Because we sail mostly on Carnival, the below is applicable specifically to that line. There may be similarities to other lines, though, so you’ll likely find it helpful for others as well.
Carnival’s Hub App requires wi-fi, which can be accessed without purchasing a wi-fi plan. To use the Hub App (or access any wi-fi plans you may have purchased), simply put your phone on airplane mode then navigate to the wi-fi settings on your phone and manually turn wi-fi back on. You can choose to do this as soon as you’re on the ship, but that will limit your ability to access any calls, texts, and cellular data you may have through your carrier while you’re still docked in at the embarkation port. Either way, you definitely want do this before the ship gets to International waters. We always make the transition to airplane mode at sail away so we don’t forget.
Putting your phone on airplane mode helps in a couple of ways:
- Your phone will stay on ship time and not change with the time zones (unless you take it off airplane mode in regions where your cellular plan has coverage – like Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, etc.).
- You won’t accidentally incur roaming fees for incoming calls, texts or background data usage.
If you purchased a wi-fi package of any kind, navigate to the wi-fi section of the Hub App and sign in to access wi-fi. The wi-fi section of the app will also allow you to purchase wi-fi if you didn’t purchase in advance. Purchasing in advance includes a discount, so if you know you’re going to want wi-fi, you should purchase at least 24 hours in advance so you save a little.
Wi-fi packages are sold per device – BUT – it’s important to know that you can SWITCH devices at any time. So one wi-fi package CAN be used on multiple devices (phones, tablets, computers), just not at the same time. Only one device can be signed in to use the wi-fi at any given time. My husband and I often share a wi-fi plan and just log off and on, as needed.
We often get the Social wi-fi package, not only because it’s the least expensive (around $20 per device/day – 15% discount if you purchase it before midnight the day before sail away), but because along with social apps like Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, LinkedIn, and SnapChat, it also allows use of Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp. These are the apps we use to communicate with those back home.
Since moving to Starlink, the wi-fi plans have definitely improved, so on our most recent cruise we upgraded to the Premium Plan (around $25 per device/day). $5/day seemed like a small jump to allow for full wi-fi access and streaming. With this plan we were able to stream Hulu Live for a football game we didn’t want to miss (Hook ’em!), check emails that we didn’t respond to, and called family using video chat (like Facetime). We had zero issues streaming or video calling and were happy with the purchase. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide if having internet access is worth it for you and which plan you want to go with.
Packages:
For the most up to date information on available wi-fi packages, you can use the following links:
- Carnival: https://www.carnival.com/internet-plans
- Royal Caribbean: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/booked/cruise-ship-wifi
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