Carnival Cruise Line is reporting difficulty with shipboard Wi-Fi service aboard two of its vessels, Carnival Legend and Carnival Magic.
Due to the challenges, service will be limited for several sailings, and premium internet service will not be available.
Wi-Fi Plans Refunded
In an email sent to booked guests on August 19, 2022, Carnival Cruise Line has notified passengers on upcoming sailings for Carnival Legend and Carnival Magic that Wi-Fi access will be limited.
“We want to inform you that due to challenges with some of the ship’s satellites, there will be limited Wi-Fi access during your cruise,” the email reads.
The affected cruises are listed as the August 20 and August 28 sailings of Carnival Legend, as well as the August 22 and August 31 sailings of Carnival Magic.
The Spirit-class Carnival Legend is sailing an 8-night roundtrip Exotic Eastern Caribbean itinerary on August 20, and a 6-night roundtrip Bermuda itinerary on August 28. Both voyages depart from Baltimore, Maryland, and include multiple sea days as well as port visits.
The Dream-class Carnival Magic is sailing roundtrip from New York. The August 22 departure is a 9-night Eastern Caribbean voyage, while the August 31 sailing is a 5-night Bermuda itinerary.
With both ships sailing in the same general area, the satellite issue is likely related to local coverage ranges that affect connectivity as well as internet speeds.
Guests who have already pre-purchased onboard Wi-Fi plans will have those plans refunded to their onboard Sail & Sign accounts.
“We apologize for any disappointment this will cause and thank you for your understanding,” the email concludes.
Some Wi-Fi Still Available
During the impacted sailings, both the social and value plans for Carnival Cruise Line’s internet access will still be available for onboard purchase on a daily basis, if desired.
The social Wi-Fi plan includes access to a variety of the most popular social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Snapchat, as well as airline websites. This permits guests to keep in touch with family and friends at home, as well as to monitor their post-cruise travel arrangements and check in for flights if necessary.
The value plan includes social media, airline websites, and popular news, sports, weather, banking, and similar popular sites. The speeds of the value plan are slightly higher than with the social plan.
Neither the social nor value plans include access to streaming services, video chats, or gaming platforms, all of which would require greater bandwidth and much faster speeds.
For these sailings only, the onboard pricing for the social and value plans will be the same as the discounted pre-cruise purchase rates, but the premium plan – which has much faster speeds and supports some limited streaming options, depending on coverage – will not be available.
Will Future Cruises Be Impacted?
Both Carnival Legend and Carnival Magic have similar itineraries planned for the next few weeks, but it is unknown if the Wi-Fi issues will continue past the stated dates. It is possible that satellite movement or slight changes in the ships’ routes can improve service, or future cruises may suffer similar Wi-Fi difficulties.
At this time, no other sailings or other vessels have been noted for internet challenges, but guests booked on upcoming Carnival cruises to Bermuda or the Eastern Caribbean may want to be aware of the possible difficulties.
Frequent cruise passengers are well aware that internet service can occasionally be spotty on cruise ships, and it can be difficult to connect multiple devices. This is especially true on sea days, when ships must rely solely on satellite connectivity.
