Yes, the Red Bull Mobile eSIM works at sea, on cruise ships whose cellular service runs through Telenor Maritime, once the ship is typically 12 nautical miles or more offshore. Its prepaid cruise data costs €15 for 1 GB, valid for 30 days.
Then the ship nears land and the signal goes quiet, right when you want a map and a ferry time.
Red Bull Mobile eSIM works at sea on Telenor Maritime ships
It does not use a land network. Red Bull Mobile’s eSIM connects to cellular service on cruise ships and ferries that use Telenor Maritime or Wireless Maritime Services.
Why does the Red Bull Mobile cruise eSIM stop near land?
Cruisers report switching to a local eSIM or the ship’s Wi-Fi once the ship nears shore, so plan port-day data separately. Red Bull Mobile’s service only works in open waters, typically 12 nautical miles or more off the coast, and shuts off near land or in port to prevent interference with local networks.
On Cruise Critic, users note that the 12-mile coastal cutoff means you switch back to a regular local eSIM or ship Wi-Fi when nearing shore. Port days are a separate data problem.
Bruce S. gave Maya four stars on Trustpilot on September 26, 2026, and described the same port-day gap on their cruise: “Downloading, installing, and running the Android app for Maya were easy. Connecting to the Maya Mobile service was surprisingly easy, unlike some other firms (i.e. G*g***). Unlike some other eSIM firms for cruises, usage was unlimited for a three day period on my cruise ship. Speed was acceptable, except when my VPN seemed to slow things down significantly. In those cases, deactivated VPN for one hour. Plan to use Maya again, because it is cheaper than using the wi-fi packages offered by the cruise ship. One downside is that Maya Internet seemed to be unavailable on the cruise ship when at port, and for around one hour after leaving port.”
Red Bull Mobile cruise data costs €5 for 250 MB or €15 for 1 GB
Red Bull Mobile’s prepaid data bundles cost €5 for 250 MB or €15 for 1 GB, valid for 30 days. That is the full price list on record, and no other bundle size is stated.
Ship Wi-Fi is the usual comparison. Carnival publishes its Value Wi-Fi Plan at “Starting at $23.80 /person per day” when bought before sailing (Value Wi-Fi Plan | Internet Plans | Carnival Cruise Line).
Red Bull Mobile cruise eSIM is data only, so no calls or SMS
No, you cannot make traditional cellular calls or send SMS on it: it is mobile data only. You use it for messaging apps such as WhatsApp, email, maps and browsing, and any calling goes through an app.
How do you set up a cruise eSIM before you board?
Do it on land. Purchase, download and install the eSIM while you still have a strong internet connection.
Before boarding, disable your home SIM’s data roaming and set the Red Bull eSIM as your active data source. Done. The ship is the easy part.
What do cruisers say about Red Bull Mobile eSIM speed and signal?
Reports are mixed. Cruisers call it cheaper than daily ship Wi-Fi, but say speeds can be slow and the signal can drop on lower decks or in certain regions.
Which travel eSIM should you pick for internet on a cruise?
The table lists, for each company, how it prices plans and what its own terms say about its unlimited data, copied from each company’s own published words. The last column shows what each says about cruises.
| Travel eSIM | How plans are sold | Unlimited plan allowance, as published | Cruise plans, as published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maya Mobile | One Global eSIM for 165+ countries, unlimited data at a flat price by trip length: USD 9.99 for 3 days, USD 19.99 for 7 days, USD 27.99 for 14 days, USD 49.99 for 30 days | A daily high-speed data allowance (the Daily Quota) at up to 4G LTE or 5G where local networks offer it, reset every 24 hours; unlimited data at standard speed once the Daily Quota is used | Global + Cruise plan for 20+ cruise lines, priced on its own: USD 49.99 for 3 days, USD 109.99 for 7 days, USD 299.99 for 30 days |
| Airalo | Per country, per region, or one global plan; priced in USD | Our unlimited data packages don’t have a fixed total data cap. However, to keep the network running fairly for everyone, when you use more than 3GB in a day, we’ll slow down (or “throttle”) your internet speed to 1 Mbps for the rest of that day. Your full high-speed connection will automatically be restored when your daily allowance next resets. Your daily allowance resets every 24 hours, counted from the time you activated your eSIM. | No cruise plan published |
| Holafly | Per country, per region (Europe, Latin America, Cruise plans), and monthly global plans: Light, 25GB of data, $ 49.90USD/month; Unlimited, $ 64.90USD/month; Ultra, $ 90.95USD/month | Unlimited data plans are subject to a fair use policy, which may temporarily reduce speed in cases of unusually high usage to maintain network quality for all users. | If you buy an eSIM for travel on a Caribbean cruise, you’ll only have coverage on land, and a connection is not guaranteed while sailing. In the Bahamas, please note that service is unavailable in Freeport, CocoCay, and Ocean Cay, although it remains available at the other ports. |
| Saily | Per country and per region, plus one global plan; by the gigabyte, unlimited, or both | The Unlimited plan gives you 5 GB per day at full 4G/5G speed, then keeps you online at 1 Mbps for the rest of the day — fast enough for navigation, messaging, and standard browsing. | No cruise plan published |
| GigSky | Per country, per region, and cruise plans; by day, unlimited data with 3.5GB daily high-speed allowance | Get up to 3.5GB/day at our fastest speeds: Video calls, uploads, streaming and more. | You can use GigSky on 200+ cruise ships (Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, etc.) and in 200+ countries on land. |
Rival entries quote or briefly summarize what each company states, while the Maya Mobile entries come from maya.net.
How Maya puts your cruise and your trip on one eSIM
Pick your days and go. Maya’s Global plans come in 3-day, 7-day, 14-day and 30-day lengths, all with unlimited data across 165+ countries, at the same price in every country. The 30-day Unlimited plan costs USD 49.99 (USD 1.67/day).
Cruise coverage is the Global + Cruise plan, which covers 20+ cruise lines and 165+ countries, including Royal Caribbean International. Maya isn’t a subscription; each plan is a one-time purchase. Once you arrive, turn the Maya eSIM on and choose it as your Cellular Data line.
If you’d rather enter details by hand on iOS, go to Settings, then Cellular (or Mobile Service), tap Add eSIM or Add Data Plan, select Use QR Code, then Enter Details Manually, and enter the SM-DP+ address and activation details from the eSIM provider.
FAQ
Why do cruise ships need their own eSIM plan?
Red Bull Mobile’s eSIM connects to cruise ships and ferries that use Telenor Maritime or Wireless Maritime Services. Our cruise coverage is a separate plan, the Global + Cruise plan, which covers 20+ cruise lines and is priced on its own.
Do I have to remove my home SIM to use a cruise eSIM?
No. Disable your home SIM’s data roaming and set the cruise eSIM as your active data source before boarding. On iPhone, per Apple Support (Using Dual SIM with an eSIM):
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap either Cellular or Mobile Data.
- Tap Cellular Data.
- Tap the number you want to use cellular data.
On Google Pixel, per Google Pixel Phone Help (How to use dual SIMs on your Google Pixel phone):
- Open your Settings app.
- Tap Network & internet SIMs.
- Turn on Mobile data so the phone can use your mobile network for data.
- Under “Your primary SIMs,” choose which SIM you want to use for Calls, Texts and Data. Only one SIM can be the default for data.
How do I compare ship Wi-Fi with a cruise eSIM before I sail?
Line up the daily price and the rules. Norwegian lists its Voyage Wi-Fi Pass (1.5 Mbps) at $29.99 per stateroom per day and the Streaming Voyage Wi-Fi Pass at $39.99 per stateroom per day, with additional devices at $14.99 per device per day once onboard (How much are Wi-Fi and internet packages on Norwegian Cruise Line | NCL). MSC states: “Once activated, all Internet Packages are final and non-refundable.” (MSC Cruises, MSC Cruises Onboard Services Terms & Conditions, 2026). Carnival says guests “must purchase a plan that covers the entire duration of their cruise,” with pre-purchase open until 11:59pm ET the day before embarkation (Carnival Cruise Line, Internet Plans | Wi-Fi Plans & Prices).
What happens when a cruise eSIM plan runs out of days?
Red Bull Mobile’s bundles are valid for 30 days. Our plans run for 3, 7, 14 or 30 days, and with Auto Top-Up off, which is the default and opt-in only, the plan stops with no further charge. Each plan includes a daily high-speed allowance, the Daily Quota, that resets every 24 hours, then data continues at standard speed.
Do I keep the eSIM after the cruise ends?
Yes. One Maya eSIM stays installed on your phone, with no deleting or reinstalling between trips. For each trip you buy a new plan.
Does a cruise eSIM also work on ferries?
Yes, for Red Bull Mobile’s eSIM, on ferries that use Telenor Maritime or Wireless Maritime Services. Red Bull Mobile describes that coverage as including lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, MSC, Celebrity and Cunard.
Which phones can use an eSIM on a cruise?
Confirm your phone is eSIM ready on the Maya compatibility list, which covers iPhones from the iPhone XR/XS series through the iPhone 17 series, including iPhone Air, SE 2 (2020) and SE 3 (2022). Support extends to most modern smartphones, such as iPhone 11 and newer and Android devices on Android 10 or later.
How do refunds work on a travel eSIM you did not use?
You get a full refund when no data has been used and you ask within 30 days of purchase. If the eSIM cannot be installed because the device is incompatible or carrier-locked, the refund is less payment processing fees under the same conditions. Our Money Back Guarantee also covers an extra or unneeded data plan, and an eSIM that consumed no data.
Maya puts one eSIM on your phone for 165+ countries, with the Global + Cruise plan for your time at sea.
