Carnival Cruise WiFi: Ultimate Guide To Carnival WiFi Plans

Table Of Content

• Speed and Reliability of Internet on Carnival Cruises
• Can I Post to Facebook, Instagram or Other Social Media Sites?
• Cruise internet costs have gone down
• Which cruise Wi-Fi plan allows me to access my Ring cameras or security devices at home?
• Can I Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network)?
• (a) Carnival Social WiFi Plan Features

I also purchased the Premium Plan before boarding, which costs me $18.70 per day instead of $22. Purchasing a Carnival WiFi package before the cruise is the best time, as you get a 15% discount on every plan. If your phone can make calls over WiFi, you can use that feature with the Premium Plan.

Speed and Reliability of Internet on Carnival Cruises

Roaming is the extra cost mobile providers charge when you are connecting via another country or network. You can of course get creative and only book a 24-hour plan when you are on sea days. Then use Free Wi-Fi from a local bar or restaurant on port days.

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

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. 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. Other Cruise LinesIf 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.

Cruise internet costs have gone down

Not that long ago, Internet on a cruise was largely a luxury. While someone might buy access to be able to work remotely from the ship or buy a few minutes to check email, broad access by many people on the ship wasn’t common. In general, Carnival ships are among the most affordable at sea. It's not uncommon to find Carnival voyages to the Caribbean, Bahamas or Mexico starting well under $100 per person, per night including all taxes and fees — at least in the offseason. A Carnival passenger taking seven-night cruises will hit the Platinum level during their 11th sailing.

The WiFi service aboard a Carnival Cruise is reliable enough for basic tasks and some moderate digital activity, but it does have its limitations. During your cruise, the service available for staying connected should meet your needs. If you have more demanding internet needs, it would be wise to plan accordingly. Royal CaribbeanWhen it comes to internet on a cruise, Royal Caribbean is trying to position itself as a leader.

Sail a few longer voyages, like a transatlantic sailing, and you could reach it even sooner. Platinums also get complimentary wash-and-fold laundry service (with a limit of two to five bags, depending on the length of the cruise). The suggested attire for women on such nights is cocktail dresses, pantsuits, elegant skirts and blouses. The drinking age on sailings on Carnival ships in Australia is 18. All vessels operate on a "cashless system," with any onboard purchases you make posting automatically to your onboard account.

You can use the service without any limitation on the Premium Plan. If you try to send large images or video clips on the Social and Value plans, it will be very slow or not send at all. Yes, Apple’s iMessage system works with the FREE Wi-Fi connection with some limitations. Standard short messages can be sent and received on Carnival Cruise Wi-Fi, even if you have not paid for the service. However, any larger messages or messages with pictures or videos attached cannot be sent or received on the FREE connection.

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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. 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). 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. While the Value Plan does offer decent speed, it doesn’t come closer to the Premium plan. Also, the Value Plan doesn’t support video calls and streaming due to its lower bandwidth.

All the features can be used without buying an Internet plan. You are able to connect and get data from the app at no cost. In addition, vessels offer extra-charge laundry and, on select ships, dry cleaning services.

However, it still doesn’t allow streaming or Skype/FaceTime calling. Sometimes there is service sold that will cover the port area. Other times spots like restaurants or shops will offer free wi-fi service to customers as a perk for shopping there. Wi-Fi Service to Use Your Phone in PortWant to save some money?

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. The purchase window for certain products and activities closes before to the sail end date. If you missed the purchase window, check with us on board, we'll help you find what you’re looking for. Carnival is rolling out Starlink Internet across its ships, offering a better onboard Internet experience. Spend $5 for the whole cruise on the Carnival Hub app for chatting with onboard friends and family.

Typically speeds can vary anywhere from 20mbps on older ships to 50mbps on newer ships. However with the addition of Starlink, you’ll most likely be achieving speeds of 20-40mbps. On my last cruise, the onboard Internet had been upgraded to Starlink. For the first time ever on a cruise, I stopped complaining about how poor the Internet download speed was. Sure, it still wasn’t fast, but it was much more stable and much less frustrating. Many cruise lines are taking advantage of this technology to upgrade their onboard Internet.

Wi-Fi on cruise ships: What you need to know about internet use on board - The Points Guy

Wi-Fi on cruise ships: What you need to know about internet use on board.

Posted: Fri, 02 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

It’s a good idea to tell your friends and family that you’re doing this. Getting it before you board to dodge hefty fees from your cell phone provider is a good idea. During my cruise, a lot of people were searching for a free WiFi spot, and some of my fellows were asking me to turn on my WiFi hotspot.

Now they are our social lives, our entertainment devices, our cameras, and more. IPhones/Blackberries Internet access - either by using the cellular network (at the international data rates of their carrier) or the Carnival WiFi access (at the same time plan rates). In late-December 2018 was signed a contract with Speedcast (the world's largest global satellite comm provider) to improve fleet connectivity at sea.