With Internet prices costing $0.65 to $0.75 per minute on average, there's no doubt that cruise ship Internet is expensive and there's a reason for it.
According to travel technology expert, Donald Strachan of The Telegraph, cruises often rely on satellite technology for on-board Wi-Fi, which is why it can be expensive. Many cruise lines also admit that the signals aren't the best and browsing speeds can be slow so video-streaming and video chat applications like Skype don't work very well. Strachan says if travelers want fast, inexpensive of free Wi-Fi, their best bet is to follow the crew members when they get off the ship at ports of call because they'll know where the best spots are.
Most cruise lines offer Wi-Fi on a pay-per-minute basis for an average of $0.65 to $0.75 a minute. However cruises also offer better rates with prepaid bundles of set time.
P&O Cruises only offers Internet at designated hot spots. For £10.50 or about $17.50, guests can have 30 minutes of Internet time or 250 minutes for £62.50 or about $100.
On short cruises on Norwegian Cruise Line, guests can pay $24 for an hour of Internet. Long-cruise rates include $100 for 250 minutes. Norwegian also charges a one-time "activation fee" of $3.95 to use the Internet. Holland American also charges this fee and the same rate of $100 for 250 minutes.
Many Royal Caribbean ships offer Wi-Fi inside cabins while the others offer it in hot spots. Their prepaid rates also include $100 for 250 minutes. Royal Caribbean recently made huge investments to boost Wi-Fi speeds on two of their biggest ships, the Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas.
Celebrity Cruises offers five different internet packages. Among them are 208 minutes for $100 and 555 minutes for $200. Cunard has three different packages on its Queen ships including $90 for 240 minutes.
River and coastal cruise ships are able to access cellular Wi-Fi, so Internet packages may be cheaper on those trips, but service can go in and out.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
