Key takeaways
Many cruise ships and ferries carry their own mobile network, so your phone can use mobile data at sea without buying the ship's Wi-Fi. Roamix Omni works on listed ships from cruise lines including Cunard, P&O Cruises, Viking, Costa, AIDA and Carnival, and ferry operators like Stena Line, DFDS and Brittany Ferries, at $42.10 per GB. In port, Omni switches to local networks at each country's own rate, on one balance that never expires.
- Roamix Omni works at sea on listed ships from 30+ cruise lines and ferry operators.
- Data at sea costs $42.10 per GB on Omni, so messages and email cost cents a day.
- In port, Omni uses local land networks at that country's normal rate, often under $2 per GB in the Mediterranean.
- Turn off data roaming on your home SIM before boarding. Ship networks are a common cause of huge roaming bills.
- For streaming on sea days, the ship's Wi-Fi package is usually better value.
How mobile data at sea works
A ship with onboard mobile service carries its own small network linked to the internet by satellite. Your phone roams onto it like any other carrier.
- The ship's network runs at sea and is usually switched off when the ship is close to shore, so it doesn't interfere with land networks.
- Near the coast and in port, your phone moves to a local land network, and Omni bills that country's normal rate.
- Service depends on the ship, so check yours is on the list below.
- Your phone shows the ship's network under a maritime name. Omni roams onto it automatically.
Which cruise lines and ferries work with Roamix Omni?
Omni connects at sea on these 32 cruise lines and ferry operators, on the ships listed.
- AIDA Cruises
- AIDAstella, AIDAsol, AIDAprima, AIDAperla, AIDAnova, AIDAmar, AIDAluna, AIDAdiva, AIDAcosma, AIDAblu, AIDAbella
- Algerie Ferries
- Tassili II, Tariq Ibn Ziyad, El Djazair II
- Ambassador Cruise Line
- Ambition, Ambience
- Anek Lines
- Prevelis, Olympic Champion, Kriti II, Kriti I, Hellenic Spirit, Elyros, El. Venizelos
- Bluestar Ferries
- Asterion II
- Brittany Ferries
- Santona, Salamanca, Pont Aven, Normandie, Mont St. Michel, Galicia, Cotentin, Bretagne, Barfleur, Armorique
- Carnival Cruise Line
- Carnival Venezia, Carnival Firenze
- Color Line
- SuperSpeed II, SuperSpeed I, Color Magic, Color Fantasy
- Condor Ferries
- Condor Voyager, Condor Liberation
- Corsica Ferries
- Mega Regina, Mega Andrea
- Costa Crociere
- Costa Toscana, Costa Smeralda, Costa Serena, Costa Pacifica, Costa Mediterranea, Costa Fortuna, Costa Favolosa, Costa Fascinosa, Costa Diadema, Costa Deliziosa
- Crystal Cruises
- Crystal Symphony, Crystal Serenity
- Cunard Line
- Queen Victoria, Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth
- DFDS Baltic
- Victoria Seaways, Sirena Seaways, Regina Seaways, Luna Seaways, Aura Seaways
- DFDS Seaways
- Princess Seaways, Pearl Seaways, Optima Seaways, King Seaways, Dunkerque Seaways, Dover Seaways, Delft Seaways, Crown Seaways, Cote D'Opale, Cote Des Flandres, Cote Des Dunes, Athena Seaways
- Finnlines
- Finntrader, Finnstar, Finnpartner, FinnMaid, Finnlady, Europalink
- Fjordline
- Stavangerfjord, Fjord FSTR, Bergensfjord
- Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV)
- GNV Allegra
- Grimaldi Lines
- Cruise Roma, Cruise Barcelona
- Irish Ferries
- W. B. Yeats, Ulysses, Oscar Wilde, Isle of Innisfree, Isle of Inishmore, Isle of Inisheer, Dublin Swift
- La Meridionale
- Pelagos, Girolata
- Marella Cruises (TUI UK)
- Marella Voyager, Marella Explorer 2, Marella Explorer, Marella Discovery 2, Marella Discovery
- Mystic Cruises
- World Voyager, World Navigator, World Explorer
- P&O Cruises
- Ventura, Iona, Britannia, Azura, Aurora, Arvia, Arcadia
- Phoenix Reisen
- Artania, Amera, Amadea
- Polferries
- Wawel, Nova Star, Mazovia, Cracovia
- Smyril Line
- Norrona
- Silversea
- Silver Dawn
- Stena Line
- Stena Vision, Stena Superfast VIII, Stena Superfast VII, Stena Spirit, Stena Scandinavica, Stena Nordica, Stena Nautica, Stena Jutlandica, Stena Horizon, Stena Hollandica, Stena Germanica, Stena Danica, Stena Britannica, Stena Adventurer, Skane, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- Swan Hellenic
- SH Vega, SH Minerva, SH Diana
- UME Shipping
- Wasa Express
- Viking Ocean Cruises
- Viking Venus, Viking Star, Viking Sky, Viking Sea, Viking Saturn, Viking Polaris, Viking Orion, Viking Octantis, Viking Neptune, Viking Mars, Viking Jupiter
What does data at sea cost?
Roamix Omni charges $42.10 per GB at sea, about 4 cents per MB, from your normal Omni balance. Here's what everyday things cost.
- 100 WhatsApp or iMessage texts (1 to 2 MB)
- under $0.10
- 20 emails without attachments (1 to 2 MB)
- under $0.10
- A 5 minute WhatsApp voice call (3 to 5 MB)
- $0.12 to $0.21
- Sending 10 photos (20 to 40 MB)
- $0.82 to $1.64
- 10 minutes of Instagram (50 to 100 MB)
- $2.06 to $4.11
- A 10 minute video call (50 to 150 MB)
- $2.06 to $6.17
Rates come from the live Omni rate card and can change. You can see every network's rate on the Omni page.
How to set it up
Do this at home, before you travel.
- 1Install Omni before you sailLoad $10 or more and install Roamix Omni over Wi-Fi at home.
- 2Turn off roaming on your home SIMThis stops your carrier billing you for the ship's network.
- 3Set Omni for mobile dataChoose Omni as your mobile data line and turn on data roaming for Omni only.
- 4Turn on Low Data ModeOn iPhone use Low Data Mode, on Android use Data Saver. Pause photo backups.
- 5Sail awayAt sea Omni uses the ship's network. In port it moves to local networks by itself.
Port days are where Omni shines. A Mediterranean cruise through Spain, France, Italy and Greece bills each port at that country's own rate, with nothing to buy for each stop.
Omni or the ship's Wi-Fi?
Roamix Omni is a great fit for cruises: messages at sea for cents, and normal land rates in every port on your itinerary, all on one balance.
| Option | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Roamix OmniRecommended | Best for: Messages at sea and data in every port | One balance for sea days and port days, no package to buy. |
| Ship Wi-Fi package | Best for: Streaming and video calls at sea | Often priced per day, better for heavy use. |
| Home carrier roaming | Best for: Avoid | Ship networks are often billed at premium rates outside travel passes. |
| Port Wi-Fi only | Best for: Light users | Free in some ports, but crowded and slow. |
How to keep onboard data cheap
- Save big downloads and photo backups for port days, when Omni bills land rates.
- Keep sea days to messages and email, around 20 to 50 MB a day.
- Set app updates to Wi-Fi only before you board.
- Turn on Auto Top-Up so you never land in port with an empty balance.
More detail in our article on mobile data on flights and cruises.
