How Much Data Do You Actually Need for a Cruise?

So, how much data do you actually need for a cruise? Before you can even guess at a number, there’s a decision that matters more: are you buying a fixed data bucket, or paying per day for unlimited? Get this the wrong way round and you’ll either overpay for data you didn’t need, or run out at the worst possible moment.

This post contains affiliate links for GigSky and Maya.

Data buckets vs. daily unlimited — why it matters

Some providers, like GigSky, sell you a set amount of data valid for a set number of days. Guess low and you’re buying a top-up mid-cruise; guess high and you’ve paid for gigabytes you never touched. Others, like Maya, charge a flat rate per day for genuinely unlimited data — no guessing, but it can work out pricier per day than a well-estimated bucket plan if you’re a light user.

So, How Much Data Do You Actually Need for a Cruise? Here’s How to Size It

• Messaging & browsing only: around 100–200MB a day
• Add social media scrolling: around 300–500MB a day
• Add video calls home: another 200–300MB per call
• Streaming video or music: budget 1GB+ per hour — this is the one that catches people out (see Virgin Media O2’s streaming data guide for exact figures by quality)

Add up what you’ll actually do, round up rather than down, and you’ve got your number. (I’m building a proper calculator for this — the rule-of-thumb gets you close enough for now.)

Last updated August 2026. This post contains affiliate links for GigSky and Maya — I get a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. More on how that works →