Short answer
US carriers bill St. Maarten as international roaming. AT&T’s International Day Pass and Verizon’s TravelPass cost $12/day, charged on each day you use your phone, so a week costs about $84. T-Mobile’s T-Mix More and Loaded plans (and the older Experience plans) include data. For a cruise stop in Philipsburg, a St. Maarten eSIM with 1 GB for 3 days costs $8. Staying longer? TelCell’s prepaid data costs $10 for 7.5 GB over 7 days, plus $20 for the SIM. If you cross to the French side, check that your plan covers it.
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Cheapest per GB
$49.99
5 GB/day (150 GB total) • 30 days
Checked Nov 9, 2026
Get plan (opens provider site)What each option costs in St. Maarten
| Option | Cost | What you get | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T International Day Pass | $12/day | uses home plan allowance; talk, text, data; per day; $6/day for each extra line. $20/day per line at sea (cruise ship networks). Charged max 10 days per bill cycle. | att.com Verified Oct 6 Checked Oct 6, 2026 |
| T-Mobile included international roaming | Included in some plans | 5 GB high-speed (T-Mix More, Experience More 2.0) or 15 GB (T-Mix Loaded, Experience Beyond 2.0), then 256 kbps; data, texts; billing cycle; Included on T-Mix More and T-Mix Loaded (launched Nov 2026) and the older Experience More 2.0 and Experience Beyond 2.0. T-Mix Standard includes texts only abroad, calls $0.50/min. Essentials and other older plans differ. | t-mobile.com Verified Nov 7 Checked Nov 7, 2026 |
| Verizon TravelPass | $12/day | uses home plan allowance; talk, text, data; per day | verizon.com Verified Oct 6 Checked Oct 6, 2026 |
| TelCell prepaid data plan | $2–10 | 2.5 GB or 3 GB (1 day), 6 GB (3 days), 7.5 GB (7 days); data only; 1-7 days | telem.sx Verified Nov 7 Checked Nov 7, 2026 |
| Travel eSIM (compared above) | from $5.49 | MobiMatter Americas 1 GB / 7 days, data only | Verified Oct 26 |
Does Verizon work in St. Maarten?
Yes, through TravelPass, at $12/day, charged on each day you use your phone there. It uses your normal plan’s allowance. St. Maarten isn’t part of Verizon’s cheaper Mexico and Canada rate.
Does AT&T work in St. Maarten?
Yes. The International Day Pass costs $12/day, plus $6 a day for each extra line. AT&T charges at most 10 days per bill cycle, so a two-week stay costs $120 per line. On a cruise ship’s network at sea it’s $20 a day.
Does T-Mobile work in St. Maarten?
Yes. On T-Mix More and T-Mix Loaded, and on the older Experience More 2.0 and Experience Beyond 2.0, data in St. Maarten is included: 5 GB or 15 GB at high speed, then up to 256 kbps. T-Mix Standard includes texts but no data abroad, and calls cost $0.50 a minute. Other T-Mobile plans have different terms, so check yours in the T-Mobile app.
Does UScellular work in St. Maarten?
It depends on your plan. T-Mobile bought UScellular’s wireless business in August 2025, and UScellular customers kept their old plans for the time being. The last version of UScellular’s travel page (January 2026) said a Daily Travel Pass at $15, or $25 in some countries, is added automatically on days you use your phone; it didn’t list the price for each country. If your account has moved to a T-Mobile plan, T-Mobile’s terms above apply.
Local SIM or eSIM?
The Dutch side has two mobile networks, TelCell and Flow (which used to be called UTS and sold prepaid as Chippie).
- TelCell prepaid data: 2.5 GB for 1 day ($2), 6 GB for 3 days ($6) or 7.5 GB for 7 days ($10). You choose a plan by dialling *1721#. A TelCell SIM card costs $20 and includes $10 of credit; Telem’s branches and resellers sell them.
- Flow: Flow’s prepaid prices aren’t shown on its website, so we don’t quote any.
For a week, a TelCell SIM with the 7-day plan costs at most $30 in total, less than most eSIMs with that much data, if your phone is unlocked and has a free SIM slot. For a cruise stop, a travel eSIM is simpler: you install it at home and it works when you step off the ship.
The French side
The island is split in two. Sint Maarten (the Dutch side, with Philipsburg and the airport) and Saint-Martin (the French side, with Marigot, Grand Case and Orient Bay) are different countries with their own networks. Your phone can switch to a French network near the border without you noticing. A St. Maarten eSIM may stop working or charge differently there unless the plan lists both sides, so check the coverage list before you buy. If you rely on a US carrier’s day pass, check that Saint Martin is on its country list as well as Sint Maarten.
Which network will a St. Maarten eSIM use?
Travel eSIMs for St. Maarten use TelCell, Flow or Digicel. Airalo says TelCell; Kolet and Maya Mobile say Flow (aloSIM lists UTS, Flow’s old name); GigSky and Roamless list Digicel and TelCell; Ubigi lists Flow and TelCell. We haven’t tested any of them ourselves.
On a cruise to St. Maarten
Ships dock at Philipsburg on the Dutch side. A stop is usually one day, so a 1-day or 3-day eSIM is enough. If your excursion goes to the French side, read the section above first. 1. Turn off data roaming on your home line before the ship sails, and keep cellular data off at sea. 2. Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi. 3. Switch it on once you’re ashore.
More in our Caribbean cruise eSIM guide. For Wi-Fi on board, see the Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, MSC and Princess guides.
Common questions
Will my US cell phone work in St. Maarten?
Yes. AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile all roam in St. Maarten, so your phone connects to a local network once data roaming is on. What it costs depends on your plan: AT&T and Verizon charge $12/day for each day you use it, and T-Mobile’s More and Loaded plans include data.
Is St. Maarten included in my US phone plan?
Usually not. AT&T and Verizon bill it as international roaming at their daily rate. T-Mobile’s T-Mix More and Loaded plans (and the older Experience More and Beyond) include data there.
Will my phone work on the French side of St. Martin?
Usually, but it may connect to a French network there. That can mean a different charge or no data on a St. Maarten-only plan. Check whether your eSIM or carrier pass lists Saint Martin as well as Sint Maarten.
Do I need a St. Maarten SIM card for a cruise stop?
No. For one day ashore, an eSIM or your carrier’s day pass is simpler than finding a phone store.
More: eSIM for a Caribbean cruise · Do I need an eSIM? · How to install an eSIM