Welcome to Byte Size Cruises! Today, we will talk ALL about using your cell phone on your next cruise. If this is your first time here, we are glad you found us! We are a small travel agency based in Philadelphia, PA, and we specialize in cruise vacations. If you enjoy cruising or you are interested in learning more about cruising, you're in the right place! Our goal here is to share the best and most up-to-date information with you so you can go on your best cruise vacation. If you would like to check out this post on our YouTube channel, click here.
Now, regarding phones on cruise vacations, some might say you should just put your phone away and enjoy traveling. If you would rather not do that, this post is for you. This post is all about using your cell phone on a cruise. Here's the reality: there are times when completely disconnecting isn't an option for you. You may need to stay in touch with friends or family back home, or you may need to check in with work while you are away.
If you plan to be using your phone while you are on your cruise, you basically have two options. You could leave your phone on (which probably isn't the best option) or you could turn on airplane mode, which will shut down your cell service. If you are in airplane mode, you can still connect to the ship's wifi service so you can stay connected to the internet. This will also allow you to stay connected to the cruising app.
If you decide to leave your phone on as normal and running, you are most likely going to run into some problems. Once the ship gets 15 to 20 miles from land, you will start getting warnings and most likely getting charged for roaming. There are no cell towers out at sea. Once you get out into the ocean, connectivity is all based on satellites. There are a few companies you can use to connect your cell phone to a satellite through your provider. If you want to use your phone fully, you can find out through your provider how much that will cost. A few providers also offer cruise plans for travelers. These plans will offer a variety of data options as well as talk/text services. Be careful here with the cost of data! It's very easy to think you have access to more than you do, and the extra data charges can add up very quickly. Looking at the pros and cons of these options, we would recommend you put your plane in airplane mode.
At port, you most likely will have service available. Yes, you will most likely have to pay for it. Depending on your provider, you have different options for connecting to cell service once you are on land again. For example, AT&T has $10 per day international passes while certain countries are considered a part of your plan (like Canada or Mexico.) It's important that you do your research and find out what your provider offers regarding international cell usage. The last thing you want is to come home from vacation to a huge cell phone bill!
Let's move on to Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi service is continuing to get better and better on cruise ships, especially compared to a few years ago. Not long ago, the Wi-Fi service was horrible on cruise ships (it was nearly impossible to send an email). Now, however, things have gotten way better, and we can do all the basic internet functions with ease. We will say that downloading large files or uploading pictures can be hit or miss, but again it's FAR better than it has been in years past. To stay in touch with family and friends, we recommend using something like WhatsApp. If you pay for the higher level of Wi-Fi on the ship, streaming shows can still be a bit spotty (not terrible but not perfect.) If you are set on watching movies and shows while away, we recommend you download them ahead of time so you don't have to worry about streaming while on the ship.
That is our feedback on cell service, phones, and Wi-Fi on cruises! Would you add anything? What was your experience the last time you were on a cruise? We would love to hear from you! Comment below.