Are the Internet connections and VOIP on cruise ships reliable ?

Question by Sin nombre: Are the Internet connections and VOIP on cruise ships reliable ?
I have a small business that I need to send and receive phone calls a couple hours a day. Can I use a VOIP connection? Or is a cell phone a better option ? What expenses are involved?

Our cruise sails for 7 days from Puerto Rico to the Southern Caribbean Islands. I would need to make and receive around 5 calls a day for 3-4 of the days .

Thank you for your help .

Best answer:

Answer by Anja H

I found there is a difference between cruise lines, how fast an internet connection is. mostly they are reliable. For VOIP calls, expect some interruption or a not so great signal, but it works. I don’t use the ship’s computers, but my laptop, since most of the ships have wireless access by now. With this, you control better when it starts charging, since you can get all ready before you connect.

Regarding mobile phones, be careful, because by now many of the cruise ships will route through their system, which will cost you additional pennies (more dollars) when you call from the ship. Even if you are docked in one of the islands and you are thinking you are calling from Puerto Rico to your destination – you could be on the ship’s network which will cost you much more.
To avoid that you would need to know the network of the place you are at and manually change that on your phone – or walk off the ship to make your call.

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