Do mobile phones work on cruise ships? While you can use your mobile phone on a cruise ship overseas or in Australia, it’s worth thinking twice about it before you do. Because there’s one souvenir you don’t want to bring home from your cruise and that’s a huge phone bill. Cruise ships use satellite services to provide mobile coverage when the ship is out of range of the mobile phone towers onshore. Call charges start at around $5 per minute and data rates are even more expensive. However, it’s possible to stay connected without spending a fortune with the following tips.

Access mobile data the stress free way

If you buy and install a data only travel eSIM, it will only connect to land based towers when the ship is within reach of land or in port. This means you can leave your phone data enabled and use it whenever your phone can access the data network with no fear of unexpected mobile data charges on your usual bill. You can also maximise your port days and get online without wasting time hunting down free wi-fi hotspots, as your data eSIM works onshore too.

Be careful if you’re close to shore

On cruises that sail up the coast, you will may be able to connect to mobile phone towers onshore for much of your trip. But this doesn’t mean you should, unless you’ve installed a travel eSIM. If you haven’t and you’ve got global roaming activated with your usual provider, your mobile phone can automatically switch over from your regular provider to the ship’s satellite service without you realising. Most providers send a text to stay you’ve activated global roaming but this can take a while to come through. If you’ve got automatic app updates turned on, missing this message can be an expensive mistake!

Switch your phone to aeroplane mode

The best way to avoid unwanted mobile phone charges onboard the ship is to switch your phone to aeroplane mode when you get onboard. If you want to surf the net onboard, you can buy an internet package and activate wi-fi only access so there is no risk of incurring data roaming charges with your usual provider.

Activate voice only global roaming onboard

If you don’t want to pay for an internet package on the ship but you want to be contactable in an emergency, activate global roaming on your phone for voice calls only and switch off mobile data in your phone’s settings. This will allow calls to come through but prevent your phone connecting to the satellite internet onboard the ship.

Keep calls short or text instead

If you have your global roaming mobile voice service turned on and mobile data turned off, keep calls short if someone does ring you and ask them to text you instead. It will cost you around $1 a minute to chat with them, even though they’re paying for the call. Receiving texts doesn’t cost anything, provided it’s a standard text message and not an MMS. Texting people costs much less than the cost of a call.

Use free wi-fi in port

It is usually possible to find free wi-fi at the cruise terminal, in the city centre, or at a café when the ship is in port. Ask the crew where they go to use the free wi-fi as they’re experts at knowing the best, most convenient, and fastest hotspots in port. Before you log onto public wi-fi, make sure you activiate a VPN so you’re protected against hacking and data theft which is common on public wi-fi hotspots. It can be safer to use an eSIM’s mobile data if you want to get online in port.

Buy a cruise line internet package

Some high end lines such as Viking Cruises include internet in their fares. Other lines offer a variety of packages, ranging from social media only packages to Royal Caribbean’s Surf & Stream which supports movie streaming. Beware of plans that offer access by the minute. You’ll probably waste most of those precious minutes getting online if the connection is slow. It’s also worth considering whether you really need internet access on the ship and could perhaps make do with only getting online in port instead.

Use wi-fi for voice calls

If you have an onboard internet package, have an eSIM installed or plan to use free wi-fi in port, you can use a free voice and video calling app such as WhatsApp or FaceTime to stay in touch. Make sure you download the relevant app, get it set up and learn how to use it before you leave home.

Consider your usage onboard

Consider what you want to do online onboard the ship and purchase only what you need. For example, if you only want to stay in touch with friends and family, a social media only plan can save money. Along with being able to access popular social websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, you can also use messaging applications such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp with these cheaper onboard internet packages.

Keep your expectations reasonable

While some onboard internet packages support movie streaming, don’t expect the same download rates and speeds you get back home (even if your ship has Starlink). Cruise ship internet can be impacted by how many other cruisers are online, how close the ship is to land and even where you are on the ship. Splurging on the most expensive onboard internet package could end up being a waste of money.

Disclosure: The writer is an expert when it comes to using a mobile phone on a cruise ship and in port without racking up a huge bill.

Want more great cruise advice? Check out our tips for choosing the perfect cruise, cruising with grandchildren, cruising with tweens and cruising with kids of all ages, solo cruising, the best activities on Ovation of the Seas, doing a Transatlantic cruise with kids, cruising in Australia or Papua New Guinea, Iceland cruise tips, cruising on a megaship, scoring a bargain cruise fare, cruising the Mediterranean, making the most of a cruise ship kids club, luxury cruising with kids, and the Byron Beach Club on Carnival Cruises. We have also reviewed Disney Wonder, Viking Vesta, Douglas Mawson, Carnival Encounter, Celebrity Edge, Carnival Adventure, Quantum of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas, Carnival Splendor, Voyager of the Seas, Nieuw Statendam, Viking Helgrim, Pride of America, Coral Expeditions in Tasmania and the Great Barrier Reef, Celebrity Solstice, and Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth.