Everything You Need To Know About P&O Cruises’ WiFi (Including Cost & How To Buy)

WiFi isn’t included in your P&O Cruises fare – and that’s the case with most cruise lines. If you want to stay connected at sea, you’ll need to purchase a package.

This guide covers everything you need to know about P&O Cruises’ internet options, including the different packages, prices, and how to buy them, so you can get online without overspending.

Whether You Need WiFi

Before you go ahead and buy a wifi package, let’s think about whether you actually need one or not…

Using Mobile Data

Whenever the ship is docked, you’ll usually be able to access 3G, 4G or 5G data. Ever since Brexit, many mobile phone providers have still let you use your standard data allowance in Europe for no extra cost.

Outside of Europe, you’ll likely have to pay for data on your phone. But this doesn’t always cost a lot, so be sure to check with your mobile network before you go.

You can also use mobile data while at sea, but I definitely would not recommend that. Once the ship leaves port, your phone will connect to a maritime network, and it will cost you a lot.

You can understand how much data roaming at sea costs and why here: How to Avoid Roaming Charges on a Cruise.

You Could Try Switching Off

Unless you have a family member or urgent business to worry about back home, you might consider turning your phone off while your ship is at sea.

Most cruises have no more than two consecutive sea days, and it can be great to spend time connecting with the people you’re with without looking at your phone.

If there’s ever an emergency at home, your family members would be able to contact the ship and pass on a message.

The ‘My Holiday’ Platform Works Without WiFi

During your cruise, you can use P&O Cruises’ My Holiday to view your onboard account, make dining and theatre reservations, join virtual queues and book shore excursions.

The My Holiday planner isn’t an app; it’s a website. But you won’t need a WiFi package to access it, as you can do so using P&O Cruises’ limited free WiFi. Just connect to ‘P&OCruises_Guest_WIFI’ and then use your browser to visit myholiday.pocruises.com.

P&O Cruises Wifi Packages

If you’ve decided that you would like to have internet access during your P&O Cruise, here’s how you can arrange that…

P&O Cruises offer two different wifi packages, plus a ‘Pay Per Minute’ option:

P&O Cruises’ Essential WiFi is only for social media, web browsing and email. So you can check your Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as well as send messages via WhatsApp.

With this package, it used to be the case that you couldn’t check your emails or browse the web for information. But, after some feedback from guests with complaints along the lines of “I bought the internet package and I can’t use the internet”, web browsing and email are now included.

Ultimate WiFi gives you a faster connection and allows you to use voice and video calling, and stream music and video in addition to browsing the internet, sending emails and using social media and WhatsApp.

I’ve had a bad experience with the Ultimate WiFi before. I bought it on my late-2022 cruise on Arvia, and it was so slow that it was virtually unusable. It wouldn’t allow me to upload videos to social media, so I couldn’t update my Instagram stories.

On Christmas Day, the Wi-Fi didn’t work at all (I expect that was because of the increased number of guests wanting to use it).

But – and it’s an important but – the WiFi has been upgraded to Starlink since then, which is the speedy satellite WiFi that’s becoming standard across the fleet. So it should be much more reliable.

When’s Best to Buy the WiFi

If you intend to buy a P&O Cruises WiFi package for your whole cruise, then you can buy before your cruise or once on board. 24-hour plans can only be purchased on board.

Before You Cruise

To buy a WiFi package before your cruise, you’ll need to log in to the P&O Cruises Planner. Alternatively, you can call P&O Cruises’ contact centre on 0344 338 8003 (local call charges apply). This is available up to 4 days before your cruise.

Buying Onboard

Once you’re onboard your P&O Cruises ship, it’s easy to buy a WiFi package. Just open the My Holiday planner and navigate to WiFi.

Alternatively, you can connect to the free guest WiFi, go to internet.pocruises.com and follow the on-screen instructions.

You’ll see all of the WiFi options along with prices. Just tap the one you want, and it will be billed to your onboard account.

Sharing a WiFi Package

One important thing to know about the P&O WiFi is that you can use it on multiple devices, so long as you don’t connect both devices at the same time. So if there are two of you, you can just purchase one package and take turns to use it.

This does, however, mean that you can’t use the WiFi to message each other while you’re on the ship. But it can save you quite a lot of money.

If you try to log in when the other person is already logged in, you can tap a button to kick them off the WiFi so you can use it.

There is a 10% discount for multiple devices, but this is only if two devices are registered to the same guest.

WiFi for Medical Devices

If you need internet access for medical reasons, such as a continuous glucose monitoring device for diabetes, you can get this free of charge on P&O Cruises. Just ask at the reception desk on board for a free internet voucher.

What to Do if You Don’t Have a Smartphone

Most P&O Cruises ships have a library with public computers that you can use to access the internet if you don’t have a working smartphone or tablet. These are open 24 hours per day. However, the newer ships, Arvia and Iona, do not have public computers.

Should you need to print anything off, you can do so in the library for 30p per sheet. A scanning service is also available at Guest Services.

WiFi and P&O Cruises’ All-Inclusive Packages

For sailings from March 2026 onwards, P&O Cruises also offers optional all-inclusive packages that include WiFi as part of the bundle. These are available on cruises of five nights or longer and can be added to any fare type.

The Classic Package includes Essential WiFi, which is suitable for browsing, social media and messaging, while the Deluxe Package includes Ultimate WiFi, allowing for streaming and video calls.

If you were already planning to buy a WiFi package and a drinks package, choosing one of these bundled options can work out better value, especially on longer cruises. However, WiFi is still not included in the standard fare, and you can continue to buy internet access separately if you prefer.

Final Word

WiFi at sea is never as fast as the WiFi that you’re used to at home, even with the Starlink upgrades. The speed that you’ll get depends on where you are on the ship and how many other people are using the WiFi at the same time.

There are always blackspots on cruise ships, so head to a public lounge for your best chance of getting a good signal.

But it won’t be as problematic now that Starlink is installed. You shouldn’t struggle to get online at all, especially if you pay for the Ultimate WiFi package – there might just be one or two spots where it’s a struggle.

Personally, I don’t think that buying WiFi for your whole cruise is worth it. There are lots more fun things to be doing on a cruise ship rather than looking at your phone!

But, if you really need to stay in touch on sea days, then buying a P&O Cruises’ WiFi package in 24-hour blocks is a good option – unless you’re sailing on an itinerary where one of the all-inclusive packages makes more sense, as these include WiFi alongside drinks and speciality dining credit.

Related Posts:

• What’s Included in a P&O Cruise?
• P&O Drinks Package: Is It Worth It?
• 10 Handy Tips for Cruising With a Baby or Toddler on P&O Cruises