A few simple steps can keep your phone online at sea without the extra charges.
Cruise ships are a fun way to see the world and explore the open seas. And while you want to remain connected when you're away, it's important to use Airplane Mode on your phone to avoid unexpected charges.
You might pay for the ship's Wi-Fi plan, but that isn't always reliable. The other options are to sign up for a roaming plan with your cellular carrier or order a travel eSIM for the destination. But you should still use Airplane Mode when the cruise ship is on the move.
Another potential problem is that because cruise ships travel through open waters, they can pick up cellular signals from different countries and regions along the way. So, while you might think you're paying for roaming in the Bahamas, your phone could pick up a signal from Cuba long enough to trigger a charge along the way. The result is an unexpectedly high bill for roaming in a country or region you technically didn't visit but came near.
The farther a cruise ship gets away from land, the weaker its connection to land-based cellular towers. That's when the ship switches to a maritime cellular network, which is used in international waters.
