eSIM Setup & Activation
How to Activate Your eSIM Before Boarding?
Activating your eSIM before boarding can help you stay connected throughout your cruise.
Set it up while you have reliable Wi-Fi to avoid delays and connection problems.
Keep in mind that installing and activating an eSIM are not always the same. Some providers activate your plan when you install it, connect to a supported network, or enable the line. Check your provider’s instructions to avoid starting your plan too early.
This guide explains how to install and activate your eSIM, check whether it is active, and use the correct settings during your cruise.
Should You Activate Your eSIM Before Boarding?
Yes, you should usually install and set up your eSIM before boarding your cruise, but you may not need to activate the plan yet. The best time to activate it depends on your eSIM provider.
Many eSIM plans activate when they first connect to a supported network, while others start when you manually activate the plan, install the eSIM, or make the purchase.
For most travelers, the safest approach is to:
Buy and install the eSIM before boarding.
Check when the plan's validity period starts.
Set the eSIM as your mobile data line.
Follow your provider's activation instructions. Our eSIM plans activate automatically when the eSIM connects to a network in a country covered by the plan.
This means you don't need to manually activate our eSIM. However, if your plan includes coverage in your current location, connecting to a local network could start the plan's validity period before your cruise begins.
In this case, we recommend installing the eSIM on the day of departure and keeping the eSIM line turned off until you're ready to use it. This allows you to complete the installation while you still have reliable internet access without accidentally connecting to a covered network and starting your plan too early.
Install vs. Activate vs. Connect: What's the Difference?
When setting up a cruise eSIM, installing, activating, and connecting are three different steps.
They may happen at different times, depending on your eSIM provider.
Install: The eSIM profile is added to your phone. This is usually done through a QR code, an app, or a manual installation process. Installing an eSIM doesn't always mean your plan has started.
Activate: The eSIM plan becomes active and, depending on the provider, its validity period may begin. Activation can happen automatically or may require you to activate the plan manually.
Connect: Your phone connects to a network included in your eSIM plan. For a cruise eSIM, this could be a supported mobile network while in port or a maritime network while at sea.
The process typically looks like this:
Buy → Install → Activate → Connect
However, these steps don't necessarily happen at the same time. For example, you might buy and install your eSIM several days before your cruise, but the plan may not activate until it connects to a supported network.
This is how our eSIM plans work: the plan activates automatically when the eSIM connects to a network covered by the plan. To avoid starting your plan too early, we recommend keeping the eSIM turned off after installation and enabling it on the day of departure when you're ready to use it.
Always check your provider's activation policy so you know exactly when your plan starts and when its validity period begins.
Read more: When to Buy Your Cruise eSIM (Before vs. on Arrival)
How to Activate Your Cruise eSIM Before Boarding?
Activating your cruise eSIM is usually simple, but the exact process depends on your provider.
The most important thing is to install and prepare your eSIM while you still have a reliable internet connection.
1. Install Your eSIM
Install your cruise eSIM using the QR code, app, or instructions provided after purchase.
It's best to do this at home, at your hotel, or somewhere with stable Wi-Fi rather than waiting until the ship has departed. You'll normally need an internet connection to download and install the eSIM.
2. Check Your eSIM Settings
Once installed, check your phone's SIM, Cellular, or Mobile Network settings and make sure the new eSIM appears there.
Give it an easy-to-recognize name, such as Cruise eSIM or Travel eSIM. This makes it easier to distinguish it from your regular SIM when changing your settings later.
3. Check When Your Plan Activates
Before activating the eSIM, check when your plan's validity period begins. Depending on the provider, it may:
Activate when you install the eSIM.
Activate when it first connects to a supported network.
Require manual activation.
Start from the date of purchase.
Our eSIM plans normally activate automatically when the eSIM connects to a network covered by the plan. To avoid starting your plan too early, we recommend keeping the eSIM turned off after installation and enabling it on the day of departure when you're ready to use it.
This is especially important for plans that are valid for a fixed number of days. You don't want a 7-day plan to start several days before your cruise.
4. Activate the eSIM
Follow your provider's instructions to activate the plan.
If manual activation is required, this may be done through the provider's app or website.
If your plan activates automatically when it connects to a supported network, you can usually leave it installed and wait for the connection.
5. Set the Cruise eSIM for Mobile Data
Before sailing, select your cruise eSIM as the SIM used for mobile/cellular data.
If you want to keep your regular SIM active for calls and SMS, you can do so, but make sure your regular SIM isn't being used for mobile data.
For the full Dual SIM setup, see How to Use Your Regular SIM and Cruise eSIM Together.
6. Check Data Roaming and Data Switching
Some cruise eSIMs require data roaming to be ON to connect to their partner networks. Check your provider's instructions before changing this setting.
If you're keeping your regular SIM active, keep data roaming OFF on your regular SIM to help prevent expensive international or maritime data charges.
You should also turn automatic/mobile data switching OFF. This prevents your phone from automatically switching to your regular SIM for data if the cruise eSIM temporarily loses its connection.
Read more:
Can You Test Your Cruise eSIM Before Boarding?
Sometimes you can test your cruise eSIM before boarding, but it depends on the coverage included in your plan.
If your eSIM includes land-based mobile coverage at your departure port (our plans usually do), it may connect to a local network before you board the ship. This can be a useful way to confirm that the eSIM is installed and working correctly.
However, if your plan only includes maritime coverage at sea, or land coverage in destinations you'll visit later, it may show No Service at the cruise terminal.
This doesn't necessarily mean there's a problem with your eSIM. It may simply be waiting until a supported network becomes available.
Read more: How to Buy an eSIM for Cruise (2026)
What Happens Once the Ship Leaves Port?
Once the ship moves away from land, your phone will eventually lose connection to land-based cellular towers.
If your cruise eSIM includes maritime coverage, it should be able to connect when a supported maritime network becomes available.
To connect, make sure:
Your cruise eSIM is enabled.
The cruise eSIM is selected for mobile data.
Data roaming is enabled on the cruise eSIM if your provider requires it.
Data roaming is off for your home SIM.
Your phone has had a few minutes to search for and connect to the available network.
Connection may not happen immediately after leaving port, so give your phone some time to find the network.
If your eSIM still doesn't connect when you expect it to, see Why Is My eSIM Not Working? for troubleshooting steps.
