I Work Remotely From a Cruise Ship — Here’s How I Stay Productive

• Walter Biscardi runs his travel business remotely from cruise ships for three months each year.
• He said WiFi reliability has improved, but video calls and finding power outlets can be difficult.
• Biscardi recommends Virgin Voyages to remote workers because of the workspaces and WiFi.

This essay as told is based on a conversation with Walter Biscardi, a 59-year-old travel agent based in Orlando. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I have worked in film, television, documentary and marketing, and ran two creative agencies in Atlanta for 25 years.

A few years ago, my wife and I turned my second passion, travel, into “Where’s Walter Travel.” We specialize in travel planning services for cruises, group vacations, theme park tours and corporate retreats.

We live in a rental in Orlando, but I run the travel planning business from a cruise ship three months out of the year.

We started taking advantage of our remote work situation after the pandemic

In just a few years of working on cruise ships, I’ve noticed that more and more people are starting to do the same thing.

We mainly sail in the Caribbean. Last year our three months were spread across six different trips on the cruise lines Royal Caribbean, Oceania, Virgin Voyages and Carnival. If it were up to me, I would be at sea six months a year, but my wife prefers three.

This year we will be back on Virgin Voyages in June and on the Sun Princess in October. We are also planning a few more.

The speed and reliability of WiFi on board ships has been a game changer

I don’t always look for speed but rather regularity and reliability.

Even though WiFi is reliable on most ships, it’s still not perfect and you need to manage your expectations. WiFi on ships is satellite based, so the signal will be slower if there are lots of clouds. Rain can also temporarily interrupt it completely.

WiFi signal in rooms may be weak. When I board, I walk around public places, I look at the ceiling and find the repeaterswhich amplify the router signal. I park under a repeater to work, so at least I know I’m getting the fastest signal.

Video calls can be risky, but voice calls over WiFi work well

Most of my work involves using email, social media apps, and a web browser, so I don’t tend to have any problems. Download speed is the hardest thing about working on a cruise ship.

Working from a cruise ship may not be for you if you need to upload a video to YouTube or be on video for 100% of your Zoom calls. Zooming with video disabled works fine. I post TikToks all day, but uploading to YouTube will fail almost every time.

Turn off your cell service on board the ship, even if you have unlimited roaming abroad. The phones use maritime satellite cellular, and it’s ridiculously expensive. I’ve heard of people going home with $1,000 cell bills because they didn’t turn off their roaming.

I can usually make most of my calls over WiFi, but you won’t be able to do this on some ships. Texting from ship to ship usually works well if you’re using the same type of phone as the person you’re messaging, but when texting across platforms it sometimes doesn’t work.

Finding power outlets can be difficult

Generally, if you have to do a full day of mains-connected work, you should stay in your room. A tip for finding power when looking in public areas is to see where they plug the vacuum cleaners in.

I highly recommend bringing a power board with multiple USB outlets. I have one with 10 USB connections, which allows me to charge my phone, GoPro, and other devices simultaneously.

Virgin Voyages ships are the most remote worker friendly

The galley on a Virgin Voyages ship is set up like a café, with electrical and USB outlets easily accessible at the table. There are dozens of outlets, inviting people to bring their laptops and work from the ship.

I usually upgrade to the premium WiFi option, which can cost between $19 and $39 per day on most lines, but Virgin only charges $10 per day to upgrade.

I work in a home office, so working on a cruise is a big change

I operate at sea as well as on land, with the same office hours available to my clients except when I know we are going on an excursion.

Cruise ships are comparable to remote workspaces, but they offer so much more. On a cruise, almost everything is included: breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, entertainment and most amenities.

If I want to take a break from work, I go to the swimming pool. When I’m done for the day, I’m going to the theater to see a show.

Meeting places are usually free on a cruise ship. Usually you just need to reserve a conference room. Audio-visual installations are usually also included, although you may have to pay an installation fee.

Remember to be respectful: many people are on board for vacation. I went to the pool area and saw people taking work calls on speakerphone, which is ridiculously annoying.

I suggest choosing at least one port for each cruise and making it a “sailing day”.

About 75% of people get off the ship at any port, so staying on board feels like you have the whole place to yourself.

Activities such as swimming pools will remain open and spas will often reduce their services by 20-40% on port days.

Of course, I always recommend getting off and exploring as much as possible – that’s what cruises are for.