Ahoy there, Stacie! Welcome aboard here at planDisney! I'm so glad you're already thinking of the details for your Disney Cruise Line Vacation and sailed my way with your question about bringing a portable hotspot!
Ah, the age-old question of how to stay connected while at sea. We actually get this question relatively frequently so let's get right to it!
Personally, whenever I'm on a Disney Cruise Line vacation, I take the opportunity to disconnect as much as possible, set my out-of-office replies to something witty about being at sea, turn on airplane mode (they really should rename that for us cruisers, huh?), and let myself be inaccessible except through the
Disney Cruise Line Navigator App! That said, I understand there may be some circumstances where you need to be connected. The good news is you can bring your personal Wi-Fi hotspot, but let's unpack a few important details on why you may not NEED to!
As far as Wi-Fi goes, I've found that the Connect@Sea service is more than adequate for basic web browsing and the occasional call, but it's all about meeting your expectations! Now, if you are hoping to stream video or upload hundreds of photos, the ship's Wi-Fi and Cellular at Sea capabilities were not designed for that level of internet use. In my experience, I've not had any issues with connectivity while in port, though it is difficult to quantify that based on what you've experienced, but that may be what you have heard it described as "sporadic," when doing your research.
Speaking of Cellular at Sea, since portable hotspots work via Cellular service if you brought one you would technically be using data sent over the Cellular at Sea network. Just like your wireless plan, charges for data for your hotspot will vary depending on your service provider, and you should contact them before you sail so you are aware of what rates are for calls made when on an international vacation or at sea. I don't know about you, but I'm old enough to remember when "International Roaming" were the two scariest words in the universe and just how expensive even a single call can be - but depending on what you hope to accomplish while connected to the internet at sea, your nautical mileage may vary!
Well Stacie, I hope that quick download of information helped you decide if bringing the hotspot is worth the trouble! Thank you so much for your question, and if you need to drop me a line, I hear carrier seagulls are making a comeback - we'll see if they can do as well as they say, haha!
Until we meet again, may your anchor be tight, your compass true, and your wireless charges minimal!
Andrew