Esim in USA and Caribbean cruise

Question

We are from UK and have 5 days along the Florida keys, 3 days in Miami before an 11 day Caribbean cruise can anyone suggest the best eSIM to buy. I only need to make uber calls,(or breakdown) use phone navigation, WhatsApp and research ports etc help please from anyone who has successfully used one.

Answer

Traveling from the UK through Florida and then onto an 11-day Caribbean cruise is a perfect situation for using an eSIM—simple, flexible, and much cheaper than roaming on UK networks. Since your main needs are Uber, navigation, WhatsApp, and quick online research, a basic data-focused eSIM will cover everything.

For the USA (Miami + Florida Keys), several eSIM providers work extremely reliably because they use the major U.S. carriers (T-Mobile, AT&T, or Verizon). For the cruise portion, however, you should know that eSIMs generally do not work at sea unless you buy expensive cruise-ship roaming packages. But they will work when you’re docked in ports that are included in your eSIM’s coverage.

Below are the best choices commonly used by UK travelers, with notes on coverage in the Caribbean.

Airalo – “Discover” or “USA” plans: Extremely popular for international travel. “USA” plan works perfectly in Miami and the Keys (uses T-Mobile). The “Discover” plan covers many Caribbean countries, so it also helps in ports. Easy setup, runs smoothly for Uber and maps.
Nomad: Similar to Airalo but often slightly faster speeds in the U.S. (T-Mobile or AT&T). They also offer regional Caribbean eSIMs that work in multiple island nations—great if you want strong port coverage.
Holafly: Offers unlimited data plans for the USA and the Caribbean. They cost more but are simple and stress-free if you don’t want to monitor usage. Great connectivity but no hotspot sharing on some plans.

If your cruise visits multiple islands, you’ll want to check which islands are covered. Most Caribbean eSIMs cover major stops like Bahamas, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, St. Maarten, Barbados, and Cayman Islands.

For the land portion of your trip, you only need 5–10 GB of data because you’ll mainly use Uber, Google Maps/Apple Maps, and WhatsApp. Even 3–5 GB might be enough for light users, but navigation tends to use more data if you drive a lot.

Airalo USA 10 GB (30 days) – Usually the best balance of value and coverage; perfect for Miami + Keys.
Nomad USA 5–10 GB – Very reliable speeds, especially in South Florida.
Holafly Unlimited USA – Good if you never want to worry about data caps, but pricier.

If you want coverage in Caribbean cruise ports, choose a regional plan instead of only a USA plan.

Here are recommended Caribbean options:

Airalo “Island Hopper” (Caribbean Regional) – Covers many cruise ports, reliable and affordable.

Nomad Caribbean Regional Plans

Holafly Caribbean Unlimited – Most convenient but most expensive; easy if you visit many islands.

Remember that your eSIM will not work on the ship when at sea unless you pay for the cruise ship’s own Wi-Fi or roaming package. Most people buy the ship’s Wi-Fi only for messaging, not streaming, because it can be costly. But your eSIM will reconnect once you’re docked in port.

If you want the simplest plan: get an Airalo USA eSIM for Florida, and an Airalo Caribbean eSIM for cruise ports. If you prefer one single plan with no thinking, Holafly’s unlimited Caribbean/USA package works seamlessly but costs more.