Port days, not sea days
A travel eSIM connects to the island's mobile network, so it works on shore and on the ship while it is docked or close in. Once the ship is out at sea, phones that still look for a signal connect to the ship's own cellular service instead, which your home carrier bills as roaming.
- Norwegian Cruise Line says its Cellular at Sea service switches on about six nautical miles from shore, and gives AT&T's International Day Pass at sea as $20 a day.
- Celebrity Cruises says phones move to the Cellular at Sea network about 12 nautical miles out, usually an hour after leaving port.
- Royal Caribbean says your own phone at sea is billed at your mobile provider's roaming rates, and suggests checking them before you sail.
- Princess Cruises recommends turning cellular data off in international waters and using the ship's Wi-Fi instead.
Before the ship leaves port: turn on airplane mode, or turn off data roaming on your home line and on the eSIM, then use the ship's Wi-Fi at sea. Turn the eSIM line back on at the next port.
One eSIM or one per island
The Caribbean pack is one QR for a list of islands, including Jamaica, Barbados, Saint Lucia, Turks and Caicos, the Cayman Islands and the Dominican Republic; its page lists every place it covers. The Bahamas, Aruba, Curaçao and Bermuda are not on it, so a route through those needs their own country pack.
Prices today
| Place | 1 GB | 5 GB | 10 GB | Day Pass, 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caribbean (regional) | $7.90 | $43.90 | $72.90 | – |
| Bahamas | $9.90 | $40.90 | $73.90 | – |
| Jamaica | $7.90 | $29.90 | $54.90 | – |
| Dominican Republic | $3.90 | $14.90 | $26.90 | – |
| Aruba | $11.90 | $49.90 | $88.90 | – |
Live prices, checked 24 October 2026. Every size is on each country’s page.
Free Wi-Fi at the cruise terminals
- Nassau Cruise Port (Bahamas): free Wi-Fi throughout the port.
- Bridgetown (Barbados): complimentary Wi-Fi for passengers and crew at the cruise terminal.
- Willemstad (Curaçao): free Wi-Fi at the Mega Cruise Terminal; the services listed for Mathey Wharf do not include Wi-Fi.
- Oranjestad (Aruba): a SETAR kiosk at the cruise terminal sells Wi-Fi cards.
How much data
A port day of maps, messages and photos is usually well under 1 GB. For a week-long cruise with five or six port days, 3 to 5 GB is plenty; the data guide has per-app numbers.
Packs in this guide
- Caribbean (regional) eSIM, from $7.90
- Bahamas eSIM, from $9.90
- Jamaica eSIM, from $7.90
- Dominican Republic eSIM, from $3.90
- Aruba eSIM, from $11.90
- Cayman Islands eSIM, from $8.90
- Curaçao eSIM, from $6.90
- Barbados eSIM, from $7.90
- Bermuda eSIM, from $7.90
Sources
- Norwegian Cruise Line: Is cellular service available onboard? (read 24 October 2026)
- Celebrity Cruises: Cell phones on a cruise (read 24 October 2026)
- Royal Caribbean: Personal cell phone onboard service (read 24 October 2026)
- Princess Cruises: Using your cell phone on a cruise (read 24 October 2026)
- Nassau Cruise Port (read 24 October 2026)
- Barbados Port Inc.: From ship to shore (read 24 October 2026)
- Curaçao Ports Authority: Cruise terminals (read 24 October 2026)
- Aruba Ports Authority: Facilities and services (read 24 October 2026)
Prices on Inbox eSIM are live. Other figures are as published by the sources on the dates shown.