4 things you need to know about using the internet at sea
It is no secret that internet has become a huge part of our lives so if you’re about to set sail on a cruise holiday, here’s what you need to know about internet usage at sea.
1. Internet via satellite is not as reliable as broadband at home
The satellites on cruise ships transmit a signal from the ship to a satellite, which then sends a signal back to earth. Although these satellites have been improved in recent years, one of the biggest limitations continues to be that a clear path is needed between the ship and the satellite. For the internet connection to work, the antenna needs to be pointing out and have an unobstructed line of sight to the satellite. Sometimes the path can be blocked, for example by tall buildings in port, leaving passengers with no connection. In some cases, the ship itself blocks the signal when the mast is between the antenna and satellite. The connection can also be lost when a ship changes course too quickly.
2. Prices are declining but it is still expensive
A few years ago, a normal passenger would never consider purchasing internet while on their cruise as it would cost them an arm and a leg. However, progress is being made and due to technological advancements and agreements with maritime communications companies, cruise lines have been able to push prices down. Some cruise lines charge internet by the minute and others charge per megabyte, so make sure you know how you will be charged before you hop online.
3. Keep your phone on airplane mode
One of the worst mistakes you can make on a cruise is to leave your phone on roaming as you sail across the seas. If you want to check your phone messages, connect to the ship’s wifi rather than your own data because the roaming rate will be very expensive. If you want to use your phone to take photos or do other things that don’t require internet, make sure your phone is on airplane mode when it is switched on.
4. Some applications are blocked
Although Skype and FaceTime are very popular video chat services, they require so much internet that many cruise lines have blocked them altogether. A Crystal Cruises technical expert said, "Skype has been developed in a way that it always tries to improve voice quality as much as it can... and this hogs bandwidth. For this reason, we block Skype onboard; two people on Skype can effectively kill the connection speed [for everyone else]."
What are your tips for accessing internet on a cruise? Let us know in the comments below.