Why going offline on your next trip might be the best choice

Some families are choosing to forgo internet and cell service on vacation to encourage more quality time.
Without electronic devices, children and adults may be more present and engaged in their surroundings and activities.

Jessica Perez has two kids who are constantly on the internet. But she didn’t think about the fact that she would lose cell and internet service on her cruise until she boarded the ship in Miami.

She and her family embarked on Royal Caribbean International’s Wonder of the Seas in early October. Her 17-year-old daughter is “very into school” and always working on something academic, while her son is “your average 11-year-old gamer who needs to have connection to Wi-Fi at all times,” Perez told USA TODAY.

The 37-year-old onboarding coordinator and her husband considered buying the Wi-Fi package, but decided against it. “I was like, ‘You know what? No, this will be good for the kids to just have a meal and not have anything in front of them, or have a conversation with us and enjoy the things that are available on the cruise.’”

Over the course of their three-day trip to the Bahamas and back, Perez said, the Massachusetts family immersed themselves in activities, from a silent disco to the balloon drop in the ship’s Royal Promenade. “It was nice to see that the kids were really enjoying the moment,” she said. “They got to be kids, and that’s not something that you always see, because, again, they’re always on electronics.”

It wasn’t entirely without drawbacks, though: At one point, her husband thought he had lost his credit card and wasn’t able to freeze it without service – but he later found it. Other than that, she said, they “loved no Wi-Fi”.

In an era where Wi-Fi and cell service can feel essential, some families have found that vacations without them foster a unique kind of quality time. However, it’s not always so easy to disconnect – at least at first.

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‘I don’t even want to check my work email’

Anna Rietz and her family spent a week without Wi-Fi in June. Her husband’s family has been staying at a cabin at California’s Pinecrest Lake – also shared among family friends – “for generations,” but this was their first time taking their two kids along.

The owners of the cabin and the other families who vacation there have decided that the lack of internet or cell service is part of “what makes it special,” said the 36-year-old Bay Area resident. Rietz prepared accordingly, downloading some podcasts to her phone for herself, along with some cartoons, which were part of her 4-year-old daughter’s weekend routine.

“I’m thinking back to that week, and she was just so kind of engaged with everything around her and her cousins and the lake that I don’t even think we had to pull out the ‘Bluey,’” she recalled. Rietz, who works in customer experience marketing, attributed that largely to the kids not seeing their parents on their phones as much.

For Rietz, who also has a 1-year-old, the adjustment was more significant. While some other members of their group had cell service, she did not – but still noticed the impulse to check her phone. “And literally, for me, nothing is refreshing on my phone, so I’m not getting that little dopamine hit that I’m used to of a notification,” she said. “So, I do think my brain eventually realized, like, there’s nothing here on this device.”

She and her family spent their time in other ways that week, playing games and walking to a nearby candy shop. They sat by a campfire and sang songs every night. By the end of the trip, the urge to check her phone had subsided.

“And then, of course, like, there’s this moment when you leave and you’re back on the road, and you get back into Wi-Fi, and I’m almost like, ‘I don’t even want to check the news, like, I don’t even want to check my work email.’”

How to plan an internet-free trip

When aiming to go internet or device-free on a trip, travelers should consider their family’s interests during the planning stage.

“I feel like if you keep (kids) engaged and it’s something they really enjoy, they’ll put the phone down long enough to actually spend some family time and have a good time,” said Karen Aguiar, a travel agent with AAA Northeast. For her 13-year-old twin boys, for example, that’s going to the beach or pool or water sports.

Some destinations lend themselves particularly well to disconnecting. “I think a lot of national park tours get out and do something outdoors. Locally, New Hampshire,” she said. “If you want to go out west, the Grand Canyon … I feel like that’s a great one, too, because you’re outdoors, not much cell phone service out there.”

Cruises, where Wi-Fi typically costs extra, are another option.

Changes in routine can be challenging, however, especially for families with kids on the autism spectrum. If going off Wi-Fi cold turkey seems too extreme, Aguiar suggested giving kids a bit of time on devices as needed before taking them to do something else.

“And then maybe take a little short break, give them the iPad back, maybe alternating or giving them a little bit of time in between, because it’s tough to just tell the kids, ‘OK, that’s it. We’ve got no devices.’”

If travelers can part with the internet for a few days, though, they may find a different kind of connection.

“I think that when you remove the distraction of your phones, you’re more present,” said Rietz. “You’re engaging in conversation. Like, we’re just sitting around talking, playing cards. I think I called it a ‘90s vacation, because I just imagine, like, this must have been how it was for my parents when we were young.”

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

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