Until recently, cruise lines frustrated passengers with high-priced, deadly slow Internet connections. Things are changing for the better. These are the best cruise line Wi-Fi experiences:<br />Norwegian's<strong> SpeedNet</strong>.<br />By July 2016 all 23 of Norwegian's ships will have been upgraded to its faster SpeedNet service.<br /><strong>Cost: </strong>A<strong> </strong>12 day cruise is $29.99 per day for unlimited use. 13 days or longer is $24.99 per day. Alternatively, a 250-minute plan is $125, for 100 minutes it's $75. Norwegian Breakaway (pictured) is the only ship in the fleet running data plans: 300MB for $59 or 1,000MB for $125.
1. Norwegian Cruise Lines —
Until recently, cruise lines frustrated passengers with high-priced, deadly slow Internet connections. Things are changing for the better. These are the best cruise line Wi-Fi experiences:
Norwegian's SpeedNet.
By July 2016 all 23 of Norwegian's ships will have been upgraded to its faster SpeedNet service.
Cost: A 12 day cruise is $29.99 per day for unlimited use. 13 days or longer is $24.99 per day. Alternatively, a 250-minute plan is $125, for 100 minutes it's $75. Norwegian Breakaway (pictured) is the only ship in the fleet running data plans: 300MB for $59 or 1,000MB for $125.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Royal Caribbean's <strong>Voom </strong>service<strong>,</strong> fast enough to stream music, movies and videos, is now available on all its 25 ships.<br /><strong>Cost: </strong>For $12.99 a day, guests can surf the web, use email and share photos on social media. <br />From $17.99 a day they can also stream movies and music from Netflix or Spotify, and to connect using video chat apps.
2. Royal Caribbean —
Royal Caribbean's Voom service, fast enough to stream music, movies and videos, is now available on all its 25 ships.
Cost: For $12.99 a day, guests can surf the web, use email and share photos on social media.
From $17.99 a day they can also stream movies and music from Netflix or Spotify, and to connect using video chat apps.
Courtesy Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
<strong>CeleXcelerate, </strong>offered aboard Celebrity Cruises, has speeds fast enough to enjoy Facebook, FaceTime, Skype, YouTube, Netflix and gaming on board.<br /><strong>Cost: </strong>$140 per person for a 5-9 day cruise, $199 per person for a 10+ day cruises.
3. Celebrity Cruises —
CeleXcelerate, offered aboard Celebrity Cruises, has speeds fast enough to enjoy Facebook, FaceTime, Skype, YouTube, Netflix and gaming on board.
Cost: $140 per person for a 5-9 day cruise, $199 per person for a 10+ day cruises.
Courtesy Celebrity Cruises
Carnival's<strong> WiFi@Sea </strong>offers different price tiers that give access to sites or services like YouTube, Facebook and Skype but not video-streaming sites like Netflix.<br /><strong>Cost: </strong>$5 per day connects only to social sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Linkedin, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. For $16 per day, passengers can surf websites for email, news, sports, weather, banking and finance. For $25 per day they get connections speeds that are three times faster plus video calls.
4. Carnival —
Carnival's WiFi@Sea offers different price tiers that give access to sites or services like YouTube, Facebook and Skype but not video-streaming sites like Netflix.
Cost: $5 per day connects only to social sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Linkedin, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. For $16 per day, passengers can surf websites for email, news, sports, weather, banking and finance. For $25 per day they get connections speeds that are three times faster plus video calls.
courtesy Carnival
MSC Cruises works with comms provider<strong> Marlink </strong>to create a service that allows passengers to access the Internet and enjoy social media platforms, audio and video.<br /><strong>Cost: </strong>Social package from $4.50 per day or $16.50 for entire seven-day cruise. Surfer email, web and social package is $11 per day or $33 for full seven days. Streamer package for heavy internet use capped at at 340MB per day or 1,500MB per cruise -- $22 per day or $66 for seven.
5. MSC Cruises —
MSC Cruises works with comms provider Marlink to create a service that allows passengers to access the Internet and enjoy social media platforms, audio and video.
Cost: Social package from $4.50 per day or $16.50 for entire seven-day cruise. Surfer email, web and social package is $11 per day or $33 for full seven days. Streamer package for heavy internet use capped at at 340MB per day or 1,500MB per cruise -- $22 per day or $66 for seven.
courtesy MSC Cruises
Disney's <strong>Connect@Sea </strong>service is now available on all Disney Cruise Line ships, allowing passengers to stream movies or music. <br /><strong>Cost: </strong>$19 for 100MB, $39 for 300MB, $89 for 1,000MB or $0.25 per MB pay-as-you-go.
6. Disney —
Disney's Connect@Sea service is now available on all Disney Cruise Line ships, allowing passengers to stream movies or music.
Cost: $19 for 100MB, $39 for 300MB, $89 for 1,000MB or $0.25 per MB pay-as-you-go.
Disney Cruise Line
P&O's<strong> WiFi@Sea</strong> allows access to social media networks and services such as Skype. It's currently being rolled out across its fleet. <br /><strong>Cost:</strong> Variable. Prices start at $10 per day for its social unlimited package.
7. P&O Cruises —
P&O's WiFi@Sea allows access to social media networks and services such as Skype. It's currently being rolled out across its fleet.
Cost: Variable. Prices start at $10 per day for its social unlimited package.
courtesy P&O Cruises
<strong>WiFi@Sea </strong>allows access to social media networks and services such as Skype. It's available on the AIDA Cruises fleet, as part of the Carnival Corporation.<br /><strong>Cost: </strong>250 MB for €25 ($28), 500 MB for €39 ($44), 3,000MB for €99 ($112). There's a social media package at €4 per day ($4.50) or €19 ($21) per week.
8. AIDA Cruises —
WiFi@Sea allows access to social media networks and services such as Skype. It's available on the AIDA Cruises fleet, as part of the Carnival Corporation.
Cost: 250 MB for €25 ($28), 500 MB for €39 ($44), 3,000MB for €99 ($112). There's a social media package at €4 per day ($4.50) or €19 ($21) per week.
courtesy AIDA Cruises
Costa is also rolling out <strong>WiFi@Sea </strong>across its fleet. <br /><strong>Cost: </strong>Variable but internet packages are offered by volume, from 250MB to 3,000MB. A social media plan is offered, as well as a pay-as-you-go Internet service starting at $0.22 a minute.
9. Costa —
Costa is also rolling out WiFi@Sea across its fleet.
Cost: Variable but internet packages are offered by volume, from 250MB to 3,000MB. A social media plan is offered, as well as a pay-as-you-go Internet service starting at $0.22 a minute.
courtesy Costa
Norwegian's Oceania group also uses<strong> SpeedNet.</strong><br /><strong>Cost: </strong>With the OLife Choice offer, free unlimited Internet is automatically included. Other guests can choose between a per-minute (or equivalent data amount) rate of $0.99, plus a $3.95 activation fee, or 200-minute package for $160, plus a $3.95 activation fee.<br />Unlimited has a daily cost of $27.99.
10. Oceania Cruises —
Norwegian's Oceania group also uses SpeedNet.
Cost: With the OLife Choice offer, free unlimited Internet is automatically included. Other guests can choose between a per-minute (or equivalent data amount) rate of $0.99, plus a $3.95 activation fee, or 200-minute package for $160, plus a $3.95 activation fee.
Unlimited has a daily cost of $27.99.
courtesy Oceania Cruises
Regent Seven Seas is another Norwegian property offering <strong>SpeedNet.</strong><br /><strong>Cost: </strong>Complimentary.
11. Regent Seven Seas Cruises —
Regent Seven Seas is another Norwegian property offering SpeedNet.
Cost: Complimentary.
courtesy Regent Seven Seas Cruises