Do Cruise Ships Have Wi-Fi? What You Should Know Before Your Trip

Strip away the whole "traveling to new places" part, and a cruise ship isn't all that different from a hotel. You get rooms (or cabins, if you want to get specific) in varying levels of luxury, restaurants and buffets galore, cruise room service at your beck and call, plus pools, spas, gyms, and more entertainment options than you'd think could fit on a floating vessel. Need something extra? Concierge services are also available at your disposal to request things on the ship you haven't even thought of. Housekeeping? That's standard, too. But there's one thing cruises still can't compete with hotels on: Wi-Fi. While free internet is practically a given at any decent hotel, step onto a cruise ship, and suddenly, Wi-Fi becomes a luxury.

Interestingly, cruise ships have technically had internet for decades. The problem, though, is that it's often slow, expensive, and almost never reliable. Unlike airplanes, which can latch onto multiple satellites when flying over populated areas, cruise ships are stuck in the middle of nowhere, relying on fewer, older, and busier satellites that struggle to maintain a decent connection. The result? An internet experience that's more buffering than browsing.

However, you won't be completely cut off from civilization. You can get online — if you're willing to pay for it. Just don't expect to be scrolling TikTok at on-land speeds or swiping on dating apps on a cruise like you would back home (so much for meeting your Jack or Rose). And if you were planning to take Zoom calls while sipping a margarita on deck? Good luck. Your boss might think you've mysteriously disappeared. But perhaps you can just consider a cruise vacation something like a forced digital detox.

If staying connected at sea is non-negotiable for you, get ready to pay up. Cruise lines offer internet packages based on how much you actually need to be online, but even the cheapest options feel overpriced. Take Disney Cruise Line: Its most basic package costs $16 per day (prices accurate as of this writing) — and all it gets you is access to social media (so you can post vacation pics but not much else). Carnival Cruises has a similar deal at $18.70 per day, and if you want the luxury of streaming Netflix or hopping on a video call, you're looking at $23.80 per day. Additionally, these plans are for one device only.

Frequent cruisers, especially those attempting a workcation or the so-called "quiet vacation," have long grumbled about how unreliable cruise Wi-Fi can be. The good news is that change is on the horizon. Elon Musk's Starlink has muscled its way into the cruise industry, bringing faster and stronger connections. Unlike standard communication satellites that orbit tens of thousands of miles away, Starlink offers low-orbit satellites that sit about 340 miles above the Earth, providing more bandwidth and speed.

Many cruise lines are already on board (pun absolutely intended). MSC Cruises now offers Starlink internet across most of its fleet, with plans starting at $111.93 for one device for a week-long trip. Meanwhile, Celebrity Cruises has also joined the party, with premium Wi-Fi packages starting at $26.99 per day, climbing to $32.99 on its newer ships. Better speeds, sure — but at these prices, you might just decide that a digital detox isn't the worst idea after all.