As Carnival raises Wi-Fi prices – is it time to ask for better package options?

• Cruise guests have noticed Carnival’s Wi-Fi prices are rising.
• While the amount is not large – around $5 a day in some cases – it’s still an increase.
• Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruises are two of the only major lines that don’t offer a package price to combine drinks and Wi-Fi.

Carnival’s wifi package prices look set to creep up. An Aussie cruiser noticed and took a screenshot of the changes of the changing prices of wifi for a cruise she has next year, and apart from the multi-device premium Wi-Fi plan, all other packages have gone up a couple of dollars.

This observation has been corroborated by cruisers in the USA, who have also noticed some price increases and posted about them on forums such as Reddit. Until now, Carnival has not made an official announcement on the Wi-Fi price rises.

While the rises aren’t significant, they do contribute to a growing trend of what some cruisers call ‘nickel and dime-ing’, where small prices increases across many different functions and services on the ship together contribute to a more expensive holiday overall.

The price differences observed in Australia are as follows 

• The Social Wi-Fi plan from $17 per day to $21.25 per day
• The Premium Wi-Fi Plan from $25.50 per day to $29.75 per day 
• The Value Wi-Fi plan from $22.95 per day to $27.20 per day
• The Multi-Device Premium Wi-Fi Plan has stayed at $90 per day 

This still keeps Carnival’s basic Wi-Fi plans competitive, coming in at around the same prices as Celebrity Cruises, and still below other lines like Princess and Norwegian Cruise Lines. Royal Caribbean’s Wi-Fi package can change in price depending on your particular cruise, but generally falls around a similar range to Carnival, if not a touch more expensive. 

However, Carnival raising Wi-Fi fees also begs question: why don’t budget lines, namely Carnival and Royal Caribbean, have a package Wi-Fi and drinks option. 

The lines that come at a price point above, such as Princess Cruises, Holland America, Celebrity Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line all have their own options to package together drinks and Wi-Fi into a complete, upfront price. Options such as Princess’s plus and premier packages even have benefits on top of this. 

Previous analysis from Cruise Passenger shows that these packages do make a difference. If you want to have both Wi-Fi and a drinks package on your cruise, you’ll have to pay a lot more for this service on a Carnival or Royal Caribbean cruise than you would with Celebrity or Princess, generally at least $50-75 extra per night of cruising. 

Due to their accessible fares, cruisers of lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean would surely appreciate the option to have a similar package for their cruises and see a smaller bill at the end of their cruise.

Cruiser may become particularly keen to see the lines offer a packaged option as the itemised route becomes more expensive. 

As mentioned, Carnival’s Wi-Fi is creeping up, but Royal Caribbean’s drinks package also had an important change instituted recently. This was removing exceptions to the rule that all adults in a cabin must get the drinks package, even if some don’t plan on using it. 

What do you think? Should Carnival and Royal Caribbean offer a packaged Wi-Fi and drinks option like other lines do?