Between shore excursions, drink packages, and Wi-Fi, there are tons of ways to rack up a high bill on your Royal Caribbean cruise.
Cruisers often try to find ways to avoid the high costs of add-ons by smuggling alcohol onboard or bringing a Wi-Fi router. However, Royal Caribbean recently banned a popular item used to help maximize the perks of a single internet package.
Moving forward, passengers shouldn't be surprised if their travel router is confiscated during embarkation, as the cruise line updated its prohibited items list.
In addition to items like drugs, guns, and knives, "satellite dishes, routers, and other networking equipment" are now included under the "cybersecurity and deliberate electronic crime" category.
Packing one of these items for your next cruise could result in it being confiscated, wasting your money and luggage space. You're better off purchasing an extra Wi-Fi package or sharing one.
For many cruisers, the internet packages offered on Royal Caribbean are a major add-on expense. A single Wi-Fi package covers one device, but many passengers use a travel router to extend the connection across multiple devices and allow groups of friends or families to share one package.
Royal Caribbean isn't the first cruise line to list routers on its prohibited items list. Carnival Cruise Line's list also states that "satellite dish[es], routers and other internet related equipment" are not allowed onboard.
Read more: Royal Caribbean will not give away free Wi-Fi on its cruise ships
Royal Caribbean's VOOM internet can cost over $20 per day for one device
Unlike other lines, Royal Caribbean offers just one Wi-Fi package: VOOM Surf + Stream. The actual cost varies based on factors like your ship, sail date, cruise length, and ongoing Cruise Planner sales.
However, it's not uncommon to see it priced at around $20 per day, meaning you can easily spend over $150 on an internet package for a 7-night cruise.
You can usually expect to save 30% by adding one or more devices to a single plan, but it's still expensive. For example, on my upcoming Icon of the Cruise sailing in April, the price of two devices is nearly $260.
Wi-Fi is even expensive for crew members. Earlier this year, Bryan James, an entertainer for Royal Caribbean, revealed that he spends $12 per day on internet for just three hours of connectivity. It's not super fast, either. James added that his download speed was around 1 megabyte per second.
If you were planning on bringing a Wi-Fi router to extend connectivity to other friends and family members, think again. LadBible first reported that social media accounts claim the routers are being confiscated during embarkation, confirming that the ban is being enforced.
Why are travel routers prohibited?
Though Royal Caribbean hasn't made an official statement about the ban, the items are listed underneath the "cybersecurity and deliberate electronic crime" category.
Routers and other networking equipment can potentially interfere with the ship’s onboard systems, leading to security risks and connectivity problems for passengers and crew.
Instead of smuggling a router onboard, consider other options like purchasing additional devices on a single plan or limiting your internet usage to when in port.
How to get free Wi-Fi on Royal Caribbean ships
Although Wi-Fi is not included in the cost of a Royal Caribbean cruise, there are a few ways to get free (or cheaper) internet onboard.
The first is to work your way up the Crown & Anchor Society ranks to Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Club. Once you've earned 80 cruise points, you'll receive one free day of Wi-Fi per cruise. Diamond Plus guests, or those with a minimum of 175 cruise points, get two days.
While it's not a lot, it can help offset the cost of staying connected during your trip. Instead of splurging on a package, you can use your complimentary internet days at sea and look for free Wi-Fi in port.
If you are a Pinnacle Club member, you will receive a complimentary VOOM Surf + Stream package for one device, regardless of the length of your cruise.
Another smart way to reduce the price of your internet package is to use onboard credit. While it may not cover the full price, especially on longer cruises, it can still help it can help reduce the overall expense.
Frequent gamblers at Casino Royale could also be eligible for free Wi-Fi. Club Royale is Royal Caribbean’s casino rewards program that enables guests to earn Tier Credits by gambling while onboard. The more you gamble, the more benefits you'll receive.
Read more: I got a free cruise from Royal Caribbean's casino
For example, Prime tier members—those with 2,500 Tier Credits—get a discount on a VOOM Surf + Stream package, while Signature members receive free Wi-Fi on one device. However, to reach the Signature tier, you must accumulate 25,000 Tier Credits.
Finally, Masters members—gamblers with 100,000+ Tier Credits—receive complimentary internet on two devices. Unlike Crown & Anchor status, tiered membership within Club Royale must be renewed annually.
While you likely aren't worried about saving money if you're looking at booking a Royal Caribbean suite, one perk of the higher categories is included internet. Guests staying in Grand Suites and above on Quantum, Oasis, and Icon Class ships receive a complimentary VOOM Surf + Stream Wi-Fi package. Even better? Each guest in the stateroom receives an internet package for one device, so there's no need to share!
