Saily on a cruise — the honest answer
Short answer
Saily is Nord Security's eSIM app, built by the team behind NordVPN. It now has a Cruise tab. A Cruise plan connects to the ship's own maritime network, not a shore carrier. It switches on by itself once you're 12 nautical miles out, and does nothing at all in port. It covers 200+ ships across 28 named cruise and ferry operators, at the lowest price per gigabyte of any at-sea seller.
Prices last confirmed
Saily discount codes
Overview
Saily launched in November 2023 as Nord Security's own eSIM product. That's the Lithuanian company behind NordVPN, NordPass and NordLocker. It's based in Vilnius, on Nord Security's Cyber City campus. The normal Saily app already covers 200+ destinations with a land eSIM. The Cruise plan sits on top of that, inside the same app.
Most Saily plans buy you access to shore networks. Cruise plans are different. They buy access to the ship's own satellite and cellular-at-sea system instead. You'll find them in a separate Cruise section in the app, not as a standalone product. Coverage runs to more than 200 ships across 28 named operators. That includes Royal Caribbean International, Carnival, MSC, Norwegian, Disney, Virgin Voyages and P&O Ferries.
The rollout is gradual, so the Cruise section may not show up on your account yet. Saily's app-store ratings sit around 4.7 out of 5, across tens of thousands of reviews.
Coverage at sea
A Cruise plan switches on by itself once your ship passes roughly 12 nautical miles from the coast. While you're docked or hugging the coastline it won't connect at all. Saily is clear that a normal Saily plan can't stand in for it at sea. When it's live, your phone will show 901-18, WMS or Cellular at Sea in its network settings, rather than a familiar carrier name. That's how you know it's working. Saily's own support team treats most reported outages as the ship still being inside that 12-mile zone rather than a fault. They point you to the GSMA coverage map to check where you are before raising a ticket.
Plans and pricing
Cruise prices, checked on saily.com in September 2026, run like this. 500MB for one day is $16.99. 1GB for seven days is $29.99. 3GB for 30 days is $51.99. 5GB for 30 days is $69.99, which Saily marks as best value. 10GB for 30 days is $109.99. Every plan earns 3% back in Saily credit towards your next purchase.
You get a 180-day window to activate a plan you've bought. So buying early costs you nothing. It starts the first time your eSIM finds the ship's maritime network, not the day you paid. Saily lists 28 named operators covering more than 200 ships. Check your own cruise line in the app before you pay. The Cruise section is still rolling out and may not appear on every account yet.
Features
| Coverage | 200+ ships across 28 named cruise and ferry operators; at sea only, nothing in port |
|---|---|
| Hotspot / tethering | Allowed; it counts against the plan's data |
| Data / calls / SMS | Data only; no calls or texts |
| Validity | 1–30 days once it starts; 180 days to activate after you buy |
| Activation | Automatic, about 12 nautical miles out; shows as 901-18, WMS or Cellular at Sea |
| App | Saily for iOS and Android; Cruise plans are sold nowhere else |
| Top-ups | Buy another Cruise plan in the app for the same trip |
| Refunds | Listed in Saily's own comparison table; no Cruise-specific policy published |
| Support | 24/7 live chat |
| Device compatibility | Any eSIM-capable phone; hotspot supported |
| Payment | Card at checkout; 3% of each purchase comes back as credit |
Setup and activation
You buy and install Cruise plans inside the Saily app. There's no separate cruise-only product outside it. Set the eSIM up at home on your own wi-fi, before you board. Then just wait. It will show no connection at the terminal and none in port. It attaches on its own once the ship clears the 12-mile line. You don't need to switch anything or change an APN.
Strengths and limits
- The cheapest maritime data per gigabyte of the at-sea sellers.
- A 180-day activation window, so buying early costs nothing.
- You get 3% of every purchase back as Saily credit.
- Backed by Nord Security, the company behind NordVPN.
- Covers 28 named cruise and ferry operators, and 200+ ships.
- No port coverage at all, so you need a second eSIM.
- The Cruise section is still rolling out and may not show on your account.
- Sold only inside the Saily app, never as a standalone product.
- Coverage is per operator, so an uncovered ship gets nothing.
Saily cruise and ferry plans
Saily — Cruise 10GB🟢 Works at seaBest valueCode ESIMDUDE⚠️ Activates beyond 12 nautical miles — does NOT work in port; pair with a port eSIM.
Get deal →$109.99≈ $3.67/day- Saily — Cruise 5GB🟢 Works at seaCode ESIMDUDE
⚠️ Activates beyond 12 nautical miles — does NOT work in port; pair with a port eSIM.
Get deal →$69.99≈ $2.33/day - Saily — Cruise 3GB🟢 Works at seaCode ESIMDUDE
⚠️ Activates beyond 12 nautical miles — does NOT work in port; pair with a port eSIM.
Get deal →$51.99≈ $1.73/day - Saily — Cruise 1GB🟢 Works at seaCode ESIMDUDE
⚠️ Activates beyond 12 nautical miles — does NOT work in port; pair with a port eSIM.
Get deal →$29.99≈ $4.28/day - Saily — Cruise 500MB🟢 Works at seaCode ESIMDUDE
⚠️ Activates beyond 12 nautical miles — does NOT work in port; pair with a port eSIM.
Get deal →$16.99≈ $16.99/day
Verdict
If you care most about price per gigabyte, and you'll happily buy a separate port eSIM too, Saily Cruise is the cheapest real maritime data going. It's run by a well-funded company whose travel eSIM app plenty of people already trust. The trade-offs are genuine, though. It may not appear on your account yet, it does nothing in port, and coverage is per operator rather than universal. Checking your cruise line in the app before you pay is not optional.
Other providers that work at sea
The rest of the field selling genuine at-sea coverage, so you can compare on the same terms:
The comparison worth reading before you buy is Saily against Maya. They are the two cheap-per-gigabyte at-sea plans, they are close on price, and they split on coverage: Maya bundles land data into the same profile, Saily does not.
Frequently asked questions
01Does Saily work on a cruise ship?+
Yes. Saily sells genuine maritime plans that connect to the ship's own at-sea cellular network, well beyond the reach of land masts. The one catch: Saily Cruise activates only past 12 nautical miles, so it does nothing in port — carry a regional eSIM as well.
02Can everyone get a Saily Cruise plan yet?+
Not yet. Saily is rolling Cruise plans out gradually, so the Cruise section only shows for some accounts. Open the app, tap Add data, and look for a separate Cruise tab. If it isn't there, it isn't available on your account yet.
03How do you know the Saily Cruise eSIM has actually connected?+
Your phone's network settings will show 901-18, WMS or Cellular at Sea instead of a normal carrier name. Saily treats that as proof the maritime network is live. If it's missing, you're usually still too close to the coast.
04Do you get anything back on what a Cruise plan costs?+
Yes. A flat 3% of every Cruise plan purchase comes back as Saily credit towards a future plan. That sits on top of the 180-day window you get to activate a plan you have already bought.
05Does Saily cover ferries as well as cruise ships?+
Both. The list of 28 supported operators includes at least one ferry brand, P&O Ferries, alongside cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Norwegian and Disney. That is why Saily calls it cruise and ferry coverage rather than cruise alone.
06Is there a Saily discount code?+
Yes — ESIMDUDE. 20% off Saily eSIM plans, including the Cruise range Paste it into the promo box at checkout before paying. If the total does not move, the code has lapsed and should be reported so it can be pulled from this page.
Compare Saily with
- 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.
- eSIM On — A straightforward eSIM shop with regional data packs and no contract. Land-only coverage; pair with a maritime plan for sea days.