When traveling on a cruise ship, it is important to note that you will not have access to your cellular data like you would on land, meaning that you sometimes have to get creative with how you choose to communicate with your travel party.
Cruises are popular family vacations because they offer something for everyone to enjoy, especially if part of a large party. Nobody has to worry about being dragged to the same activities or being together constantly for the duration of the cruise.
Contrary to what you may believe, purchasing wi-fi for everyone is not a requirement. There are other options to chat with your friends and family in other staterooms and throughout the day.
Here are some ways to communicate with someone on a cruise ship.
Through iMessage and other social apps if purchasing internet packages
Sometimes, it is hard to stay disconnected for an entire trip. You never know what is going to happen back home. Maybe you need to check on a beloved animal or have to be reachable for work. Regardless of the reasoning, you may be in the market for a cruise line internet package.
If everyone, or most people, in your travel party are purchasing packages, it will be easy to communicate. You will be able to use iMessage as normal, or if someone has an Andriod, apps like WhatsApp and GroupMe will work, too.
You do not have to get a package for everyone, either. Buddy systems exist for a reason! If sailing onboard certain cruise lines, you can rotate between devices, meaning that as long as someone in a pair has access to internet, you will be able to effectively communicate no matter where your party disperses to.
This is also your best bet to communicate with those ashore, as well. Without wi-fi, you will be limited in your opportunities to talk with those back home.
Download the cruise line's mobile app
Most cruise lines have a mobile app that allows you to talk with people onboard. You may, however, have to pay extra for this service.
Norwegian Cruise Line, for instance, charges $9.95 per person for their Phone and Messenger Package. With this, you get unlimited calls, voicemail and messaging to other passengers onboard via the app. Plus, you can send and recieve photos and audio clips, as well as place calls off the ship for $0.79 per minute. While not ideal, having the option to reach those ashore for a fixed price means that you will not feel completely cut off during your cruise.
Likewise, Carnival Cruise Line's website states, "For a small additional fee of $5 USD per user, for the voyage, you can chat with family and friends on board all cruise long from the comfort of your deck chair using the Carnival HUB App. This feature is currently limited to ages 13+. The App is free to download and use on board - to download the App."
Recently, Royal Caribbean stopped charging for this service, so you will not have to worry about paying extra to communicate with others on the ship. All you have to do is link their reservation to yours once onboard through their mobile app, so make sure that you have it downloaded beforehand.
Read more: 18 Cruise Apps You Need Before Your Next Sailing
Walkie talkies
Whether you do not want to pay for an internet package or have young children without mobile devices, walkie talkies are a great option to stay in touch with those onboard.
Sometimes, communication can be disrupted if you are within your cabin, as there are various obstacles that can interfere with the device's signal, such as cabin doors, walls, etc.
Of course, you will get better results if you spend more on higher quality devices. Most people, however, will not want to shell out hundreds of dollars for walkie talkies that they will use for a few days or single week.
White boards on stateroom doors
On a recent sailing onboard Navigator of the Seas, I noticed a few cabins that had magnetic white boards on their stateroom doors. This way, they could leave messages for others in their travel party. Plus, a few would even ask a question of the day for other passengers to answer, such as what U.S. states you have lived in, as well as your favorite refreshing drink.
While not the quickest way to get in contact with other cruisers, if you happen to go up to the pool deck or want everyone to meet at a specific location, you can jot this down before heading out, and everyone will see it when they return/pass by the stateroom.
Another alternative is to use post-it notes.
Another advantage to using this method is that your stateroom door will stand out, meaning that you will be able to locate it quickly amongst a hallway of similar looking doors. You will not have to pay attention to the numbers, as you know what your door looks like.
Read more: Cruise Door Decorations: How to make your cabin door stand out
In-cabin phones
Like the white boards, this tactic will only be useful if the other party is in their stateroom or frequently returns to check their messages.
If you want to contact someone in another cabin, you can simply dial up their number to tell them that you want to go to meet at the bar before dinner or are heading up to the pool deck earlier than anticipated in the morning. This, however, could be a good way to touch base in the morning or before bed!
You can also use the phone in your stateroom to contact those on land. The cost of this service is not included in your cruise fare, though. It varies based on what cruise line you are sailing with. Sometimes, you can pay as much as $7.95 per minute or more!
How not to communicate while onboard a cruise ship
As soon as you board your ship, you should turn your phone on airplane mode. Otherwise, you might return to shore with a larger-than-anticipated roaming bill.
Roaming fees are entirely dependent on which cellular network you use. While onboard a recent MSC cruise, I forgot to turn my phone's network off after connecting while ashore. I was automatically billed $20.00 for 50mb of data (note that megabytes are different from gigabytes) from Verizon. Plus, that did not include the cost for phone calls or text messages, which were an additional $0.50 to send and $0.05 to receive.
Rather than face these hefty fees, it is best to purchase internet in advance of your cruise. Sometimes, you may be able to snag a deal that makes it cheaper than buying it when you board. Regardless, it it best to consider how you wish to communicate with your party ahead of time, so you have time to either purchase walkie talkies, browse internet packages, or find the cutest magnetic whiteboard.
And while this will not help while onboard, you can often find free wi-fi while in port, meaning that you can touch base with those at home for a little bit before getting back on. Note that you may have to purchase a small food item or beverage depending on where you go.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
