A passenger enjoying a relaxing vacation onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship was quickly brought back to reality when he received an enormous cellphone bill because of one particularly costly mistake. What started as a week of sun-soaked memories ended with a staggering $1,300 cell phone bill, leaving the cruiser furious and demanding answers from the cruise line. The passenger, whose identity has not been revealed, thought he was covered for all cellphone use after purchasing Royal Caribbean's WiFi package, but he returned home to find the eye-watering bill. While he had been sipping cocktails and soaking up the ocean breeze, his phone was silently racking up roaming charges, downloading updates and background data like it was on a high-seas spending spree, all because of a simple mistake. Despite the WiFi plan, his phone had not been set to “Airplane Mode," and to make matters worse, his child had also unknowingly added to the charges by using the phone to constantly stream videos throughout the trip. When the furious passenger called Royal Caribbean demanding answers, the cruise line quickly washed its hands of the matter, citing their clear policy that it's the responsibility of the passenger to activate Airplane Mode on their own device. While adults may overlook the necessity of Airplane Mode, children often have no understanding of roaming charges or how they differ at sea. It's also not just about avoiding hefty phone bills; parents also face another major spending trap onboard: arcades. Arcade machines often require scanning a cabin room key in order to use, but the costs aren't displayed. Because of that, it's all too easy for children to swipe their way to hundreds of dollars of spending in a single day, all without parents realizing it until the final bill arrives.
