In a move away from the industry standard of time-based WiFi charging, Disney Cruise Line is to implement a system that will charge passengers according to the amount of internet data used.
Changing from a pay-by-the-minute model, which is the norm in the cruise industry, Disney said it will result in more efficient use of bandwidth and internet speeds should improve for all passengers.
Light internet users who just check emails will pay less while passengers using up more bandwidth with streaming video will likely pay much more.
Disney becomes the first cruise line to use the Connect@Sea system from MTN Communications which has now been installed on its fleet of four ships, Disney Cruise Line spokeswoman Lauren Falcone said.
Pricing for the new pay-as-you-go system is 25 cents per megabyte along with packages for more volume-hungry passengers.
These include a small package priced at $19 for 100 MB, or 19 cents per MB, and a large package at $89 for 1,000 MB which equates to 9 cents for every MB used.
Previously, Disney charged 75 cents a minute for internet usage which is broadly in line with most other cruise companies.
