Improved Wi-Fi Access on Cruise Lines for 2015

We live in a world where most of us are connected 24 hours a day. We take for granted our ability to snap an Instagram photo, post to Facebook, or even check the weather any time we want. Even on vacation. Especially on vacation. A hotel room or resort without Wi-Fi today almost seems quaint and out of touch.

But cruise ships are another matter. Since the Web became a central part of our lives in the early 1990s, cruise ships have remained a place where even the Web-obsessed put down their phones and unplug their laptops.

These massive ships carry thousands of people several miles out to sea—and away from the broadband channels and satellite patterns that make it so easy to stream movies and television from home. Getting enough bandwidth to a ship to connect a thousand travelers is an expensive challenge. While cruisers can purchase Wi-Fi connectivity, it’s prohibitively expensive for some—75¢ a minute on Holland America ships, or $49-$59 a day on Royal Caribbean. These prices reflect the cost of maintaining a satellite-based Wi-Fi connection on a ship traveling up the Alaskan coastline or from St. Thomas to San Juan.

These connections are improving, though, and cruise lines are working hard to make Wi-Fi more accessible. Both Royal Caribbean and Carnival have announced plans to enhance their Wi-Fi technology and increase bandwidth. Other lines, like Disney and Norwegian, have piloted “pay by the byte” plans in which users pay for data rather than minutes online.

These cruise lines have also begun experimenting with different packages and pricing strategies. Cruise lines know their best advertising may come from the candid photos of passengers enjoying their cruise in real-time. That’s why Carnival has begun offering social media-only plans that let users check Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. Royal Caribbean gave away free Wi-Fi to loyalty members when it launched its new Quantum of the Seas ship. Others offer email-only plans.

Recently, Royal Caribbean announced the rollout of a new Internet-management platform on all 22 of its ships, which allows the cruise line to offer unlimited Wi-Fi access based on a per-day rate—at some of the fastest connection speeds of any cruise line.

Travelers used to go on cruises to get away from it all. That’s no longer the case. As cruise lines recognize vacation testimonials are great advertising, you can expect connectivity to rise and Wi-Fi prices to decrease.