If you forgot to add WiFi before your Royal Caribbean cruise, you still have time — buy it tonight through your Cruise Planner for roughly $20–$30/day (VOOM Surf or Surf+Stream). Once you board, onboard prices jump significantly, so don't wait until you're on the ship.
Photo: Royal Caribbean International
You just realized you never added WiFi to your Royal Caribbean cruise and the ship sails tomorrow. Don't panic — you're not stuck paying full walk-up prices, but you need to act in the next few hours before your Cruise Planner potentially locks.
Buy It Tonight Through the Cruise Planner — Here's Exactly What It Costs
Royal Caribbean's fleet runs Starlink fleet-wide as of 2024, which means the internet is actually good now. The trade-off: prices have crept up alongside the speed upgrades. Pre-cruise pricing through your Cruise Planner is always cheaper than buying onboard — sometimes meaningfully so.
Here's what you're looking at:
| Package | What's Included | Typical Pre-Cruise Price/Day | Onboard Price Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| VOOM Surf | Browsing, email, social media | ~$20/day | Higher — varies by ship |
| VOOM Surf + Stream | Everything above + video calls, Netflix, Hulu, streaming | ~$30/day | Higher — varies by ship |
| VOOM Connect (Multi-device) | Full household-level, multiple devices simultaneously | ~$40/day | Higher — varies by ship |
Note: Royal Caribbean's WiFi pricing is dynamic — your exact Cruise Planner price depends on your ship, sail date, and current demand. The figures above are typical pre-cruise rates. Flash sales happen, but don't count on one materializing in the next 12 hours.
Photo: Royal Caribbean International
What Package Should You Actually Buy?
This is where most people overthink it. Here's the honest breakdown:
VOOM Surf (~$20/day) — Fine for checking email, scrolling Instagram, using WhatsApp or iMessage to text home. Won't handle video calls or streaming without stuttering. Good enough for a week if you're not working remotely.
VOOM Surf + Stream (~$30/day) — The one most people should buy. Video calls work (FaceTime, Zoom), Netflix works, Hulu works. If you're traveling with kids who expect to watch something in the cabin, this is the one. For a 7-night cruise, that's ~$210/person — annoying, but it's what it is.
VOOM Connect (~$40/day) — Built for multiple devices running simultaneously. Only makes sense if you have a family sharing one plan or if you're genuinely working remotely from the ship.
Photo: Royal Caribbean International
The One-Device Policy Trap
Each WiFi package on Royal Caribbean covers one device at a time. You can log out and log back in on a different device, but you can't have your phone and laptop connected simultaneously unless you're on the multi-device Connect plan. Couples traveling together each need their own plan — or they share one login and pass it back and forth, which gets old fast.
| Travelers | Best Move | Estimated Cost (7 nights, Surf+Stream) |
|---|---|---|
| Solo traveler | One Surf+Stream plan | ~$210 |
| Couple, casual use | One shared plan, swap devices | ~$210 total |
| Couple, both need it | Two Surf+Stream plans | ~$420 total |
| Family with streaming kids | Connect multi-device plan | ~$280 total |
How to Buy It Right Now
- Log into My Cruises at RoyalCaribbean.com
- Go to Cruise Planner for your sailing
- Navigate to Internet or Beverage & Internet
- Add your package and check out
Cruise Planner typically stays open until a day or so before sailing — some sailings lock earlier, so do this tonight, not tomorrow morning at the port. If Cruise Planner has already closed for your sailing, you'll buy onboard at the higher walk-up rate. It won't break the bank, but pre-cruise is always the better deal.
If Cruise Planner Is Already Locked
You're not stranded — you just pay a bit more. Once onboard, connect to the ship's WiFi network (no password needed) and you'll be redirected to the VOOM portal automatically. You can purchase there using your SeaPass card. The 18% gratuity surcharge applies to all onboard purchases, including WiFi.
Pro tip: If you have a Crown & Anchor status of Diamond or above, you get free WiFi minutes included as a loyalty perk. Diamond members get 1 device/day free. Diamond Plus and Pinnacle get more. Log in with your loyalty credentials before buying anything.
Next time, use CruiseMutiny to build your full cruise budget before you sail — WiFi, drink packages, gratuities, specialty dining — so nothing slips through the cracks the night before embarkation.