This Ingenious Cruise Wi-Fi Hack Works Even Better Than Your Phone's Mobile Hotspot

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Cruises are the perfect place to kick back, disconnect from our devices, get a breather from work, and detox from social media. But some folks, unfortunately, may not have the option to completely disconnect from their jobs on a trip. Others still just want to be able to reach their family members and check the news while they enjoy foreign shores. Luckily, cruise lines always have a Wi-Fi package that guests can purchase for their trip, but the cost for multiple devices adds up quickly. 

To save money, you may opt for the one-device plan, which gets complicated when you, your spouse, and your teenager all want to text. After all, no one wants family tension on vacation. But how do you avoid paying for pricy cruise Wi-Fi plans? One TikTok creator, @niatravels101, posted how she manages multiple online devices on her cruising trips. With a portable travel router and high-power battery pack, she says she is able to power her phone and computer, all on a single-device cruise Wi-Fi plan.

Let's break down just how much a cruise Wi-Fi plan will cost you. The cheapest options are typically only capable of supporting one device, while the more expensive plans can accommodate several. For reference, Carnival's most affordable Wi-Fi package starts at $18.70 per device per day and does not support streaming services like Netflix or Hulu. If you want high-speed internet and streaming on one device, you'll have to bump up that daily per-person price to $23.80. Total that up for a five-day trip on the newest, biggest cruise ship, and you've just spent $119 for one device. With multiple cabin mates and devices, Wi-Fi for the whole family could cost you almost $500.

In comparison, a travel router like the one in @niatravels101's video can be purchased on Amazon for $34.99. This hack works by purchasing a single-device cruise Wi-Fi plan and connecting the router to the cruise connection. Once you're connected, you should be able to connect multiple devices to it at once. This way, more than one member of the family can be connected at a time. Cruisers will only have to purchase a single device Wi-Fi plan, which could save them hundreds of dollars.

Something all travelers need to know about cruise Wi-Fi before setting sail is that you can't expect the connection to be as reliable as your home setup. While portable routers can support multiple devices, cruise Wi-Fi is still not the strongest, especially when you are out to sea. Most of these plans are not meant to support unlimited usage, and while this hack will certainly save you on expenses, it won't make your internet work any faster.

If you are planning to stay connected out and about the ship, whether you're texting at the piano bar or working on the ship's pool deck, you'll have to bring the router along with you. These small devices are only meant to cover a short physical range, like an apartment or a small house. You can't expect your kid at the buffet to be able to stay connected to the router that's in your room. @niatravels101 makes her router even more portable by using a high-power battery pack to power the router on the go. You can also find these on Amazon.

The most important thing to research before running to buy a portable router is to check and see if your cruise line even allows these devices on board. Some cruise lines, namely Royal Caribbean, have banned the use of portable routers on board. So do yourself a favor, and double-check your cruise's router rules before diving headfirst into this money-saving hack.