Frontier Bundles, an authorised sales agent for Frontier Communications, has revealed data from a recent study on cruise ship Wi-Fi and the results are interesting!
Which cruise line has the best Wi-Fi?
Frontier carried out the study on eleven cruise lines, including some of the world’s most well-known brands, and compiled a report of which offered the best internet packages and deals for passengers on-board their cruise ships.
Being connected to the world is an important factor for most of us while abroad. It lets us keep in touch with loved ones back at home, share images and videos of our times on holiday via social media and catch up on any emails.
The ranking are as follows:
| Rank | Cruise Line | Speed | Price |
| 1 | Viking Ocean Cruises | Fast | Free |
| 2 | Regent Seven Seas Cruises | Medium | Free |
| 3 | Hapag-Lloyd Cruises | Medium | Free |
| 4 | Silversea Cruises | Slow | Free |
| 5 | Crystal Cruises | Slow | Free |
| 6 | Carnival Cruise Line | Medium | $ |
| 7 | Seabourn Cruise Line | Fast | $ |
| 8 | Royal Caribbean International | Medium | $$ |
| 9 | Azamara Club Cruises | Fast | $$ |
| 10 | Disney Cruise Line | Fast | $$ |
| 11 | Windstar Cruises | Slow | $$ |
Source: The Best Cruise Lines for Wi-Fi in 201, Frontier Bundles
Breakdown of Wi-Fi on each cruise line
Viking Ocean Cruises
Viking Ocean offers free Wi-Fi across its fleet, with the average speed reaching 50 mbps download and 8 mbps upload. The connection relies on a VSAT satellite terminal, one of the best solutions for ocean cruising. Viking advises guests to download content prior to your cruise as bandwidth will affect your service and cannot be guaranteed.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Regent includes free, unlimited Wi-Fi in their cruise fares, with guests able to access the internet throughout their entire cruise. One login for free browsing is provided per suite, which can be used on one device at a time, including smart phones, tablets and laptops. Guests staying in Concierge Suites or higher, as well as Seven Seas Society members who have reached Gold-level status and higher, will receive up to four logins, four devices per suite.
The cruise line has recently increased its bandwidth to make internet much more accessible and more like a home network, taking the average speed up to 50 mbps!
Hapag-Lloyd
All guests on-board MS Europa 2 receive one hour of free internet on-board, regardless of how often you log in an out – so this can include up to three sessions of 20 minutes if you prefer! The average speed of Hapag-Lloyd’s internet is 5 mbps.
Any additional internet usage is around €0.19 per minute once you exceed the initial 60 minutes. Guests staying in Grand Penthouse and Owner Suites will continue to enjoy free internet at all times, with each guest having a maximum of two devices online at any one time.
Silversea Cruises
Silversea now offers free Wi-Fi on all of its voyages for guests booked in standard suites. Those in larger suites can enjoy free unlimited premium internet access for up to two devices simultaneously. Premium access is also available for guests to upgrade if they wish. Average speeds of Silversea’s Wi-Fi reaches up to 2.9 mbps.
Cyrstal Cruises
Complimentary access to the cruise line’s Wi-Fi is available on-board Crystal Cruises. The cruise line is 5th due to its complimentary inclusion, however the average speed only reaches 256 bps.
Seabourn Cruise Line
Guests on-board Seabourn are subject to a nominal charge when using the cruise line’s Wi-Fi. Packages are available, starting with the Silver Package (two hours for $19.95); Gold Package (three hours for $29.95); and the Platinum Package (four hours for $39.95). There are also unlimited plans available with prices varying by destination and duration.
The average speed of Seabourn’s Wi-Fi is 5.1 mbps.
Azamara Club Cruises
Azamara offers a range of internet packages for guests to enjoy on-board, starting with a 60-minute package at $19.95; one-day pass at $29.95; and unlimited for the full voyage at $19.95 per day. The average speed for this cruise line’s Wi-Fi is 25 mbps.
Internet on-board your cruise
Internet speed and mobile access varies by cruise line, making it difficult to know how much of a deal you’re getting – especially if you’re paying for your Wi-Fi! Hopefully our table above helps put into perspective which are the best for you, whether that’s for speed or price.