Staying connected is important for most passengers on a cruise, but shelling out hundreds of dollars for wifi is not always an option. Although Royal Caribbean does not give free wifi to every passenger, there are a few ways to get free wifi onboard.
It’s no secret that wifi on a cruise is expensive. You should expect to pay around $20 per day for Royal Caribbean’s wifi package, and that's only for use on one device at a time. For a 7-night cruise, this means spending a whopping $140 to access the internet.
Because you cannot use cellular data on a cruise ship without racking up a costly bill, many passengers purchase wifi for their cruise to stay connected. For most guests, buying an internet package is just another mandatory cost on a cruise vacation, but what if I told you there's a way to get free wifi on Royal Caribbean?
There are a few ways to get free wifi on Royal Caribbean, but whether or not you can access free internet depends on several factors. From leveraging your loyalty perks to booking a suite, here are five ways to get free wifi on your cruise.
Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle status
Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program offers some impressive benefits, including free drinks, a private lounge, and access to exclusive events, but it also offers free internet.
Free internet access is a benefit for top tier members in the Crown & Anchor Society, and is reserved for Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Club members.
Diamond guests, those with 80-174 cruise points, receive one free day of internet per cruise. Diamond Plus guests, with 175-699 cruise points, receive two free days of internet per cruise.
The free internet can be accessed for 24 and 48 hours respectively, meaning if you log in to the wifi at 4PM on day two, you can use the wifi until 3:59PM on day three or four.
Related: 11 of our favorite under-the-radar Crown & Anchor perks
Passengers who are Pinnacle Club members, with over 700 loyalty points, receive a free Surf & Stream internet package for one device. Offering free wifi to Pinnacle Club members is another way Royal Caribbean rewards its top tier members, and this perk can easily save cruisers thousands of dollars over time.
Even if you’re not a Diamond, Diamond Plus, or Pinnacle Club member, you can still save money on Royal Caribbean’s wifi packages through the Crown & Anchor Society. Passengers in lower tiers—Gold, Platinum, and Emerald—receive discounts on internet packages at 10% for Gold and 15% for Platinum and Emerald.
Use onboard credit to pay for a wifi package
If you have onboard credit for your upcoming cruise, why not purchase a wifi package?
Onboard credit is free “cash” used to make purchases on a Royal Caribbean cruise. You can receive onboard credit several ways, but most commonly when booking a cruise during a Royal Caribbean promotion and/or booking through a travel agent.
Related: Royal Caribbean onboard credit: How to get it and where to spend it the right way
You can spend onboard credit before your cruise begins on Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Planner website on add-ons like drink packages, specialty dining, and spa services. If you don’t spend onboard credit before the cruise begins, it will be loaded to your SeaPass account upon boarding your cruise ship.
If you’re hoping to purchase a wifi package without spending your own money, use onboard credit to reserve the package in advance. To do so, visit Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Planner website and add an internet package to your cart.
Once at checkout, you can redeem onboard credit to pay for the internet package. If your onboard credit is not enough to cover the entire wifi package, you will pay the difference with a credit card.
Gamble enough in the casino
Do you visit the casino every day on a Royal Caribbean cruise? If so, there’s a chance you could qualify for free wifi.
Club Royale is Royal Caribbean’s casino rewards program, in which guests earn points—called Tier Credits— in the program by gambling at the casino. The program is free to join, and as a guest moves up the program, they will qualify for free wifi.
The program has four tiers:
- Choice: 1 - 2,499 Tier Credits
- Prime: 2,500 - 24,999 Tier Credits
- Signature: 25,000 - 99,999 Tier Credits
- Masters: 100,000+ Tier Credits
Members in the Prime tier qualify for a discount on a VOOM Surf & Stream internet package. Those in the Signature tier receive complimentary wifi on one device, whereas Masters members receive free internet on two devices.
Club Royale reward points are earned by spending money at the casino. Guests earn 1 Tier Credit for every $5 coin in at slot machines and 1 Tier Credit for every $10 coin in on video poker machines. Tier Credits earned on table games vary based on the game, average bet, and length of play.
It’s not cost effective to gamble solely as a way to get free wifi on Royal Caribbean, but for those who gamble frequently while onboard, receiving free wifi is a nice benefit.
Stay in a high category suite
If you booked a suite for your upcoming cruise, you may receive free wifi as a suite perk.
Guests staying in Grand Suites and above on Quantum, Oasis, and Icon Class ships receive a complimentary VOOM Surf & Stream wifi package. Each guest in the cabin receives an internet package for one device.
Related: Royal Caribbean suites guide & review
Suites on these ships are part of the Royal Suite Class, Royal Caribbean’s most exclusive suite program. Unfortunately, free internet is not offered to guests in Junior Suites or those in Grand Suites and above on Vision, Radiance, Voyager, and Freedom Class ships.
Guests staying in suites on older Royal Caribbean cruise ships must pay for wifi themselves or use one of these tips to obtain free wifi another way.
Free wifi in port instead
If all else fails and you don’t want to spend money on wifi for your cruise, you can always find free wifi in port. Regardless of the port, it’s usually relatively easy to find places with free wifi.
One of the easiest ways to find free wifi in port is by visiting a coffee shop, restaurant, or bar in the immediate port area. These establishments cater to tourists, meaning they often provide free wifi if you purchase a drink or meal. Many businesses will have a sign on the shop or restaurant’s exterior indicating that they offer free wifi to customers.
Depending on the destination, you may also be able to use your cellular coverage as normal while in port. If you’re cruising to Alaska, for example, your regular US phone coverage will work while visiting Alaska cruise ports.
Additionally, if your phone service includes international coverage, you can turn off airplane mode in port and use data roaming at no extra cost.
Because your cruise ship is usually docked between 8-10 hours at a time, this should provide enough time to find and use free wifi or cell phone data before getting back onboard.
BONUS: Use Royal Caribbean’s free chat feature in the app
If the primary reason you’re considering purchasing internet for your cruise is to keep in touch with your travel party onboard, use the Royal Caribbean app instead.
Royal Caribbean’s app has a chat feature that is completely free to use, and it allows you to message other passengers on your sailing. Whether coordinating dinner plans with your travel party or letting your spouse know you’re heading back to the cabin, the app is a useful tool for communication.
Related: Here’s how Royal Caribbean’s onboard messaging system works
In order to use the app, be sure to download the Royal Caribbean app prior to your sailing. Once onboard, connect to Royal Caribbean’s wifi—and no, you don’t need a wifi package in order to access the app.
Once you open the app, click on the chat icon in the top right corner. From there, you can begin messaging others onboard. To message another guest, you must add the guest’s stateroom number (or reservation number) and their birthday. Doing so connects your accounts together, permitting you to message each other.
Using the chat feature on the Royal Caribbean app is a free workaround to staying connected without purchasing a wifi package.
