How to stay in contact on a cruise ship

If you’re looking to unwind for a week or two aboard a cruise ship, you might not mind the idea of stowing your phone or tablet in favor of a poolside paperback. But if you need to stay in touch while you’re on board, the lack of a strong cell signal can turn your sense of bliss into FOMO.

Don't worry: there are plenty of ways to stay connected while you're on a cruise ship. What option you choose should depend on how much you need to use your device and whether you need to talk, text, go online, or all three. Follow these tips to create a cruise-ship-connectivity game plan that works for you.

Verizon’s Cruise Daily Pass for use on cruise ships.

With the Verizon Cruise Daily Pass you get 0.5 GB data¹, 50 calling minutes² and unlimited text messages, all for just $30/day (24-hour session) to use while on board select cruise lines. You can add the Cruise Daily Pass before your cruise as you’re only charged when you trigger a 24-hour session on board, e.g., when you use data, make or answer a call, or send a text message. To add a Cruise Daily Pass, you can text the word CRUISE to 4004. It’s often best to add it before your cruise leaves the pier, so you don’t have to think about it while you’re trying to enjoy the open sea.

If you disembark during a 24-hour session, you’ll pay applicable rates for the country you’re visiting.

How to stay in contact with apps while on a cruise.

Some cruise lines have their own mobile apps that work via the ship's Wi-Fi. These apps include access to ship-specific information, such as deck layouts and programming schedules. While these apps don't typically offer connectivity with the outside world, they can be helpful for scheduling dinners and arranging poolside meet-ups. If you want more freedom and flexibility to stay connected with others during your cruise, you'll want to add Verizon Cruise Daily Pass so you can share, scroll and stay in touch, worry-free.

Also, remember that you don’t necessarily need a Wi-Fi connection to make good use of your smartphone while onboard. A number of travel apps (such as mapping and translation apps) require internet access for some features. Many other apps, however, can be used while you’re offline, whether you’re playing games, editing your photos or reading city guides for the next port. And speaking of the next port, adding Verizon TravelPass, with unlimited data, talk and text, is a great way to ensure you have the connectivity you need to stay in touch with people back home, share your travel experiences, or access maps so you can get around confidently once you disembark and reach your destination.

Cruise ship on-board Wi-Fi

Cruises offer Wi-Fi access in a variety of different ways. No matter how your cruise ship offers Wi-Fi, with Verizon Cruise Daily Pass, you can access everything you need on your device, from your favorite social sites to calling and texting for one flat daily fee. It's easy to add to your plan, so you don't have to hassle with creating extra accounts or passwords for everyone in your family. Plus, with this secure service, you won't have to worry about any surprise fees.

In-port connections while on a cruise

At domestic ports, you’ll be able to use your Verizon plan as you usually would, while you can use an international plan at many international ports. The simplest of these international plans is Verizon TravelPass, which allows you to pay a flat daily rate to use your domestic plan’s talk, text and data in more than 210 countries and destinations around the world. Remember, TravelPass doesn’t work on cruise ships or airplanes. Verizon Cruise Daily Pass can give you access onboard the ship while at sea.

If your cruise takes you to another country, you’ll still want to be able to share your adventures. In that case, another option would be Verizon’s Unlimited Ultimate plan. This plan includes international data, talk and text in over 210 countries and destinations. For international talk and text from the U.S., this includes Mexico, Canada and one additional country of your choice.

Also, many bars, restaurants and attractions in ports of call cater to tourists with Wi-Fi available. If you want to at least occasionally check your email and social media, you might consider sticking to this option.

How to use airplane mode while on a cruise.

To avoid unwanted charges, keep your device in airplane mode when you're not using voice, messaging or data services. You can still connect to Wi-Fi (either via the ship's connection or via free Wi-Fi connections in ports of call), but you won't have to worry about accidentally making a pricey five-minute pocket-dial.

Stay connected during your trip abroad.

A proper stress-free vacation starts with great planning. To start your trip off right, Verizon offers Cruise Daily Pass and In-Flight Daily Pass, which offers unlimited data for 24 hours on international flights, both for a flat daily rate, so you can stay connected at sea or on international flights. Next, plan to stay connected once you arrive at your destination. Verizon international plans let you use your phone in more than 210 countries and destinations outside the U.S. With Verizon TravelPass, you can use your domestic plan’s talk, text and data allowances just like you would at home. And you’re only charged for the days that you use your phone.

Heading out for 10 days or more? The Verizon $100 International Monthly Plan is ideal for longer trips. You’ll get unlimited data³ and texts, and 250 minutes for international use. You can choose to have the allowance expire after one month or have the plan renew every month until you remove it from your account. Remember, planning ahead to stay connected can help make your trip a memorable one, for all the right reasons. 

FOOTNOTES
1. You may purchase additional data after the daily 0.5GB is exhausted.

2. Overage $1.99 per minute.

3. 20 GB of high speed data and unlimited data at 3G speeds thereafter.