Some people in cruising social media groups always get high and mighty when someone asks about internet connectivity. They generally make a comment about how they lock their phone in the safe as soon as they get onboard.
"It's a vacation, I'm going to disconnect, People are too married to their devices," or something similar gets said, which doesn't answer the question. The reality is that just a few years ago, taking a cruise forced people to disconnect.
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The onboard internet worked poorly and it was hard to send an email or a text message, let alone make video calls or work. Since the covid pandemic cruising return, when both Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) -) and rival Royal Caribbean added Elon Musk's Starlink Internet to their ships, that has changed.
Starlink isn't the same as the high-speed land offered on land, but it's functional and allows people to work and use their phones much as they do on land. That has changed cruising in that people who could not completely disconnect for work or personal reasons can now comfortably cruise.
You might be someone who prefers scrolling TikTok or YouTube to reading a book or need to go to some video meetings during your cruise. That's possible now if you pay for an onboard internet package.
Those packages allow passengers to connect their phones via WiFi. A new offering from Carnival, which it plans to roll out fleetwide, will give passengers another option.
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Image source: Carnival
Carnival Cruise Line adding 5G service
Cruise lines generally push their onboard WiFi service, because it's a major moneymaker for them. A number of phone providers do offer wireless at-sea packages that allow customers to pay them an extra fee in order to be able to use their phones.
That only works on certain ships that have the correct technology.
Carnival Cruise Line, however, plans to expand customers' internet options by partnering with Wireless Maritime Service (WMS to bring 5G mobile connectivity to its ships. That will step with the cruise line's upcoming Carnival Jublilee and the technology will eventually be rolled out to the full fleet.
“The ongoing enhancements we’re rolling out on all of our ships, such as SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, make it significantly easier for guests to share the memorable experiences of their cruise with friends and family,” said Carnival Vice President Luis Terife in a press release.
To access the service, which will be available on some ships starting in 2024, guests will need to buy a plan from their wireless carrier. Not every wireless carrier offers plans that work while at sea.
Royal Caribbean and Carnival get more connected
The addition of Starlink to their fleets has greatly improved connectivity for both Royal Caribbean and Carnival. The new system, however, does slow down on sea days when more passengers are onboard using their WiFi packages.
Offering enhanced phone-based connectivity should give Carnival a way to push some of its customers to use the new system, which could lighten the load on its Starlink satellites. Internet on any cruise ship remains dependent on the ships having a clear path to the satellites.
And, while Musk's technology has greatly improved the experience, ship internet still drops out and it often works better on some parts of the ship than others.
"Our multi-provider, multi-orbit strategy minimizes single-provider supply chain constraints and improves overall connectivity in support of our operations and the enhanced experience for our guests and team members,” Carnival Global Infrastructure Vice President John Harshaw said.
Carnival's chief rival, Royal Caribbean, also works with cellular networks, but it does not offer 5G connections.
"Royal Caribbean works with cellular networks to provide the ability to connect your device through 'cellular at sea.' These roaming rates to utilize your device are determined by your cellular provider. Prior to your sailing, it is recommended to contact your cellular provider for more information on these rates and special packages available," the company shared on its website.
Failing to put your phone in "Airplane Mode," while onboard any cruise line can lead to a large unexpected bill when you get to land unless you buy one of these "cellular at sea" packages. Even then, you may want to toggle that feature on and off to prevent going over package limits and facing added charges. .
