eSim.sm: does it work on a cruise?
Short answer
eSIM.sm is a San Marino-registered travel eSIM. Magic Srl has run it since 2016, under the brand Quibity. Its app lists more than 200 destinations. You buy single-country, regional or global data bundles, and activate them by QR code. There's no physical SIM and no phone number. Prices start from about €2.61 for 1GB, checked September 2026. If you're cruising, coverage begins the moment your phone reaches shore.
Prices last confirmed
Overview
Magic Srl is a San Marino company founded in 2016. It runs the eSIM.sm storefront and its companion app, now marketed as Quibity: Travel by eSIM.sm. San Marino Innovation has certified Magic Srl as an innovative high-tech enterprise. The company's own app-store listing describes global mobile data for travel across more than 200 destinations.
Magic Srl doesn't run its own cellular network. Instead, it buys data wholesale from local mobile operators in each destination. It repackages that as prepaid eSIM bundles. You get a QR code, with no physical SIM card and no identity check needed. A third-party review of eSIM.sm's catalogue splits its coverage into five regions: Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa and Oceania. Each region carries its own single-country and regional plans, plus a pay-as-you-go global option.
Support runs 24 hours a day, through in-app chat and email, in several languages. You'll see either the eSIM.sm or Quibity name, depending on where you signed up. The Quibity app holds 4.8 out of 5 stars from 108 App Store ratings. Reviews praise the price and ease of use. Other reviews complain about calling without a phone number, and about inconsistent service.
Coverage on a cruise
eSIM.sm's bundles connect to the same land-based 4G and 5G towers your phone would use roaming anywhere else. Magic Srl's own materials describe the product as a roaming replacement, not a maritime service. A profile bought for a cruise picks up signal once the ship is alongside a quay, when your phone reaches a shore tower. It loses that signal again once the ship moves back out. That happens about 12 nautical miles from the coast, past the reach of any land-based network. On a multi-port itinerary, each stop needs its own destination bundle switched on. eSIM.sm sells nothing built to work while the ship sits between ports.
Plans and pricing
eSIM.sm prices its catalogue by destination and by region. There's no one flat global rate. Plans run 1 to 30 days in length. A review of the live storefront put the entry price at about €2.61, for a small 1GB bundle. The average plan cost across the catalogue was roughly €22.31. The 5GB and unlimited-data tiers sit at the more expensive end (figures checked September 2026, per a third-party pricing review).
You can buy top-ups and extend a plan's duration at any point in your trip, through the Quibity app. There's no need to start a fresh purchase from scratch. The same app lets you call over WhatsApp or another social app, in place of a local phone number. eSIM.sm plans carry no voice line of their own. Refund terms are not uniform. Magic Srl's own published policy says conditions vary by plan type. Check the terms for your destination bundle rather than assume another region's plan works the same way.
Features
| Coverage | More than 200 destinations, per the Quibity app’s own listing |
|---|---|
| 5G | Available through local partner operators; quality varies by country |
| Hotspot / tethering | Generally allowed, subject to the local partner operator |
| Data / calls / SMS | Data only; calls run through WhatsApp or another app, not a phone number |
| Validity | 1 to 30 days per plan |
| Activation | QR code scan; no physical SIM or ID needed |
| App | Quibity: Travel by eSIM.sm, developer Magic Srl (iOS; also listed as eSIM.sm on Google Play) |
| Top-ups | More data or extra duration, buyable any time in the app |
| Refunds | Vary by plan type, per Magic Srl’s own policy |
| Support | 24/7 in-app chat and email, in several languages |
Setup and activation
Buying an eSIM.sm plan runs through the Quibity app or the esim.sm website. Pick a destination, a data size and a duration. Pay by card, and the eSIM installs by QR code. There's no physical SIM and no identity document needed. Magic Srl's own instructions say to install the profile before you travel. Do it while you still have a reliable wi-fi connection, so the download finishes before you board. For a cruise, that means setting it up at home. Then you just wait for it to pick up a shore signal at the first port.
Strengths and limits
- You get more than 200 destinations under one app and one account.
- You can top up or extend a plan any time, with no fresh purchase needed.
- Support runs 24/7, in several languages, through in-app chat and email.
- San Marino Innovation has certified it as an innovative enterprise.
- There's no phone number. Calls route through WhatsApp or another app instead.
- Refund terms vary by plan type rather than following one fixed policy.
- 5G quality depends on the local partner operator in each country.
- App Store reviews describe inconsistent service on some routes.
Cruise and ferry plans
The plans database on this site holds cruise, ferry and maritime products only. eSim.sm publishes none, so there is no plan table on this page. Its regional data plans remain the relevant purchase for port days.
Verdict
eSIM.sm suits a cruise passenger who wants one app covering more than 200 possible ports, rather than juggling separate country eSIMs. You do give up a local phone number in exchange for flexible top-ups. Pricing starts low, but it averages toward the middle of the market. Refund terms shift by plan, rather than sitting under one guarantee. The product is a straightforward port-day tool. It goes quiet the moment your ship leaves shore-signal range.
What to pair this with for sea days
For the hours between ports you need one of the three maritime providers:
Frequently asked questions
01Does eSim.sm work on a cruise ship?+
In port, yes. At sea, no. eSim.sm sells terrestrial travel data; the ship's own maritime network is a separate system that only GigSky, Saily and Maya sell access to. You want one of each.
02What company runs eSIM.sm?+
Magic Srl runs eSIM.sm. It's a San Marino company, founded in 2016. San Marino Innovation has certified it as an innovative high-tech enterprise. Its consumer app has since been rebranded Quibity: Travel by eSIM.sm. The esim.sm website and brand name are still in use alongside it.
03Can an eSIM.sm plan make phone calls?+
No local phone number comes with an eSIM.sm plan. The app's own listing points you toward WhatsApp or another social app for calling, instead of a traditional line. The product is sold purely as mobile data. So you'll need a separate arrangement for a callable number on a cruise itinerary.
04How much data does an eSIM.sm plan typically include?+
Plans range from small 1GB bundles up to unlimited-data tiers. A review of the live storefront put the average cost across the catalogue at roughly €22.31. The entry price sits around €2.61 for the smallest bundle, checked September 2026. Duration runs from 1 to 30 days, depending on the plan you choose.
05Is eSIM.sm's refund policy the same for every plan?+
No. Magic Srl says refund conditions vary by plan type. Check the terms attached to the specific destination bundle you're buying. Don't assume one blanket policy applies. That detail sits in the plan's own terms, rather than on a single site-wide refund page.
Compare eSim.sm with
- BreezeSim — Budget-priced regional eSIMs with a simple flat catalog and frequent promotions. Land-only, so treat it as the port-day half of a two-eSIM cruise setup.
- ByteSIM — A data-pack retailer with wide country coverage and daily-allowance plans. No cruise SKUs; useful ashore in the Caribbean and Mediterranean.
- ChillSim — A traveller-focused eSIM brand with regional bundles and hotspot-friendly plans. Land coverage only — it will drop the moment the ship clears the coast.
- CloudOn eSIM — App-first eSIM provider with quick QR-free installs and regional packs. A reasonable port-day pick, particularly for short city-stop itineraries.