eSIM for a cruise

A cruise has two internet zones. Out at sea the phone sees only the ship’s satellite network, which Polish operators charge at their highest rates, tens of złoty per megabyte; neither the operators’ packages nor an eSIM cover it. In port the phone picks up the country’s ordinary network, and there the eSIM works as it does on land.

Rule number one

Turn data roaming off on your Polish SIM for the whole cruise and don’t turn it on at sea. Buy internet on board in the ship’s package if you need it; in port, use the eSIM.

Which plan

• •
  A cruise along one country’s coast, for example along Norway, is in the European Economic Area, and your Polish SIM works as it does at home.
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  The Caribbean: ports in several countries, a regional plan for the Caribbean, or the Dominican Republic on its own if that is the main port.
• •
  The Mediterranean with ports in Turkey, Montenegro or Egypt: a plan for Europe covers Turkey and the Balkans in most versions; Egypt separately.
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  The Persian Gulf: the Emirates, and a regional Middle East plan for Oman and Qatar.

Data: you use little in port, maps and photos; 3–5 GB for a two-week cruise is usually enough.

How it works in practice

1. 1.
   Install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi: the guide. Don’t turn the eSIM line on until the first port outside the EU, so a regional plan doesn’t start at home.
2. 2.
   In port, turn the eSIM line on, switch data to it and turn on data roaming for it.
3. 3.
   Once the ship is back at sea, turn the eSIM line off or turn on aeroplane mode: otherwise the phone may pick up the ship’s satellite through the eSIM, whose plan doesn’t cover it.

What to watch out for

• •
  On the phone, the ship’s satellite is usually called “Cellular at Sea”, “MCP” or something similar; if you see it, turn data off.
• •
  The plan’s validity counts from the first connection in port, so a 7-day plan on a 14-day cruise will run out halfway through.