Using your cell phone on a cruise can cost you more than the actual cruise. These two new options may save you money.
Using Your Cellphone on Cruise Ships Just Got Easier—Here’s What to Know
Published on May 28, 2025
Cruises can seem like a fun and affordable way to visit multiple destinations—until you see your cellphone bill! If your plan doesn’t include international coverage, roaming charges can add up quickly. In fact, experienced cruisers know that using your phone onboard is one of the biggest cruising mistakes you can make. But two new plans may help you avoid surprise expenses so you can sail off into the sunset without the worry that something as simple as a phone call will result in mega charges.
If you don’t want to risk racking up $143,000 in roaming charges while traveling abroad (yes, that really happened to a Florida man vacationing in Switzerland earlier this year!), read on for more insight about mobile phone costs while cruising. We’ll also share details on how two new offerings may help you save money—leaving you with more to spend on excursions or perhaps some margaritas!
Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more travel, humor, tech and fun facts all week long.
What is roaming?
Roaming is what happens when you leave your cellphone service provider’s coverage area and your phone searches for other networks to connect to, in order for you to make calls, receive texts, browse the internet and perform other cellular-data-related actions. The ability for your phone to “roam” is certainly helpful while traveling, but it can also be very expensive.
How high can cellphone bills run while cruising?
Cellphone bills from cruising vary, depending on your destination, mobile service provider, plan and usage. So your bill could be as low as just a few dollars for a couple of quick calls. Or, like a recent Carnival cruiser in the Caribbean who came home to a $2,349 cellphone bill, you could discover that your daily calls, texts and data usage add up to thousands of dollars in roaming fees. That’s right—if you’re not careful, your phone could end up costing you more than the actual cruise.
In fact, cellphone bills from cruises and international travel are so notoriously high, even Verizon warns customers on their website: “Without an international plan, you’ll be charged per minute, per text message and per MB of data used. This can be expensive.”
Here are some of the cellphone fees that can result in a high bill while cruising.
Phone calls
Phone call charges tend to be vastly different, depending on whether you are at a port or at sea. A phone call made while at port in one of the 215-plus destinations included on T-Mobile’s Essentials Plan, for example, will cost just 25¢ per minute. But if you make a call while at sea, it could run you a steep $5.99 per minute with T-Mobile or $3 per minute for pay-per-use with AT&T.
Text messages
Sending texts while cruising generally costs around 50¢ per message. But if you’re sharing photos and videos via text, you can expect the rate to be higher, climbing to more than $1 per message.
Data
Can’t miss important emails or an episode of your favorite TV show while at sea? It’ll cost you. If you’re planning to stream shows or movies, browse the internet, post to social media or check emails while cruising, you’ll need (and get charged for) data usage. Some cellphone plans do not even offer data at sea, while others, like AT&T, can cost around $2 per MB without an international plan.
What new options can cut cellphone costs on cruises?
Verizon and AT&T have announced some good news for cruisers. Both have created “day passes” for customers who want to use cellphones on cruises. Even better: Once you add one of these passes to your line, your service provider will only charge the daily rate if you use it. This means you won’t have to pay the daily rate for the full duration of the cruise—only the days you make calls, send texts or use data.
Verizon
Verizon’s Cruise Daily Pass provides cruisers with unlimited calls to the U.S., unlimited texting and unlimited data while at sea for $20 per line per day. This option is available on more than 200 ships on 25 cruise lines.
AT&T
With AT&T’s International Day Pass, cruisers get 500MB of data, unlimited text and unlimited calls to the U.S. and all of AT&T’s International Day Pass destinations. This $20 per line per day plan works in more than 210 destinations and on more than 400 cruise ships. So, unlike Verizon’s plan, it’s suited for land and sea.
Is there a catch to these cellphone cruise passes?
There are some restrictions and challenges to consider when it comes to Verizon and AT&T cellphone passes for cruise ships. These include coverage, data speeds, destination limitations and ship compatibility. For both plans, service and data speeds can vary, depending on where you are in the world, so you may experience slow service or no service in some places. Be sure to read the details of each plan thoroughly and double-check cruise ship and phone compatibility on the provider’s website before you set sail.
When will these plans be available?
AT&T’s International Day Pass and Verizon’s Cruise Daily Pass are currently available. Once one of these is added to your line, a charge will be triggered only on days you make calls, send texts or use data while abroad. So you don’t have to remove it from your line when you return from your cruise, and you don’t have to add it again for future travels.
You can sign up for AT&T’s pass anytime prior to or during the cruise via their website or app, or by calling customer service. Keep in mind, if you sign up after setting sail, any charges you’ve already incurred won’t retroactively be refunded, but the pass can be used for any remaining days of your cruise and on future trips.
Are these plans cheaper than cruise line Wi-Fi packages?
Wi-Fi packages offered by the cruise line are generally more expensive per person than Verizon and AT&T cruise passes. However, you need to read the fine print to see what exactly is included and when you need to purchase (cruise lines generally offer a discount for advance purchase). And if you’re traveling with a group, it may be worth comparing costs—some cruise lines offer discounts for adding Wi-Fi packages to multiple devices.
The one exception is if you’re sailing on Royal Caribbean, as some of its ships use Starlink, so its Wi-Fi may be more consistent than a cellphone provider in some places.
What else should you consider when using your phone on a cruise?
Before you use your phone on a cruise, double-check what’s already included with your cruise line and cellphone service provider, and consider ways you can take control of your phone’s data roaming and airplane mode features.
Complimentary Wi-Fi or cell services
Some cruise lines, such as Aurora Expeditions, a small-ship cruise line I traveled with in the Arctic, include complimentary Wi-Fi. And some cellphone service plans, like the one I have with T-Mobile, already include some international coverage. So before you pay for Wi-Fi or additional international coverage, it’s worth checking with the cruise line and your cellphone service provider about any low or no-fee services.
Use data roaming sparingly
Whenever you do not need to text or access email, maps, apps or other online services, you can turn off data roaming. Just go into the cellular settings on your phone and toggle data roaming off to prevent your phone from connecting to networks outside your coverage areas. You can then turn it back on as needed (just don’t forget to turn it off again when you’re finished using it!).
Turn on airplane mode
The best way to maintain chill cruise vibes without the worry of surprise fees? Keep your phone on airplane mode as much as possible. Why? Whenever your phone is on, it’s constantly searching for cell towers to connect to. At home, this isn’t a problem because you’re within your coverage area and won’t incur extra fees. But when your phone connects to cell towers while you’re traveling or cruising, you will be footing the bill.
When airplane mode is on, it prevents your phone from connecting to cell towers, so you won’t have to worry about roaming fees. And if you’ve purchased a Wi-Fi package from the cruise line, you can still make calls, send texts and search the internet over Wi-Fi while in airplane mode.
Plus—and more important—you get a break from notifications, news alerts, texts, etc., so you can truly relax and enjoy your cruise.
Related
- Carnival Cruise Line Is Making This Popular Unofficial Trend Its Own
- Carnival Cruise Line Is the First to Ban This Controversial Item on All Sailings
- Is This New Cruise-Tipping Trend a Huge Etiquette Faux Pas?
Why trust us
Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources
- AT&T: “International Day Pass”
- Verizon: “International travel”
- Verizon: “Cruise and in-flight”
- Yahoo! Finance: “Florida man slapped with $143,000 phone bill after a 3-week trip to Europe. How to avoid the same bill shock”
- Consumer Rescue: “Our Carnival cruise ended with a shocking roaming charge! Can you help?”
- Carnival: “Internet plans”
