsche owner loves talking about. It makes us a very amenable platform for whatever special interest group wants to sail. We would love to have many more events like the Minecraft one.”

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• All-Inclusive Cruises

Are Cruises All-inclusive? What to Know Before You Book

Here's what you should know before you book your next cruise, plus seven of the best all-inclusive cruise lines.

What is included on a cruise?

What is not typically included on a cruise, all-inclusive cruise lines, tips for picking the best all-inclusive cruise.

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While cruises are often grouped into the all-inclusive vacation category, exact inclusions can vary by line — and it's important that you know exactly what you're getting before you book. “The question most people ask when booking their first cruise vacation is, ‘What is included in my base cruise fare?' The answer is relatively simple: food, drinks, entertainment, kids/teens clubs, and recreational activities,” says Nikki Kennedy , a travel advisor at Marvelous Mouse Travels . “However,” she adds, “it truly depends on the cruise line.”

Ahead, we’ve tapped several cruise advisors to weigh in — and we’ve rounded up our favorite all-inclusive cruise lines and tips for picking the best one to suit your specific travel preferences.

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As we mentioned above, inclusions vary by cruise line. Travel + Leisure A-list advisor Mary Curry explains, “As a general rule , small-ship cruises tend to be more inclusive than large ships. Often, they will include the shore excursions and even, on many, the alcohol on board.” In some cases, extra perks like gratuities and Wi-Fi are included.

Meanwhile, mainstream mega-ship ocean lines like Royal Caribbean , Norwegian Cruise Line, and Carnival Cruise Line offer excellent value since they include meals (usually excluding specialty dining), accommodations, and select onboard entertainment, activities, and facilities (including kids clubs). Many aren’t technically all-inclusive; however, per Jennifer Travis , another travel advisor at Marvelous Mouse Travels, passengers can upgrade their vacation package or purchase add-ons in advance that include perks like drinks, specialty dining, or Wi-Fi, to name a few.

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While specifics will vary depending on the cruise line, Travis notes that many “do not include beverages (soda, tea, coffee, wine, spirits, etc.), specialty restaurants, Wi-Fi, or gratuities as part of the base cost of the cruise.” That said, she says that Virgin Voyages is among the only large-ship lines that include “non-alcoholic beverages, Wi-Fi, gratuities, and all restaurants as part of the base fare package.”

When it comes to small-ship cruise lines, Curry explains that it’s optional services, such as “premium alcohol, laundry, travel insurance, or satellite telephone,” that aren’t typically included since “only a select number of guests onboard” will utilize them.

On the contrary, “Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruise Line, and Princess Cruise Lines all offer upgrade packages that come with an additional cost that you can add on to your cruise and pay over time so that you have more of an all-inclusive package by the time you board the ship.” Also, says Travis, other cruise lines, “such as Royal Caribbean and Carnival offer a la carte options such as beverages packages, Wi-Fi, and more that can be purchased after you book your cruise.” Meanwhile, Kennedy is quick to note that room service and evening childcare may also cost extra, depending on the line. Spa treatments cost extra, too.

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Although they are typically more expensive, all-inclusive cruises provide excellent value and peace of mind for cruisers. Ahead, we’ve rounded up our favorite all-inclusive cruise lines, plus a few mega-ship lines that offer comprehensive add-on packages.

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According to Curry, luxury cruise line Silversea “allows travelers to choose the fare category that best matches their desired inclusions from Door to Door to Essential (cruise only - excursions not included).” The former is among what she deems “the most inclusive in the industry” since fares include flights, a pre-cruise hotel stay, airport transfers, gratuities, a menu of shore excursions, gourmet dining, complimentary beverages, and butler service.

AmaWaterways

AmaWaterways is among Curry’s favorite all-inclusive river cruise lines since the company includes a selection of shore excursions in each port. “This is great for travelers who want a lot of variety as they can choose between foodie experiences, hiking, biking, traditional city tours, gondola rides, canal cruises, and more without having to weigh the costs,” she says. “I find that encourages travelers to choose the excursions that most interest them rather than feeling constrained to basic city tours included and having to pay extra for everything else.” Some alcoholic beverages are included, too, depending on the itinerary.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, or Uniworld for short, is known for its all-inclusive sailings across four continents. Guests enjoy unlimited premium wine and spirits, fantastic farm-to-table fare, and a selection of curated excursions, including private after-hours tours of popular attractions along with hiking, cycling, kayaking, and golfing activities. Back on board, passengers enjoy ship-wide Wi-Fi, entertainment and enrichment offerings, fitness center access, and wellness classes. Gratuities and airport transfers are also included.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Small-ship luxury line Regent Seven Seas Cruises offers premium all-inclusive fares that come with a slew of perks, including unlimited shore excursions, unlimited alcoholic beverages, specialty dining, Wi-Fi, gratuities, valet laundry service, and more, plus included one-night pre-cruise hotel stays and butler service for guests staying in certain room categories.

Viking offers adults-only cruises to destinations around the world. Voyages include one complimentary shore excursion in every port of call; Wi-Fi; 24-hour coffees, teas, and bottled water; beer, wine, and soft drinks with onboard lunch and dinner; specialty dining; and lectures and entertainment.

Virgin Voyages

As previously mentioned, Virgin Voyages offers a slew of amenities included in the standard cruise fare, including access to all on-site restaurants (some of which would be considered specialty dining on other lines), as well as group fitness classes, Wi-Fi, gratuities, and what the company calls “essential drinks” (like coffee, tea, soda, and water). The onboard entertainment offerings — which run the gamut from live music to themed parties to acrobatic performances — add to the fun.

French cruise line Ponant offers luxury sailings across the globe, and, according to Curry, many sailings include dining, alcoholic beverages, unlimited Wi-Fi, and excursions on certain itineraries. 

Honorable Mentions: Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises

“Norwegian Cruise Lines and Princess Cruises are my two favorite cruise lines when it comes to cruisers looking for that all-inclusive experience,” says Travis. She’s quick to call out Norwegian’s Free At Sea promotion, which includes an unlimited open bar, up to $180 in specialty dining savings, shore excursion credits, Wi-Fi, free third and fourth guests, and two-for-one airfare. Per the pro, “This is a huge value to consider for any cruiser."

Additionally, Travis explains that Princess has a similar offer with its Princess Premier package upgrade . For an additional $80 per person per day, the package includes Wi-Fi on up to four devices, alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, gratuities, two specialty meals per sailing, unlimited premium desserts, room service, and fitness center access. This, she says, “makes the cruise experience as close to all-inclusive as possible.”

Consider your travel style.

To narrow down the best all-inclusive cruise to suit your needs, Curry recommends considering not only your travel style but also the “relative value you place on flexibility, convenience, independence, budget, and experience.” For example, “Some all-inclusive lines may require you to choose your shore excursions in advance while others will have more flexibility to book these onboard.” Similarly, while some have a large range of choices, others may only include one to two excursion options. 

Factor in your non-negotiables.

What are your non-negotiables on a cruise? Ask yourself which amenities are most important to you and narrow down your options from there. For example, in Kennedy’s case, she prioritizes complimentary kids club access since she has three young children. Another person may prioritize included specialty dining or alcoholic beverages, which, per the advisor, can add up quickly.

Reach out to an expert.

Combing through the different choices can feel overwhelming, so consider reaching out to an experienced travel advisor. Curry especially recommends finding “an agent who represents a wide variety of options in an area” so that they can “truly provide objective advice tailored toward your specific interests.”

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