As a remote worker, reliable Wi-Fi is a must for any sailing on cruise ships. However, I recently decided to disconnect for the week and save money, purchasing the cheapest internet package on my 7-night Celebrity cruise.
When my partner and I booked our cruise to Norway, Celebrity's basic wi-fi package was included in the bundled fare pricing, along with the line's classic drink package. Because we prefer handcrafted cocktails and premium wines over bottom-shelf liquor, we decided to splurge on the drink package upgrade.
That said, we didn't feel as though paying to upgrade both of our internet packages was worth the cost on our already expensive European getaway. Thanks to our Elite discount, we upgraded my partner's package once onboard for just $48.50, breaking down to less than $7 per day. Without our status, the onboard cost would have been around $70.
However, you can upgrade in advance on Celebrity's Cruise Planner. The pricing varies depending on the ongoing promotion, but I frequently saw it for around $7 to $10 per day.
We noticed a difference between the premium and basic connection speeds, but I'm glad we didn't pay to upgrade both.
The basic WiFi was sufficient for simple internet browsing, checking my email, and chatting with friends and family back home. It was a great way to loosely disconnect without being completely cut off from the world or getting sucked into social media while cruising the famous Norwegian fjords.
Celebrity's basic WiFi was better than expected
Initially, I feared that by day two or three, I'd cave and pay to upgrade my internet. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how well Celebrity's basic WiFi worked. For example, I could access a few apps, including Facebook, X, NewsBreak, and Reddit. My banking apps worked without issue, too.
That said, certain applications — such as Instagram and Slack — wouldn't load using the basic WiFi. Since I was on vacation, I wasn't worried about staying connected with coworkers. Worst-case scenario, my boss had my phone number, and iMessage worked just fine.
Speaking of iMessage, I had no issues sending not only text messages, but images and short videos! At night, I appreciated sending my dad and grandmother pictures of my trip while my partner used the premium internet to stream television shows.
When it came time to unfortunately think about disembarking, I received an email from Delta letting me know that we could check in for our flight. To my surprise, Delta's app loaded quickly, and I saved our boarding passes to my mobile wallet in no time at all.
Downsides to the cheapest Wi-Fi at sea
Part of the reason I was content with basic internet was that I could log into my partner's account and use the premium Wi-Fi. However, had I been on the clock or traveling solo, I would have definitely paid to upgrade to Celebrity's premium Wi-Fi for a few reasons.
First, the basic was noticeably slower than the premium. On our sea day from Amsterdam to Molde, I ran an internet speed test on both our devices at the same time.
Premium was about twice as fast, with download and upload speeds of 1.81 Mbps and 0.68 Mbps, respectively. Comparatively, the basic Wi-Fi clocked in at just 0.94 Mbps for downloading and 0.43 Mbps for uploading. That said, one of the biggest differences I noticed was that some images wouldn't load in my email or on Reddit.
Because of the slow download speeds, I'd recommend downloading any apps you may need in advance, including the Celebrity Cruises mobile application. I tried downloading Google Drive while onboard, and it took over an hour to complete.
The morning we arrived in Stavanger, my partner downloaded Get Your Guide onto her phone, so we could access our tickets for our third-party fjord cruise. I was impressed that it finished in less than a minute!
Another downside to basic Wi-Fi is that you cannot stream movies and TV shows. Although this likely isn't a dealbreaker for a lot of folks on vacation, my partner and I love watching television as we wind down. As such, we'd use her phone or tablet at night or when relaxing in the cabin.
Celebrity's Wi-Fi let me access everything necessary without feeling completely disconnected, but you should upgrade to the premium plan if you want to do more than light browsing
One of the reasons my partner and I choose to sail with Celebrity over its sister brand, Royal Caribbean, so frequently is that we can better customize our onboard experience.
For example, upgrading one internet package worked perfectly for us. However, Royal Caribbean has just one Wi-Fi plan, so if we both wanted to be connected at the same time, we'd have to purchase two pricey VOOM packages.
I'd love for Royal Caribbean to consider offering more flexible internet options, similar to Celebrity, Carnival, and MSC Cruises.
I don't always need the fastest connection at sea, but having the choice is nice. Sometimes, the basic plan is enough to meet someone's needs, while others need the most reliable option.
To offset having a slower and more limited connection onboard, I'd often find spots with free Wi-Fi ashore. For instance, our fjord cruise in Stavanger had free Wi-Fi!
We also grabbed breakfast at a local bakery in Kristiansand, where I connected to the internet for a few minutes to map out where we wanted to visit.
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 traveled frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas during her freshman year of high school. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
