The Best Way To Protect Your Data When Using Wi-Fi On A Cruise

You've probably heard the warning about protecting your data when using airport Wi-Fi, or free public Wi-Fi in general. However, one spot you may not have thought of as a risky place to connect is on a cruise ship. Like any spot with public Wi-Fi, whether paid or free, you're putting your data and security at risk if you use it. It would be best, of course, to skip going online altogether. After all, you're on vacation, and the whole point is to unplug. But the reality is many of us have to keep in touch with family, babysitters, and — in some cases — work colleagues while at sea. Additionally, you may want to share funny memes with your new cruise buddies or check on your bank account before a gift shop purchase. And you likely want to keep everyone on land updated on your sailing adventures (though you should avoid posting vacation photos while you're away for your safety).

Thankfully, there are ways to protect your data if you have to go online — you're not adrift at sea, so to speak. First, if you must use Wi-Fi, you're going to be safer on the cruise's password-protected network rather than an open Wi-Fi network. It's also a good idea to update your devices before you leave, just in case there are any updates to your security that should be made. Set up two-factor identification as well, which is a wise move whether you're on the open ocean or sitting on your couch. It can be annoying, but it's certainly less so than trying to fix a data breach after the fact.

Realistically, you're probably going to want to connect to the internet for one reason or another during your trip. If that's the case, it's smart to invest in a VPN before your cruise. It routes your connection through a secure server, which will help protect your data and disguise your location. There are some cruise lines that don't let you use them, however, so check before you go. Keep in mind that VPNs use a lot of data, so you may hit any data caps early. 

Another thing you can do is use your cellular data rather than Wi-Fi, which can be safer. However, it may use up everything you have on your plan and cost you more in roaming charges. That said, you can look at cruise packages through your mobile carrier. At the time of this writing, Verizon offers a "Cruise Daily Pass" for $20 per day with unlimited data, unlimited minutes to the U.S., and unlimited texts. There is half a gigabyte of high-speed data and unlimited 3G speeds after. Similarly, AT&T offers a 30-day cruise package for $60 that gets you 100 minutes of calls with unlimited texting and 100 megabytes of data. It also has a premium plan for $100 for 30 days with unlimited talk and text and 1 gigabyte of data.

Whether you use the cruise Wi-Fi or your own data plan, know that cruise ship connections are rarely as speedy as your network back home. So, consider saving the streaming and long phone conversations for when you're back on land to protect both your time and personal data.