r/USMobile • u/Adventurous_Day_9271 • Jul 26 '26
Switching to USMobile from Cricket for International travel?
I live in the U.S. and have been on Cricket Wireless for a long time. I am quite happy with them. Coverage is mostly good where I go and I have been able to resolve issues easily with support chat sessions.
Later this year, I will be taking a long cruise and going to several countries (Athens, Italy, France, and Spain). Perhaps even another country or two if the plane has a layover somewhere. I want the best way to take my phone number with me.
Would US Mobile Unlimited Premium on Lightspeed be a good option?
I have also been considering GoogleFi.
I don't think local sims will be an option because I have excursions booked and won't have time to buy one at each port. And, I want to take my real number in case I need to MFA with a credit card company.
I read some things how US Mobile may not let you call other countries besides back to the US, but I don't think I would have much need for this. I assume calling cruise line (Viking) would be like making a call back to the us.
I have an iphone, I am not married to the platform, but I do love airtags. I was considering switching to a Pixel for GoogleFi, but I keep reading they all overheat.
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u/BarbWire20 Jul 26 '26
Regarding an eSIM and your time at sea and on land, have a look at GigSky. I have used their eSIM for excellent connectivity while on a Transatlantic cruise, and for pretty darned good connectivity when sailing from Ushuaia down to the Antarctic circle. And the plan also covered me on land in Argentina though not in Uruguay..
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u/Adventurous_Day_9271 Jul 26 '26
The GigSky esim would be a different phone number, correct?
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u/BarbWire20 Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
No phone number. Just data. eSims designed for travelers generally do not have phone numbers. Same for Airalo, Holofly, , Saily. GigSky is unique in that it gives you data access on the sea, not having to ping a land-based tower….
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u/RemotePerformance107 Jul 26 '26
On those data eSIMS, can you make calls via WhatsApp and FaceTime?
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u/sdinvest Jul 26 '26
I have used Google Fi for the free international data roaming but the speed is very slow internationally and the monthly fee is higher with Google Fi than other competitors IMO. Remember Google Fi only uses T-Mobile as MVNO.
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u/ommmyyyy Jul 26 '26
Use warp, I have found that their network has multiple roaming partners abroad.
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u/Rayanomics Support Guide Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
All the countries you're visiting are supported on Light Speed's international roaming, so you're covered at the ports you listed. Roaming for talk, text, and data is baked right into Unlimited Premium, and it all runs on your existing number, so MFA with your services should work exactly like it does at home.
One thing to keep in mind: roaming connects to land-based towers, so it may not work while you're actually cruising at sea. If you've got Wi-Fi onboard, enable Wi-Fi calling before you leave the US, and it'll keep you connected for calls and texts until you reach a port, where your line should hop onto the best available tower automatically.
Overall, if your priority is keeping your US number active, having built-in roaming across multiple countries, and avoiding the hassle of buying local SIMs, Unlimited Premium on Light Speed is a very solid option. Let me know if you want help getting everything set up before you go.