Staying connected on board: Wi-Fi, SIM card and remote working

What are the options for staying connected on board?

To keep a connection during your cruise, several options complement each other depending on your usage, your destination and your boat. None is universal: the best approach is often to combine two of them. The table below summarises the most common options, with their strengths and their limits.

Is there Wi-Fi on board charter boats?

No, not always. Wi-Fi is not standard equipment on a charter boat or boat hire, unlike a hotel or a holiday home. Whether it is available depends on the boat, the fleet and the home base. When it exists, it usually takes the form of a mobile device, a 4G router installed on board, which picks up the mobile network and rebroadcasts it as Wi-Fi on board.

In practice, the quality of this Wi-Fi depends directly on the mobile coverage of the area where you are sailing. Close to the coast and in harbours, the signal is generally good. Offshore, in a secluded cove or in an out-of-the-way anchorage, it can weaken or even disappear. It is a convenience for light use, not a fibre connection. The boat's details and your quote state whether the Wi-Fi is included, offered as an option or absent.

What is the best way to get online on a sailing holiday?

Beyond the boat's Wi-Fi, several options will keep you reachable. The right choice depends on your destination and how intensively you use it.

The boat's Wi-Fi (4G router)

This is the simplest route when it is available: the operator provides a ready-configured router and you connect just as you would at home. Handy for a crew sharing a single connection, but the speed stays modest, often a few megabits shared between everyone: fine for messaging and weather, just about enough for video calls. Book it in advance, as the number of routers per base is limited.

The local SIM card or eSIM

For a cruise outside the European Union, a local SIM card or an eSIM (a digital SIM card, activated remotely with no physical chip) bought before you leave is often the most economical option. You then have your own mobile connection, which you can share with the rest of the crew via tethering. Check that your phone supports eSIM and which operator has the best coverage in the area you are heading for. In some countries outside the EU, a local SIM card also has to be registered against your passport.

Your mobile plan and roaming

Since Brexit, the EU "Roam Like At Home" rules no longer automatically apply to UK SIM cards, and several UK networks have reintroduced roaming charges in the EU. Before a Mediterranean cruise, check your provider's terms: some plans still include EU roaming, others apply a daily fee or a data cap. Outside the EU, roaming can become expensive very quickly, so check your plan before you go and turn off data roaming abroad if needed, to avoid a surprise bill when you get back.

One important point: at sea, your phone may latch onto a ship-based mobile network (carried by satellite). This falls outside standard roaming terms and costs can be very high. Switch to manual network selection or turn off mobile data when not needed.

Tethering from your phone

The hotspot feature (tethering) turns your smartphone into a Wi-Fi access point for your other devices. Free and always available, it suits occasional use. In return it drains the battery and your plan's data allowance, which is why it is worth planning to recharge on board.

Starlink, satellite internet

Starlink, satellite internet, works far from the coast, where 4G no longer reaches. It is the preferred option for intensive remote working or online meetings on board, and some clients now ask for it explicitly. A few newer boats and some crewed yachts are now fitted with it. When it is offered as an option, the operator charges for it, and the cost can run to several hundred euros for the charter period. This technology is not yet widespread across charter fleets: its availability and price are best checked boat by boat with our team.

How much does Wi-Fi cost on a charter boat?

Yes, on-board Wi-Fi is usually chargeable. On a sailing holiday it typically costs between €30 and €250 for the whole charter period, depending on the operator and the package. That range applies to the 4G router; Starlink is charged separately, from several hundred euros (see below). For example, Wi-Fi paid to the captain on board is around thirty euros, while a high-speed option with a large operator can approach €250. At some bases or in seasonal promotions the Wi-Fi is occasionally free, but that is the exception rather than the rule.

This fee is settled, depending on the case, at the time of booking, at the base during check-in, or directly on board with the skipper or captain, sometimes in cash. One thing to check: the operator's contract may include a Wi-Fi option that doesn't appear on your Filovent quote. So check both documents and, if in doubt, ask our experts whether the Wi-Fi is included, optional and at what price, so you can build it into your budget rather than discover it once you are there.

Is mobile coverage good at sea?

Close to the coast, mobile coverage is generally satisfactory, especially in the European Mediterranean, where the network of masts is dense. You pick up a signal in most harbours, marinas and anchorages near the shore. This is the comfort zone for the boat's Wi-Fi, which relies precisely on this mobile network.

In the Mediterranean, the network generally reaches up to around 15 nautical miles from the coast; beyond that, the signal becomes unpredictable and can drop out. Offshore, between two islands or in a steep-sided cove, the connection weakens, and in far-flung cruising areas it depends heavily on the local operator and the area. For offshore sailing or a need for a constant connection, only satellite, such as Starlink, offers genuine continuity.

Is there Wi-Fi on a charter catamaran?

Charter catamarans, whether bareboat or skippered, often have no Wi-Fi on board. It is not included as standard and, especially within the large managed fleets, it is frequently not even offered as an option. So it is best to assume there is none, and to check it on the boat's listing rather than take it for granted.

If you opt for a catamaran hire and a connection matters to you, the safest approach is to arrange your own mobile plan or a local SIM card, shared via tethering with your fellow crew members. Ask your adviser to confirm before booking, especially if you intend to work on board.

Can you work remotely from a boat?

Yes, working remotely from a charter boat is possible, as long as you plan ahead and choose the right setting. A reliable connection is not something you improvise on board: it is prepared before departure, by matching the destination, the boat and your means of connection to your work needs. Here are the habits to adopt:

1. Choose a coastal sailing area with good mobile coverage, rather than an offshore or very remote itinerary.
2. Arrange a main option and a backup: for example the boat's Wi-Fi plus a SIM card, so you do not depend on a single network.
3. Plan ahead for power to charge your laptop and phone, under way or once connected at the quayside.
4. Schedule your video calls for the slots at the quay or at anchor, when the boat is steady and the connection is at its best.
5. Consider a boat hire with skipper to free yourself from sailing and keep time to work, or a boat fitted with Starlink if a constant connection is essential.

With this framework, alternating between work and sailing becomes realistic for everyday office tasks. For critical video calls or large file transfers, plan for a satellite option and schedule important appointments for the slots at the quayside.

How do you charge your devices on board?

On board, electricity comes from the boat's batteries, recharged by the engine under way and from the quay when you are connected in port. You generally have 12-volt sockets and USB ports, and some boats offer 220 volts via an inverter or once connected to the harbour bollard. To understand it all, see our article on the sources of electricity on a boat.

For remote working, two precautions are sensible: bring good-capacity power banks for your devices and limit very power-hungry uses when the boat is at anchor with the engine off. Charging under way or at the quay remains the safest way to set off with your devices full.

What about a cabin cruise or a crewed boat?

On a cabin cruise or a crewed boat the logic is different: the connection is often part of the on-board services, and a growing number of vessels are fitted with Wi-Fi, or even Starlink. Availability and quality vary from one boat to another, though, particularly in remote cruising areas where the connection may be limited to ports of call.

One point to know on crewed boats: connection costs, such as topping up data or Wi-Fi taken out during the trip, are sometimes settled through the APA, the onboard kitty used to cover shared expenses (fuel, harbour and transit fees, provisioning). They then appear in the final APA reckoning and not on your initial invoice, which can come as a surprise if you are not expecting it. Do not hesitate to ask the crew at the start of the trip how the connection is charged.

As with everything else, your booking documents set out what is included on board. If the connection is an important criterion for you, flag it at the time of booking: our advisers can steer your choice towards a boat or a crewed sailing yacht that is properly equipped.

What internet is there for a Nile cruise?

On a Nile cruise, on board a dahabeya (a traditional Egyptian sailing boat), Wi-Fi is usually available but chargeable: it is often paid directly to the captain on board, typically around thirty euros for the whole stay. Mobile coverage along the Nile is reasonable near towns and sites, more patchy between ports of call.

For these destinations, Filovent offers a prepaid SIM card as an extra, handy for having your own connection without depending on the boat's Wi-Fi. In Egypt, a local SIM card is registered against your passport. If Egypt is your destination, ask our concierge team for the details of this option and its price when you book.

Is there internet on board a penichette?

On a river cruise this question comes up often, because the penichette, a traditional canal boat for river cruising, travels slowly, at the pace of the water and very close to the banks. Mobile coverage is generally good along inhabited canals and rivers, which makes sharing a connection by smartphone particularly suitable. We go into this in detail in our dedicated article on internet on board a penichette.

What connection costs should you budget for?

The connection budget depends on the option you choose and stays modest for everyday use:

1. The boat's Wi-Fi: an option charged as a flat fee for the charter period, generally €30 to €250 depending on the operator and the package, sometimes free.
2. The local SIM card or data eSIM: the price depends on the country and the data allowance you choose, paid by you.
3. Your mobile plan: check your provider's roaming terms, as EU roaming is no longer guaranteed for UK SIMs since Brexit and can carry a daily fee.
4. Starlink: when it is offered as an option, the operator charges for it, sometimes several hundred euros for the charter period.

For a cruise on a crewed catamaran, the shared Wi-Fi router is often the most practical option. For a trip solo or as a couple outside Europe, a local SIM card is frequently the most economical.

How do you avoid unwelcome surprises?

To set off on your cruise connected and relaxed, keep these points in mind:

1. Check the boat's details and your quote to see whether a connection is included, optional or absent.
2. Match your option to the destination: mobile plan in Europe, local SIM card or eSIM elsewhere, satellite for offshore.
3. Arrange a backup network if you need to stay reachable, rather than depend on a single access point.
4. Plan ahead for charging your devices and bring power banks.
5. Book the boat's Wi-Fi in advance, as the routers available per base are limited in number.
6. If in doubt, ask your Filovent adviser about the connection options on the specific boat you are interested in.

Find out more

To prepare your cruise in detail, see our dedicated articles:

• Life on board: comfort, equipment and organising daily life during the cruise.
• Luggage and equipment: what to bring for your cruise.
• Sailing and anchoring: organising your legs and ports of call.
• The cabin cruise: what is included on board and how the trip works.

For any question about the connection options on your booking, contact your Filovent adviser or our concierge team on +44 20 4576 3186.

This article was written by the Filovent team and reviewed by our concierge service. A boat charter specialist since 1995, Filovent helps thousands of clients every year prepare for their cruise.