Wi-Fi charges on cruise ships Susan Barnes, Crosby, Isle of Man We are shortly to embark on a cruise with P & O, knowing that the charges for phone and email aboard are high and that we will be unlikely to get ashore to use landside facilities even if they can be found. Could you please advise us of the most economical way to keep in touch with home while aboard. Jane Archer, cruise expert, replies Internet charges on ships are notoriously high - 50p per minute on P & O, plus a one-time £2.50 activation fee - but most cruise lines offer packages that lower the cost and buying one of these will probably be best. The more minutes you buy, the cheaper the rate, so it pays to buy the biggest package if you are going to be online a lot. P & O has four packages, ranging from 100 minutes for £35 (35p per minute) to 1,000 minutes for £200 (20p per minute). Note that there are no refunds for unused time. Most cruise lines offer free bonus minutes if you register and buy a package before dinner on the first day, so make the internet café your first stop on board. Even if you don't go ashore, check out the terminals where you dock as often they have free Wi-Fi or public phones. Email your query to asktheexperts@telegraph.co.uk or click on the image above to find out more. About Jane Archer Jane spends much of the year at sea, uncovering the best and worst about cruise ships.