Gone are the days when a cruise holiday meant cutting off completely from the outside world. Moreover, you can also avoid paying insanely high roaming charges to make important calls or send messages. Today, technology has become so advanced that you can be in constant touch with your folks back home without any issues. Similarly, communication onboard has also improved. You no longer need to struggle to communicate with your group members on the cruise. There are ample ways to stay in touch with your family at home as well as those who are accompanying you on the cruise. Here is a complete guide that will give you all the information you need to know about how to communicate on a cruise ship with family and friends.
Are Wi-Fi and Internet Available Online ?
Most modern cruise ships come with Wi-Fi, giving you the chance to stay connected to the outside world without burning your money on cellular charges. Most ships offer fleet-wide Wi-Fi, ensuring that you get access to internet wherever you are in the ship, including your staterooms, restaurants, deck, etc. With the Wi-Fi services, you can browse on the internet, send and receive emails, check into your social media accounts, and more. Some ships also have computer centers and workstations where you can have seamless connectivity to all your devices and get some work done onboard.
But the Wi-Fi on cruises is not free. Internet packages are available as per hours, days, and for your entire stay too. You can choose any one as per your requirements. Some cruises offer complimentary Wi-Fi for certain cruise packages, especially premium ones. With these complimentary internet packages, you may be able to connect one or two devices at the same time.
Are Cruise Apps Good for Communication ?
When you are with a large group of people on a cruise and not everyone wants to get an internet package, it may become a hindrance in communication. But there is a solution to the problem, how to communicate with family on a cruise ship. Most cruises today have their own cruise line apps. You and your cruise mates need to download this app on your phones before you step into the cruise. There are numerous advantages of the same.
The main use of the cruise line apps is to provide you with information about the daily schedules, deck maps, and onboard activities. But one of the biggest advantages is that these apps come with a messaging feature, which lets you stay in touch with your fellow cruise mates via the app, even if you do not have internet on your phone. You can message your friend or family member, and the person will receive the same on the app in real time.
Another way of communicating on board is to use the phones in your stateroom. Almost all staterooms will have a cabin phone that lets you contact the reception, restaurant, and housekeeping. Apart from this, you can connect to the phones in the other cabins on the ship. The only downside of this is that the person you are trying to reach should be in the room.
How to Communicate on Cruise Ship Via Calls and Messages ?
Cellular connectivity onboard is poor to none. Depending on where you are traveling and your network partner, you may or not be able to use your phone onboard. Plus, the charges can be staggering. This is where having an internet connection or Wi-Fi will be useful. With an internet connection on your phone, you can connect with your people, both off-board and on-board through messenger apps like iMessage (for Apple), WhatsApp (for Android), and even Facebook Messenger. It is also possible to make voice calls and video calls through apps like FaceTime and WhatsApp without any additional cost. Apart from this, most cruises have traditional phone systems that allow you to call any part of the world. But the costs are very high. Still, they can be used in case of emergencies, when nothing else works.
How to Stay Connected with Your Group during Shore Excursions?
If you are using the ship’s Wi-Fi onboard, you will be automatically disconnected when you step out for shore excursions. If you want to stay connected to others in the group or want to stay online while exploring the place, you can choose from multiple options. One of the options is to opt for international data plans from your mobile data service provider. Most of them offer numerous options, and you can choose one to depend on your budget and requirements. Another idea would be to use local Wi-Fi hotspots at restaurants and cafes that you visit during your tour. Whichever option you choose, it is crucial to plan beforehand. If you want to get an international data package, you must do it before you arrive at the port. If you are a frequent cruiser, it would be a good idea to invest in a portable Wi-Fi device or buy a SIM card of the places you visit regularly.
What are the Alternative Ways of Communicating Onboard ?
Internet connection on cruises may not always be completely reliable. In such cases, you will have to get some alternative methods to ensure that you stay connected with your group members.
- A walkie-talkie is the best way to communicate on a cruise ship, especially if you do not have internet or cellular data while on a cruise. These will work during shore excursions also. However, it is important to invest in good quality ones, i.e., those which offer a good range as well as battery life.
- An old-school way of connecting to others on board is slipping notes inside their doors. For instance, if you are off to breakfast and want your friend/family member to know it without disturbing them, you can just slip a note with the message under their door.
- The ship’s bulletin board is also a great method to communicate with the others in your group onboard. You can also take a magnetic whiteboard along with you on the cruise. You can stick this magnetic board outside your door. You can write messages for your group members, and they can also do the same for you.
- Another way would be to decide on meet-up times and places beforehand. Plan a schedule with all the details. You can either take a printout or email it to everyone beforehand, so that there is no room for confusion.
- For family back home, you can send a postcard or a letter from the ports you visit. This will take a longer time but has a nostalgic effect, as this is how people used to communicate before the time of telephones and internet.
How to Save Money on Communication on a Cruise ?
In case you do not have a complimentary Wi-Fi connection on board, you will have to spend money on buying internet packages if you want to stay connected. These packages can be expensive. Here are some ways you can save money while on a cruise.
- If you are buying an internet package, buy one that can be used on multiple devices. This way you and your family members can connect your phones with the internet alternatively or together without spending on individual data plans.
- It is best to switch on the mobile data when you want to send a message, make a phone call, browse something on the internet, or connect on social media. You must switch it off at all other times to save data and money.
- Keep your phone on airplane mode once you sail out of your country. This will help you from incurring the exorbitant international roaming charges.
Important Pointers to Remember about Cruise Communication
Some of the important things you should know about communication while cruising are as follows:
- While Wi-Fi may be available on almost all cruises as well as on all areas of the cruise, it may not be as fast as it is on land. You may face delays in loading and uploading. It is necessary to be prepared for the same
- Before you embark on your international cruise journey, let your service provider know about it, so that you do not incur any unnecessary roaming charges.
- You will have to rely on a combination of technological and non-technological communication methods to stay connected with your group members onboard.
- You may know how to choose the best cruise for you. But if internet connectivity on a cruise is important to you, you also need to find out the best cruise packages. For this, plenty of research is required.
So, you see, there are plenty of ways to stay connected with people onboard and off-board while on a cruise. But while staying in touch is important, do make it a point to not focus too much on the bars of your mobile phone. After all, you may be on your dream cruise holiday with a plethora of activities and attractions to keep you engaged. Sometimes, it is not necessary to be online every minute but rather enjoy the present.
