Being on vacation once meant disconnecting from the world. In the 1980s through the 90s, this was because travelers had very limited options when it came to keeping in touch. Domestic phone calls came at a high rate and international calls were even higher.
In those days, texting wasn’t a thing, social media hadn’t been invented yet, and the idea of taking a photo on your cellphone — if you even had one — didn’t exist yet. Now, however, expectations have changed. Everyone has a smartphone, and, at least in the United States, connectivity issues are relatively rare, and many phone plans work worldwide (albeit for an additional fee).
Some people, of course, may still choose to disconnect while on vacation, but many want to take pictures, share them on social media or by text, while also keeping in touch with people back home. And, in this new “work anywhere” environment where many people find themselves, some of us mix vacations with travel — something that requires a decent Internet connection.
This has created a conundrum for people navigating. Internet service at Royal Caribbean International (RCL) Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) and Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) range from passable to completely unusable. It’s a frustrating situation because some passengers just like to have connectivity, while others need it for work, parenting or other reasons.
With its agreement to put Elon Musk’s Starlink on all Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises ships, the cruise line has set a new Norwegian standard, and Carnival must find a way to follow suit.
Image source: Matt Cardy/Getty Images
Royal Caribbean does the connecting desk shares
On the three major cruise lines, passengers generally pay for Internet access unless there is a promotion or loyalty benefit program where they get it for free. When you pay for something you create an expectation that it will work, which often doesn’t.
Royal Caribbean describes its internet as follows:
Royal Caribbean VOOM, the fastest internet at sea, is now available on every Royal Caribbean ship. With WiFi speeds six times faster than you’ll find on any other cruise ship in the world, internet connectivity is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced on a cruise ship.
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Carnival bills its Premium Internet offering in a similar way:
From email to video calls, our Premium plan promises the fastest connection possible, with speeds up to 3x faster than our Value plan. Supports video calls with Skype, Zoom and Teams, where coverage allows.
The reality is that those things may all be possible, but they are not the norm. Internet on ships — and I’ve sailed on Royal Caribbean a lot more than Carnival, but I’ve been on both — varies even on the cruises where it’s strong. It is affected by the weather, the location of the ship and how many passengers are using it.
It’s possible to work on a cruise ship — the newer Royal Caribbean ships offer the best experience — but it’s a frustrating process. And while working on a ship might not be that common, people who want to use the internet have paid for everything from keeping in touch with social media to streaming video.
Here’s what Royal Caribbean and Starlink are doing
Royal Caribbean tested Starlink on Freedom of the Seas, which sails 3- and 4-day itineraries from Miami. The cruise line didn’t share specifics on how the test went, but social media and other anecdotal reports, some of which included screenshots of the speed test, suggest it will be a dramatic improvement.
Royal Caribbean CEO Jason Liberty certainly set the bar high in his comments about the deal with the Elon Musk-led company
“This technology will provide game-changing internet connectivity on board our ships, enhancing the cruise experience for guests and crew alike. It will improve and enable more high-bandwidth activities such as video streaming, as well as activities such as video calling,” he said.
It’s hard to see how Carnival — which has been working to address its online shortcomings — and Norwegian won’t lose bookings if they don’t follow Royal Caribbean’s lead here. This may mean doing their own Starlink deal (if Royal Caribbean’s deal doesn’t include some form of exclusivity) or finding another option.
Travelers expect reliable internet and are faced with cruise lines not providing it when it seemed like it wasn’t a service they could reliably provide. Once Royal Caribbean decides that good, maybe even good internet can be offered at sea, it sets a new standard and Carnival and Royal Caribbean will have to try to follow.
