Here are the answers to your questions about using the internet on a cruise ship. We cannot seem to live without our phones in our hands anymore and we are not talking on them, just scrolling!
If it is your first time cruising you might not know that your phone service is not always going to work while onboard, which also means the same goes for your 4G connection.
The internet is a normal part of life now and an important question is can we get online while on our cruise?
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The answer is yes, and now all your other questions roll in:
- Can I use my 4G onboard? Go to question 3
- Will my 4G work on the sea days? Go to question 3
- Is there free Wi-Fi onboard? Go to question 1
- How much does the cruise ship Wi-Fi cost? Go to question 1
- Can I access the cruise ship Wi-Fi on my phone/tablet/laptop? Go to question 2
- Will my phone work onboard? Go to question 3
- Will my phone work in ashore in the ports? Go to question 3
- Will my phone work on the cruise line I’m sailing with? Go to question 3
- Will Facetime/Skype work onboard? Go to question 4
- Is there free Wi-Fi in the ports? Go to question 5
Here are the answers to your questions! 5 Quick Tips How to Use the Internet on a Cruise Ship:
1. Is there Wi-Fi on cruise ships?
Yes, there is but most cruise lines do charge to use it, you are lucky if there is free Wi-Fi. It will depend on the cruise line you are travelling with on the package prices.
Some charge in minutes others in MBs. I will warn you it’s not cheap and if half the ship is using it the speed is slow.
The best time to use the ship Wi-Fi is either at meals times, very early in the morning, late at night or on port days.
2. How Do I Get on the Cruise Ship Wi-Fi?
Go into the Wi-Fi settings on your phone/tablet/laptop, find the cruise line name, connect, then a login screen should come up with instructions.
Some lines you can connect within their internal apps/websites. There should be instructions in your cabin welcome book or in the cruise ship newspaper.
If in doubt, go to the internet café onboard and speak with the internet manager.
3. Can I use my 4G on my phone/tablet onboard?
Yes and no! 4G will not work on the days at sea. Your 4G will work if you are near a satellite, so when the ship is near a port or in port and your phone is picking up 4G, sometimes 3G.
Also, it depends on where you are onboard the cruise ship you will pick up a better connection if you are closer to a window or outside. If you have an inside cabin you may not be able to connect.
The main issue is if you are in a foreign country to your phone provider, as it will depend if you have a roaming package. Some countries are not included in roaming packages or may just not work, for example, French Polynesia, American Samoa and other remote areas of the world.
The same goes for your phone signal, will only work if you have a roaming package and if the ship is near a satellite. You can connect to the cruise line phone service, but it is very expensive to make a call, you best to wait until you are in port.
4. Will FaceTime/Skype work onboard?
Yes, if there is a strong connection. So, if everyone is online, it may not work as well.
5. Is there free Wi-Fi in the ports?
In some ports, but not every port. Best places to find free Wi-fi is coffee shops, restaurants, bars, libraries, some supermarkets and malls.
I hope these tips have helped you and answered your cruise ship wifi and internet questions. You may also enjoy reading: TOP 5 TIPS HOW TO USE YOUR iPhone ON A CRUISE SHIP this gives lots of tips on how to save your battery, use airplane mode and how to do I few things that you may not have thought of.
Here are some more cruise ship tips:
WHAT TO DO ON THE DAYS AT SEA ON A CRUISE SHIP
Cruise Essentials
Here are some cruising products from Amazon you may find useful on your next cruise – see more on my Amazon shop page click here.
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Happy Cruising!
