2025-08-04

eSIM for travels and cruises

landtour
Above image was generated by ChatGPT

aqua

Requirement:

    Dial *#06#   if the phone displays a 32-digit long EID number, then it is eSIM capable.

With data-only eSIM, you can use WhatsApp, WeChat, Rakuten Viber, fongo, Facebook Messenger, YouTube, iMessage, Facetime, Uber, Google email, Google Chat, Google Maps, etc. You can make VoIP "phone calls" with data-only:
e.g. use "Rakuten Viber Out" to call landlines/mobile phones. It costs a few cents/minute.
e.g. For Canadians, use "fongo" to make free calls to Canadian landlines/mobile and toll free numbers.

Super important setup

Settings...Cellular....
    Cellular Data Options
Roaming Off

    roaming-off


if you have more than 1 SIM profile:
Settings...Cellular...
   
check in the SIMs section   Primary.... Data Roaming... Off (slider switch is grey out)

primary-off


There are many eSIM providers, here is a small selected list.
At home, install the Airalo/Saily/aloSIM app (or whatever eSIM provider app that you prefer)
airaloExtensive global coverage
saily  Built-in VPN included; minimal Caribbean footprint

alosim My impression only: aloSIM uses Tier 1 carrier at destination

roamless  
The FLEX plan does not expire, top up when you need more data. Able to do VoIP calls.
The FIX plan is like other plans, and suitable for high data usage.


https://www.cnbc.com/select/best-esim-for-travel/

Land-based travels

A few days before travel or at the departure airport with WiFi, purchase a destination eSIM from your app (e.g. Spain, 3GB, 30 days)
Open the eSIM app, tap "My eSIMS", select the eSIM you purchased,
Install the eSIM (you need WiFi or cellular data to purchase and install eSIM).

For iPhone, everything is called "activate" even if it is just "install".
After the "install" phase, your iPhone may give you a chance to stop and "activate" later.
If you choose stop, you continue to active when you arrive in Spain,
If you choose continue, your phone will continue, but due to missing Spain signal, the secondary line will show "activating" until it sees a Spain signal.
Your signal bar shows two signals.

If that looks weird, turn on another SIM profile and turn off the Spain profile. This is possible only if you already have a third profile.
If not, just leave it in the "activating" state until it sees a signal from Spain.

During activation, you will be asked these two questions:
Default Line ? tap primary
iMessage ? tap primary

You will be asked to choose which line for "Cellular Data".
If you are at home, tap Primary.
Instead of calling the eSIM "Secondary", you can give it a more meaningful name such as Saily, aloSIM, Spain, Airalo, etc.

At your destination, check 2 things:

Settings...Cellular...Cellular Data....
    If it shows Primary, change it to Secondary or Saily or Airalo or aloSIM or Spain, etc

who


Settings...Cellular

    tap the Secondary or Saily or aloSIM Spain line
        toggle Data Roaming to ON

Saily-Roaming



Sometimes your eSIM will not connect or shows no Internet connection, the following procedure will typically fix the problem.
-Turn ON Airplane mode then turn OFF Airplane mode (this forces the phone to reconnect to the destination wireless environment)

Cruise-ship travels

gig-small 

Some cruise lines (and their frequent cruisers) include free ship-WiFi, in that case, GigSky is not for you.
GigSky
eSIM is specifically designed for use on cruise ships in open water (>12 nautical miles from shore), but it can also be used on land based cellular infrastructure.
GigSky's price is lower than cruise-ship-WiFi, but higher than land only eSIM.

Click on the GigSky logo above (and scroll down) to check the ship/cruise line of your next cruise.
If you can use GigSky, download and install the GigSky app from your Apple App store or Android Play store,

Here is what the GigSky configuration looks like in open water (and also on land)
GigSky

Usually on the ship's pool deck or Internet Cafe or the atrium, GigSky "cellular signal" is the strongest.
Note: with satellite communications, expect there are dead spots at sea.

Turn ON Airplane mode then turn OFF Airplane mode to force the phone to connect to a solid cellular signal.

My experience with GigSky in June 2025 was that email attachment did not work unless the file size of attachment is very small.

GigSky, despite it works with land-based cellular infrastructure, is not as robust and costs more than land-based eSIM such as Airalo or Saily or aloSIM
When the ship is at dock or when you are on land excursion, switch over to Airalo or Saily or aloSIM eSIM.


If the ship/cruise line (such as Cunard, P&O Cruises, Stena Line, Viking) of your next cruise does not have GigSky, click the "Red-Bull-Mobile" logo below to see if Red-Bull-Mobile provides mobile data on board (scroll down) .

redbull-logo



Note:
Leave primary line in the "OFF" position to avoid accidental roaming charges.
Occasionally, e.g. in a hotel or at port, I turned the primary line to "ON" for a few minutes and let all the accumulated SMS come through and then turn primary line "OFF" again.

Note:
With fongo, you will be given a Canadian phone number during sign up, that number can receive inbound SMS sent from another cell phone.
To receive bank's verification SMS on fongo and sending SMS from fongo require an add-on subscription ($4 per month).