Back in the old days, people leaving on a cruise holiday would be unable to talk to their friends and family until the next time they saw land. However, now that communications are so readily accessible, the majority of modern cruises will offer consistent mobile phone coverage and Internet access.

Wireless broadband is widely available throughout most of the main cruise lines and the laptop is usually the first item to be packed. However, this added bonus does not come free and the price of Internet connections can vary dramatically from ship to ship. It will usually be cheaper to use the ship’s Internet cafe than hook up to the bow to stem wireless.

Carnival cruises are easily the most advanced when it comes to wireless Internet access and is the only company that has Wi-Fi on every vessel in its fleet. It is also possible to rent laptops on board. In contrast, Coast cruises tend to only offer wired connections in the Internet café. On the flip side, they are at the forefront when it comes to mobile phone communications.

Of course, the quality of signal will largely depend on where you are in the world. Generally speaking, if you are close to populated areas on land, communications will be good. Having said that, you might be surprised at how many remote destinations, such as you’d find on Red Sea and Far East cruises, have strong signals.

Finally, if you want to get away from all the chatter it’s worth looking out for the ‘quiet’ areas on board, where mobile phone use is strictly prohibited.