I’ve run my own businesses for over twenty years and most cruises I’ve been on I have had to do some work, so the Internet was important.
WiFi isn’t great now, but it’s fantastic compared to how it used to be. Back in 2003, I was on the Carnival Victory from New York City to Halifax, Nova Scotia and you had to go to the Internet cafe to use the Internet.
It was very slow and very expensive.
But that was as good as it got, so I made it work. These days you can pay for WiFi on most ships and access the Internet around the ship or in your cabin.
While prices have come down and accessibility is better these days, the Internet can still be patchy since the ship is getting Internet through a satellite.
The prices for an upcoming cruise of mine range from $6.80 to $14.45 per day per person.
The cruise WiFi is adequate for Web-based email and some file uploading and downloading, but nothing too heavy like video streaming.
If you don’t want to pay for the cruise ship Internet, then you can typically find restaurants at ports that have free WiFi to check-in and post pictures.
Also, you should be able to activate an international plan on your mobile phone to access the Internet at ports. I use AT&T and I have a plan that works in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and then when I am in other countries I can use my phone for $10/day.
Don’t expect it to be as good as your home or work, but it’s there if you need it.