ESim options for multiple countries while on a cruise

[peacefrogdog]

Will be travelling on a cruise in November that stops in Roatan, Cozumel, Costa Maya and CocoCay (Bahamas). Unfortunately I will need to be reached for work, which requires me to receive 2 factor authentication codes sent to my Telus mobile number. This in turn requires me to keep my Telus number on as my primary voice, but will need some sort of data turned on in order to receive the 2FA codes (Historically I haven't been successful receiving 2FA codes just over wifi.) It's also a big issue to set up 2FA to be sent to an email or another means (another story for another time - a work thing).

I have previously used Airalo that works well when on land. It has options to purchase eSIM use for "Caribbean Islands" that includes Bahamas but not the others, as well as separate options for Honduras and Mexico. I don't see an option for all the countries, nor something will cover the general path on which the ship will sail.

Has anyone use other eSIM options that provide coverage for the Western Caribbean type of route?

 

[tony67]

Have you looked at GoogleFi?

Their Flexible plan covers most places. Also the unlimited Plus plan includes most places. Oddly the Simply Unlimited has no roaming options.

 

[bookbabe626]

The Airalo Global plan costs more, but it covers all the countries and then some.

 

[peacefrogdog]

The Airalo Global plan costs more, but it covers all the countries and then some.

Thanks for this suggestion. I didn't even see the Global option. Ends up being $21 CDn for 7 days and 1 GB data, 10 min calls and 10 SMS texts (which is all I need to get the 2FA codes).

 

[bookbabe626]

Thanks for this suggestion. I didn't even see the Global option. Ends up being $21 CDn for 7 days and 1 GB data, 10 min calls and 10 SMS texts (which is all I need to get the 2FA codes).

And the plans are easy to top up via the app if you run low. We’ve had the Global+ yearly plan for a while now and have been pretty happy with it. We never come close to using it all, but it’s nice not to have to figure out what we need each trip.

 

[yowcruiser]

Alternatively... there are more and more cell plans that cover US and Mexico as part of the "standard" Canadian cell phone plans - which means you would pay a "roam as you go" fixed rate (again, offered by most carriers) only for Bahamas and Honduras and that way you don't even need an additional eSim plan

 

[dancin Disney style]

My DD works on a cruise ship. We did a TON of research to find her a plan to cover her while she's away. We looked a numerous esims, Airalo, Google Fi, US carriers and all the Canadian carriers. If you need coverage while at sea you are going to have a problem. While in port there are options but many are tricky. The best option we found was Freedom Mobile. The offer a regular plan that is global. It covers 70ish countries and in my DD's case it covers all but one of the countries she goes to. However, there is ZERO service while at sea.

Until we got onto Freedom mobile Google Fi was the best option. At this moment I don't recall if Google Fi had service while at sea but it does require you have an American address. You also need their sim card and you must activate it while on land in the US. It's not cheap, you pay in USD and cost runs around $70.

 

[peacefrogdog]

And the plans are easy to top up via the app if you run low. We’ve had the Global+ yearly plan for a while now and have been pretty happy with it. We never come close to using it all, but it’s nice not to have to figure out what we need each trip.

Have you use the Global plan during days at sea (and not docked)? Any issues then?

 

[Brian Noble]

You are not in reach of any cell towers while at sea, so you will not be able to use your terrestrial phone as a phone line using the cellular infrastructure, nor will you receive text messages that come exclusively over the cellular infrastructure.

If you absolutely need to employ 2FA while at sea, you need some mechanism other than terrestrial phone-line SMS.

 

[bookbabe626]

Have you use the Global plan during days at sea (and not docked)? Any issues then?

Nope, Airalo doesn’t work at sea, only while docked. The only thing that will work is wifi-calling through apps like WhatsApp and other internet-based stuff while connected to the ship internet.

I have yet to find any plan that is economically feasible to let me use cellular service at sea. You can contact your provider, though, and they will have some kind of an option if it’s essential that you be able to receive cell calls and texts while at sea, likely via satellite. Maybe your provider is more reasonable than mine was. I was on Rogers cell service when I looked into it, and I could have taken a whole second cruise for what those highway robbers wanted to charge for cell minutes while at sea.

 

[bookbabe626]

@peacefrogdog - a quick google of “Telus service while at sea” comes up with:


You may want to contact Telus and investigate your particular options for roaming, if you just need to be able to get texts at sea. You might be better off with one of their roaming plans plus the at-sea text charges if you absolutely need to receive 2FA texts while traveling and can’t risk not being able to receive them. It’ll cost you, but it’s likely safer.

 

[peacefrogdog]

Just got off the ship yesterday. I ended up going with the Global Airalo option. Was able to get 2FA texts while in Roatan, Costa Maya and Cozumel, but not while docked at Coco Cay. I didn't both trying while at sea.