• Port Overview
  • Transportation to the Port
  • Uber & Lyft to the Port
  • Dropping Off at the Port
  • Cruise Parking
  • Cruise Hotels
  • Hotels with Parking Deals
  • Uber & Lyft to the Ports
  • Things to Do
  • Cozumel Taxi Rates
  • Free Things to Do
  • Restaurants Near the Cruise Port
  • Hotels & Resorts With Day Passes
  • Closest Beaches to the Cruise Port
  • Tips For Visiting
  • Shore Excursions
  • Cruise Parking Discounts
  • Hotels with Shuttles
  • Which Airport Should I Use?
  • Transportation to the Ports
  • Dropping Off at the Ports
  • Fort Lauderdale Airport to Miami
  • Inexpensive Hotels
  • Hotels near the Port
  • Hotels With Shuttles
  • Budget Hotels
  • Carnival Tips
  • Drink Packages
  • Specialty Restaurants
  • Faster to the Fun
  • More Articles
  • CocoCay Tips
  • Norwegian Tips
  • Great Stirrup Cay
  • Harvest Caye
  • How to Get the Best Cruise Deal
  • Best Time to Book a Cruise
  • Best Websites to Book a Cruise
  • Cruises Under $300
  • Cruises Under $500
  • Spring Break Cruise Deals
  • Summer Cruise Deals
  • Alaskan Cruise Deals
  • 107 Cruise Secrets & Tips
  • Tips for First-Time Cruisers
  • What to Pack for a Cruise
  • What to Pack (Alaska)
  • Packing Checklist
  • Cruising with Kids
  • Passports & Birth Certificates
  • Bringing Alcohol
  • Cruising with a Disability
  • Duty-Free Shopping
  • Cruise Travel Insurance
  • Things to Do on a Cruise Ship
  • What Not to Do on a Ship
  • News & Articles

Cruzely.com | Everything Cruising

Review: Princess Cruises Wi-Fi Service (Speed, Reliability, Cost, and More)

Princess offers one of the most affordable wi-fi programs in cruising with its MedallionNet service — an Internet offer the cruise line calls “the best wi-fi at sea.”

Wi-fi internet on a Princess cruise

And while you might think of a cruise as a place to disconnect from the routine and stresses of back home, the truth is that Internet access has become a necessity more than a luxury for most of us.

Whether it’s simply checking in back home, wanting to stream your favorite shows on vacation, or even trying to get a little work done, wi-fi may as well be a requirement.

Of course, that leads to a lot of questions about wi-fi on a Princess cruise. We’ve sailed the cruise line and recently put the Internet through the paces. Here’s what to know…

In This Article...

What Internet/Wi-Fi Packages Are Offered?

While many cruise lines offer different package levels with varying speeds for Internet, Princess instead keeps things simple. The ship’s MedallionNet comes in only one tier and you simply choose whether or not you want to purchase. (There is the ability to purchase access for multiple devices.)

This means when you buy, you have full access to the web. There are no different tiers for different speeds or different tiers for social media, streaming, and web browsing.

You can choose to either purchase wi-fi on its own or have it included in an all-inclusive package like Princess Plus or Princess Premier (more on these below).

How Much Is the Internet on a Princess Cruise?

When it comes to the price for wi-fi, Princess has the most affordable plan we’ve seen in cruising.

If you elect just to buy the plan on its own, the cost is $15 per day for one device. So for a one-week cruise, you’d pay $105 for access.

A recent cruise showed a price to upgrade to four devices as an extra $10 per day — or a total of $25 per day. (To our knowledge, there are no plans for 2/3 device access).

But many people buy the wi-fi as part of the larger Princess Plus or Princess Premier packages . With these plans, you pay an extra $60/$80 per person, per day (depending on the package you choose) and get a number of items included like drink packages, gratuities, and wi-fi.

How Fast Is Princess’ Internet Service?

Princess claims that “MedallionNet Wi-Fi sets the industry standard for internet at sea.” And in a 2018 press release linked on the website , it claims that “MedallionNet download speeds can exceed residential service levels, often eclipsing 100 Mbps, with upload speeds exceeding 60 Mbps.”

Our personal experience (covered below), however, was decidedly different. During a 2023 cruise aboard Discovery Princess, we found the service to be slow. Our own speed tests show service in the under 2 Mbps range, with some tests coming in under 1 Mbps. 

Perhaps other ships/itineraries might have faster speeds, but on our specific cruise the speed was lacking.

Wi-fi speed test on a Princess cruise

If I Have Access for Only One Device, Can I Switch Devices?

Yes. Princess offers service for either one device or up to four devices. If you select the one-device service, you can connect with your phone and then switch over to using a laptop or tablet. The only limit is that you can only have one connection at a time. So if you are online and your significant other logs in, it will boot you off.

Still, sharing access is a good way to save money. If you don’t need constant connectivity, then one person in the cabin can check their email and then another person can log in and browse the web later.

Can I Stream With the Wi-Fi?

Streaming Netflix on a Princess cruise

Yes, you are allowed to stream your content over the wi-fi connection. The question is if you will be able to watch it clearly.

First things first, Princess specifically says on their website that with their Internet you can “stream your favorite shows,” however, as mentioned above, our personal experience was the speed of the connection when we cruised was sluggish.

We were able to stream a show on Netflix, but the majority of the time the image was pixelated, though it did play continuously without buffering and eventually cleared up.

Still, we’d suggest downloading any programs you want to watch beforehand if possible. That will allow you to watch without worrying about connection quality.

Can I FaceTime or Make Video Calls?

FaceTime call on Princess cruise.

Just like with streaming, you have the ability to FaceTime or make video calls over the MedallionNet service from Princess. The issue is if the connection speed will allow you to do that.

During our cruise, we were able to have a FaceTime call back home. The voice part of the call was crystal clear. The video portion of the call would cut in and out and even when working, was heavily pixelated.

Again, if you see faster speeds than we did it may be that the service works flawlessly. But bottom line is that Princess does allow you to FaceTime on their service.

Can I Text Over the Wi-Fi?

Yes, you can text back home over the ship’s wi-fi. In fact, we found this to be the best way to keep in touch. Texts went through easily, including sending photos of our trip to family.

One thing we also noticed is that even when logged out of the wi-fi, we were still able to send texts through iMessage to our cabin mates. That made it easy to make plans and figure out where they were even when exploring on our own around the ship.

Do I Have to Buy Wi-Fi For the Princess App?

Like all cruise lines, Princess has an app that you should download before taking your cruise. It offers up everything from the ability to check-in for the trip to ship maps, the daily calendar and more.

To use this app, you DO NOT have to purchase wi-fi onboard. While you will connect to the ship’s wi-fi, the app works automatically without needing to pay.

Can I Work Over the Wi-Fi Connection?

While Internet service at sea has improved markedly in recent years, is it good enough to allow you to work or attend school while at sea? We’ve covered this topic in-depth here .

In general, we feel that if you have work that requires a minimal connection, then yes, you can work. So if you’re sending emails or downloading small files, then it’s possible. However, across cruise lines we think Internet-intensive services like Zoom meetings with lots of participants are still hit or miss.

Unfortunately, our limited experience on Princess was that it was a challenge doing even light work on the cruise ship due to the connection speed (see our review below).

Our Personal Experience With Princess Wi-Fi (Review)

One thing that we’ve noticed over the years is that the wi-fi experience on a cruise can vary based on a number of factors including weather, ship’s position, and the service itself.

In our case, we recently took a 4-day cruise from Los Angeles aboard Discovery Princess — a new ship in the fleet. The trip saw perfect weather and we were never far from shore. Unfortunately, the wi-fi left a lot to be desired.

In our case, we found the service to be extremely slow. Speed tests that we performed regularly through the cruise topped out at around 1.7 Mbps. Many tests came in under 1 Mbps. (For reference, the average mobile Internet speed in the United States is around 80 Mbps according to Speedtest.net ).

Due to the speed, using the Internet was frustrating. While we were able to stream a show on Netflix, it was heavily pixelated for much of the program before clearing up. When calling back home using FaceTime, the video would cut in and out, but the voice quality was clear. And while we did post to this site during the trip, it took considerably longer than normal.

We also asked other passengers about the performance of the Internet, and they seemed to share a similar experience. Due to the slow speed, we visited the Internet Cafe on the ship to speak to someone to see if this was normal. They indicated that the service was just slow and there wasn’t much that could be done about it, but didn’t provide a reason for the slow speeds.

All that said, this is no guarantee that the Internet will be the same as our experience across every ship and every cruise. Still, while we are used to seeing slower Internet speeds at sea across any cruise line (it is a challenge to provide wi-fi to thousands of people while on the water, after all), the service was still notably slow in our opinion.

Is Princess Wi-Fi Worth It?

As mentioned above, it’s not clear if this sort of speed we experienced is unusual or if it is the norm. But if we had to pay the full $15 per day for the service, we would have been disappointed.

We certainly don’t expect the same sort of speeds we see at home, but it seems that 5-10 Mbps is a “typical” speed for cruises that we’ve been on with other lines. We saw speeds top out at less than 2 Mbps in our test. This includes testing across multiple devices such as phone, laptop, and tablet.

That said, we had Internet included as part of the Princess Plus offer that also included other perks like gratuities and the drink package. Therefore, we didn’t pay a specific charge just for the wi-fi, but it was included as part of the deal. In that case, it’s hard to pinpoint if it’s worth it or not due to the lack of a specific charge just for wi-fi.

We will say that reviews curated on Princess’ website indicate that our experience may be an outlier. Those specifically mention fast speeds, including one person saying they “barely noticed a difference from my home Internet…”

So it’s possible we just cruised when there was some issue affecting the speed.

Popular: 39 Useful Things to Pack (17 You Wouldn't Think Of)

Read next: park & cruise hotels for every port in america, popular: 107 best cruise tips, secrets, tricks, and freebies, related articles more from author, princess plus & premier offers: package details and if it’s worth it, must see: 5 wild new cruise ships set to make their debut, princess cruise gratuity (tips) full guide: how much, how they work, and more, explained: major differences between princess & other cruise lines (carnival, royal caribbean, & more), princess cruise live blog (day 4): one of my most memorable port days ever, princess cruise live blog (day 3): sailing, swimming, and singing at sea, 12 comments.

We have been twice on the princess Ruby one for 30 days tour from Los Angeles to Sydney. The Internet was perfect very very fast and to send for example 40 pictures it last less than text 10 seconds three years later we went on the same ship from San Francisco through the Panama Canal And the Internet was really horrible. As long as we figure out. There’s a new contract with the Starling satellite from Elton mask and satellites are not enough to cover the cruise area so all in all you pay the same money for less sometimes nothing Internet connection, so in this case I could not recommend to buy the package despite you need it really strong but then you have to wait sometimes for one side 10 seconds and more the speed is the most time less than one megabyte and upload very much lower so once more the money counts princess pay for the connection from starting much less than before From European provider, but the result is very very poor so for me it is not fair to speak about the fastest Internet on Sea and over the slowest Internet

Finishing up our 14 day circle Caribbean cruise on Princess Emerald. It has much sought after spaceX Starlink. To me it turned out to be just a hype as either Pricess or starlink has speed down throttled to 3.0 mbps down and 1.0mbps up. Advertising about wifi just as good as home connection is false. 14 days and $560.00 down, my work that I anticipated to do every day from cruise has piled up. VOIP connection was a total failure. FaceTime audio calls were always in and out. Ideal for browsing with some patience and texting.

On a Princess cruise (7 Day Mediterranean) the Ships WiFi was practically non existant. The only time I was able to connect was during port days when my phone carrier connected with European partner carriers. I spoke to the people at the Internet Cafe and they could only apologize and explained that internet at sea was a challenge.

My cruise is 34 days and at sea a lot of the time. Is it possible to just buy a couple days worth of wifi or do I have to buy the entire package for 34 days? Does the library, Internet cafe offer computers to check email for emergencies? Thanks

There are 24-hour packages available. I believe I saw them in the Internet cafe. That would allow you to login occasionally as needed.

I believe there may be inaccurate information in your article as I read in multiple places that Princess changed the price of their internet package on Feb 20th for 4 devices to $40 per day (per the information on the Medallion app). If you know this to be incorrect info please let me know as I’m trying to decide between just getting the 4 device plan ala carte or buying the premier drink package that includes it.

Article : “A recent cruise showed a price to upgrade to four devices as an extra $10 per day — or a total of $25 per day. (To our knowledge, there are no plans for 2/3 device access).”

Our cruise was in February, but before February 20. If the app says the price is now $40 per day, that will be the most up to date information.

Hi, I’m having a hard time finding information on the Internet Cafe. Is there a charge to use the computers and internet in there?

I would assume yes, there will be a charge, although I personally did not use the Internet Cafe on the ship.

Love this post. My husband and I are trying to book a cruise but would like to work a few days from Princess Cruise. Is the wifi a secure connection? Usually for work we need to use a wifi that is protected by a password. Would you be able to help answer that question?

You sign in through your onboard account. It’s not just a wide-open connection. However, we would assume that the ship staff would be able to monitor all traffic on their network.

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

12 Cruises Under $300 Per Person (Updated)

The best (and worst) royal caribbean ship health inspection scores, according to the cdc, 10 best port canaveral cruise hotels for passengers, hotels with cruise shuttles for every major port in america, 107 best cruise tips, tricks, secrets, and freebies, 39 useful things to pack for your cruise (including 17 you’d never think of).

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Princess Cruises MedallionNet WiFi: Speed Test and Review

' src=

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. We may receive compensation when you purchase via my links at no cost to you. See my disclosure for more information.

Princess Cruises promises guests the “best internet at sea.”

But is it really the best? And how fast are MedallionNet internet speeds?

We’ve tested Princess Cruises MedallionNet WiFi to determine if it lives up to the name. Read our review on Princess’ internet plans.

Table of Contents

Princess Cruises WiFi Plans and Prices

MedallionNet WiFi starts at $24.99 per device per day when purchased before sailing. Platinum and Elite Captain’s Circle members receive a 50% discount on all internet packages.

You can expect to pay a higher price for the internet plan if you purchase it on the ship.

Princess Cruises offers some of the lowest wifi prices in the cruise industry.

Still, you can get it even cheaper!

Guests who purchase the pricier Princess Plus fare receive free drinks, gratuities, and wifi. You’ll pay more for the Princess Plus or Princess Premier package. But the added perks make Princess Plus worth it.

Princess Plus includes free WiFi, gratuities, and a Princess Cruises beverage package.

How Does MedallionNet Work?

How MedallionNet® Works | Princess Cruises

Before discussing the speed of Princess Cruises WiFi, it’s essential to understand how MedallionNet works.

Cruise ships often travel to remote destinations around the globe and spend vast amounts of time far away from land-based cell phone towers. For this reason, cruise ships rely on satellite connections to keep passengers connected at sea.

In the past, cruise ships connected to satellites in geostationary orbit – up to 22,000 miles (36,000 kilometers) from the Earth. Although radio waves travel at the speed of light, the distance means up to 240 milliseconds of travel time.

It may not sound like much, but consider that your home internet likely has a connection speed below 30ms.

What makes Princess Cruises MedallionNet WiFi so fast?

Princess Cruises partners with Starlink to provide high-speed internet to guests. Starlinks low earth orbit satellints provide faster internet speeds, reduced latency, and much more bandwidth.

Internet speeds on Princess cruises aren’t as fast as you’re used to back home, but they are fast enough to browse the web, use social media, and stream movies.

How Fast is Princess Cruises MedallionNet WiFi?

Family Using Princess Cruises MedallionNet WiFi on their phone in cabin

We conducted several speed tests during our Caribbean cruise on Regal Princess to accurately measure MedallionNet’s internet speed.

We found average download speeds of 5.3 Mbps and upload speeds of 1.2 Mbps.

We conducted our speed tests multiple times daily to get the most accurate data sample.

In our experience, MedallionNet Wifi provides similar internet speeds compared to other mainstream cruise lines.

However, it’s important to note that the internet speeds aren’t as fast as you might be used to back home. The onboard WiFi is great for basic web browsing, emails, and messaging, but you will notice pages take slightly longer to load.

Further, while you can video chat and stream movies, TV, and music, don’t expect 4k video.

That said, for a cruise ship traveling in the middle of the ocean, Princess Cruises provides incredible internet speeds.

How Do You Access the Internet on Princess Cruises?

Accessing the MedallionNet internet is a straightforward process. Just follow the steps below to get your device connected in minutes.

  • Open your device’s WiFi settings and select the MedallionNet WiFi connection.
  • After connecting, you’ll be automatically redirected to the login page.
  • Sign in using your cabin number and birthdate.

If, for some reason, your device won’t connect to the ship’s internet, visit guest services for assistance.

MedallionClass Wearable and App

Passengers on a on a Princess cruise ship by the pool with medallionclass bracelet

Unsurprisingly, Princess Cruises offers fast internet speeds thanks to Starlink’s internet service. Every ship in Princess’ fleet is equipped with OceanMedallion – the cruise line’s award-winning wearable device program.

OceanMedallion replaces traditional room cards with a wearable that provides passengers with touchless boarding, room access, locating family on the ship, ordering food and drinks, and making purchases around the vessel.

The OceanMedallion wearable and accompanying app create a more personalized experience for passengers.

With thousands of passengers simultaneously using the technology, Princess cruise ships require a serious internet connection.

Final Thoughts

Princess Cruises MedallionNet WiFi provides comparable internet speeds among mainstream cruise lines .

While not as fast as you’ll find at home, the internet connection works perfectly fine for web browsing, emails, and messaging. It’s even fast enough to video chat back home and stream videos from Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.

' src=

Marcello De Lio

16 Comments

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Name  *

Email  *

Add Comment  *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Post Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Enchanted Princess cruise in the Caribbean today. Internet speed between 1.5mps and 2.5mps. No video calling and no chance playing games. Not the 12mps rumoured. I would prefer honesty rather than hype.

Princess Cruises used to have the fastest internet at speed. But with other cruise lines implementing Starlink satellite internet, their internet speeds have fallen behind.

Despite that, they continue to tout their “fast” internet speeds. I think it’s only a matter of time before they partner with a faster satellite provider and slow cruise WiFi becomes a thing of the past.

I was recently on a Carribean cruise aboard the Enchanted Princess over Thanksgiving this year. The Medallion Net service seemed okay at first but every time that I tried to access my email on either Yahoo or Gmail, the service bogged down tremendously, most often preventing me from even logging in to retrieve my emails.

I have sense booked new cruises for next fall and currently there is no options to add Medallion Net Wi-Fi to my bookings. Princess is planning on hiking the cost of their services in February, and I am guessing that they are not showing any options until their new rates go into effect. I am an elite member of Princess Cruise Lines and have 25 cruises under my belt. I believe that the new Medallion Net Wi-Fi today is inferior to what I have experienced in the past and now soon, will have to pay even higher fees for the service. It’s my opinion that by promoting the service to many more passengers by making it part of their Plus and Premium packages is causing an overload to their available bandwidth.

It’s true that internet speeds used to be faster. Today, more people connect to satellite internet, but the number of satellites hasn’t kept pace. This means that the limited bandwidth is divided amongst more people. It’s not just cruise lines but other ocean vessels, airplanes, and remote regions connecting to satellite internet.

Some cruise lines have been vocal about this issue. And several low-earth orbit internet providers are starting up. The low earth orbit satellites are faster because the connection doesn’t have to travel as far. The hope is that internet speeds will drastically improve in the near future as cruise lines make deals with the new satellite providers.

Thanks for this information… I am taking my first Princess cruise on the Enchanted Princess in a couple of weeks, can’t wait… do you have any more hints and suggestions?

Hi Marcello, Thanks for you excellent article. I am currently on the Majestic Princess cruising around New Zealand. I was getting between 0.03M and 0.51M download. (Using Googles Speed Test) (I can supply screen captures if required) On the Internet Cafe PC, the speed was even slower! Doing anything useful on the internet is impossible. (Outlook does not work – Times Out) I asked the IT manager about the slow internet speeds. He said that there was nothing he could do to fix it. He also advised that around the Caribbean the internet was fast. (Not much use to me!) For a 13 day cruise I paid more than I do for my monthly home 100M service. (As Elite I used to get Free Internet, but sadly no more). I have cruised with Princess for over 10 years, and this is the slowest I have seen!!!

That must be an incredible cruise. New Zealand and Australia are on my bucket list, but I haven’t had a chance to sail there yet.

I was in Alaska over the summer and experienced similar speeds, especially further north. It’s unfortunate, but the internet speeds outside of the Caribbean are extremely slow. Even in the Caribbean, internet speeds are far slower than many are used to at home.

I’d love to add those screen captures to the post and give you the photo credit. If you don’t mind me adding them, you can send them to [email protected] .

Thanks for explaining why the internet is slower in Alaska. I was on the Majestic Princess a few weeks ago and not only was it very slow, we kept losing the Wi-Fi altogether. Hopefully, these newer satellites will make a big difference. Thanks again!

I was in Alaska last month. It’s incredible how slow and unreliable the internet is a day or two after leaving Seattle/Vancouver. That should change shortly, thanks to newer technology.

I once heard that the princess ships throttle high bandwidth users so they don’t hog all the bandwidth for everyone else. Is there any truth to that?

To my knowledge, cruise lines throttle the bandwidth for all passengers. Most cruise lines rely on satellites in medium earth orbit or geosynchronous orbit. These systems have high latency, and limited bandwidth, forcing cruise lines to limit the bandwidth per device.

This will hopefully change in the future as cruise lines make the switch to low-earth satellite internet providers like Starlink.

We went to Alaska in June on the Ruby Princess and streamed content from YouTube. The speed was pretty good.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Internet speeds in Alaska are typically slower than in the Caribbean. I’m happy to hear you had a good experience!

Regal Princess Mediterranean trip wifi is very inconsistent. Slow and disconnect all the time.

Sorry, I had the exact opposite experience on Ruby Princess on an Alaskan cruise. Internet speed was between 12 and 36 kbps (yes K, as in poor dial up speeds!). This was on a phone, laptop and even one of their own Internet cafe computers. Horrible wifi!!!

I am sorry to hear about your experience. The internet speeds we measured were on our sailing in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, internet speeds are slower in Alaska because there isn’t coverage from medium-earth orbit satellite providers. In Alaska, Princess cruise ships switch to the high earth orbit satellites which have less bandwidth and slower internet speeds. Hopefully, this will change soon with SpaceX’s Starlink system looking to get approval for use on cruise ships.

Trending now

Man on a cruise connecting to Princess Cruises MedallionNet Internet on a laptop

Backpacking America. Outdoor travel destinations in the US. USA. United States. US outdoor vacation ideas.

  • SOUTH DAKOTA

Princess cruise wifi in 2023 ⚓ cost + package + is Princess cruise ship internet good?

Your experience with wifi on a Princess cruise ship may vary!

This is based on my experience and understanding!

I am just a fellow cruiser!

I once got the Princess wifi package for a 25-day cruise that was in February and March 2023.

I bought the 1-device wifi package, and it was easy to switch between devices, my phone and my laptop.

I then had Princess cruises in April and May 2023, and I did not buy wifi on either one of the cruises.

I did not get the wifi package or the day-by-day wifi.

But I did look for cruises on princess.com 😆 so I did use the wifi.

You can browse future cruises at princess.com for free when you are on the cruise ship! And if you know you will be taking another Princess cruise, you will want to do the future cruise deposit when you are on the cruise ship. You will get free onboard spending money.

Then I had Princess cruises in September 2023, and I did buy wifi by the day during those cruises.

cruise ship wifi. how much does princess cruise ship wifi cost per day

You don’t need to buy the wifi to use the Princess app on the cruise ship.

But you do need to download the app before you get on the cruise ship.

You will want everyone in your family to download the app before you get on the cruise ship.

I have also read that imessage works without buying wifi if you have an iphone. I don’t have an iphone so I can’t personally confirm that though.

You can buy a wifi package for the whole cruise before you get on the cruise ship, and you can buy it individually every day of the cruise ship that you want it.

For my April 2023 cruise, I did notice that the cost to buy the wifi package before I got on the cruise ship and the cost to buy it on the day I got on the cruise ship was the same.

On a per-day basis, buying the wifi package for the whole cruise is cheaper than buying wifi individually every day.

If you skip using wifi just a few days, it might be cheaper to buy wifi day-by-day instead of buying the wifi package before you leave for your cruise.

You’ll want to calculate it out based on how many days you think you will be fine using the wifi during your cruise.

If your cruise has tons of port days, you may decide that you will be just fine using the data from your phone in port and skip getting online on the sea days on the cruise ship.

During the day on sea days will tend to be the slowest days to use the internet since lots more people will be online at once.

You can see my experience with t-mobile in Alaska cruise ports .

The cost of the wifi package on a Princess cruise ship if you buy it ahead of time is $15 a day. You would be buying wifi for every day of the cruise.

The cost of wifi on a Princess cruise ship if you buy it on a day-to-day basis is $20 a day. You will buy this once on the cruise ship on the day you want the internet.

The cost of Princess wifi can change, but this is my experience for my September cruises in 2023.

It was cheaper for the cruise that started in February.

You also have the option of buying wifi for just 1 device, or for 4 devices.

Even if you buy wifi for just 1 device, you can use it on multiple devices.

It’s just that you can only use it for one device at a time.

cost of princess cruise ship wifi package

If you are at the loyalty level of platinum or elite , wifi is 50% off. ( pdf )

If you get the Princess plus package or Princess premier package , wifi is a part of your package, so you can check that for details.

is wifi included with princess plus package

Trouble shooting: How to connect to the Princess wifi on a laptop

  • Connect to the free Princess medallionnet wifi, and click where it says you might need to sign in.
  • If that doesn’t get your to a screen that prompts you to the paid wifi option, type into your browser: login.com
  • If that doesn’t work, type into your browser: mnet.ap.ocean.com or mnet.di.ocean.com
  • If that doesn’t work, check to make sure it is not defaulting to include the https (For example, it may or may not work as https://mnet.ap.ocean.com)
  • If that doesn’t work, then I recommend you go to the Ocean Front desk which is by the photo gallery. They are the medallion people. Check the hours and location for Ocean Front on the back of your Princess Patter (the paper version of the daily activity schedule ). You can call guest services to ask where they are located if you’re not sure… and while you are at it, you can ask guest services for help, and maybe they can. But I feel it could be easier to just go and show the Ocean Front people your laptop so they can connect you, especially if there’s a wait at guest services.

I had trouble a couple of times getting the paid Princess wifi on my laptop.

But my troubles hopefully mean easy solutions for you if you are having trouble! (Above!)

More below about my experience with using internet on Princess cruise ships!

Now of course, you also want to know…

How good is the wifi on a Princess cruise ship?

Well, individual experiences vary.

For my first cruises, the wifi on Princess cruise ships was not good enough for me to want to buy a wifi package.

But my most recent cruises have given me more inspiration to buy wifi more!

It’s September 2023, and I’m currently on a Princess cruise ship, and I have been bought wifi on many days, because I have been happy with what I have been able to do with the Princess wifi.

This was NOT the case during my first cruise!

Even at that time when I thought it was terrible, I had read a lot of online reports, and there were people who say they have generally had good wifi experiences on Princess cruise ships.

Your internet experience may or may not depend on what cruise ship you are on, where your cruise ship is sailing (aka how remote you are), and how many people on your cruise ship are using the internet at the same time as you (aka using up tons of resources making your internet slow).

And it depends on what you want to do online!

For the best chance at having “good” internet on the cruise ship, try to think of times when less people will be using the internet and use it then.

“Good” is relative on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean!

I have read people say that they have been able to watch netflix on a Princess cruise ship.

During that first terrible internet cruise, I never did try netflix, but I tried several times to watch my CBS, NBC, and ABC shows online.

The shows would not start.

Loading… loading…

I finally gave up.

Later on in the cruise I did try again just out of curiosity, and a show did load.

But it’s not something I could count on.

That was the Diamond Princess sailing across the vast Pacific Ocean, so maybe that had something to do with it.

Also it was a transpacific cruise which means lots of sea days which maybe means lots more people are online throughout the day.

There are lots of TV shows on the stateroom TV in your cabin that you can watch if you are without internet! You can binge watch the Love Boat !

For e-mail and general web browsing, I have found the Princess wifi to be just fine.

But personally, I do not care to spend $20 a day on general web browsing.

I’ve read people say they’ve been able to do zoom meetings and video chats.

While it may work for some people, I think it’s important to also manage your expectations and not be surprised if it doesn’t work for you.

Because the cruise that I bought the wifi package on was across the vast and remote Pacific Ocean, I thought maybe it would be unfair to decide my cruise ship wifi usage based on that.

But then my experience using wifi to browse cruises on princess.com on my 7-day cruise on the Majestic Princess did not inspire confidence.

The princess.com website timed out several times.

We can make the excuse that it was also in a very remote area, because it was at sea in the Gulf of Alaska.

It was the last sea day before getting to Whittier. Sea days = more people using the internet!

But it surely didn’t make me want to buy a wifi package!

But then…

My September cruises happened!

Those were also Alaska cruises.

It was on the Grand Princess.

Overall, I am quite happy with how I’ve been able to use internet while sailing around Alaska, including the Gulf of Alaska.

There was a time that it did seem like maybe it was a little slower in one part of the Gulf of Alaska, but overall, I have been quite happy with it.

I also did watch several episodes of netflix (for research of course 🤣) and I was successfully able to watch netflix.

This cruise ship is soon going to be sailing across the Pacific Ocean (and I’m staying on), so we will see how the internet will be at that time!!

Your experience may vary!

Buy Princess wifi at your own risk! 🤪

How to buy the wifi for your Princess cruise

You can buy the cruise ship wifi before you board the cruise ship or once you get on the cruise.

You will look for “medallion net” in the Princess app in order to purchase cruise ship wifi!

how to buy wifi on princess cruise ship. princess app

And that’s a bit about internet on a Princess cruise ship!

More about getting online in ports during your cruise: t-mobile in alaska

HAPPY USING PRINCESS CRUISE SHIP WIFI!

  • Dinner menu
  • Breakfast menu
  • Desserts menu
  • Breakfast room service
  • Premium desserts
  • How to find your boarding time for a Princess cruise
  • How to print Princess cruise luggage tags
  • What is the first day of the cruise like: Embarkation day
  • What is the day you get off the cruise ship like: Disembarkation day
  • Sample daily activity schedule on a cruise ship: Princess cruise activities (princess patter)
  • What to watch on your stateroom TV (really!)
  • Princess cruise fitness classes (free with Princess package)
  • Princess cruise group sports (+ more group activities)
  • What happens when a port is canceled during a cruise?
  • Inside a cruise ship bathroom
  • Alaska cruise with time zone change
  • Princess naturalist talks
  • puppies in the piazza

Do cruise ships have Wi-Fi? A line-by-line guide to internet access at sea

Gwen Pratesi

Do cruise ships have Wi-Fi? Yes, but internet access on cruise ships is both better and worse than you might expect. If you're headed on a cruise vacation and want to stay in touch with family and friends — or stream movies and music on board the ship — it is possible to stay fully connected while at sea. But you'll need to adjust your expectations if you think the connectivity will be similar to a hotel. Connectivity can be slow and spotty, although cruise lines are working to change that.

Ships rely on satellites for their internet connections at sea. The strength of the connection depends on several factors, including where you are in the world and the weather. On many lines, certain locations — such as public spaces near the center of the ship — tend to have better connectivity than other places (like your cabin).

Cruise lines are adopting new technologies to make internet access more reliable — and more affordable. Lines like Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line and Royal Caribbean, have installed Starlink in many vessels (fleetwide, in some cases). Starlink technology provides download speeds that range from 40 to over 200 Mbps (megabits per second) and upload speeds that come in at 8 to more than 25 Mbps.

For more cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Here is an overview of what to expect from internet offerings on cruise ships and a line-by-line look at the plans and pricing available on your next cruise vacation.

What types of Wi-Fi plans do cruise lines offer?

Larger mainstream cruise lines typically have several plans available for purchase, with the cheaper plans only supporting email and texting and the pricier plans allowing streaming and Wi-Fi calling. Most upscale and luxury cruise lines offer a complimentary basic Wi-Fi plan to upgrade if you need a faster connection.

Before purchasing a plan, consider how much time you'll be online, how many devices you need to connect (a smartphone, tablet and a laptop?) and how much speed you'll need. If all you want to do is check emails or send texts, you may not need to spend additional money on an upgraded plan at all. Most cruise lines, but not all of them, let you use a one-device plan across multiple devices as long as you're only logged in to one at a time.

Note that you do not need a cruise ship Wi-Fi plan to access the free services — such as ordering food or checking the daily schedule — on a cruise line's app.

Related: Wi-Fi on cruise ships: 5 things to know about internet use on board

Pro tips for using cruise ship Wi-Fi

princess cruises internet packages cost

Before booking your cruise, look for promotions and deals that include basic Wi-Fi. If you can't get cruise ship internet included, don't wait to purchase your internet package until you're on board: It's usually less expensive to purchase Wi-Fi packages before sailing. Buying a package for the entire cruise is typically a better deal than the daily rate.

Keep your phone in airplane mode while on the ship to avoid roaming charges and other fees. Satellite roaming fees are much higher than you realize.

Related: Can you use your cellphone on a cruise?

Download apps, movies and music before your cruise. Not only can you access this entertainment on the flight to your home port, but you will be prepared should the onboard internet be slow on a sea day when you'd like to catch up on your must-watch show or listen to your favorite tunes at the gym.

To find the strongest Wi-Fi signal on the ship, download a network analyzer like NetSpot.

If you don't need to stay connected while on board, head into port and find a restaurant, bar or mall with free Wi-Fi. Ask crew members on the ship about the best places for free Wi-Fi in port; they often know. Or, use apps like WiFi Map that show you locations of nearby hotspots when you're in port.

Related: How can I get Wi-Fi on a cruise for free?

If you're struggling to upload photos on a sea day when everyone is on board and online, wait until folks are off the ship in port to try again. Early morning and late at night, when people are sleeping, are also good times to find faster connections.

Line-by-line guide to cruise ship internet access

Want to know what's available at sea before booking your next cruise? Here's a list of the available Wi-Fi plans and pricing for each of the major mainstream and luxury cruise lines. Most prices listed are per person, per day for the length of the cruise, and for one device unless otherwise indicated. Note that cruise lines can update pricing and plans at any time.

Price: Starting at $19.95 per day

Azamara 's internet access is provided by AT&T and Wireless Maritime Service. Guests on board the line's ships can choose to use one of their own devices to access Wi-Fi, such as a laptop or smartphone, or they can log in at one of the onboard Touch workstations.

You can purchase prepaid packages during the first two days of the voyage, and pricing is based on the number of minutes — or days — guests will need access to the internet. The plans are only available for one device at a time, and unused minutes are nonrefundable. Prepaid options are priced at $19.99 for one hour of usage. A one-day pass is available at $29.95 for a full day. The daily sessions will end within 24 hours of purchase.

If guests buy a Full Cruise Unlimited Package, the cost is $19.95 per day. This plan can be purchased at any time during the sailing, but guests will be charged for the full length of the voyage.

Members of the line's loyalty rewards program, Azamara Circle , receive benefits and perks for internet options based on their level. Members who book a Suite or Verandah Plus category can also combine their loyalty and suite Wi-Fi minutes. Perks of membership range from a 5% savings, including 30 free Wi-Fi minutes, or 20% toward a Full Voyage Unlimited Package at the Azamara Circle Adventurer level. For Discoverer Platinum members, there's a 100% savings on Wi-Fi that provides a Full Voyage Unlimited Package, no matter the category of cabin or length of the voyage.

Carnival Cruise Line

Price: starting at $12.75 per day.

Carnival Cruise Line offers guests the option of three plans via the line's satellite providers.

The Social Wi-Fi Plan provides access to the most popular social media apps, including Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and others. Prices start at $12.75 per day (per person) if purchased pre-cruise. The onboard purchase price is $15 per day.

The Value Wi-Fi plan, at $19.55 per day pre-cruise (onboard price is $23 per day), includes the Social plan features and allows guests to browse the internet and send and receive emails.

The fastest connection available (at three times the speed of the Value plan) is with the Premium Wi-Fi plan. At $21.25 (or $25 on board) per day, guests will be able to place video calls and stream music and videos.

You can also purchase a single 24-hour pass for the Value plan at $25 or the Premium plan at $35.

Celebrity Cruises

princess cruises internet packages cost

Price: Starting at $20 per day

Celebrity Cruises uses Starlink as a provider for internet service across its entire fleet, with the exception of its Galapagos-based ships.

For cabins booked as cruise-only fares, ranging from inside cabins to Concierge class, Wi-Fi can be purchased separately on board the ship at $20 per day per device for a Basic plan, which allows guests to browse the web, send and receive emails and text via messaging apps. The Premium plan costs $35 per day per device and adds the capability for live streaming, video chats and more. With either plan, there's a 10% savings when it's booked pre-cruise.

If guests choose the all-inclusive cruise price , fares include a Classic Drinks Package (with nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages), Basic Wi-Fi access and gratuities. AquaClass cabins always have Basic Wi-Fi included in the fare; suites in The Retreat always come with complimentary Premium Wi-Fi. If you have Basic Wi-Fi included in your cruise fare, you can upgrade to the Premium Package for $9.99 daily.

Benefits of the line's Captain's Club membership include discounts of between 10% off a Wi-Fi package for Classic-level members to a complimentary Premium Package for Zenith-level guests.

Cunard Line

Price: starting at $18 per day.

All Cunard ships are equipped with Starlink technology. You can purchase internet plans in advance of your sailing or once on board by logging onto the ship's Wi-Fi and going to the line's My Voyage app.

The Essential Internet plan is priced at $24 per day when bought on a day-by-day basis or $18 per day for the entire voyage. This option allows you to browse the internet, send and receive emails and stay connected on social media platforms via text and photos.

The Premium Internet plan includes video streaming and a three times faster connection speed than the Essential plan. The cost for this option is $36 per day, or $24 per day for the whole voyage.

The pricing for either plan is for one device at a time, and these plans can be purchased at any time during your sailing. If you want to connect to the internet using two devices at once, you can purchase an additional plan with a 10% discount.

Cunard World Club members may be eligible to receive credit toward internet on the ships: $45 per person for Gold members, $80 per person for Platinum members and $135 per person for Diamond members.

Disney Cruise Line

princess cruises internet packages cost

Price: Starting at $16 per day

Disney Cruise Line previously offered varied internet plans for different ships and cruise destinations but now offers standard packages across its fleet.

Guests can choose among three different packages, starting with the Stay Connected plan at $18 per day when purchased on a day-to-day basis and $16 per day for the entire cruise. This option will provide enough bandwidth to post photos and send texts on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly called Twitter), Snapchat and Linkedin.

Basic Surf includes the benefits of the lower-priced plan (posting photos on social media) and the ability to surf the internet and send and receive emails. It costs $28 per day when purchased on a day-to-day basis and $24 per day for the entire sailing.

The Premium Surf plan offers the fastest connection speeds and features access to Apple Music and Spotify. It costs $42 daily (on a day-to-day basis) and $34 for the entire cruise. Guests will also be able to make calls on Zoom or FaceTime and view short-form videos on sites like TikTok and YouTube, along with other benefits like access to emails, web surfing and more.

None of the packages support video streaming on platforms like Disney+, Hulu and Netflix. Discounted pricing is available for up to four devices.

Holland America Line

Price: starting at $17.15 per day.

Holland America completed the installation of Starlink across its entire fleet in December 2023, which enhanced connectivity for the line's guests and crew. The line offers three Wi-Fi plans.

The Surf Voyage package is the most popular option at $17.15 per day per device and provides access to most social media websites and applications.

The Premium package, at $34.99 per day, per device, includes audio and messaging apps, and the ability to surf the web and check emails.

The Stream package is $45.99 per day, per device, and includes streaming capability and all the benefits of the Surf Voyage and Premium packages.

If you're considering other onboard expenses, the line's "Have it All" Premium Cruise Package is an economical way to get internet access and a Signature Beverage Package (with nonalcoholic and alcoholic drinks), specialty dining and a credit for shore excursions. The package is available on most sailings for $55 per person, per day.

Holland America's 5-Star Mariner guests receive a $30 credit toward a Wi-Fi package. Early Booking Benefits for Grand Voyages include 5,000 minutes of complimentary internet access in select suite categories.

MSC Cruises

princess cruises internet packages cost

Price: Starting at $17.59 per day

MSC Cruises offers two internet packages with a 20% discount for booking ahead of your sailing.

MSC's Browse Internet Cruise Package includes unlimited data, 24-hour internet access, chat and texts, and the ability to post photos and send and receive emails. Pricing starts at $17.59 per day per device (pre-cruise cost) and $21.99 per day if you buy it on board.

The Browse & Stream Cruise Package comes with the additional capability to video chat, stream music and movies, and post videos and live stream on social media. Pricing for this option is $21.59 per day, per device. The per-device price drops when purchasing either plan for multiple devices. Note that MSC does not let you switch from one device to another on the same plan, so make sure to sign in to your plan for the first time on the device you intend to use it on.

One-day internet packages are $29.99 per day (for Browse) and $34.99 (for Browse & Stream).

Voyagers Club members also receive discounts on internet packages. Guests sailing in MSC Yacht Club cabins receive a complimentary Browse package for two devices. It's possible to upgrade the package for an additional charge.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Price: starting at $29.99 per day.

Norwegian Cruise Line 's most popular internet plan is the Unlimited Wi-Fi Package. It costs $29.99 per day for one device. You can add a second device for an additional $15.99; discounted pricing is available for up to four devices. This package provides web surfing capabilities and access to email and social media apps (but not TikTok).

If you take advantage of the Free at Sea promotional cruise fare, you'll receive a number of free Unlimited Wi-Fi minutes, depending on the length of your sailing.

The Premium Package starts at $39.99 per day per device (add a second device for $25.99 per day). This package features Unlimited Wi-Fi inclusions, as well as streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, TikTok and more. Discounted pricing is available for up to four devices. Guests can purchase an upgraded package before they sail or on board the ship.

Loyal cruisers and members of the Latitudes Rewards Program receive discounts of up to 25% on Wi-Fi packages based on their membership tier level. Benefits begin with a 15% discount at the Platinum level.

It's also possible to rent a laptop on the ship or surf the internet at one of the workstations in the fleet's 24-hour Internet cafe. Any internet package can be used with a laptop rental or at the onboard cafes.

Oceania Cruises

Price: complimentary to $9.99 per day.

Starlink service is currently available on Oceania Cruises ' Vista and Riviera, with a fleetwide expansion of the service to be completed by the end of 2024.

The line provides free, unlimited internet access with all cruise fares. Guests can log on to the internet throughout the ship, including in their cabins or suites or in public spaces and outdoor areas. They can also use the computers at the Oceania@Sea Internet Center on board their ships if they don't have their own device.

Two free logins are provided per cabin or suite for use on one device at a time. Plans that include access for additional devices can be purchased on the ship, and an upgrade to streaming services for movies or music is available at a cost of $9.99 per day.

Princess Cruises

princess cruises internet packages cost

Price: Starting at $24.99 per day

Princess Cruises claims the "fastest Wi-Fi at sea" with its MedallionNet technology , with download speeds of 12.6 Mbps and upload speeds of 1.9 Mbps. Carnival Corporation and Princess achieve this speed by working with SES Networks, a leading satellite connectivity provider.

With this internet access, you can check email, chat, surf the internet, FaceTime with your kids and pets, post photos and stream shows and music with speeds similar to what you might have at home.

Guests can choose from one-device to four-device packages starting at $24.99 per day that you can purchase through the MedallionClass app pre-cruise. Discounted pricing is available for up to four devices. Platinum and Elite members of Princess Cruises' loyalty program receive a 50% discount on plans that will appear as an onboard credit on the ship.

Guests can also purchase either a bundled Princess Plus or Princess Premier package, which are priced at about a 50% savings of the overall value when purchased pre-cruise through the MedallionClass app. Princess Plus includes a beverage package (with alcoholic drinks up to $15 each), Wi-Fi for a single device and crew gratuities. The cost for this plan is $60 per person, per day.

With Princess Premier, guests will receive the Premier Beverage Package (with drinks up to $20 each), Wi-Fi for multiple devices, crew appreciation, two evenings of specialty dining, a photo package and a chance to win prizes like a free onboard wine tasting, dinner at the Chef's Table or even a free cruise or cash. This package is priced at $80 per person a day.

With the latter option, you can also share the Wi-Fi availability with other passengers in the cabin who do not have Princess Premier.

Regent Seven Seas

Starlink service is currently available on Regent Seven Seas Cruises' Seven Seas Mariner and Seven Seas Grandeur , with a fleetwide expansion of the service to be completed by the end of 2024.

The line offers complimentary unlimited internet access throughout its fleet. Passengers have wireless access in most of the suites on the ships. However, bandwidth-heavy applications such as Netflix, Skype, YouTube and VPN are not included in the free plans.

One login is provided per suite for use with one device at a time. Gold and higher-level members of the Seven Seas Society and guests in Concierge Suites and higher receive up to four logins/devices per suite.

If guests are interested in streaming, they can pay for a higher-bandwidth plan at the cost of $9.99 per day.

Royal Caribbean

princess cruises internet packages cost

Price: Starting at $25.99 per day

Royal Caribbean touts its Voom internet as the "fastest internet at sea," with speeds six times faster than Wi-Fi plans you'll find on other cruise ships worldwide. However, some ships have been upgraded to Starlink service, with a fleetwide expansion of the technology to be completed by the end of 2024.

Royal Caribbean discontinued its basic Surf package and currently offers one plan — the Surf + Stream package. With it, passengers can surf the internet, send and receive emails, use messenger apps, live stream and post on social media and stream music and movies while on board the ship. The plan (for one device) starts at $25.99, and unlimited voyage packages for one device are $19.99 per day.

Passengers can receive a discount by purchasing packages that bundle a drink package with internet access.

Crown & Anchor Society members receive special discounts on pricing ranging from one day of Wi-Fi free to Diamond level members and two free days for Diamond Plus and Pinnacle members.

Related: How fast is the internet on Royal Caribbean ships? We put it to the test

Price: Complimentary to $19.95 per day

Seabourn provides complimentary, unlimited access to the internet to guests during their voyages. The complimentary Surf Wi-Fi Package provides unlimited access on one device per person. This plan includes general web browsing, email access and posting to social media accounts.

Should passengers need faster speeds and more bandwidth, the Stream Wi-Fi Package is an upgraded option that allows up to four devices and offers additional connectivity such as video streaming, internet calling and VPN/cloud storage.

Diamond-level members of Seabourn Club and guests booked in Penthouse and Premium suites receive the Stream plan on a complimentary basis. Passengers in other suite categories can upgrade for a charge of $19.95 per day.

Silversea Cruises

princess cruises internet packages cost

Price: Complimentary to $29.99 per day

All Silversea Cruises vessels feature Starlink connectivity on board. Silversea's standard internet access is complimentary in Vista and Verandah Suites, while premium Wi-Fi (the line's fastest Wi-Fi connection) is complimentary for guests booked in Medallion, Silver, Royal, Grand and Owner's Suites.

On the expedition ships, the level of internet access is also determined by the suite category, except for Silver Origin, which has complimentary standard Wi-Fi for all guests. For guests on Silversea's full world cruises or Grand Voyages, all passengers receive complimentary premium internet access for the sailing.

On all voyages — and with both types of internet access — the complimentary Wi-Fi is unlimited for two devices used at the same time.

If guests have standard internet access but want to upgrade to the premium plan, the price is $29.99 per day (covering two devices connected at the same time).

Price: Complimentary

All of Viking 's ocean ships offer complimentary Wi-Fi. Guests can connect to the internet via a personal device such as a smartphone or laptop, or they can use one of the ship's computers in the Business Center, located on Deck 1. The line relies on a VSAT satellite terminal — what Viking says is "one of the best solutions" for internet connection at sea. VSAT can provide wide variances in speed depending on weather and location.

Viking's expedition ships and river ships in Europe, Egypt and the Mississippi also feature free internet access. On Mekong River cruises in Southeast Asia, the line advises that the best option is to use the public computers on the ship to stay connected, but the internet service is limited throughout the region. Viking also asks that guests limit large uploads, downloads and streaming so that Wi-Fi is more accessible for everyone on the sailing.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

  • The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
  • A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
  • The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
  • The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
  • A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
  • 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
  • 15 ways cruisers waste money
  • The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin

princess cruises internet packages cost

  • Princess / Ship Reviews

How Strong is the Internet on Princess? A Review of MedallionNet

by Prof. Cruise · Published March 21, 2022 · Updated March 21, 2022

A photo of a cruise ship sailing at sunset with an internet signal coming from it with text that reads: How strong is the internet on Princess.  A review of MedallionNet

Go ahead, ask about internet speed in a cruise-related Facebook group if you want to be be virtually spanked for not entirely disconnecting on vacation. But don’t worry, I’m here to affirm you (or enable you?) and also answer your question: How strong is the internet on Princess? First though, let us enlighten those who may not understand why anyone would want or need internet access on a cruise ship.

Internet on a cruise ship? What’s the point?

There are many good reasons one may need strong and reliable internet access on their Princess cruise. Here are some of them:

  • They “forgot” to tell their boss they were going on vacation and plan to “work” virtually.
  • They guilted an extended family member into taking care of their kids while they cruised: “Come on, you saw so little of them during Covid, you need to make up for lost time.” But they feel obligated to at least check in a few times: “No one dead? Excellent! Love you, but gotta run – I have a spa appointment!”
  • Nightly video chats with their fur baby whom they actually really miss: “Mommy ordered an extra prime rib at dinner tonight just for you! Paws crossed that I don’t get arrested for sneaking it off the ship.”
  • So they can feel less guilty about the 10,000 calories they’re eating every day by sitting on an exercise bike at the ship gym while streaming Netflix.

I’m sure there are others too, but those are the ones that popped into my head for some reason (not that any of them are even remotely autobiographical).

Speaking of autobiographical, let me answer some questions you may have about MedallionNet internet on Princess ships by referencing my own recent experience onboard Princess. Remember that this is based on one person’s experience on one ship, but hopefully it can give you a sense of what to expect. I hope that others will chime in in the comments with their experiences too!

Is the Internet Strong Enough to Work from a Princess Ship?

A screen shot of the profcruise.com.

When your professional title is “Professor of Cruising,” AKA “subpar cruise blogger,” you work to cruise and you cruise to work. And I was mostly able to fulfill my duty to keep my one loyal reader (hi, mom!) informed while on the Majestic Princess. There were a few spots and times of day where the internet signal wasn’t as strong, but it usually worked great in my cabin where I preferred to write, answer e-mails, and update my website and social media sites.

For those of you thinking, “But what about those of us with a real job?,” I say this…

I’ll have you know that I had to try six times to get a decent video for Instagram of the atrium as I traveled all the way up on the glass elevator because people kept getting in! If that’s not real work, I don’t know what is!

Also this…

While I wouldn’t feel comfortable guaranteeing that MedallionNet will allow you to accomplish everything you need to do for work from the ship (especially if it’s critical that you be able to always attend live meetings or respond immediately to messages and e-mails), this new and vastly improved Princess internet met my work-related needs MUCH better than any non-Princess ship I’ve ever sailed on.

Can I Stream Videos on a Princess Ship?

A spin bike in the gym onboard the Majestic Princess with a pink iPad sitting on it playing a Netflix series.

Yes. I was able to stream Netflix during a GRUELING hour long workout on a spin bike at the ship gym. Had I been on land, I would have peddled all the way from my apartment to Pike Place Market in Seattle in that time! (Psssst, it’s only two blocks away.)

Can I Zoom from a Princess Ship?

A laptop computer playing a Yoga class near the balcony of a cabin on the Majestic Princess.

Let me tell you from experience that there’s nothing more zen than listening to your live weekly virtual yoga class over Zoom while you gaze out at the ocean and feast on a crap ton of free food delivery (go HERE to see my review of OceanNow food and beverage delivery on Princess along with the complete menu). I really hope I remembered to turn off my camera though, as I said my final “namaste” with a mouth full of chocolate cake.

In summary, Zoom worked well for me.

Can I Video Chat from a Princess Ship?

Prof. Cruise in a chat box talking to her son laying in his bed.

Yes, you can. At least I could – here I am tucking in my son over Facebook video chat before asking could he please put Henry (my dog) on now (remember that thing I said about missing one’s fur baby?).

How Much Does the Internet Cost on Princess?

As I discovered, that depends. But either way, it’s refreshingly reasonable! If you purchase a plan through the OceanMedallion App prior to sailing, the cost of a 1 device plan (meaning you can only use one device at a time) for a 7 night cruise for me was $69.93. For up to 4 devices (meaning you can use up to 4 devices at the same time) it was $139.93. I figured I’d wait to purchase my plan until I got onboard because I had a bunch of onboard credit to burn through.

A screen shot from the OceanMedallion App showing the prices for Medallion Net.  $139.93 for a 4 device plan and $69.93 for a 1 device plan.

However, once onboard, I discovered that it’s cheaper to pre-purchase a plan (that’s usually the case on other lines, but I didn’t see or read anything about that with MedallionNet, so I didn’t know). I paid $104.93 for my 1 device plan once onboard. Learn from my mistake and purchase your plan in advance!

A screen shot from Medallion Net onboard the Majestic Princess showing a 1 device plan cost of $104.93.

So, how strong is the internet on Princess? Allow me to pitch this new slogan to the Princess marketing team: “MedallionNet, strong enough to keep you from relaxing on vacation!” Yes? No?

But seriously, it was strong enough to give my dog something to look forward to for 12 days. Unfortunately 8 of those days were unexpected and the prime rib I promised him over video chat went rancid while I sat in jail. Oh! I just thought of another slogan: “MedallionNet > JailNet.”

Cruising Pro Tip: You can’t take fruit, vegetables, dairy, grains, beverages or…prime rib on or off of a cruise ship (only packaged and sealed food is permitted).

*Note: Reports from some ships this week, now that they’re closer to full capacity, are that the internet has been slower and that the app hasn’t been functioning as well (I couldn’t really get the app to work at all on my sailing, but I’d made all my reservations in advance, used the TV to order OceanNow food to my cabin , and appreciated still receiving a hard copy of the Princess Patter for the daily schedule, so I didn’t really need it). So keep in mind, that while it is technically “possible” to do all the things I discussed above with MedallionNet, internet speed slows with increasing demand. Choosing an off time (early in the morning, late at night, or in port while most passengers are off the ship) to accomplish important internet-dependent tasks may be the best option in some cases. And it’s best to have a backup plan for communication with work and home just in case.

And with that…

Class Dismissed!

Don’t forget to PIN this so you can refer back to it later!

Homework (10 points):  Share your experiences with MedallionNet in the comments and check out my other recent Princess-related content…

Does Princess Really have the Best Pizza at Sea?

Princess’s 2022 Main Dining Room Dinner Menus  

Preparing For Your Princess Cruise in 2022

Princess Cruise Line’s OceanNow Food And Beverage Delivery Menu 2022

Majestic Princess Mini-Suite Review and Tour

Princess Cruise Line’s Elite Lounge: A Review

And don’t forget to subscribe to the blog (scroll up to the top right if on a computer or keep scrolling down if on a mobile device) and follow Prof. Cruise on your favorite social social media sites:

Twitter  (@cruiseprof)

Instagram  (@profcruise)

TikTok  (profcruise)

Share this:

Tags: MedallionNet Princess Internet

You may also like...

princess cruises internet packages cost

Trip Report: South America/Antarctica Itinerary on the NCL Star

January 23, 2024

 by Prof. Cruise · Published January 23, 2024 · Last modified February 7, 2024

princess cruises internet packages cost

Everything You Need To Know About Carnival’s Sky Zone On The Panorama

April 21, 2022

 by Prof. Cruise · Published April 21, 2022

princess cruises internet packages cost

Norwegian (NCL) Bliss Review and Alaska Trip Report 2024

April 20, 2024

 by Prof. Cruise · Published April 20, 2024

4 Responses

  • Pingbacks 2

' src=

Princess Medallion Net Internet is excellent at middle latitudes (say…south of Ketchikan). They use lower Middle Earth Orbit satellites which provide fast service. Not having to count minutes or worry about logging out is a great improvement. Works well for real estate contracts!

' src=

Thanks for sharing your experience! I’m glad it worked well for your needs and thanks for pointing out another important use for it (real estate contracts can’t really wait). Happy cruising!

[…] You can read my full review of MedallionNet (the new fleet-wide internet service on Princess) HERE: […]

[…] the massive technology upgrades required to support Medallion technology, internet service (called MedallionNet), while still not perfect, has vastly improved on Princess. You can read my complete review of […]

  • Next story Single and interested in a free one-month Princess cruise?
  • Previous story Virgin Voyages Bar Menus and Drink Prices 2022

About Prof. Cruise

princess cruises internet packages cost

Given name Sarah, but also answers to Prof. Cruise. Retired after 10 years as a college professor to focus full-time on her primary research interest: travel. With a concentration in cruising.  Home port: Seattle.  Mom of a shaggy-haired dog and a shaggy-haired human.  Lover of books and dessert.  Fancies herself a bit of a comedian – you’ve been warned.

princess cruises internet packages cost

Email Address

Subscribe To Blog

Search and you shall (hopefully) find!

Save on shore excursions.

Viator

Start your own travel blog with hosting from Bluehost!

princess cruises internet packages cost

Popular Posts

princess cruises internet packages cost

  • Cruise News

Princess Cruises Hikes Daily Gratuities, Wifi Cost

Picture of Sarah Bretz, Contributor

Sarah Bretz, Contributor

  • December 5, 2022

Starting later this month, Princess Cruises will be increasing the daily gratuities charge, as well as the cost of its onboard MedallionNet wifi.

island princess exterior

Effective December 14th, for voyages sailing on or after February 20, 2023, daily gratuities for crew will increase to the following amounts:

  • Interior, oceanview, and balcony cabins: $16 per person (is currently $14.50)
  • Mini Suites and Club Class: $17 per person (is currently $15.50)
  • Suites: $18 per person (is currently $16.50)

The daily gratuities are shared among the many members of the Princess’ crew, including those in hotel, dining, and entertainment roles throughout the ship. Those with existing bookings will be able to pre-pay the gratuities for their cruise at the current rate until December 13, 2022.

Also effective for voyages sailing February 20, 2023, and beyond, Princess Cruises’ MedallionNet wifi will cost $15 per day for a single-device plan and $40 per day for a four-device plan. Currently, the single-device plan costs $10.

The line is also updating shipping for its Medallion devices, which allows guests to unlock their cabin door and utilize contactless payment on board. Complimentary Medallion shipping to a guest’s home or office will continue for those purchasing the line’s inclusive Princess Plus or Princess Premier packages.

Those who book a voyage without either of those packages on or after December 14 will be charged $10 per cabin to have them shipped. Medallions will still be free to pick up at the port on embarkation day.

majestic princess pool deck

Last week, Princess also announced changes to the Plus and Premier packages , which will be rolling out on voyages starting February 20.

The Princess Plus package will go up to $60 per person per day from $50, with new inclusions: two premium desserts per day, two fitness classes per day, unlimited juices, and free Medallion shipping.

Princess Premier will go up to $80 per person per day from $75, with new inclusions: unlimited premium desserts, unlimited fitness classes, unlimited juices, reserved seating in the theater, and a complimentary Medallion.

READ NEXT: Carnival Guest’s Tacky Request Leaves a Bad Taste in Our Mouths

Recent Posts

Cruise ship faces eviction from philadelphia dock, world cruise ship delayed yet again, steering issues persist, can greece curb cruise ship crowds new limits proposed, celebrity cruises starts construction of next ship, sells two older vessels, share this post, related posts.

Cruise Ship Faces Eviction from Philadelphia Dock

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Ship Departs on First Cruise from Tampa

Holland America Southeast Alaska Review + Cruise News [Podcast]

Holland America Southeast Alaska Review + Cruise News [Podcast]

Cruise Radio header

Bringing you 15 years of cruise industry experience. Cruise Radio prioritizes well-balanced cruise news coverage and accurate reporting, paired with ship reviews and tips.   

Quick links

Cruise Radio, LLC © Copyright 2009-2024 | Website Designed By   Insider Perks, Inc

This is the announcement bar for Poornima to test the Close Button.  It will expire May 31 2024.

  • Pre-Cruise FAQ
  • Onboard FAQ
  • Post-Cruise FAQ
  • Cruisetours FAQ
  • Special Offers Sign Up
  • Cruise Deals

You have been logged out

Your window will update in 5 secs

Save Big On Things You Care About The Most

Upgrade to our princess premier® or princess plus® packages — you'll love the value..

Sail as carefree as possible

Save on things you’ll probably do anyway

4 devices per guest

Text, share, stream and video chat with the best Wi-Fi at sea

1 device per guest

Premium Drinks, Bottled Water, Specialty Coffee, and Juice Bar

Top-shelf spirits and craft cocktails up to $20 each, in addition to what’s included with Princess Plus

Drinks, Bottled Water, Specialty Coffee, and Juice Bar

Wide selection of non-alcoholic soft drinks and premium Lavazza coffees. Cocktails, wine and beer up to $15 each. 25% off bottles of wine. Power shots from the unlimited juice bar to boost your immunity and energy.

Crew appreciation

Pre-paid tips for the crew who takes care of you

Professional photos

Unlimited digital images taken by our onboard photographers, plus three prints

Specialty meals

2 per sailing

Award-winning, multi-course meals including hand-cut steaks and premium seafood

Casual meals

Relaxed, sit-down meals at a variety of eateries, with something for everyone

Premium desserts

Sweet treats from Gelateria, Swirls or Coffee and Cones

OceanNow® (delivery anywhere onboard)

Order drinks, food, sunscreen—whatever—and it will find you anywhere on board

Room service delivery

Free delivery for every order you place from your stateroom phone

Fitness classes

Classes by Xpotential: Pure Barre, Yoga Six and Stretch Lab

Reserved theater seating

Special Premier reserved seating section for production shows

Princess Prizes

During casino hours, win prizes like wine tasting, onboard credit and more— simply by opening your stateroom door! 

Level Up with a Princess Package

Book a cruise with Plus or Premier

Our loyalty program, the Captain’s Circle, offers great perks for those who have previously traveled with us.

Already Booked?

Add a package to your existing reservation.

Explore All the Details — There’s a Lot to Love

How does the ship know that I have pre-paid Wi-Fi? MedallionNet® Wi-Fi automatically recognizes pre-paid MedallionNet plans. Guests have the option to “redeem” after sign-on to activate their device.

Does each guest in the stateroom with Princess Premier get four devices of Wi-Fi with Princess Premier? Yes, each guest with Princess Premier will receive the four-device Wi-Fi plan. 

Guests who are Platinum and Elite receive 50% off MedallionNet Wi-Fi as a loyalty benefit. What is the impact to their benefits? With Princess Plus, MedallionNet single-device Wi-Fi is provided as a promotional bundle included in the price of the fare. There is no additional discount for Platinum and Elite guests for the Wi-Fi package. However, Platinum and Elite guests will automatically receive a 50% discount if they decide to upgrade to a four-device package on board. Loyalty benefits are not redeemable for cash or onboard credit.

What’s included in the Plus Beverage Package? The Plus Beverage Package includes beer, spirits, wine by the glass and cocktails up to $15 USD / $22 AUD, all non-alcoholic beverages including bottled water (500ml only), fountain sodas, the new Juice Bar, plus fresh juices (if available), specialty coffees and teas, frappes at Coffee & Cones, milkshakes (if available) and Red Bull energy drinks. Bar service charges are included in this package. The package includes the additional benefit of a 25% discount on the following excluded items: all bottles of wine, one-liter bottles of water and bottled juices. The package has a daily limit on alcoholic beverages of 15 beverages over a 24-hour period (6 a.m. to 6 a.m.).

What’s included in the Premier Beverage Package? The Premier Beverage Package includes a premium selection of beer, spirits, wine by the glass and cocktails $20 USD / $30 AUD and under, all non-alcoholic beverages including bottled water (500ml only), fountain sodas, the new Juice Bar, plus fresh juices (if available), specialty coffees and teas, frappes at Coffee & Cones, milkshakes (if available) and Red Bull energy drinks. Bar service charges are included in this package. The package includes the additional benefit of a 25% discount on the following excluded items: all bottles of wine, one-liter bottles of water and bottled juices. The package has a daily limit on alcoholic beverages of 15 beverages over a 24-hour period (6 a.m. to 6 a.m.).

What if I’m not of legal drinking age (21 years of age or older)? Guests who are under the legal drinking age on board will receive the Zero-Alcohol Package, previously called Coffee & Soda Package. This package type will be assigned prior to sailing based on age of guest. When sailing from North America, the legal drinking age on Princess Cruises is 21. However, when sailing from Europe, Asia, South America, Australia and New Zealand, the legal drinking age is 18.

What if I don’t drink alcohol? The value of these packages are a great deal even if you don’t drink alcohol. Both packages include fountain sodas, the new Juice Bar, fresh juices, bottled water, specialty coffees & teas, frappes, milkshakes and Red Bull energy drinks, with pre-paid 18% service charge included for these items. In the event that you don’t want the Plus Beverage Package or Premier Beverage Package, no substitutions will be offered.

What’s included in the Zero-Alcohol Package? This includes fountain soda by the glass, fruit juices, specialty coffees and teas, frappes, milkshakes and Red Bull energy drinks, all subject to availability on ship, with pre-paid 18% service charge included for these items. You also receive a 25% discount on 1L bottled water and bottled juice. The Zero-Alcohol Package does not include mini-bar items, sodas ordered through room service or vending machine purchases.

How does the ship know that I have the Plus Beverage Package or Premier Beverage Package? The ship systems recognize the package attached to a guest’s booking and notify our crew at the time of each transaction. When a guest orders an included item, the crew will see the applicable package and enter an order according to the package inclusions in the system. Please note: the addition of the Juice Bar to your beverage package is only available for those with the $60/day Plus package or $80/day Premier package. All other packages booked prior to December 14, 2022 will not be eligible for the Juice Bar unless guests have upgraded to these new and improved packages.

How does the ship know that my package option includes crew appreciation? Your folio will reflect the pre-payment, by Princess Cruises, on your behalf for the suggested crew appreciation in the U.S. dollar amounts of $16 per person per day for interior, oceanview, and balcony staterooms, $17 per person per day for mini-suite, cabanas, and Reserve Collection staterooms and $18 per person per day for suites.

Photo package

What is included in the photo package? The photo package includes all digital photos of all guests in a stateroom from their voyage, including 3rd and 4th guests. The package also includes three physical prints of up to 8x10 size per guest and can be redeemed on board at the Photo Gallery. Digital photos are available for download through the app or may be transferred to a USB device on board at the Photo Gallery before disembarkation. Physical prints and digital photos are not available after the cruise ends.

Can I purchase the photo package separately? The photo package is currently an exclusive offer for Princess Premier guests only. Other digital and print packages are available for purchase through the Princess® Cruises app or at the Photo Gallery on board.

Food & dining

What are casual dining meals and where can I get them? We’re introducing exciting new 3-course prix fixe meals at our casual dining venues. These vary by ship, but include: O’Malley’s, Ocean Terrace, Vines, Alfredo’s Pizzeria, Gigi’s Pizzeria, Kai Sushi, Planks, BBQ, Steamers and Salty Dog Gastropub.

Do I need to make reservations for my specialty dining meals in advance? It’s not necesssary but we do recommend guests book early via the reservations function within the Princess® Cruises app to get the specialty dining restaurant, day and time of their preference.

What if I don’t use the specialty dining or casual dining meals included in my package? The specialty dining credits are available only for your current voyage, are non-refundable if not used and cannot be redeemed for cash.

If I sail on back-to-back cruises, do I get four specialty dining meals in Princess Premier? If you have booked Princess Premier on both of the back-to-back cruises then you will get two (2) specialty dining meals on each voyage, making it a total of 4 specialty dining meals.

Fitness & Entertainment

What is included in Fitness Classes? How do I make reservations? As part of our partnership with XPonential Fitness, we will be offering 3 types of classes for you to choose from: StretchLab, Pure Barre and YogaSix. With the Plus package, you will be able to participate in 2 classes per voyage, and with Premier, you will have unlimited access to these classes. You can sign up at the Fitness Center.

What is included in reserved theater seating? As part of the Premier package, you will have access to a section of reserved seating in the Princess Theater for production shows only. Seats in this section are available on a first-come, first-served basis and will be held up until 15 minutes before the performance start time and then released. All guests in your stateroom will be able to sit with you in this reserved section. Unfortunately, if you are traveling with others who are not Premier package guests, they will not be able to join you in this reserved section.

Medallion® device

What do you mean by free Medallion® device shipping? How does that work? You will be receiving a complimentary Medallion device and lanyard as part of your cruise experience. For any guests with a Plus or Premier package, you may order these items delivered to your home (for U.S. guests only) for no extra shipping fees. If you do not have the package, you pay a $10 flat fee to have these delivered to your home. Or you could choose to pick them up at the departure port for no extra fees.

When will my Medallion be shipped? Between 12 to 21 days prior to your voyage. Please note, if you purchase your cruise within 12 days of your sail date, we will not be able to ship your complimentary Medallion device and lanyard to you because it may not be delivered in time for your cruise. Instead, it will be waiting for you at the port.

What if I don’t live in the U.S.? Your Medallion device and complimentary lanyard will be available to pick up at the port with no shipping fee. You should still complete your OceanReady® travel checklist in advance to save time on embarkation day.

What is Princess Prizes? Princess Prizes is a promotion on board that allows guests to win great prizes through their stateroom door portal. The prize portal is activated when a guest opens their stateroom door using their Medallion® device.

Does Princess Prizes have any limitations? Due to gaming laws, Princess Prizes can only operate when the ship is in international waters. In addition, minors are not eligible to play.

What are the range of prizes for Princess Prizes? You can find the full list of current prizes in the  Princess Prizes terms and conditions . Prizes currently include onboard credits, onboard dining experiences, free cruises and more! Prize offerings may change from time to time.

What are the chances of winning the grand prize in Princess Prizes? The odds for the current prizes are available in the  Princess Prizes terms and conditions .

Are Princess Prizes per person or per stateroom? How many entries do we get? Princess Prizes is limited to one (1) entry per stateroom. That entry covers the guest’s entire voyage from the time purchased or from embarkation (if upgraded with Princess Premier).

If I win onboard credit from Princess Prizes, is that redeemable for cash? Onboard credits will be automatically applied to the guest’s end-of-voyage folio and are non-refundable and not redeemable for cash.

Can I purchase Princess Prizes on board in addition to what I receive with Princess Premier to have more chances to win? No, Princess Prizes is limited to one (1) entry per stateroom. That entry covers the guest’s entire voyage from the time purchased or from embarkation (if upgraded with Princess Premier).

I already purchased my cruise. Can I upgrade to either Princess Plus or Princess Premier? Absolutely! You can upgrade from Princess Standard to Princess Plus for only $60 per day or to Princess Premier for $80 per day. If you already have Princess Plus on your reservation, you can upgrade to Princess Premier for the difference, either $20 or $30 per-day, based on the price of your original package. To do so, simply log in to Cruise Personalizer,  contact Princess via our Contact Center , or contact your Travel Advisor.

Are third and fourth guests required to purchase the same package (Princess Plus or Princess Premier)? Third and fourth guests are not required to purchase or defaulted to the selected package of first and second guests in a stateroom. Should 3rd and 4th guests want to opt in to purchase a package, you will need to contact Princess or your Travel Advisor to have it applied to the booking.

Can items in Princess Plus or Princess Premier be shared across guests in the stateroom, even if 3rd and 4th guests don’t have these packages? For the Princess Premier package the following items can be shared across all guests: Wi-Fi for 4 devices per guest, the digital photo portion of the Photo Package and reserved theater seating. Free shipping for Medallion® devices can also be shared across all guests in the stateroom when shipped at once to the same address. Casual Dining or Specialty Dining meals cannot be shared with the 3rd and 4th guests in the stateroom.

Can I purchase Princess Plus or Princess Premier when I’m on board? Yes. Princess Plus and Princess Premier are available for purchase on board. You may purchase or upgrade a package through the second day of your voyage.

Are Princess Plus and Princess Premier applicable on the land portion of my cruisetour? Unfortunately, no. These great value packages are designed around your MedallionClass® shipboard experience and are not applicable during the land portion of cruisetours.

What's changed with packages?

How do I book Princess Plus or Princess Premier? You may select your preferred package upon booking online, through your preferred Travel Advisor or by  contacting Princess Cruises via our Contact Center . If you’re already booked, you can  upgrade to a package through the Cruise Personalizer .

What’s changing with Princess Plus and Princess Premier? We added new fixed price casual dining meals and OceanNow® delivery and room service for both! The enhanced package for Princess Plus ($60 USD) includes two free casual dining meals per guest. The enhanced Princess Premier package ($80 USD) includes unlimited free casual dining meals. These new perks will be (at no extra charge) fleetwide August 2, 2023.

What changes can I expect if I don’t have a Princess Plus or Princess Premier package? Select casual dining venues will now include a cover charge of $14.99 for the new multi-course prix fixe meals. A la carte items may also be purchased individually. A one-time access fee of $14.99 per person per voyage will apply for OceanNow® delivery and a $5 room service fee will apply for each order placed by stateroom phone. OceanNow delivery refers to orders placed through the app that are delivered to wherever you are, including your stateroom.

Will I still be able to order breakfast for delivery through the doorknob card I find in my stateroom? Can I continue to order housekeeping items like ice buckets or bathrobes with no charge? Breakfast ordered for stateroom delivery by placing the card outside your door will continue to be complimentary and no additional fees will be charged, regardless of whether or not you have Princess Plus or Princess Premier package. The same is true for housekeeping items ordered either by telephone or through your stateroom steward. For guests on a standard Princess Package, housekeeping items ordered using OceanNow will incur the one-time $14.99 OceanNow delivery access fee.

Will I receive the new perks if I purchased Princess Plus or Premier at the old rate of $50/$75 per day? You can absolutely upgrade to the new perks at the new price! If you do not wish to upgrade, you can enjoy the package with the original perks as you initially purchased them.

Are Princess Plus and Princess Premier available for all stateroom types? Yes! Both Princess Plus and Princess Premier are available to ALL guests and ALL stateroom types. These packages are capacity controlled and are available for purchase pre-cruise or on board.

Specifics & Terms

What if I only want certain components of the Princess Plus or Princess Premier package and not others? Princess Plus and Princess Premier are not available as individual components. However, the value of each package is strong and should be evaluated for each guest’s own circumstance.

You May Also Like

Beverage packages.

Quality packages at a great value!

Specialty Restaurants

Where the meal is the special occasion.

MedallionNet® - The Best Wi-Fi at Sea

Wi-Fi everywhere on board so you can text, post photos, video chat and more!

princess cruises internet packages cost

Home » Cruise Ships & Wifi (Free Internet on Cruise Ships?) Updated 2024

Cruise Ships & Wifi (Free Internet on Cruise Ships?) Updated 2024

Last updated on March 9th, 2024 at 08:40 pm

We live in a digital age where social media is prevalent in many aspects of our lives.

Whether we are chronicling our travels, advertising our business interests, getting remote work taken care of, sharing vlogs , or engaging with friends and family – few can go a day, much less extended time periods without Wi-Fi access or means of getting to their accounts.

Especially in this remote-work-driven world, business has become a work-from-anywhere endeavor where you can be cruising the world and still keeping a finger on the heartbeat of your other ventures.

Table of Contents

Do cruise ships have Wi-Fi?

The short answer is yes…but it differs from cruise line to cruise line.

What follows is a breakdown of the advertised services around Wi-Fi by the cruise line and previous cruiser insights on these services for many cruise lines sailing vacationers are considering.

Things to remember about the internet onboard cruise ships:

Ships offer internet via satellite, which will be slower than the internet you will find on land. This also means that weather can affect connectivity.

Ships also will deal with bandwidth and data issues, which means the more people that are using it at the same time, the slower it will generally be.

A common question people ask is if they will be able to work a bit from the ship, i.e. do a Zoom call, etc. The answer is usually “maybe,” but you won’t likely know until you go to actually use it.

It will depend on where in the world/ocean you are, where in the ship you are, how many other people are using at the same time, etc. It’s best not to bank on it.

Royal Caribbean WiFi Packages

After a successful trial of Starlink satellite internet on Freedom of the Seas, RCL says it will be rolling it out to the rest of the fleet soon (2022/2023). A timeline has been set that will see Starlink installed on all Royal Caribbean ships by the end of Q1 2023!

This should vastly improve the speed and reliability of the internet onboard, but for now, RCL’s internet is still touted as the “fastest internet at sea.”

From my own personal experience, I tested StarLink internet onboard the Brilliance of the Seas in January 2023. Download speed was 97.7Mbps while upload was 16.5Mbps. For most users, even heavy users, this speed is more than fast enough for streaming as well as work applications.

Royal Caribbean offers VOOM high speed internet you can add to your cruise to stream and stay connected, but costs will vary based on number of devices you wish to connect as well as your ship and sailing.

The VOOM Surf Voyage Package on average starts at $15.99/day for one device and allows you to surf the web and send emails.

If you want to be able to stream as well as browse the internet, the VOOM Surf and Stream package would be for you at an average of $22.99/day. Again, these prices vary based on ship, sailing and number of devices you wish to connect.

Watch for package deals prior to your cruise and check if your Crown and Anchor member level offers a discount on internet service.

Overall, users have good things to say about the service, though it does appear there can be some spotty coverage depending on your itinerary. You can also use Royal’s app without having to pay to connect to their Wi-Fi.

Celebrity Cruises WiFi Packages

**StarLink Internet has been installed on some Celebrity ships as of mid-2023.

With Celebrity, Premium Wi-Fi is the top-tier package you can add to your cruises on Celebrity for near-constant coverage while cruising. This package is great for those wishing to stream movies and such while underway and seems to have fairly good reviews from previous customers.

Basic Wi-Fi is for those needing some basic email and messaging services for a more value-added cost. This is included in Celebrity’s “ Always Included.”

Costs will vary based on ship, sailing and number of devices, but they do note that Wi-Fi packages are not available on ships sailing from the Galapagos.

Celebrity suggests if you book it in advance, you’ll save 10% than if you were to wait and purchase it on board, but often there will be additional deals when paired with other upgraded packages.

In 2023, Celebrity will be installing StarLink Satellite internet on its ships, which will provide a much faster experience. Stay tuned for more details as they roll out the system across all their ships.

MSC Cruises WiFi Packages

MSC Cruises, following suite with Virgin Voyages and other cruise lines,  will be rolling out Starlink across their vessels. Other major cruise operators including Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Carnibal have also been making the switch to Starlink.

The satellite internet , called Browse (just surfing websites), or Browse & Stream (allows for streaming Netflix) packages on MSC Cruises offer the ability to bring your own devices for public area and café spot coverage.

When added to a cruising package, it is available 24/7 with no data caps, which is nice considering others throttle when available if you read the fine print. The packages vary in price based on the length of the cruise and number of devices you wish to connect, but you can expect to pay approximately $12/day per device for the Browse internet package for a week-long cruise.

They also have cafes with printers and full screens and keyboards to facilitate work or other activities.

You can get discounts on the packages if you purchase them before boarding, or when adding multiple devices because each package is attached to a certain device, so you’d need a separate package for each device you wish to access the internet.

They do advise that if you want to use the internet when it’s fastest, to avoid doing it first thing in the morning, or when the majority of passengers return from shore excursions .

Carnival Cruises WiFi Packages

Carnival is pretty transparent in the three levels of Wi-Fi offered:

Social Plan – $6.80/person per day (can save 15% if purchased online pre-cruise) – allows access to social sites/apps, and airline websites, presumably to allow the user to check in for their flight while aboard, but may not allow access to other websites/apps

Value Plan – 10.20/person per day (can save 15% if purchased online pre-cruise) – allows surfing on websites and access to email, but does not allow for streaming (i.e. Netflix or Spotify) or for video calls (i.e. Skype or Zoom)

Premium Plan – $13.60/person per day (can save 20% if purchased online pre-cruise).  boasts three times faster connection to allow for streaming and video calling (where coverage allows).

Check the fine print and ensure that you pick the right package as there are some pre-purchase restrictions that are enforced before embarking .

*Carnival Cruise Lines will be installing StarLink Satellite internet on their ships in 2023. This will be a much faster experience. Stay tuned for more info on when it will be installed on all ships in the fleet. 

Holland America WiFi Packages

HAL offers satellite internet through the ship’s Wi-Fi or at workstations in the Explorations Cafe. There are three packages available, all with varying levels of data available:

Social – allows you to access popular social sites and apps, but may not allow for streaming or audio/video calls – $14.99/day

Surf – the most popular option which allows for broader internet surfing including news and sports sites, accessing your e-mail, but also may not allow for streaming or audio/video calls – $24.99

Premium – this has the highest amount of data which allows for everything including streaming and video calls.

The caveats with their internet, however, are that it won’t be as fast as internet on land (and current customers agree), and because it’s provided via satellite, physical blockages will affect connectivity (i.e. inclement weather or mountains).  Also, they do have a select number of free sites under “Complementary Browsing.”

*As Holland America is part of Carnival, StarLink Internet will be coming to the fleet in 2023.

Princess Cruises WiFi Packages

MedallionNet is the Wi-Fi service of Princess cruise lines, and recently they announced some improvements to their service even to help accommodate those that might need to work while onboard.

They boast their services being “The Best Wi-Fi at Sea,” and they have several unlimited day packages for as little as $9.99 a day for a one device package. If you are a Platinum or Elite guest, you’ll get 50% off, or if you purchase Princess Plus , your Wi-Fi will be included.

It must be added that there is a lot of good reviews out there that might back this claim but again, read through all the data to make the best-informed decision.

*As Princess is part of Carnival, StarLink Internet will be coming to the fleet in 2023.

Norwegian Cruise Lines WiFi Packages

Norwegian’s services onboard are offered in internet cafes onboard , with some stateroom access on certain ships.

Laptop rentals, email access, and other items for this coverage can be found on their website, but for those needing streaming services or more robust coverage for work, you must take a hard look at this one before booking.

Unlimited  Wi-Fi Package – 1 device is $25.50/day when purchased prior to your cruise. This allows you to browse websites, use social media apps (except for TikTok), and access email (no VPN).

Unlimited Premium Wi-Fi Package – 1 device is 34.99/day when purchased prior to your cruise. This allows access to streaming sites, like YouTube, Netflix, etc. as well as if you need to use a VPN to access your email.

Unlimited Social Media Wi-Fi – 1 device – 12.50/day when purchased prior to your cruise allows access to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, but not TikTok.

Norwegian also has an option where you can purchase 250 minutes of internet for use any time during your cruise for the price of $105.00 if purchased in advance of your cruise. If you want to purchase it onboard, it will be $125 plus a $3.95 activation fee. It can be used only on one device at at time.

NCL offers different perks on different cruises, so many bookings come with some complimentary minutes of internet and it’s easy to upgrade your package once on board.

*Norwegian has experimented with StarLink internet on their ships so plan on upgrades coming in 2023. 

Disney Cruises WiFi Packages

Connect@Sea is the program covering all of Disney’s Internet packages at sea options. You will pay for the data you use, not by the minute, so if you’re looking to stream Netflix or just upload a few pictures to Instagram, you’ll be able to find the package right for you.

You can also share the package between devices simultaneously, as Disney’s technology will combine the amount of data. There is no discount for purchasing packages before your cruise, as Disney advises to look for a current price list in your cabin, or by talking to Guest Services.

There is free access to the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app, which is also accessible to view other data packages.

Virgin Voyages WiFi Packages

Wanting to stay ahead of the game and to keep current with their innovative approach to cruising, Virgin Voyages will be the first cruise line to incorporate SES Cruise mPOWERED + Starlink PRO services.

SES is a global leader in satellite communications and Virgin will combine Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite coverage in their bid to deliver the fastest internet speeds for their cruise passengers.

The cruise line will be offering speeds up to 1.5 Gbps, well above the standard offerings. The pandemic changes the way the world does business, and has opened up remote working opportunities for many.

The world has also become acutely aware of the importance of connectivity. While most people don’t want to work on a vacation, the ability to remain connected, even for short periods, has made it apparent that combining business and pleasure can work out very well for all concerned.

Younger guests, such as those attracted to Virgin Voyages, tend to attract, feels that connectivity is paramount.  Having a reliable internet connection allows for cruisers to check in at work or home with confidence that those important connections will be ready and available when needed. 

Passengers will be able to keep up on messaging, emails and make video calls. This valuable service will help keep a cruiser current with business obligations and also give the peace of mind that being able to connect with home brings. 

Costa Cruises WiFi Packages

Costa features a Data and Social package for their internet, with access available in all public areas and cabins throughout their ships. They have an Internet Point area where you can use onboard devices or bring your full ship usage.

Additionally, their packages range from 250 MB to 3 GB. Their social package has a list of sites it allows access to in a more economical fashion – or you can pay as you go if you aren’t sure of your needs before sailing.

*As Costa Cruises is part of Carnival, StarLink Internet will be coming to the fleet in 2023.

Viking Ocean Cruises WiFi Packages

Internet access onboard is free , but there are some significant limitations on bandwidth for such activities as streaming. The ships do have a Business Center on board with computers or use your device, but the other amenities onboard are the draw – internet access due to itineraries, and locations along with onboard setup make access to the internet not as spectacular as on other cruise lines.

Oceania WiFi Packages

Wavenet is the internet service provided by Oceania, and the basic levels are free to all sailing with them. Additionally, a Prime option can be tacked for $9.99 a day to more robust access to allow for such things as streaming and the like.

Passengers in the premium Owners and Vista suites even get provided an iPad ensuite for the duration of the voyage for their use in accessing social media, email, and other internet options.

Azamara WiFi Packages

Azmara offers packages that start at $0.33/a minute with one-hour passes to one-day or full cruise packages. Several spelled out limitations to their services, such as Skype and others, so it’s important to go through their exceptionally detailed and transparent services listings before setting expectations for your cruise.

Silversea Cruises WiFi Packages

Silversea has unlimited complimentary internet for all those sailing. Speed limitations depend on the package level and ship, so checking to ensure you have the right service may include additional service level add-ons, but basic levels remain free.

They also feature onboard cafes where you may use their computers and other devices or bring your own and access the internet throughout their ships.

Seabourn WiFi Packages

Seabourn, the luxury cruise line is the newest cruise line to be equipped with Starlink internet . Expect fast internet speeds while you’re cruising to exotic locations offered by Seabourn. Learn more about complimentary WiFi on Seabourn .

A Word of Caution About Cruise Line Wi-Fi

Certain apps, a variety of service options, port of call , and destinations along your cruise can all impact the internet service on a ship.

If these services and having access to friends, coworkers, work, or even social media feeds are important to you, do your research before embarking as not all cruise lines have given their online services the same consideration.

Can you stream movies on a cruise ship?

Wi-Fi is getting better for certain and more readily available. While the speed of an individual cruise ship might be enough to stream movies, you might end up going through your available bandwidth quickly.

Additional charges in most cases will apply for streaming or higher/longer coverage periods and can have a significant impact on the cost of your cruise experience if not booked in advance.

That being said, it is not the same on every ship, and the costs are specific to each cruise line, so don’t make assumptions that just because you sail on one two years ago and want to pick a new line, the services may not be the same.

Why Is StarLink Internet a Game-changer for Cruise Ship Internet?

One of the primary advantages of Starlink Internet is its exceptional speed. Traditional satellite internet systems often suffer from latency issues due to the long distance signals must travel to reach the orbiting satellites and back to Earth.

However, Starlink employs a novel approach by deploying a constellation of thousands of small, low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. These satellites are positioned much closer to the Earth’s surface, significantly reducing the latency and providing faster internet speeds.

Early tests and user reports have shown that Starlink offers download speeds ranging from 50 to 150 Mbps, with latency typically under 50 milliseconds. This makes it comparable to, and sometimes even surpassing, land-based broadband connections.

These innovations are good news for ALL cruise lines passengers. Cruise lines are striving to meet the need of cruisers to maintain a reliable connection with home and work. This will be a benefit for all. 

What’s the Verdict on Cruise Ship WiFi?

Depending on the destination, cruise ship capabilities, and even your stateroom location, the variances in coverage can be significant.

Look at the cruise line websites and reviewers on popular websites like the CruiseCritic Forums who can be brutally honest in reviewing such amenities. Real-life examples may help you from being frustrated mid-cruise and not enjoying a hard-earned vacation due to slow internet when you are already out to sea.

This page contains affiliate links for which we may receive financial compensation when a purchase has been made through one of our affiliate partners.

About Jonathon Hyjek

Jonathon is the tech guy behind CruiseportAdvisor.com. When he's not stuck in front of his computer, Jonathon enjoys travel & cruising (even after being on a cruise ship that caught fire - a story for another day!)

RECENT POSTS

Cruise news this week, what does it take to keep cruise passengers fed, royal caribbean cruise line loyalty programs: sailing to rewarding adventures, retirement home vs life at sea on a cruise ship, do i need travel insurance for a cruise, the pros and cons of cruising on a smaller cruise ship, grab your tour with cruise port advisor now, a short description introducing your business and the services to visitors..

© 2023 cruiseportadvisor All Rights Reserved.

  • Book Excursions
  • Anchorage, AK
  • Baltimore, MD
  • Cape Liberty, NJ
  • Charleston, SC
  • Ft Lauderdale, FL
  • Galveston, TX
  • Honolulu, HI
  • Jacksonville, FL
  • L.A. (San Pedro), CA
  • Long Beach, CA
  • Montreal, QC
  • New Orleans, LA
  • Norfolk, VA
  • NYC – Brooklyn
  • NYC – Manhattan
  • Port Canaveral, FL
  • Quebec City, QC
  • San Diego, CA
  • San Francisco, CA
  • San Juan, PR
  • Seattle, WA
  • Vancouver, BC
  • Whittier, AK
  • Alaska & Pacific Northwest
  • Central & South America
  • Cruise Ports in Bermuda
  • Dominican Republic
  • Mexico & Mexican Riviera
  • Eastern Canada & Quebec
  • New England
  • Los Angeles (San Pedro), CA
  • Fort Lauderdale, FL
  • Cruise Blog
  • Cruise FAQ’s
  • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers

Princess Internet Pricing

OzKiwiJJ

By OzKiwiJJ , September 12, 2022 in Australia & New Zealand Cruisers

Recommended Posts

20,000+ Club

There has been some confusion over the pricing of the internet packages on Princess, for people who choose not to book a Plus or Premier fare.

This is the current pricing as at 11am Monday 12th September 2022 as sourced from the Internet Cafe on Coral Princess. 

- Platinum and Elite (P/E) passengers get a 50% discount on all internet purchases and I have shown those prices below as well as the full prices.

- If you buy an internet package for your whole cruise after boarding the ship it is $20 per day, $10 per day for P/E. If you are on a ten day cruise you pay for ten days, ie $200 or $100, and that covers you until you ding off the ship during disembarkation. In other words you should not get charged an extra day for the disembarkation morning.

- If after embarking you wish to buy internet for a single day, defined as a 24 hour period, the current price is $27 per day, $13.50 for P/E.

- The price for internet packages purchased before embarking on your cruise can vary depending on whether there is a promo running at time of purchase or not. At the moment it is typically $14-$15 per day, $7-$7.50 for P/E.

- There has been a rumour circulating that if you have an internet package you can't use the computers in the Internet Cafe.  This is false.  You can indeed use those computers.

Like

Link to comment

Share on other sites.

cruiser3775

cruiser3775

Thanks for that information.  Is it possible to buy less than a one day package?  So, if I just wanted to check my emails, could I buy an hour or so at the internet cafe, and how much would that cost?

Aus Traveller

Aus Traveller

32 minutes ago, cruiser3775 said: Thanks for that information.  Is it possible to buy less than a one day package?  So, if I just wanted to check my emails, could I buy an hour or so at the internet cafe, and how much would that cost?

I don't believe they would cut the day rate further.

Cbtours

43 minutes ago, cruiser3775 said: Thanks for that information.  Is it possible to buy less than a one day package?  So, if I just wanted to check my emails, could I buy an hour or so at the internet cafe, and how much would that cost?

Guess depended on your phone you can check when we are in ports around Aus?

5,000+ Club

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said: There has been some confusion over the pricing of the internet packages on Princess, for people who choose not to book a Plus or Premier fare.   This is the current pricing as at 11am Monday 12th September 2022 as sourced from the Internet Cafe on Coral Princess.    - Platinum and Elite (P/E) passengers get a 50% discount on all internet purchases and I have shown those prices below as well as the full prices.   - If you buy an internet package for your whole cruise after boarding the ship it is $20 per day, $10 per day for P/E. If you are on a ten day cruise you pay for ten days, ie $200 or $100, and that covers you until you ding off the ship during disembarkation. In other words you should not get charged an extra day for the disembarkation morning.   - If after embarking you wish to buy internet for a single day, defined as a 24 hour period, the current price is $27 per day, $13.50 for P/E.   - The price for internet packages purchased before embarking on your cruise can vary depending on whether there is a promo running at time of purchase or not. At the moment it is typically $14-$15 per day, $7-$7.50 for P/E.   - There has been a rumour circulating that if you have an internet package you can't use the computers in the Internet Cafe.  This is false.  You can indeed use those computers.

Have they put the prices up for P/Elite if you buy it for the whole cruise ?

i came off the Coral a month ago and only paid $7 per day 

15 minutes ago, rkmw said: Have they put the prices up for P/Elite if you buy it for the whole cruise ? i came off the Coral a month ago and only paid $7 per day 

Pricing seems to be a 'moveable feast'. On a Live Chat with a Princess rep, I was told it was $12.99 per day with 50% discount for P/Elite. The same day people on the ship were told $10 per day for P/Elite.

38 minutes ago, rkmw said: Have they put the prices up for P/Elite if you buy it for the whole cruise ? i came off the Coral a month ago and only paid $7 per day 

Did you buy it before you embarked or once you were onboard?

The prices I listed are current as of 11am today. The pre-boarding price is still around $7-$7.50 for Elites.

23 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said: Pricing seems to be a 'moveable feast'. On a Live Chat with a Princess rep, I was told it was $12.99 per day with 50% discount for P/Elite. The same day people on the ship were told $10 per day for P/Elite.

I'm not sure some of the Live Chat people actually know the Australian pricing.

SinbadThePorter

SinbadThePorter

On the app the P/E price is $AU 6.75/day for one connection.

Double that for four connections.

1 hour ago, cruiser3775 said: Thanks for that information.  Is it possible to buy less than a one day package?  So, if I just wanted to check my emails, could I buy an hour or so at the internet cafe, and how much would that cost?
1 hour ago, Aus Traveller said: I don't believe they would cut the day rate further.

More to the point is that they don't appear to offer hour or minute pricing any more. I think the smallest unit is now a 24 hour period i.e. a day.

1 minute ago, SinbadThePorter said: On the app the P/E price is $AU 6.75/day for one connection.   Double that for four connections.

Onboard or preboarding?

Deleted. Duplicate of Julie's question.

Please note - if you are posting prices that you have found would you please state whether that is a pre-purchase (pre-boarding) price or an onboard price. Thank you.

17 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said: Did you buy it before you embarked or once you were onboard?   The prices I listed are current as of 11am today. The pre-boarding price is still around $7-$7.50 for Elites.

No that was a pre purchase price

i just checked my pre pricing on my next cruise and still $6.70 per day

3 minutes ago, rkmw said: No that was a pre purchase price

Then it hasn't gone up, although that price can vary a little. The onboard purchase price is higher.

Just now, OzKiwiJJ said: Then it hasn't gone up, although that price can vary a little. The onboard purchase price is higher.

I have a future cruise with US currency and if you pre purchase the internet the price is AUD but if you wait until you board they’ll charge you US prices

6 minutes ago, rkmw said: I have a future cruise with US currency and if you pre purchase the internet the price is AUD but if you wait until you board they’ll charge you US prices

The US price is from $9.99 so $5 for P/E -  which would be pre-purchase prices and onboard prices would be higher - but not so different at current exchange rates. However you are at the mercy of the exchange rate if buying onboard.

Definitely $6.75 per day for our two cruise with Elite discount if purchased pre cruise.

2 minutes ago, resordanis said: Definitely $6.75 per day for our two cruise with Elite discount if purchased pre cruise.

As I said in my OP, the pre-purchase prices can vary a little due to the type of promo in place. That's the best so far. Lucky you! 😊

1 minute ago, OzKiwiJJ said: As I said in my OP, the pre-purchase prices can vary a little due to the type of promo in place. That's the best so far. Lucky you! 😊

Thanks but as they are both Australian cruises, I am thinking I might not take up the offer. I will save my money for your wine recommendation. 😁 Cheryle

7 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said: The US price is from $9.99 so $5 for P/E -  which would be pre-purchase prices and onboard prices would be higher - but not so different at current exchange rates. However you are at the mercy of the exchange rate if buying onboard.

It’s $28.80 for 4 days for a US currency cruise so still closer to $7 per day if I pre purchase now 

11 minutes ago, resordanis said: Thanks but as they are both Australian cruises, I am thinking I might not take up the offer. I will save my money for your wine recommendation. 😁 Cheryle

We've had a couple of bottles of the Grüner Veltliner on this cruise. There isn't sufficient variety in the white wines by the glass to suit our palates so we've had to resort to buying bottles to go with some foods.

6 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said: We've had a couple of bottles of the Grüner Veltliner on this cruise. There isn't sufficient variety in the white wines by the glass to suit our palates so we've had to resort to buying bottles to go with some foods.

We can’t wait to try it on Majestic shortly.

arxcards

Wonderfully consistent Princess. Imagine when they go from one ship to three in the next month or so.

Too much info for me, glad that plus has it sorted already.

48 minutes ago, resordanis said: Definitely $6.75 per day for our two cruise with Elite discount if purchased pre cruise.

I had better check on the price for my up-coming cruises. Do you pay ahead or does it come out of OBC when you get on board?

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in

  • Welcome to Cruise Critic
  • ANNOUNCEMENT: Set Sail on Sun Princess®
  • Hurricane Zone 2024
  • Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com June 2024
  • New Cruisers
  • Cruise Lines “A – O”
  • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
  • River Cruising
  • Cruise Critic News & Features
  • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
  • Special Interest Cruising
  • Cruise Discussion Topics
  • UK Cruising
  • Canadian Cruisers
  • North American Homeports
  • Ports of Call
  • Cruise Conversations

Announcements

  • New to Cruise Critic? Join our Community!

Write Your Own Amazing Review !

WAR_icy_SUPERstar777.jpg

Click this gorgeous photo by member SUPERstar777 to share your review!

Features & News

LauraS

LauraS · Started 9 hours ago

LauraS · Started 12 hours ago

LauraS · Started 15 hours ago

LauraS · Started 16 hours ago

LauraS · Started 17 hours ago

damwavesandiegoladys.jpg

  • Existing user? Sign in OR Create an Account
  • Find Your Roll Call
  • Meet & Mingle
  • Community Help Center
  • All Activity
  • Member Photo Albums
  • Meet & Mingle Photos
  • Favorite Cruise Memories
  • Cruise Food Photos
  • Cruise Ship Photos
  • Ports of Call Photos
  • Towel Animal Photos
  • Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos
  • Write a Review
  • Live Cruise Reports
  • Member Cruise Reviews
  • Create New...

princess cruises internet packages cost

Starlink on cruise ships: Which lines have faster internet connections on board?

N o matter how far your cruise roams, staying connected to the internet can be as important for some cruisers as oxygen and water. Whether you're keen on live-streaming penguins from your balcony on an Antarctica cruise, catching up on your favorite TV series or hopping on a Zoom call in the middle of the Pacific, connectivity and high-speed access are now considered essentials when cruising.

In the past, cruise lines struggled to keep up with the demand for seamless connectivity at sea. In the middle of an ocean, ships had to rely on satellite systems that could be unreliable, prohibitively expensive and maddeningly slow. Satellite systems allotted only so much broadband for each ship, and every ship carried thousands of people, each with multiple devices.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

A better solution was required. Enter Starlink, the world's first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet. Part of Elon Musk's SpaceX program, Starlink now provides many cruise ships with bandwidth that can support streaming, online gaming, video calls and more worldwide. Starlink debuted in 2019 and has quickly revolutionized how hundreds of cruise ships provide internet access, boosting connectivity and capacity as ships roam the world.

Will your next cruise offer landlike Wi-Fi speeds? Here is everything you need to know about Starlink on cruise ships.

How does Starlink work?

Compared to standard communications satellites, which orbit from 22,000 miles away, Starlink's thousands of satellites orbit the atmosphere from about 340 miles above the Earth's surface. With much closer proximity to Earth, Starlink's data connections offer stronger and faster connections and provide the opportunity for more bandwidth on cruise ships.

The coverage of the Starlink satellites is extensive and growing, with more than 5,400 satellites currently in orbit and plans in future years to reach up to 42,000 satellites in orbit at once. Traditional satellite networks have a much more limited fleet and reach, especially in some of the ocean's most remote areas. Starlink is the world's largest satellite constellation, with near-complete coverage of all the world's oceans and waterways.

The Starlink system is affixed to ships as a series of flat panels positioned on upper decks, replacing the now antiquated domes often placed near the ship's funnel and radar masts.

Related: Wi-Fi on cruise ships: 5 things to know about internet use on board

How fast is Starlink internet access?

Starlink's website estimates download speeds that range from 40 to over 200 Mbps and upload speeds that come in at 8 to more than 25 Mbps, with a latency of less than 99 milliseconds. These are wide-ranging estimates that don't factor in cruise ship-based throttling, cruise ship capacity, global positioning and the costs and challenges of outfitting a cruise ship with bow-to-stern Wi-Fi connectivity.

The industrial-strength steel frames and fireproof materials used throughout the ship make a strong, consistent signal throughout a cruise ship an industry-wide challenge. There will be patches on a ship, regardless of which line you're sailing, where you'll find a weaker signal. Signals are often at their strongest in the main public gathering areas.

Similar to traditional satellites, severe weather can be a factor in Starlink connections while at sea. Intense storms can bring temporary service interruptions or reduced speeds, while heavy rain or snowfall can cause signal attenuation, which might cause a brief loss of connectivity.

Cruises with Starlink

Here's a full rundown of all the major cruise lines sailing with the new Starlink technology. How much will the connectivity cost you? Check TPG's guide to Wi-Fi access on cruise ships.

Note: Starlink on cruises can be a white label service, depending on the line. While the cruise line might not advertise that it uses the new Wi-Fi technology, the list below will help to identify which lines are sailing with Starlink.

Azamara 's fleet features Starlink Wi-Fi at an additional cost. There is one level of bandwidth available.

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise Line 's entire fleet features Starlink Wi-Fi at an additional cost. There are three levels of bandwidth available: Social Wi-Fi (with access only to popular social media and airline websites), Value Wi-Fi (for email, news, weather, banking and other basic websites) and Premium Wi-Fi (for streaming and high-bandwidth usage).

Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises ' entire fleet features Starlink Wi-Fi at an additional cost. There are two levels of bandwidth available: Basic Wi-Fi (for social media, email, web browsing and internet-based messaging) and Premium Wi-Fi (for streaming and high-bandwidth usage).

Cunard 's entire fleet features Starlink Wi-Fi at an additional cost. There are two levels of bandwidth available: Essential (for social media, email, web browsing and internet-based messaging) and Premium (for streaming and high-bandwidth usage).

Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line does not currently use Starlink Wi-Fi.

Holland America

Holland America offers fleetwide Starlink Wi-Fi. There are three levels of bandwidth available: Surf (for social media, email, web browsing and internet-based messaging), Premium (for Wi-Fi audio and video calls) and Stream (for streaming and high-bandwidth usage).

Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic

Lindblad Expedition offers complimentary, basic Starlink Wi-Fi to all guests aboard their ships, with the exception of Delfin II. There are two levels of bandwidth available for purchase: Enhanced (for social media, email, web browsing and internet-based messaging) and Premium (for streaming and high-bandwidth usage).

MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises is currently rolling out Starlink throughout its fleet, with two-thirds of the line's ships currently sailing with the upgraded service. The ships in the fleet that do not have the service include MSC Opera and MSC World Europa (both will receive Starlink in the coming weeks) and MSC Armonia, MSC Bellissima, MSC Musica, MSC Sinfonia and MSC Splendida (scheduled to receive Starlink before the summer 2024 season.)

There are two levels of bandwidth available for purchase: the Browse Internet Cruise Package (for social media, email, web browsing and internet-based messaging) and the Browse & Stream Cruise Package (for streaming and high-bandwidth usage).

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line is currently rolling out Starlink throughout its fleet this year, with select ships presently sailing with the upgraded service. Currently, the ships with upgraded internet include Norwegian Viva, Norwegian Prima, Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Pearl.

NCL offers two levels of bandwidth available for purchase: the Unlimited Wi-Fi Package and the Unlimited Premium Wi-Fi Package. As part of the line's Free at Sea promotion , guests can receive a limited number of Wi-Fi minutes for free.

Oceania Cruises

Oceania Cruises is rolling out Starlink Wi-Fi on all its ships and will have its entire fleet outfitted with the service by the end of 2024. Oceania Cruises offers fleetwide basic complimentary internet with a premium option available for streaming.

Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises ' fleet features MedallionNet, the only Wi-Fi network in the cruise industry that combines multi-orbit satellites — Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), Mid-Earth Orbit (MEO) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO/Starlink) with 5G terrestrial networks to deliver a strong connection regardless of ship location. There is one level of bandwidth available.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Starlink Wi-Fi can currently be found on two Regent Seven Seas ships, Seven Seas Mariner and Seven Seas Grandeur. The entire Regent Seven Seas fleet will be equipped with Starlink Wi-Fi by the end of 2024. There are two levels of bandwidth available on Regent Seven Seas: A complimentary basic package for emails and news and an upgraded package for streaming services and high-bandwidth usage that's available for a fee.

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean 's entire fleet features Starlink Wi-Fi at an additional cost. There is one level of bandwidth available.

Seabourn offers fleetwide complimentary Starlink Wi-Fi. There is one level of bandwidth available.

Silversea Cruises

Silversea Cruises ' entire fleet features Starlink Wi-Fi. There are two levels of bandwidth available: Standard Internet (for social media, email, web browsing and internet-based messaging) and Premium Internet (for streaming and high-bandwidth usage). Your suite and ship class determine which option you receive at no extra charge. Upgrades in service are available for an additional fee.

Viking 's entire fleet features Starlink Wi-Fi at no additional cost. There is one level of bandwidth, though the line advises users that it can limit heavy-bandwidth usage to ensure all have equal access.

Virgin Voyages

Virgin Voyages ' entire fleet features Starlink Wi-Fi at no additional cost. The included plan allows for social media, email, web browsing and internet-based messaging. There is an upgraded Premium bandwidth option available for streaming and high-bandwidth usage for an additional fee.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

  • The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
  • A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
  • The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
  • The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
  • A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
  • 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
  • Top ways cruisers waste money
  • The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

View from cruise ship with laptop on table, Alaska, USA

IMAGES

  1. Review: Princess Cruises Wi-Fi Service (Speed, Reliability, Cost & More

    princess cruises internet packages cost

  2. Princess cruise wifi in 2023 ⚓ cost + package + is Princess cruise ship

    princess cruises internet packages cost

  3. Princess cruise wifi in 2023 ⚓ cost + package + is Princess cruise ship

    princess cruises internet packages cost

  4. Princess Cruise Deals

    princess cruises internet packages cost

  5. Princess Cruises Details New Premium All-Inclusive Package

    princess cruises internet packages cost

  6. Princess Cruise Packages Explained: Princess Standard, Princess Plus

    princess cruises internet packages cost

COMMENTS

  1. MedallionNet®

    Choose from one-device or four-device packages starting from just $24.99 USD. Packages are available with additional savings as part of our Princess Plus and Princess Premier Packages. They can also be purchased pre-cruise and on board through the Princess® Cruises App. Platinum and Elite guests get an exclusive discount of 50% off*.

  2. Major WiFi Price Increase by Princess Cruises (67% More)

    Starting January 22, 2024, the cost for a Princess Cruises s i ngle-device WiFi package rises to $24.99 per day, a 67% jump from the previous price of $14.99. The four-device package will see a 12.5% increase from $39.00 to $44.99. The price increase impacts pre-cruise purchases made after January 22, 2024, and for onboard purchases on voyages ...

  3. Review: Princess Cruises Wi-Fi Service (Speed, Reliability, Cost, and

    When it comes to the price for wi-fi, Princess has the most affordable plan we've seen in cruising. If you elect just to buy the plan on its own, the cost is $15 per day for one device. So for a one-week cruise, you'd pay $105 for access. A recent cruise showed a price to upgrade to four devices as an extra $10 per day — or a total of $25 ...

  4. Princess Cruises MedallionNet WiFi: Speed Test and Review

    Princess Cruises WiFi Plans and Prices Pin. MedallionNet WiFi starts at $24.99 per device per day when purchased before sailing. Platinum and Elite Captain's Circle members receive a 50% discount on all internet packages.. You can expect to pay a higher price for the internet plan if you purchase it on the ship.

  5. Princess cruise wifi in 2023 ⚓ cost + package

    👆 The cost of the Princess cruise ship wifi package on a 7-day cruise is $105.This means the cruise ship internet costs $15 a day. This is the Princess app for my future cruise that starts in September 2023. 👆 The cost of the Princess cruise ship wifi package on a 14-day cruise is $210.This means the cruise ship internet costs $15 a day.

  6. Cruise Line Wi-Fi and Internet Packages

    All Viking Ocean ships have Wi-Fi onboard. Passengers can use their own device or a computer at the Business Center on Deck 1. Viking Wi-Fi packages. Internet aboard all Viking Ocean ships is free ...

  7. Wi-Fi on cruise ships: What you need to know about internet use on

    At Princess Cruises, customers can get 50 percent off MedallionNet internet packages after reaching the Platinum level in the line's Captain's Circle loyalty program (to qualify, you'll need to complete either five cruises, or 50 cruise days). On Royal Caribbean, the path to free Internet on a cruise is through its high-end suites. Book a room ...

  8. You Could Pay 67% More for Wi-Fi on Your Next Cruise

    For $44.99 a day, four devices can connect to Princess' onboard Wi-Fi for the entire voyage, 13% more than the old rate of $39.99. Those who need single-day access for up to 4 devices will pay ...

  9. A line-by-line guide to internet access at sea

    One-day internet packages are $29.99 per day (for Browse) and $34.99 (for Browse & Stream). ... and an upgrade to streaming services for movies or music is available at a cost of $9.99 per day. Princess Cruises. PRINCESS CRUISES Price: Starting at $24.99 per day.

  10. How Strong is the Internet on Princess? A Review of MedallionNet

    How Much Does the Internet Cost on Princess? As I discovered, that depends. But either way, it's refreshingly reasonable! If you purchase a plan through the OceanMedallion App prior to sailing, the cost of a 1 device plan (meaning you can only use one device at a time) for a 7 night cruise for me was $69.93.

  11. Understanding current Wifi costs on Princess ships!

    October 15, 2016. #2. Posted March 20, 2023. Wifi for Platinum and Elite is 50% discount. The current cost is $15 per device per day, so you as Platinum would pay $7.50 per day. It is unlimited, and good for streaming, facetime, etc. Whatever you need it for.

  12. Princess Cruises Hikes Daily Gratuities, Wifi Cost

    Also effective for voyages sailing February 20, 2023, and beyond, Princess Cruises' MedallionNet wifi will cost $15 per day for a single-device plan and $40 per day for a four-device plan ...

  13. Princess Cruises Makes a Significant Price Increase

    Princess Cruises sent a letter to travel agents informing them of a 65% increase in the cost of an internet connection for a single device onboard and a 12% increase for a four-device package ...

  14. Plus & Premier Cruise Packages

    We added new fixed price casual dining meals and OceanNow® delivery and room service for both! The enhanced package for Princess Plus ($60 USD) includes two free casual dining meals per guest. The enhanced Princess Premier package ($80 USD) includes unlimited free casual dining meals. These new perks will be (at no extra charge) fleetwide ...

  15. Cruise Ships & Wifi (Free Internet on Cruise Ships?) Updated 2024

    Unlimited Wi-Fi Package - 1 device is $25.50/day when purchased prior to your cruise. This allows you to browse websites, use social media apps (except for TikTok), and access email (no VPN). Unlimited Premium Wi-Fi Package - 1 device is 34.99/day when purchased prior to your cruise.

  16. Princess Internet Pricing

    - The price for internet packages purchased before embarking on your cruise can vary depending on whether there is a promo running at time of purchase or not. At the moment it is typically $14-$15 per day, $7-$7.50 for P/E. - There has been a rumour circulating that if you have an internet package you can't use the computers in the Internet Cafe.

  17. Do Cruise Ships Have Wifi? Internet Packages for Each Cruise Line

    Costa Cruises. Wifi: Available in cabins and all public areas of all ships. Cost: Pay per minute is $0.25/minute or guests can choose one of the following packages: 250 mb for $26.65 (25 euros), 500 mb for $41.58 (39 euros), or 3 gb for $106 (99 euros). Crystal Cruises. Wifi: Available in cabins and all public areas of all ships. Cost: All guests receive at least 60 minutes of free wifi each ...

  18. WiFi cost per day onboard? : r/PrincessCruises

    3 mo. ago. The price just went up. It was $15 per day but now it's $25 per day if you buy for the whole cruise. You can get one day at a time, just expect it to be at a slightly higher rate. Maybe $30?

  19. Starlink on cruise ships: Which lines have faster internet ...

    Starlink's website estimates download speeds that range from 40 to over 200 Mbps and upload speeds that come in at 8 to more than 25 Mbps, with a latency of less than 99 milliseconds. These are ...

  20. Internet package cost

    Exactly. The BSE package is $40/pp more per day, and currently includes hotel gratuities, premier beverage package, unlimited internet in addition to one specialty dining and a box of chocolate. The math is simple. The gratuities are minimum $14.50/pp/day and ranges to $16.50 for full suites.

  21. internet package cost

    What does the internet package on Princess ships cost for 1 device and for 2 devices. On my upcoming 7 day cruise on Discovery, when I go into the APP, it gives me the option for 1 device at a price of $69.93 or multi devices plan up to 4 for $139.93, if you are platinum or higher in the Princess Loyalty program you will receive a 50% discount.