As great as it feels to be completely disconnected every once in a while it is important to have means of communication while cruising. Whether you need service to let the family back home know you are okay, continue working online while on the move, or to lay down at night and stream a movie while you fall asleep. We all have our reasons and they are all important. Now the question is how do we get service in these beautiful blue waters?! We have crossed the Gulf Stream many times to get over to the Bahamas. These trips ranged from weeks to months but we always needed service to continue working. We have tried a few different types of services and researched many. Below are the different types of internet options for cruising the Bahamas and our experience with some them.
6 Internet Options to Consider for Cruising the Bahamas
Comparison of the internet options for cruising the Bahamas
Island Wifi:
Using My Island Wifi as a hotspot in the Bahamas
I found out about this service via the Bahamas Sailing and Cruising Facebook page. I had never heard of it before but people were raving about it. It has only been around for about a year but it has exploded in the cruising world. So.. what’s so great about it?
My Island Wifi is a hotspot device which lets you connect up to 10 of your own devices via wifi. The best thing about it is that it offers UNLIMITED DATA. There is no throttling after using a certain amount of data. We do not even have that with our U.S. based service.
The service is $75 month with a one time $50 device deposit fee and a $10 shipping/delivery fee.
You can have the device delivered to you while still in the states or pick it up on whichever island you plan on visiting.
It is important to note that My Island Wifi is a data hotspot, not a phone service. If you would like to make calls and text you can do so using facetime, iMessage, WhatsApp, etc. You may also enable wifi calling on your phone (you must enable this feature while still in the U.S.).
Like all services, the speed fluctuates based on your location and proximity to a tower. From our personal experience, we have had service at secluded anchorages in Great Harbor Cay, Fish Market Cay, and along the coast of Eleuthera. I will update you with our experience as we travel down the outer Islands.
We have currently used over 120 GB of data in about three weeks and the speeds have been fast.
BTC
BTC prepaid plan options
Last year we used BTC as our main way to get internet and phone service. We brought an unlocked iPhone with us to the Bahamas and went to the BTC office in Green Turtle (beware only open on Thursday’s for a few hours) to get a sim card. The nice lady at the counter activated our card and taught us how to top up our data/minutes when we ran out.
We opted for the prepaid monthly service because we did not want to be locked into yet another contract. BTC offers weekly and monthly prepaid options with various data allowances.
The best option for us was $35 a month for 15gb of data. You pay extra for talk and text and the rates are as follows:
Voice calls during peak hours (7am-7pm) $0.33 per minute
Voice calls off peak hours (7pm-7am) $0.15 per minute
Voice calls on weekends $0.20
Local Text $0.05
International text $0.15
The service was better the closer we were to a tower but still usable up to a few miles away. We also ended up using more than 15gb of data a month and had to reload multiple times. This was easy to do over the phone or online.
BTC was a big game changer for us from using the dreaded travel pass.
Verizon International Travel Pass
Welcome to the Bahamas! Verizon Travel Pass
$10 a day in the Bahamas only when you need it. Calls and texts are deducted from your stateside plan. The details sound great for short trips until you look at the fine print… you are allotted 500mb of high-speed data. You are then throttled and in our experience the throttled speed was unusable. We went through 500mb extremely quick.
You have the option to buy another 500mb but at the end of the day, you are better off using one of the other options.
This is great to have activated on your device just in case something goes wrong and you need a backup or if you use very little data.
ALIV
Aliv Coverage Map
We have not personally used ALIV but have heard that it is very similar to BTC. In some places, ALIV has faster speeds and others BTC wins.
They offer weekly and monthly prepaid plans as well as postpaid contract plans.
The monthly prepaid rates are as follows.
8gb of data, 500 minutes, and 500 texts for $50
12gb of data, 900 minutes, and 900 texts for $75
Unlimited data, unlimited minutes, and unlimited text for $120
You can either purchase an ALIV phone or use an unlocked phone.
After researching Aliv and reading the fine print I learned that Aliv has the option to deactivate your service if you exceed over 100 GB in 30 days. This is probably not an issue for most people but if you are a data hog like us then it is an important thing to consider when deciding on a service.
T-mobile
T-mobile offers unlimited data in over 200 countries!
Again, we do not personally have T-mobile service but they claim to offer unlimited texting and data in over 200 countries (the Bahamas being one of them). We have heard mixed reviews some people love it and say it’s great while others have expressed to us that the speeds are not as promised.
Google Fi
Google Fi pricing for 20+ GB of data
Google Fi also claims to have affordable international rates in over 200 countries. According to its website, highspeed data (4G) is $10 per GB. If you use loads of data that could be very expensive BUT Google Fi has ” Bill Protection” which caps your payment at a certain amount depending on your plan. Everything after that is free. Their website offers a bill estimate, for one line with unlimited calls, texts, and 20+ GB of data they charge $80 plus taxes, fees, and $0.20 per minute on international calls. If you read the small print you will also see that data is throttled after 15GB. I have read a few accounts of individuals switching their cell service to Google Fi’s cheapest option and using My Island Wifi as their main internet source in the Bahamas.
As you can see there are now many options for internet in the Bahamas. The best option for you depends on how much data you use and if you want it to include (non-wifi) voice calls and text. I hope this research helps with your decision!
If you are interested in knowing how much we spent last year on BTC and all of our other expenses while cruising the Bahamas for two months click here!
Very helpful! Thank you.
As for the T-mobile option, it’s only intended for vacation or shortish term periods while international, more specifically, 3 months max. I found out the hard way while in South Korea for 4 months … when nearing the 3 month mark they were about to cancel my service and I had to remove my SIM card before the 3 month mark or I wouldn’t have been able to gain use of the phone number I’ve had since 10th grade. But, for periods of time less than 3 months it works great.
I used BTC both this year in the Berry’s, Eleuthera, & Exumas; and last year in the Abacos. I found their coverage & speeds to be better than expected. I only ran into a few remote areas with no coverage. I used about 30 gig a month and it was easy to top up online. I ordered my BTC sim card before leaving the US, activated on arrival, and topped up online. never needed to visit a BTC store.
The My Island WiFi sounds like a good alternate, I had never heard of it.
I never met anyone using Aliv.
The rest of the cellular options are not really practical for long term visiters.
Wow! Pretty amazing cache of info you found Sierra. I love the vlogs and all the little things you and your crew do to entertain us hangers on. You and Billy are way more on top of situations than I knew existed.
So would this be classified as TTT or just public relations. ]:)
Hi again. How do you two keep yourselves awake during overnight deck shifts in transit? Does Jetty take a shift now and then?:)
Hi guys
Are use the Verizon prepaid unlimited WyFi . It is 4G speed $65 a month and never throttles back
Thank you for sharing the article. I agree with you that staying motivated is essential for a sailing adventure. Your article is excellent; it’s inspiring me a lot
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Thank you for all your great info. My wife and I and our dog Bean are taking our Fountaine Pajot Lucia 40 in November from Grenada up through the Caribbean into the Bahamas and then ending in Brunswick Ga. sometime in mid to late July. I am making sure we can get weather everyday. Do you have a cell booster on your boat or is the cell signal good enough, if we got Google Fi to down load grab files and Predict Wind? Thanks Rob Paden
Hi Rob
I have the same question. All of the info seems to be from 2019. Have you found any more current comments?
Betty
Bettyfitte@gmail.com
Hi Tulu,
This information is very useful and I have been going to the linked sites to learn more. It is not clear what time frame this is. At the top it says Apr 27 – which year? I see so much information from 2014, 2017, 19, etc. and really only want to consider the most current. Can you clarify?
Thank you,
Betty
All of this seems to be from 2019. Are there any more current comments?