Staying connected on a cruise can get expensive quickly. Royal Caribbean’s VOOM internet packages can often cost hundreds of dollars for a weeklong cruise, especially if everyone in your cabin purchases their own plan. But there’s a trick you should know that can save you money when buying internet access.
Although Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships are some of the most technologically advanced in the world, you still won’t find free internet onboard. As such, you’ll need to purchase Wi-Fi access if you want to stay connected throughout your cruise vacation. These days, one of the most popular cruise add-ons is an internet package.
But, unlike drink packages, Royal Caribbean’s internet packages can actually be shared. While the cruise line strictly prohibits guests from sharing drink packages, Royal Caribbean actually encourages guests to bundle internet devices under a single plan and share the connection to save money.
Essentially, this means you can purchase one internet package for multiple devices and split the connection with others in your travel party. If you're traveling with family or friends, this strategy can significantly reduce the cost of purchasing internet.
Because Royal Caribbean offers discounted pricing when multiple devices are bundled under a single plan, buying one package with several devices is often much cheaper than having each guest purchase their own internet package.
Here’s how sharing an internet package works on a Royal Caribbean cruise, including how much money you can save with this strategy.
How you can share your Royal Caribbean internet package
Royal Caribbean allows guests to purchase internet packages for one, two, three, or four devices. While these plans appear under a single guest’s name on the reservation, the connected devices do not need to belong to the same person.
Instead, the package simply allows a set number of devices to be connected at the same time. Anyone with the login credentials can connect their phone, tablet, or laptop to the internet using that plan, regardless of who originally purchased the package. In fact, you don’t even need to be in the same cabin for this to work, as you can share the internet login with anyone onboard!
For example, two people cruising together could each purchase their own single-device internet package. Another option is for one person to purchase a 2-device plan and share it with the other person. In that case, both guests can be online at the same time, since the plan allows two devices to connect simultaneously.
The same approach works for larger groups. Three friends could share a 3-device package to save money, while a family of four could split a 4-device internet plan.
Because Royal Caribbean discounts internet packages when additional devices are bundled together, sharing a multi-device plan is often noticeably cheaper than having each guest purchase their own internet package.
As always, it’s best to purchase your internet package before your cruise begins. Royal Caribbean typically offers lower pricing in the Cruise Planner than what is available once you’re onboard. Like many onboard extras, internet packages are often discounted in advance, and prices can increase closer to the sailing date or once the ship departs.
Buying ahead of time also allows you to compare different device packages and take advantage of sales that Royal Caribbean frequently runs in the Cruise Planner. If the price drops later, guests can usually cancel their existing purchase and rebook at the lower rate before the cruise, making it easier to snag the best deal.
Comparing the cost of individual plans vs. shared internet packages
To better understand the potential savings, let’s take a closer look at the pricing behind Royal Caribbean’s internet packages. For this comparison, we’ll use the Wi-Fi cost for a 7-night sailing.
For my upcoming 2027 reservation, Royal Caribbean is offering VOOM Surf + Stream for $20.99 per day. This reflects a discount from the original price of $28.99 per day; interestingly, Royal Caribbean marks this as a 25% off discount, although it’s actually slightly more than that.
Either way, for a 7-night cruise, this would be a total cost of $146.93 for one person to have the internet package for one device. Similarly, if two people each purchase their own single-device internet package, the total cost comes to $293.86.
But, if one guest purchases a two-device package with the intent of sharing the login, the total cost comes down to $223.93.
For a 7-night cruise, sharing the internet login would save around $70 compared to each guest purchasing their own package. The difference becomes even more noticeable with larger groups.
If three guests each purchase their own internet package, the total cost reaches $440.79 for the sailing. If we compare the cost to one person purchasing access for three devices, the total cost is only $314.93.
In this case, purchasing three devices for one person saves about $125 compared to each guest purchasing their own package.
For four guests, the price difference is even more substantial!
Based on my 7-night cruise, the total cost for four individuals each purchasing their own package would be $587.72 for the entire cruise. Comparatively, having one guest purchase access for four devices brings the price down to only $405.93.
This means a group of four could save more than $180 simply by purchasing one multi-device package instead of four individual plans. For families or groups traveling together, this difference can be significant, especially if you cruise often!
There are some drawbacks to sharing internet access
Sharing your internet package to save money is pretty straightforward. However, there are a few limitations that you should understand before splitting an internet package with others.
First, you will be sharing the same login credentials with everyone in your group. The internet package is technically tied to one guest’s account, so anyone using the connection will need to log in using that same information. Because of this, you will only want to share the internet package with people that you trust.
Another limitation involves a device limit. If a package allows two devices, only two devices can be actively connected at the same time.
If you log in on a new device without first logging out of another one, the system will automatically disconnect one of the devices that’s already connected.
Essentially, this means someone could unintentionally “bump” another user offline by logging in from another device. This isn’t usually a major problem, but it’s something groups should be aware of when sharing a package.
Other than these limitations, there aren’t many other drawbacks to sharing your internet access during your cruise.
Why Royal Caribbean’s internet is worth purchasing
When it comes to staying connected onboard, VOOM is Royal Caribbean’s only Wi-Fi offering. VOOM is designed to support your everyday activities online, such as browsing the web, sending emails, FaceTime, streaming music or shows, and using social media.
In fact, Royal Caribbean claims that VOOM is the fastest internet at sea, stating, “With six times faster onboard WiFi speed than you’ll find on any other cruise ships in the world, the internet connectivity is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced on a cruise ship.”
For many years, Royal Caribbean’s onboard Wi-Fi was unreliable and laggy, making the added cost not always appealing. When I first started cruising, the only way to get online was by paying to use the ship’s internet cafe - what a throwback! Thankfully, those days are long gone.
Now, the cruise line’s internet service has improved significantly, thanks to the addition of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network across the fleet. The cruise line began installing Starlink technology in 2022, and it has since been rolled out across Royal Caribbean ships worldwide.
Starlink uses a network of low-Earth-orbit satellites that operate much closer to Earth than traditional geostationary satellites. Because the satellites orbit at a lower altitude, data travels a shorter distance. This helps reduce latency and improve speeds. Even better, every single Royal Caribbean ship now offers fast Wi-Fi with Starlink!
Because of this, Royal Caribbean’s internet is now faster than ever and more reliable than the satellite connections cruise ships used in the past.
How to connect once onboard
Guests who purchase internet before their cruise can activate the package once they are onboard the ship. In addition, internet is available to purchase once you’re connected to the ship’s Wi-Fi network.
Connection instructions are available in the Royal Caribbean app. After boarding, guests simply open the app and tap “Join” or select the internet icon. The prepaid package will activate automatically once you create an account.
From there, guests can log in on their selected devices and begin using the internet immediately. Internet access is unlimited with your package and available 24 hours a day throughout the ship. You can stay connected everywhere, from your stateroom to public areas like the pool deck, buffet, and even the spa.
Because Royal Caribbean uses satellite-powered internet, service is available almost anywhere in the world. This also includes access at Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. While connectivity is generally reliable, brief interruptions can occur due to weather or in very remote regions.
