Jayestravellingadventures

When booking a cruise you have the option of being completely turned off from the world and all natural stresses or buy the Wi-Fi package to stay in contact with friends and family, as well as keep track of world affairs.

This has changed over the years and is now expected of cruise ships to offer a Wi-Fi service. Other than Virgin Voyages and other luxury cruise lines, Wi-Fi comes with an additional charge.

Wi-Fi at sea:

Cruising has been around for many years now and having Wi-Fi is improving dramatically with every year which passes. With services such as Starlink, having satellites which are Low Earth Orbiting ensures a quicker download and upload speed for all users.

Depending on the cruise lines targeted audience Wi-Fi may not be included however, as mentioned previously Virgin Voyages include Wi-Fi within the price due to targeting a younger demographic. Others who include Wi-Fi are; Oceania, Emerald, Seabourn and others.

Cruise lines which do NOT include Wi-Fi in the price can become expensive.

Cruise ship Wi-Fi:

(Pros)

If you are a first time cruiser or new to travel, you might feel a little uneasy with being disconnected with love ones. Have the opportunity to use social media and messaging such as; WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and more, allows you to stay in contact with family and friends at home, and even check your work emails. If you are parents and travelling without your children for the first time, then you might need some peace of mind incase they need to contact you.

Depending on career, you might need to be accessible for work. My sister is always checking her emails and answering calls when we are away, but that is just her job where she needs to be accessible all the time. So its not a question whether she is buying the Wi-Fi package or not.

With my travel page on Instagram, I like to post day to day activities as well as photos too. Being able to watch Netflix, YouTube and more, is also beneficial if you have young children to entertain or keep occupied. Being able to binge watch your new favourite TV show around the ship, is the perfect way to unwind.

When I am away, my mum and dad look after my dog. I always have a peace of mind having Wi-Fi just incase there is an emergency, and they need to get in contact with me urgently. On my last cruise in August, I needed to get access to my insurance documents quickly and having Wi-Fi allowed for that to happen with no fuss.

(Cons)

Cruise ships offer a couple options when using Wi-Fi, either being a day to day rate or the whole duration of the cruise. If booking this prior to boarding it may be cheaper than paying on board day to day or the whole duration last minute. There may be an option to pay for more than one device, so if you are a family it might become more costly the more devices you are adding. Even with the minimal package it an still be expensive.

Wi-Fi is becoming better with each year that passes, however this doesn’t mean the connection is as fast as it is on land. P&O have just recently announced a huge upgrade in the Wi-Fi on board. You do need to remember that if the Wi-Fi does drop whilst in the middle of the ocean, there is not much the cruise line can do. So if you work in a sector which requires you to stick to deadlines, you might have to be prepared for the worst. Never guarantee a strong connection whilst at sea.

Looking down at your phone all the time, might mean you miss some amazing views. So having Wi-Fi could stop you from being present and enjoying your holiday. You paid for the experience so why not immerse yourself in it. Meet new friends and make new memories, after all those emails could wait.

If you are doing a short getaway, you might feel that having Wi-Fi would be unnecessary and a waste of money. By the time you set sail and arrive at your first port of call, you would of been off the grid for only 24-48 hours. With all the activities onboard, you not not even think about your phone.

When could it be worth it:

For those who love a longer cruise which is typically 14days and more, being switched off from the world my not be realistic for you.

Having peace of mind knowing if any work colleagues need to get in contact with you, for work or personal reason they can do so.

Family and friends can also communicate with you for a quick check in.

Those who like to post their travel content (like me), as well as blog each day and keep people in the loop, Wi-Fi package would be beneficial in sharing it all in real time.

Tips:

Don’t rush! Always check the packages and what they have to offer, as well as the time you are I port for. This will help you choose the correct package for you. If you aren’t doing an excursion then you may have more time to check your phone, and find a café which has free Wi-Fi otherwise, you can use your data roaming whilst ashore. If in doubt when ashore follow the crew, they know the best spots. Using Airplane mode whilst onboard will avoid any roaming charges, and come home to an expensive phone bill.

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