Free roaming internet is something close to fantasy nowadays. It’s quite unbelievable if telecommunication networks provide you with this privilege.
If such thing exists, it would be very useful for seamen. And its a discovery worth sharing for.
We all know that seafarers always demand internet connection on board. When in port, the number one concern (and job order) for watchmen on the gangway is to ask for internet SIM cards.
Same is true for our mates going ashore. Today, internet connection is second to oxygen.
But what if I told you that there’s a network offering FREE unlimited roaming internet?
I’m gonna share with you how I got mine.
Best Roaming Internet SIM for Seamen
Internet network providers are not the same. When it comes to being the best, the customer support factor plays a great role.
I’m always using Three UK for my internet needs on board. I’ve used many other top networks before but Three UK is my number one.
Disclaimer:
This is not an advertorial. I am not paid by Three UK to publish this post nor share it to everyone. Writing this article is purely according to my will and sincerity to share this experience.
Since our voyage is mostly in Europe, Three UK works best for me. Even my fellow seafarers use Three because of its flexibility, availability and superb customer support.
I created a post on why My Three is the best roaming sim card for seafarers. I suggest you also check it out.
Three Offers
Since my fellow seamen use Three sim cards, they usually come to me for topping up extra credits that they can convert to data add-ons.
These data add-ons come on different bundles like 12GB internet for one month which costs GBP20.00 (Great British Pounds). This is the widely used add-on whenever we are outside UK.
You can use the 12GB data on 71 Go Roam Countries mostly found within Europe but also around the world like Chile, US, Sri Lanka, and some parts in Asia.
When you are within UK ports, you can have an unlimited internet connection for GBP27.00 also for one month.
Blessing in Disguise
The FREE unlimited roaming internet is not actually a regular product offered by Three. It only came to me as a blessing in disguise.
The Problem
My friend on board asked me to buy an internet top up for his Three sim card. After a few minutes, I sent him the voucher codes. He promised to pay me on allotment day.
After a few hours, he told me that the voucher codes were not working- a real disaster!
I gave him another voucher code and this time, it worked just fine. I told him to pay only the second voucher code and I’ll take care of the rest. We agreed and life went on.
I was still in Manila by that time and spent GBP21.49 for the first top up which was not working. If this happened on our local telco setting, this could have been “buy-bye”.
But I had so much trust on Three’s customer support because of my previous experiences.
A More Deeper Problem
For non-UK addressed credit cards, buying Three top-ups can only be done via third party websites. I use Mobile Top Up UK for my top up needs.
After this incident, I sent an email to mobiletopup.co.uk. They replied saying that this problem is out of their concern since they are only a vendor for Three’s product.
Reply from the vendor- Mobile Top Up UK.
In order to solve it, I had to directly contact Three and check everything on their side.
Three offers live chat support available 24/7 for their customers. Since I’ll be signing on in 2 days, I sent them an inquiry.
However, they asked for my bank statement regarding the transaction. They want to confirm the payment for my top up.
I tried sending them my credit card transaction via screenshot but they didn’t honor it as valid. They want the actual bank statement.
The FREE Unlimited Internet
During this time, I began to feel hopeless. I explained to them that my bank would issue the bank statement every 16th or 17th of the month.
Our live chat was on the 13th of April 2019. I told him how frustrated I was of this situation despite being highly transparent and cooperative.
Now, every time Three ends their live chat support, they always ask you whether you are “100% happy“.
I honestly told them that I was not even 50% happy. I was frustrated.
Suddenly, he gave me a FREE unlimited roaming internet data for seven days! No strings attached. No extra charges. All for free.
Free unlimited roaming internet from the Three app.
This really fired me up. From being unhappy, I was now 101% happy and surprised. Yeeeaaayyyy!!
He told me to send the bank statement once I receive it to the email address they provided. Of course, I gave them a very excellent feedback after our conversation.
My Confidence in Three
I like to say this again. I’ve been using Three sim cards since 2016. I made more than a hundred top ups for me and my friends on board and those on other vessels whom I didn’t personally met.
Even when I’m on vacation, I still provide them with top-ups at a very reasonable price.
But it doesn’t always go smoothly. There would be times that the vouchers are invalid or the topping up process fails.
My crewmates on board who encountered problems with their Three sim cards often come to me for assistance.
But despite of all those troubles, Three always find ways to satisfy their subscribers. I thought I would be ditched on that last incident yet they still continue to surprise me.
I even had one friend on board who was given a 30-day FREE UNLIMITED internet to 71 countries worldwide.
That’s why I’m very confident in using Three.
What’s your unlimited internet top-up story?
May the winds be on your favor.
