What are the best ways to get internet for seafarers?

seafaring

12 Dec

A while back, I wrote about choosing an eSIM for seafarers, the option I eventually settled on. But internet for seafarers is a much bigger conversation than which card or plan to use. And sooner or later, every mariner wonders the same thing: How do we stay connected while working at sea?

There isn’t one straightforward answer. Depending on the ship, the route, your contract, and company policies, getting online can feel effortless on some days and nearly impossible on others.

If you’ve spent enough time sailing, you already know that seafarer connectivity is shaped by practicality, timing, and whatever network happens to reach your ship once you’re close enough to land – something I didn’t even think about before joining my first contract.

My experience is based on years working on cruise ships, though the same general principles often apply on other vessels as well.

And just to clarify, this isn’t a guide for boat owners with private satellite dishes or yachties with unlimited budget. It’s for seafarers working day-to-day jobs on ships.

So this post looks at the realistic ways mariners stay online today, what influences those options, and what to consider before choosing anything.

Not every solution works well, and not every solution works everywhere, but by the end you’ll have a clearer sense of what’s worth trying, what to avoid, and how to piece together a setup that feels manageable across different ports, routes, and ships.

What you should expect from internet at sea

Before my first contract, I didn’t even consider how internet at sea worked. I assumed there’d be wifi, and only learnt the reality once I was onboard.

The short answer is that internet at sea is rarely fast, rarely cheap, and rarely predictable. And the experience varies widely depending on the type of vessel you work on. Cruise ships – being part of the entertainment and travel industry – often have better connectivity than cargo ships in the logistics world, but “better” still has limits. That said:

If you’re working on a modern ship, expect satellite internet that’s more stable.
If your company provides crew wifi, expect restrictions – whether that’s slow speeds, caps, or paid plans.
If you rely on your own mobile data, expect it to work only when the ship is close enough to shore.
If you’re hoping for uninterrupted connectivity, expect interruptions anyway – especially in bad weather.
And if you’re new to this, expect to adjust your online habits more than you might imagine.

Crew habits vary just as much as the internet itself. Some rely entirely on free connections whenever they appear, others buy unlimited plans without hesitation, and many fall somewhere in between. Personally, I lean closer to the free-connection end of the spectrum, with the occasional paid add-ons.

If you’re wondering what staying connected looks like in real seafarer life, let’s explore the common ways seafarers get online, and weigh up their pros and cons...

The common ways to get internet for seafarers

Ship’s satellite-based crew WiFi – free access for messaging, paid plans for everything else

Crew wifi has changed a lot over the years. When I first joined in 2016, there was no free internet on board. Getting online meant going to a designated terminal and paying by the minute, and many crew spent their free time there, slowly browsing Facebook on old computers. That was normal then.

Today, most ships offer free 24/7 messaging on personal devices, usually limited to WhatsApp and Messenger. It’s a small shift that’s reshaped daily life onboard – no more internet room.

Paid plans still exist, and they differ by company: some are data-capped, others time-capped, all designed to keep usage fair. On cruise ships, passenger bandwidth always comes first, so crew speeds can fluctuate even more during peak hours.

I occasionally bought a plan when necessary, using the rest of the time as an unintentional digital detox, while many colleagues purchased plans regularly to stay closely connected with family.

On a few contracts, the ship I was on also offered free wifi during certain hours while in port. I never knew the exact setup, but it tapped into a land-based network instead of satellite, which meant the speed was surprisingly fast. I’m not sure how common this is; it was simply something available on that particular ship.

Crew wifi remains the most reliable onboard option, even if it’s rarely the best value – or the most satisfying.

Local SIM cards – affordable, practical, and great if your ports make it possible

For about half of my years working onboard, local SIM cards were my default choice. In some countries, they were cheap, easy to find, and simple to activate. In others, they were pricey, hard to locate, or came with registration requirements complicated enough to make you rethink the effort.

Local SIMs only work when you’re in port – once the ship sails, the signal disappears. But for itineraries with long or frequent port days, especially repeat home ports, they can be one of the most practical ways to stay connected. I often sailed routes that returned to the same places, which made it easy to use a local SIM throughout an entire contract.

Some crew even bought unlimited plans for whichever country offered the longest port times, using that single card for weeks or months. Others carried multiple SIMs for different countries. But between swapping cards, keeping track of tiny plastic trays, and remembering which card was in my phone that day, I occasionally walked out of the gangway only to realise I had no data because I’d forgotten to switch.

After the pandemic, registration rules tightened in many countries. Most require identification now, which meant requesting our passport copy from crew administration before shore leave. It added a layer of planning that I eventually grew tired of – especially since I’d already started relying more on other options (read on to find out).

Local SIM cards remain one of the most value-for-money options for seafarers, but they work best when your itinerary supports them and you don’t mind the extra logistics.

International SIM cards – flexible coverage, but unpredictable in practice

I tried international SIM cards a couple of times by buying prepaid regional travel SIMs before signing on. On paper, they’re practical: long validity, easy activation, and coverage across several countries in one plan. In reality, my experience was a mix of convenience and unpredictability.

Regional plans work best when your itinerary stays within the covered countries. I used to sail fixed regional routes, so in theory, a regional SIM should have been perfect. But contracts don’t always go as expected. The first time, my contract was extended beyond the SIM’s validity window, and I didn’t have a spare. The second time, the ship was suddenly relocated to ports outside the plan’s coverage, leaving me with data I couldn’t use.

This is mainly a “regional cruise ship crew” issue. Seafarers on ships that cross continents – cruise or cargo – tend to rely on global SIMs instead, which offer broader coverage and fewer surprises (though usually at a higher price).

I still like regional plans for the right itinerary: something affordable, with coverage that matches the ports you’re actually visiting. Even if the data allowance is small for the price, the simplicity can make up for it.

International SIM cards work best for seafarers who don’t want to juggle multiple local SIMs, sail through several countries, or prefer longer validity over hunting for a card at every port.

Roaming data – simple to use, costly without a pass

I’ve never used roaming personally, but a few of my fellow crew rely on mobile plans from their home countries simply because it’s the least effort. Roaming is usually expensive by default, but it becomes manageable when your provider offers travel passes – daily, weekly, or monthly packages with either unlimited data or a capped allowance at a fixed rate.

Without a pass, you’re charged pay-per-use, which is the fastest way to burn through your budget. With a pass, it’s still not the cheapest method, but it can be worth it for the convenience: no fumbling with new SIMs, no activation issues, and no worrying about whether your card works in the next port.

Roaming works best for seafarers who value simplicity, have a provider with fair travel rates, or only need occasional data during port days rather than daily use.

Public WiFi in ports and terminals – familiar, accessible, but not always reliable

For many crew, public wifi is the first thing we look for the moment we step off the gangway. Cruise terminals often provide free access, and if not, malls, cafes, and fast-food chains usually become unofficial gathering points for anyone trying to download movies, update apps, or make video calls. In developed cities, terminal wifi can be surprisingly fast – oftentimes faster than anything you’ll get onboard that week.

Not every port offers it, though. My home country doesn’t, and some terminals are too crowded or unstable to rely on. There’s also the trade-off that comes with free wifi: staying connected often means staying put. I’ve lost count of the times I wanted to wander around but ended up anchored to one spot because that’s where the signal was strongest.

Public wifi is best treated as a bonus rather than a plan – convenient, often free, and great for quick updates, but inconsistent enough that most crew pair it with another primary connection method. It’s ideal for downloading, syncing, or catching up, but rarely dependable as your only source of communication throughout a contract.

eSIMs – not the cheapest option, but easily the most convenient

I started using eSIMs a couple of years ago, and while they aren’t the cheapest, they’ve become the most convenient for how I travel and work. I don’t need a huge data allowance – just a few gigabytes a month for maps, messages, and quick checks for information – so even the pricier plans still feel manageable.

What eventually pushed me toward eSIMs was simplicity. No hunting for shops, no swapping SIM cards, and no worrying about where I last put the tiny plastic tray pin. It’s also a slightly more sustainable option – no physical cards, no packaging, no waste.

I use Airalo, and although my first attempt was clumsy (I didn’t connect properly and needed wifi to reach support), it’s been smooth ever since. Download the profile, turn on data roaming, and you’re online. There are single-country plans for predictable routes, regional bundles for fixed sailing patterns, and international packages if your contract spans multiple regions.

eSIMs suit anyone who wants a low-effort, always-on option. They’re straightforward, flexible, easy to manage, and a good fit for contracts where ports, ships, or itineraries might change without much warning.

How to make your data last longer at sea

Nothing about data-saving at sea is unique; you simply notice every megabyte more. These habits help stretch what you have…

Use wifi whenever it’s available. Terminal hotspots, cafes, or malls are still the best places to handle anything that requires heavy data.
Download content for offline use. Save playlists, articles, videos, and anything you want to access later while you’re on reliable wifi in port or in crew areas with a stable connection. It reduces the need to rely on ship wifi for anything heavy.
Turn off background app refresh. Prevents apps from quietly consuming data when you’re not actively using them.
Adjust social media settings. Disable auto-play, switch to data-saver mode, and limit high-quality uploads.
Avoid streaming content. Streaming, especially video, burns through data quickly. Rely on offline downloads instead.
Monitor your data usage regularly. Check which apps use the most data so you can adjust habits before hitting your limit.
Set a data warning or limit. Most phones let you set a cap to avoid accidental overuse.
Reduce cloud syncing. Pause automatic photo or file backups until you’re back on reliable wifi.

Staying connected at sea is never perfect, but it becomes much easier once you know what to expect and choose options that fit your itinerary, budget, and daily rhythm. Let the tools you use – ship wifi, eSIMs, local SIMs, or port-side hotspots – support your routine rather than complicate it. That’s really the heart of managing internet for seafarers.

If you’re unsure where to start, ask colleagues who sail the same schedule. Their recommendations often match what actually works on your route. Try one option, see how it fits into your contract, and adjust from there.