Cruises are well-known to offer a great value for travelers, but some bills can add up quickly if guests aren’t careful. While it is easy to be mindful of what one spends onboard, what about when hidden charges show up after returning home?
One Royal Caribbean guest has learned the hard way that such charges can be substantial.
The recent traveler – who has remained anonymous – purchased Royal Caribbean’s onboard internet service, but failed to note that the service does not include cellular network access.
Because the guest did not put their cell phone into airplane mode, their device continued to download updates, access locations, and otherwise work in the background throughout their sailing. Their child also used the phone to watch videos throughout the week-long sailing.
This resulted in $1,300 of roaming charges from the cell phone company, a nasty surprise and an unwelcome shock to the post-cruise budget, according to YouTuber Jayson Judson.
The understandably upset passenger reached out to Royal Caribbean about the bill, but it is outside the cruise line’s control. To be clear, the bill was not from the cruise line, but from the individual’s cell service provider. Royal Caribbean, therefore, is not responsible for the charges in any way.
It is not just aboard Royal Caribbean ships that cell phone roaming charges may add up. A similar, though somewhat less expensive, bill awaited a Carnival cruise passenger in January 2024. In that case as well, the cruise line was not responsible for the extra charges.
Internet Access Onboard Royal Caribbean Ships
Royal Caribbean’s description of its VOOM internet package notes what is included, but does not mention overall cellular access.
“The VOOM Surf + Stream Internet Package lets you message and video chat on messenger services, browse the web, send emails and post on social media, and video chat live. Plus stream your favorite videos, movies, music and shows,” the description reads.
Furthermore, nowhere in the package description is there any mention of airplane mode or the possibility of roaming charges if guests do not switch their phones off active service.
Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Ticket Contract does mention phones briefly, but only with general notes.
“The Cruise Fare does not include … phone calls [or] satellite connection for mobile phones,” Section 3(a) of the contract reads.
Of course, when a guest purchases an add-on service like the cruise line’s VOOM Surf + Stream Internet Package, it does seem reasonable that cell service could be part of the package, even though this is incorrect.
The cost for the package varies depending on cruise length and the number of devices connected, as is standard with different cruise lines’ internet service offerings.
Read Also: Do Cruise Ships Have Wi-Fi? – 5 Things to Know
Our daily lifestyles are more and more interconnected with apps, websites, email, text messages, streaming services, and other digital connectivity these days.
It is easy to forget about that wi-fi lifeline that may add up charges throughout a cruise as the phone automatically seeks to connect to whatever signals are available.
As a cruise ship moves to different countries throughout a sailing, it is easy for an active phone to inadvertently connect to non-network signal sources, accruing the high charges that accompany those connections.
Cruise lines do warn travelers to be sure their mobile devices are set to airplane mode. This may be done via announcements on embarkation day as well as printed notices in onboard newsletters. Cruise line apps may also alert users to switch to airplane mode when logging on.
Such notifications can be easily overlooked, however, especially with how crazy embarkation can be and how exciting it can be on a cruise ship with many different activities each day.
Experienced travelers may set an alert or alarm before their cruise sets sail to remind them to switch to airplane mode.
