Is There Wi-Fi on Cruise Ships?

Do cruise ships have Wi-Fi? Amongst all that food, swimming, dancing and drinking you may want to post a few pictures of your fun.

But if you’re out at sea, it’s probably not a great idea to use your phone plan for service. Happily for cruisers, Wi-Fi is nearly always available, though the type and costs will vary.

Most cruise lines these days have options for onboard internet, but you’ll need to pay for access, and not all types of internet service are equal.

When you book a cruise, you’ll generally be given the opportunity to purchase Wi-Fi before boarding. Doing so can save you money versus buying on board. However, it's difficult to tell how good the connection will be before you arrive. 

» Learn more: Is cruise travel insurance worth the cost?

Cruise lines have been hard at work improving their Wi-Fi offerings. This is great news, as options in the past were both slow and spotty. Depending on who you’re sailing with, you can now find speeds that’ll support streaming, video calls and more.

That said, some cruise ships are better than others. Here are some of the best cruise lines based purely on their Wi-Fi connectivity:

Disney Cruise Line (well, some ships)

Disney Cruise Line, for example, has updated its internet access and pricing packages on four of its ships, which are:

• Disney Dream.

• Disney Fantasy.

• Disney Magic.

• Disney Wish.

On those ships, Disney Cruise Line Wi-Fi service has three separate tiers based on what type of browsing you’d like to do. Prices are available for a single day or for your entire cruise (that's standard practice throughout the industry).

But not all Disney Cruise ships offer a magical Wi-Fi experience. For example, the Disney Wonder cruise ship retains the old internet connection service, which uses Connect@Sea for guests. With this program, you’ll pay a set price for the amount of data you use rather than how long you use it. 

Princess Cruises

Princess stands out among major cruise lines for its new, even higher speed Wifi, MedallionNet Max. Thanks to Starlink access and 5G, it's even powerful enough for FaceTime and streaming. And though cruise ship Wi-Fi will almost always be slower than the internet you're used to on land, it's hardly noticeable on MedallionNet Max.

The catch? You can only get access to that ultra-speedy MedallionNet Max if you purchase a Princess Plus or Princess Premier bundle. That costs $60 per day for the Plus version, or $90 for the Premier version. Sure, those bundles get you extra goodies, like non-alcoholic soft drinks and premium coffees, plus premium desserts, room service and fitness classes (the amount varies by package). But, if you're fine with the standard drinks and desserts, and you don't need extras like fitness classes, then that's potentially a lot of money to pay just for fast Wi-Fi.

» Learn more: The best airline elite status this year

Pricing for Wi-Fi on cruise ships varies pretty dramatically from one cruise line to another. Here are a few examples from the biggest cruise lines:

Carnival Wi-Fi costs: Carnival’s Wi-Fi packages start at $12.75 per day for access to social media, while premium access goes as high as $18.70 per day. 

Disney Cruise Line Wi-Fi costs: You'll owe as little as $10 per day for the most basic internet package on most ships, which allows you to send photos and access social media, but little else.

The premium package, starting at $30 per day, grants you the ability to stream music and make video calls. These prices are valid when you purchase internet for the entire duration of the cruise; per-day rates are higher.

However, on the Disney Wonder, which maintains the older Connect@Sea service, pricing starts at $19.00 for just 100MB of data. 

Norwegian Cruise Line Wi-Fi costs: You can pre-purchase various packages at a discounted rate. The cost of an unlimited premium Wi-Fi package for a single device starts at $34.99 per day (or $39.99 if you wait and buy on board).

» Learn more: The best cruise lines

There aren’t any cruises that’ll give you unlimited Wi-Fi for free, but some do provide limited complimentary services. 

Because cruise lines are already operating Wi-Fi networks, it can make sense to create in-house systems to allow guests to communicate with each other. Disney Cruise Line has done so with its app, which provides complimentary messaging to other guests on the ship. 

The service also provides showtimes, daily activities, menus and the ability to book paid activities without needing to go to the front desk. 

» Learn more: Tips for getting the best deal on your next cruise

So, let’s say you’re interested in staying connected while aboard ship. If you’re not able to wait for ports of call (or don’t have international data on your phone), it might be worthwhile to pay for a Wi-Fi package. 

Although prices have decreased over the years, it can still be pretty costly to purchase Wi-Fi for your cruise. But there are a few ways you can help lower the overall cost.

Pre-pay for internet

It’s possible to save money on your Wi-Fi purchases by pre-paying for a package before you board. For example, both Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line have this option. 

Buy a day pass

Not all cruise lines offer the ability to purchase a day pass (rather than unlimited internet), but if yours does, it may be worth considering. This is especially true if you plan on being on shore as much as possible.

Disney’s day passes for the most basic internet access are $12 for 24 hours — just $2 more than the daily rate you'd get by buying the full-trip package.

Redeem points

If you’re truly looking to keep your costs as low as possible, consider paying with a credit card that’ll let you wipe away your charges.

There are plenty of cards that’ll do this, but an especially popular choice is the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card. This card will allow you to redeem your points at a rate of one cent each toward any purchase you make — effectively negating the entire cost of your Wi-Fi.

» Learn more: Best credit cards for cruises

In general, cruise ship Wi-Fi is faster than it used to be. It's also less expensive.

That said, it’s still an extra cost, so do the math before buying to confirm it makes sense for you. If you decide to take the plunge, consider pre-paying to score yourself a discount. And if you pay with a rewards card, you may be able to redeem points that'll wipe away the cost of your purchase.