Carnival announces social media Internet packages from £3.20 per day

Carnival Cruise Lines has announced it is enhancing its Internet service by offering new social media packages to be rolled out fleet-wide by 2016.

The package offers access to a variety of popular websites for $5 (approximately £3.20) per day. The package is available on more than half of the line’s ships with fleet-wide implementation scheduled by the first quarter of 2016. The social media package provides unlimited access to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Pinterest and other popular sites with discounted packages available if booked for the entire cruise. The package allows guests to keep in touch with friends and family via social media without paying for full Internet access.

Carnival has also announced its mobile app (currently only available on Carnival Breeze) will be rolled out to five additional ships by the end of the year and will be fleet-wide by summer 2016. The app provides guests with an at-a-glance view of the ship’s facilities along with updates on events and happenings taking place on-board, all available free of charge. It includes day-by-day schedules of hundreds of on-board events, information on food and drink venues, searchable deck plans, itinerary details, Sail & Sign account balance and more. It also include the ability to pre-purchase the line’s ‘Cheers!’ and ‘Bottomless Bubbles’ beverage packages and upload photos to be displayed on Carnival Breeze’s 270-square-foot Seaside Theatre during the voyage.

The app also includes an innovative “chat” feature that allows guests to exchange messages with their travelling companions using their mobile devices for a flat fee of $5 (approximately £3.20) for the entire cruise. The iOS and Android apps are available for download via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. A Windows Mobile app is not available.

Carnival is busy rolling out enhanced Internet access across the fleet. So far the new service, which offers dramatically increased bandwidth and speed, is available on 13 ships. A “value” plan, priced at $16 (approximately £10.25) per day, includes unlimited access to the Web for checking email, sports scores, weather updates and a wide range of other applications while a “premium” package, priced at $25 (approximately £16) per day, provides the fastest available connection speed and allows access to video calling sites like Skype.

Gabriela Gonzalez, Carnival’s vice president of guest technology said: “Fast, affordable and reliable social media channels and the Internet has become an essential on cruise ships. We have thoughtfully approached this area to ensure we are providing options that guests sailing throughout our fleet find truly valuable and reliable.”

(Photo credit to Carnival Cruise Lines)