Google Fi on a Cruise Ship: Why I Switched
A few years ago I was sitting on a train in China, I was trying to meet up with my friend that was living in Beijing but I had missed my connecting train and was going to be late. I had no cell phone service but somehow the girl I was traveling with did.
This was one of the first times that I really realized that I was behind the times. My cell phone provider was no longer cutting it. This is my story of why I switched to Google Fi for international cell phone service and whether or not Google Fi on a cruise ship makes sense. Google Fi on cruise ship? Yes, please.
Today I am sitting in the Lido Market of our cruise ship. We are at anchor off the coast of Durban, South Africa and I am posting this by hot-spotting my computer to the data I get through Google Fi (use this code for $20 off when you switch).
Google Fi is among my top recommendations for things to travel with, check out the full list here.
2024 Update: This post was written at the beginning of the pandemic when I was on a cruise ship (with no passengers) until crew were able to be disembarked and repatriated (that was a super long process). I have now had Google Fi for about five years and used it in twenty (maybe 30 at this point) + countries. I still highly recommend this service especially for cruise ship crew looking for good international service.
*This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate I may earn compensation from eligible purchases.
*If you use the referral code from Google Fi you will get $20 off of your first bill and I will also receive a $20 credit.
My Cell Phone Story
I had AT&T for over ten years. I am from the small state of Vermont in the United States and here are two main carriers available, AT&T and Verizon. I got AT&T fairly early on and just kept it. It worked well where I lived and that was what I needed.
When I first started working on cruise ships it was 2011. At this point in time WhatsApp wasn’t around, Facebook Messenger was not much of a thing, and if you wanted to video chat someone you used Skype – most likely through a laptop. Never mind all those apps on your phone – my first couple contracts I had a flip phone – apps were not a thing.
Plus my first contracts were in Alaska and Hawaii so there weren’t overly long stretches when I didn’t have cell phone service. I just accepted that out of the US I wouldn’t have cell service and that was alright.
Then, a few years ago, I started noticing that so many of my friends were able to use their cell phones in port – in places like Japan, China, Mexico, and all over the world. I checked with my provider and the best option they had for me was to pay $10 for a day pass to use my phone. It would include data, texting, and phone calls. Ten dollars a day wouldn’t be so bad if you traveled out of country for a week a year. When you are out of country for nearly half of the year though? It simply would not work.
Most of my friends had T-Mobile. T-Mobile offers plans with international texting and data for nearly every country in the world. I was planning to switch T-Mobile when two things happened: I had some friends visit Vermont with T-Mobile and their service was atrocious and after doing a bit of research, T-Mobile wouldn’t let me bring my phone number with me. I’ve had this same phone number since I was 17, it may simply be a number but I have grown attached.
Then I Found Google Fi for my International Cell Phone Service Needs
Then, I found out about Google Fi. Google Fi in the US works between US Cellular, T-Mobile, and Sprint networks. It goes between the three different carriers to bring you the best service from what’s available. I sign up – switch my number over – and I am excited. This not only means I will have service in the places we go on the ship, but when we are in Scotland (where my husband is from) I will have service! Google Fi for my life between cruise ships and countries sounds like a win.
How to Get $20 off When You Switch
Thinking of switching to Google Fi? That’s great! If you use this referral code https://g.co/fi/r/N49FFD you will get $20 off of your first bill!
How To Best Use Google Fi On a Cruise Ship
Google Fi is a great cell phone plan if you are planning on going on a cruise, travel a lot, or work on a cruise ship.
Having service in port is incredibly helpful and with Google Fi you will have cell phone service in port most places around the world. (I’m currently editing this post while sitting in my cabin in Rotterdam, Netherlands… seriously, this service is great).
While on the ship and outside of normal cell phone range you would want to turn the phone to airplane mode to make sure that it is not charging you the fees through the ships “Cellular At Sea”. Many cruise lines now include data plans that can be used on your cell phones, other lines have options you can pay for. While the phone is in airplane mode though you can use the Wi-Fi to connect to the ships internet. While connected to the ships internet over Wi-Fi you can then make phone calls as if you had regular service. For instance if you are from the US then you can call the US for free using “Wi-Fi Calling”. Note: Wi-Fi Calling through Google Fi is not available on all phones (this was one of my initial challenges with the service.) There are many great ways to be able to use Google Fi on a cruise ship and I absolutely recommend this if you are planning on traveling a lot, working on a cruise ship, or are just looking for a more flexible plan.
Initial Challenges with Google Fi
There were some growing pains with this. I didn’t do enough fine print reading and tried using this service on my iPhone 6. With the iPhone 6 it did not include WiFi-Calling (one of the most important features for me), and will not go between the three networks – it just picks one and goes with it.
This resulted in a lot of headaches. I wanted to switch back to AT&T. A few days with no service at all and I was frustrated beyond belief. I tried but couldn’t move my phone number back to AT&T for 60 days. I was stuck with this damn phone service that worked great in Mexico but couldn’t send a text message from my house in Vermont.
Frustrated, I did some research. Other people had my problems and when they switched to a Google phone it worked a lot better – even in more remote areas like Vermont that don’t typically have the best cell phone service. Call it a good plan on Google’s part to make money, but it worked. It was an expensive day for me, but it sort of worked out as my mom dropped her phone in a bucket that same week so she ended up with my old iPhone.
All of my initial frustrations were dealt with by switching to a Google Pixel phone – the phone that was designed to work with this service.
Would I Still Recommend Google Fi on a cruise ship and for international travel?
It’s going well. As I sit about a half hour from land (maybe five miles away) on a cruise ship the service is a bit spotty. It disconnects at inconvenient times. Let’s think about this for a minute though: I still have service. I had enough service to video chat my mom and my brother yesterday. While it can be really frustrating to be on a call and have it drop, it’s not that I am sitting in a city and it’s not working – I am out in the ocean and it still connects. Technology is kind of great.
After switching to the Google phone I was able to get Wi-Fi Calling. Right now going over data it isn’t a huge benefit, but when we are in Scotland at the house, connected to Wi-Fi then if my grandma (from her landline) calls, I can answer the phone just as if I was down the road in Vermont.
It’s nice to be ashore and be able to send a message home. It’s nice to be ashore and be able to WhatsApp call Stuart to see where he is and where we can meet. To be able to check your email, pay a credit card bill, or an electric bill. When we are in Scotland and are out and about to be able to get a message from my mom.
So far the only country Google Fi has not worked that I’ve traveled to is the Cook Islands in the South Pacific. It has worked for me in: USA, Canada, Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Chile, Peru, Panama, French Polynesia, Tonga, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Scotland, England, the Philippines, South Korea, France, and the Netherlands.
No Stores
And, while it is going well and I would recommend it for those that travel extensively, there are no brick and mortar stores for it. You order it online, you communicate with their support service either by phone, email, or chat. There’s no person to go to.
Would I Recommend Google Fi for International Cell Phone Service?
Short Answer: Yes, absolutely.
If you travel a lot I would recommend getting a provider that offers some amount of international coverage. For me, with still wanting cell service in Vermont and to keep my Vermont phone number, Google Fi was by far the best option. It is affordable and has multiple plans available. Additionally, you don’t have to commit to a plan and you are not bound by a contract. You can opt for either an unlimited plan that is $70 a month or a pay-per-gig plan that starts at $20. You can adjust between these on a month to month basis and I have found making those switches based on usage quite easy. The coverage on both plans includes international texting, data, & Wi-Fi Calling. This makes it overall a great choice for me.
My biggest comparison thus far has been with T-Mobile and Three – the UK company that my husband uses. With T-Mobile internationally it is pretty comparable in terms of countries. Google Fi offers unlimited 4G (when available) whereas T-Mobile has unlimited 2G.
In Vermont though Google Fi completely takes the cake for me based on being able to bring my number with me as well as knowing friends that have visited with T-Mobile and had very lack-luster signal. For anyone living in a remote area (by cell phone providers standards) it’s always worth looking up local reviews. By comparison my husband has Three from the UK and he still overall loves it. He has a limit to international data that he can use and he is limited on his international countries. (But that’s also the plan he chose). For instance, he is not covered in South Africa or Canada (go figure?)
Switching is easy and they will send out your new SIM card (and phone if you so choose).
How to Get $20 off When You Switch
Thinking of switching to Google Fi? That’s great! If you use this referral code https://g.co/fi/r/N49FFD you will get $20 off of your first bill!
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