Short answer
Buy an eSIM for each port before you sail, install it at home on Wi-Fi, and keep cellular data off while the ship is at sea. At sea your phone can connect to the ship’s own network, which travel eSIMs don’t cover and home carriers charge extra for. Switch the eSIM on once you’re ashore. For a one-day stop, a short plan with 1 GB is enough for most people. The cheapest plan of three days or less costs $0.54 to $8.00, depending on the island.
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Which eSIM should I buy for each port?
A plan for one country only works in that country, so you need one for each country on your itinerary, or a regional plan that covers them all. The cards above show the cheapest verified plan of three days or less for each island. Each island’s page compares every plan by price, data and length.
A few ports change what you should buy:
- Bermuda: ships often stay more than one day, so pick a plan that covers every day you’re docked. Our Bermuda cruise guide has the details.
- Bahamas: we haven’t checked signal on the cruise lines’ private islands (CocoCay, Castaway Cay, Half Moon Cay). Download what you need while you’re in Nassau or on the ship’s Wi-Fi.
- Cozumel: check your home plan first; many US plans include Mexico. One Mexico plan also covers Costa Maya and Progreso if your cruise stops there too.
- Cayman Islands: a tender port. Switch the eSIM on once you’re on land, not on the tender.
- St. Maarten: if your excursion goes to the French side, the eSIM may switch to a French network or lose data unless the plan also lists Saint-Martin.
For Jamaica, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, the Dominican Republic and Roatán, a short plan for that country covers a port day.
What should I do before I sail?
- Check your phone. It has to support eSIM and be unlocked (two quick checks).
- Check your home plan. Some US plans already include some of the ports. Cozumel is included on many AT&T and Verizon unlimited plans, and T-Mobile’s T-Mix More and Loaded plans (and the older Experience plans) include data on every island here (what each carrier includes).
- Buy and install the eSIM at home, on Wi-Fi, a day or two before you leave (how to install it). Leave it switched off for data.
- Check when the plan starts. Most start on first connection in the destination, but some start the moment you install them.
Why turn off data at sea?
Out of range of land, phones connect to the ship’s own mobile network. It isn’t part of any travel eSIM, and your home carrier bills it separately from its normal roaming pass. AT&T’s International Day Pass costs $20 a day per line for any day you use it at sea, compared with $12/day on land, and a day you use it both at sea and ashore is billed at the sea rate (AT&T).
Turn off cellular data before the ship leaves port. On iPhone: Settings → Cellular → turn off Cellular Data, or use Airplane Mode with Wi-Fi on. On Android: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → turn off Roaming. Do it on sailing day, before you lose the land signal.
How do I switch the eSIM on in port?
- Once you’re ashore, turn on the eSIM line and set it as the line for mobile data. Keep data roaming off on your home line.
- On a tender port (the ship anchors offshore and small boats take you in, as at Grand Cayman), wait until you’re on land.
- Before you go back on board, switch cellular data off again, or put the phone in Airplane Mode with Wi-Fi on.
How much data does a port day need?
For maps, messaging, a few photos sent home and some browsing, a 1 GB plan is enough for most people on a one-day stop. Video calls and streaming use far more, so pick a bigger or unlimited plan if you need them. Download offline maps and your excursion tickets on the ship’s Wi-Fi or at home, so you don’t need data just to find the meeting point.
Can one eSIM cover several islands?
Many cruises stop in several countries, and a plan for one country doesn’t work in the next. You have two choices:
- One short plan per island. Usually the cheapest, because single-country plans for a day or three cost little. You install several eSIMs and switch to the right one in each port.
- One regional or global plan. Fewer installs, but check that every country on your itinerary is in the plan’s coverage list. Coverage differs by provider, and some “Caribbean” plans leave out islands on this site.
Staying on an island for a week or more before or after the cruise? See our Caribbean vacation eSIM guide.
Common questions
What’s the best eSIM for a Caribbean cruise?
For most cruises, a short plan for each port: the cheapest plan of three days or less costs $0.54 to $8.00 per island, and 1 GB covers a typical port day. A regional or global plan saves installs if it covers every country on your route. Either way, keep data off at sea.
Will my eSIM work on the ship?
Not a normal travel eSIM. At sea your phone can only reach the ship’s own network, which country and regional eSIMs don’t cover. GigSky sells Cruise + plans that include ship networks and every port on this site; on Royal Caribbean, 1 GB for 7 days costs $31.99, against $18.99 to $24.99 a day for the ship’s Voom Wi-Fi (prices for every ship). On most Carnival ships it’s the same plan, against $20.40 to $25.50 a day for Carnival’s Wi-Fi (Carnival Wi-Fi prices). Every NCL ship takes it too; NCL gives 150 free Wi-Fi minutes per guest and charges $29.99 a day for more (NCL Wi-Fi prices). MSC ships take it as well, against about $203 a week for MSC’s cheapest Wi-Fi package (MSC Wi-Fi prices). Princess ships need the same plan, against $27.99 a day for Princess’s MedallionNet bought before the cruise (Princess Wi-Fi prices). Otherwise, use the ship’s Wi-Fi on board and the eSIM once you’re ashore.
Can I use the same eSIM in every port?
Only if it’s a regional or global plan that lists every country on your route. A plan for one island stops working when you reach the next country. Cozumel, Costa Maya and Progreso are all in Mexico, so one Mexico plan covers those three.
When should I buy the eSIM?
A few days before you sail, so you can install it at home on Wi-Fi. Check when it starts counting days: if it starts on installation, install it as late as you can.
Do I need an eSIM if my plan includes international roaming?
Maybe not. If your plan includes the ports you’ll visit, you can use it ashore. Keep data off at sea either way: the ship’s network is billed separately. See Do I need an eSIM?.