If you have ever tried to send a WhatsApp message from the middle of the ocean, you already know the problem. Cruise Wi Fi is expensive, slow, shared with thousands of passengers, and usually comes with complicated packages that make little sense for modern travelers who just want their phone to work.

This week, GigSky made a move that puts real pressure on that status quo. The global eSIM provider announced a major expansion of its maritime network, growing coverage from 210 to 280 cruise ships and now reaching close to 100 percent of global ocean cruise traffic. cruise eSIM connectivity

That is not a small update. It is a signal that eSIM-based connectivity at sea is no longer experimental. It is becoming infrastructure.

Why cruise connectivity is still broken for most travelers

Cruise ships have always been a connectivity blind spot. Satellite bandwidth is limited, onboard networks are shared, and pricing models are built around daily passes that quickly become more expensive than hotel Wi Fi or even international roaming on land.

For travelers who rely on messaging apps, navigation in port, or light social media, the experience is often frustrating. Even worse, the moment you step off the ship, you are back to juggling roaming, local SIM cards, or airport kiosks.

This is exactly the gap GigSky is trying to close.

What GigSky actually offers and why it matters

GigSky works through an embedded SIM, or eSIM, meaning there is no physical SIM card to insert or replace. Travelers simply check that their phone supports eSIM, download the GigSky app, and install the profile in minutes before they even leave home.

Once installed, the same eSIM can be reused for future trips. You only buy a new data plan when you need it. That alone removes one of the biggest pain points for frequent cruisers and travelers who combine sea and land itineraries.

More importantly, GigSky is positioning itself as a personal alternative to shared cruise Wi Fi. Instead of connecting through the ship’s internal network, users get their own private mobile data connection suitable for messaging, email, maps, and social platforms.

This is not about streaming Netflix at sea. It is about making your phone feel normal again.

The biggest maritime expansion so far

With the latest expansion, GigSky now supports connectivity on ships operated by many of the world’s most active cruise lines.

New ships added to GigSky coverage

AIDA Cruises
Ambassador Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Line
Costa Crociere
Crystal Cruises
Cunard Line
Marella Cruises
Mystic Cruises
P&O Cruises
Phoenix Reisen
Swan Hellenic
TUI Cruises
Viking Ocean Cruises

This brings GigSky’s maritime footprint to 280 cruise ships, covering nearly all major ocean cruise routes globally.

According to the company, this complements existing support for large fleets including Carnival, Celebrity, Disney, MSC, Norwegian, Princess, and Royal Caribbean, which were already part of its earlier coverage.

What Cruise plus Land plans change for travelers

One of the most practical aspects of GigSky’s offering is its Cruise plus Land plans. These plans allow travelers to stay connected both onboard the ship and once they arrive in port, without switching services or activating a different SIM.

For modern cruise itineraries that include multiple countries and short port stops, this is a big deal. Instead of hunting for local connectivity each time you disembark, your phone simply stays connected.

Plans range from 512MB to 20GB, valid from 1 to 120 days, with prices starting at 18.99 dollars. Coverage is available through regional cruise plans for Europe, the Americas and Caribbean, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, while the World Plan extends to 128 countries.

In practical terms, this means one setup, one app, and one connection across sea and shore.

What GigSky says about the expansion

Sam King, CEO of GigSky, framed the update in simple terms.

Cruisers want something simple. A reliable way to stay connected without overpaying or struggling with complicated setup. This expansion gives travelers a personal, consistent connection they can rely on across more ships and more regions than ever before.

That message aligns closely with what we see across travel tech more broadly. Travelers are no longer impressed by novelty. They want reliability, predictability, and transparency.

How GigSky compares to other connectivity options at sea

GigSky is not the only company thinking about connectivity beyond land, but it is currently the only global eSIM provider offering integrated mobile data across both land and sea at this scale.

Traditional cruise Wi Fi remains the default, but it is increasingly seen as overpriced and underperforming for basic use cases. Satellite upgrades are improving speeds, but pricing models have not caught up with traveler expectations.

Some mobile operators offer maritime roaming, but coverage is inconsistent, shockingly expensive, and often poorly explained. Bills after the trip are where most travelers discover the real cost.

Other eSIM providers focus almost entirely on land-based coverage. While they work well in ports, they go dark at sea, forcing travelers back to ship Wi Fi or airplane mode.

GigSky’s advantage is not speed or novelty. It is continuity.

Where this fits into the bigger travel connectivity trend

What we are seeing here is part of a larger shift. Connectivity is no longer a luxury add on. It is core travel infrastructure.

According to industry research from sources like GSMA and Statista, eSIM adoption is accelerating across consumer travel, enterprise mobility, and transportation sectors. Cruise lines are a logical next frontier, especially as ships become floating smart cities with digital check in, onboard apps, and connected services.

At the same time, travelers are becoming more informed. They actively compare options, avoid bill shock, and prefer prepaid, transparent solutions.

In that context, GigSky’s maritime expansion looks less like a niche update and more like a strategic bet on where travel connectivity is headed.

Conclusion

GigSky’s move matters not because it adds more ships to a list, but because it quietly resets expectations for what connectivity at sea should look like.

Compared to traditional cruise Wi Fi, it offers control and predictability. Compared to roaming, it removes risk. Compared to land-only eSIM providers, it finally closes the gap between ship and shore.

As cruise travel continues to rebound and itineraries become more complex, solutions that follow travelers seamlessly will win. GigSky is currently ahead in that race, not because it is flashy, but because it solved a very specific problem in a very practical way.

The real question now is not whether eSIM will become standard for cruising. It is how quickly the rest of the market will catch up.

Full cruise coverage details are available directly from GigSky.