Royal Caribbean is banning travel routers from its cruises, and travelers—particularly influencers—are in shambles over the new policy.
According to a February report in The Travel, Royal Caribbean cited security concerns when it announced a ban on portable router devices on its cruise ships. If you aren’t a regular on cruises, this tidbit might fly right over your head. But this has serious implications for cruise enthusiasts.
Cruise lines enforce a long list of rules designed to keep people safe while out at sea. In this case, however, some travelers think the change has more to do with the fact that portable routers helped people circumvent the cruise line’s strict rules with regard to Wi-Fi. Service on Royal Caribbean is called the VOOM Surf & Stream package.
Some of Royal Caribbean’s ships are even upgraded to feature SpaceX Starlink. That Wi-Fi service is even faster than its previous offering, and you pay the same price.
Unfortunately, that price is upwards of $15.99 per device per day, and you are also limited in the number of devices you can connect without paying more. YouTuber La Lido Loca said the portable routers are “essential” for any cruise. Otherwise, travelers are inundated with fees to add additional devices to their packages.
However, not everyone agrees that this qualifies as oppression. Some viewers in La Lido Loca’s comments question why anyone would need to be that plugged in on a cruise in the first place. Allegedly, these trips are intended primarily for relaxation.
That might not be the case if going on cruises and making videos about it is your main source of income. Others said they’ve used the portable routers when going off the ship at different ports.
Royal Caribbean isn’t the only cruise line frustrating travelers by banning certain items. Carnival Cruise Line famously doesn’t allow Bluetooth speakers.
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