Many people are asking, “Can you use WhatsApp on a cruise?” and we have the answer.
While traveling on a cruise, you are likely going to keep in touch with your friends and family back home.
A lot of people rely on messaging apps like WhatsApp for communication. All you need is an internet connection, and you’re good to go.
Going on a cruise soon? Keep on reading to find out more about WhatsApp!
You can use WhatsApp on a cruise ship, but only if you have the Internet. Either you connect to a WiFi package or open the app when you have a mobile data signal. It may appear to work even if you’re not online, but your message will not be sent.
If your message has a single tick, it means it’s pending. Only when you see two ticks has your message been sent to the recipient. If there are two blue ticks, it means that they have seen it.
Before we explain how to communicate on a cruise ship, here are a few things you need to know about WhatsApp.
Can You Use WhatsApp on a Cruise
Absolutely! However, you need to make sure that you have an Internet connection.
Since there are no cell towers at sea, cruise ships often use at-sea providers like Wireless Maritime Services and Cellular at Sea.
When you are on a cruise, you may use these at-sea providers to use WhatsApp.
However, it’s an expensive service that the cruise ship doesn’t cover. So, instead, you may use your mobile phone service.
Things to Consider When Using WhatsApp on a Cruise
Since WhatsApp is an online app, you need to be connected to the Internet to use it.
You should consider a few things if you don’t want to return home with a huge phone bill after a relaxing cruise.
1. WhatsApp Works With Roaming
Like email and web browsing, WhatsApp uses an Internet connection. You can use it while your phone is roaming, but data charges may apply.
2. WhatsApp Works With Public Wifi
WhatsApp uses a WiFi network to send and receive messages and calls. Your carrier should not charge you for data usage if you’re connected to a free WiFi network.
3. Minimal Data Usage
Chatting on WhatsApp only consumes about 30KB per message and 740KB/minute over a voice call. During video calls, however, WhatsApp’s data usage is about 5MB per minute on 4G.
4. Top-Notch Privacy And Security
WhatsApp features end-to-end encryption that ensures only you and the person you are communicating with can read or hear your conversation. It prevents third parties from accessing your messages and calls.
5. Versatile Communications App
WhatsApp allows you to send texts, pictures, videos, and even voice recordings to other WhatsApp users in your contact list.
You can also make voice and video calls over the Internet for free.
These are the things you should know about using WhatsApp. Let us now proceed to how online messaging works on a cruise ship.
How to Communicate on a Cruise Ship
There are a few ways you can use your phone to communicate while you’re on a cruise ship.
Nowadays, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s impossible to reach you while you’re at sea. There are a lot of services that offer internet connectivity for your phone.
It may not be the fastest compared to land-based services.
However, if your goal is simply to let friends and family know what you’re up to on the cruise, they are an excellent alternative.
Since WhatsApp is an internet-based messaging service, you need an internet connection to use it.
Here are the ways in which you can get internet while on board a cruise ship:
- Ship’s onboard WiFi
- Maritime network
- Data roaming
Tip: You can get the most affordable internet at WiFi hotspots whenever you’re on shore.
Does WhatsApp Work on a Carnival Cruise
WhatsApp will work on Carnival Cruises! WhatsApp is an app on your phone that you can use to communicate with family and friends.
The upside of using it is you only need to worry about connecting to a WiFi network, so your phone has access to the internet.
Since you’re going to be using WhatsApp to send messages for the majority of the time, it’s not going to use up a lot of data.
Getting Carnival’s most affordable internet plan should be enough for you to use WhatsApp at less than $10 a day.
Does WhatsApp Work on a Royal Caribbean Cruise
Royal Caribbean Cruises boasts the fastest internet packages in the industry with their Voom packages.
Their most affordable plan, the Voom Surf Voyage, is enough to run WhatsApp, allowing you to send and receive messages.
You do only get at least 1 Mbps in internet speed, but with its all-day access, you should be able to send WhatsApp messages to everyone you know without limits.
Tip: If you can’t get your cruise’s onboard WiFi, you can still use WhatsApp for free whenever you have access to free hotspots on shore.
Using WhatsApp to Text for Free on a Cruise Ship
As a text messaging app, you can surely use WhatsApp to send texts to your friends and family while on a cruise.
As long as you have access to the internet, you should be able to send messages to anyone that’s on your WhatsApp contacts.
You can even import your entire phonebook to WhatsApp to find out who among your contacts is using WhatsApp. You want to ensure that you do this before heading out on your cruise.
How to use WhatsApp to text on a cruise ship:
- Open your phone’s settings.
- Select Accounts.
- Choose WhatsApp.
- Select Sync Now.
Note: Internet speeds on cruise ships are not really the fastest, but they should be enough to allow you to send messages on apps like WhatsApp.
Using WhatsApp with International Roaming Data
As long as you’re using WhatsApp for text messaging only, you should not have to worry about getting hit with a lot of charges from your network.
According to estimates, one text message on the app should only use around 30 KB of data.
If you get a cruise data roaming package from your carrier, a 50 MB allocation should allow you to send about 1,500 messages.
That’s a lot, as long as you don’t use up your data for audio and video calls. WhatsApp is your best bet to contact the outside world from your cruise that won’t break the bank.
Note: Your cruise’s onboard WiFi should be more affordable than international data roaming.
What You Want to Do Before Leaving Port to Use WhatsApp
If you’re going on a cruise, you want to be wary of unwanted charges, especially from international roaming.
One thing you have to remember is that you will be charged for received calls and messages apart from the ones you send.
If you don’t want to get hit with these charges, there are a few things you need to do.
Before you get on your cruise, here are some of the things you want to do:
- Enable WiFi calling on your phone.
- Put your phone to Airplane Mode.
- Research WiFi rates for your cruise.
- Get one before your cruise to enjoy discounts.
- Check for hotspots in ports for free public WiFi.
Note: Don’t switch off Airplane Mode, especially when you’re in port, since your phone will connect to your carrier’s local partner.
You can surely use WhatsApp on a cruise. It’s one of your best options when it comes to sending and receiving messages from your friends and family.
The app is free, and it doesn’t use up a lot of data, so you don’t have to worry about overpaying for internet during the duration of your cruise.
You can always call your cruise company and ask for more information about their internet service onboard their ships.
Pro Tip: If you’re keen on saving a few dollars with onboard WiFi, book your cruises whenever they have internet promos.
Read Next: Why Does My WiFi Speed Fluctuate So Much?
Bottom Line
Now that you know the answer to whether can you use WhatsApp on a cruise, you’ll be able to get everything ready before you board the ship.
As long as you have internet access, you should be able to use WhatsApp to send and receive messages.
Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites.