P&O Cruise WiFi vs GigSky eSIM: Pricing, Performance, and Port Days

Your P&O cruise is booked. Now comes the question of how you’ll stay connected. Do you try an eSIM? Buy the ship's WiFi package? Just use roaming and hope for the best?

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You're going to want some kind of connectivity. Even if you're trying to unplug, you'll probably need to message family at some point, pull up a map when you're wandering around Barcelona, or check that one work email that can't wait. 

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The real question is which option fits how you use your phone when you travel.

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GigSky is an eSIM that works both on the ship and when you're off exploring ports. Then there's P&O's WiFi packages you can buy before your cruise or once you're onboard. 

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GigSky got into the cruise space a few years back and now covers over 300 cruise ships, including P&O. 

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They're the only eSIM provider that figured out how to make connectivity work at sea, not just on land. P&O's been building out their WiFi infrastructure for years across their fleet.

P&O Cruises Ships WiFi vs GigSky eSIM

Pricing & Plans: Different Structures for Different Budgets

GigSky works on a data package model. You're buying data instead of days. Pick how much data you think you'll need, and that amount is valid for a specific time period.

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GigSky Cruise + Land Data Plans (Europe & Caribbean):

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• 512 MB / 1 day: $19.99
• 1 GB / 7 days: $34.99
• 3 GB / 15 days: $69.99
• 5 GB / 30 days: $98.99
• 10 GB / 30 days: $153.99

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They also have a World Plan that covers 128 countries:

• 512 MB / 1 day: $26.99
• 1 GB / 7 days: $44.99
• 3 GB / 15 days: $71.99
• 5 GB / 30 days: $118.79
• 10 GB / 30 days: $175.99
• 20 GB / 120 days: $239.99

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P&O keeps it simple with per-day pricing. You pay a daily rate based on which package you pick, multiply by your P&O cruises ships​ length, and that's your total. Easy math.

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P&O WiFi Packages:

• Essential WiFi: £14 per day (£20 if you buy it onboard without pre-booking) - gets you web browsing, email, social media, messaging
• Ultimate WiFi: £20 per day (£30 without pre-booking) - everything in Essential plus video streaming and video calls

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So if you're doing a week-long P O cruise around Europe and you book ahead, you're looking at £98-£140 (roughly $131-$187 USD). Wait until you're onboard and those prices jump to £140-£200.

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Here's the thing: if you're a light user: mostly WhatsApp, some Instagram, Google Maps when you're in port, you'll probably spend $35-$99 with GigSky on a week-long P O cruise. 

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That's cheaper than P&O's Essential package. But if you're someone who streams a lot or takes video calls constantly, P&O's unlimited Ultimate package might make more sense despite costing more per day.

Coverage: Where Each Option Works

Both get you connected while you're cruising, but what happens when you dock somewhere is where things get interesting.

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GigSky's Cruise + Land plans do something useful. While the ship's moving, you're connected through maritime networks. 

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When you pull into port, the eSIM automatically switches over to local cell towers. So you step off the ship in Barcelona and you've still got data. 

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No reconnecting, no buying a separate plan, no hunting for WiFi.

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If you're someone who plans to really explore ports, walking around cities, finding restaurants, using rideshare apps, this matters. 

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You've got Google Maps working the whole time, you can message your travel buddy who went to a different museum, you can look up that restaurant someone recommended.

P&O's WiFi runs off satellite systems on the ship. Works great when you're onboard, on deck, in the restaurants, hopefully in your cabin (more on that signal issue later). 

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But once you walk off the ship to explore ports, you're out of range. Unless you're standing right next to the boat, you've lost connection.

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Now, if you're more of an "enjoy the ship amenities and maybe walk around the port area a bit" cruiser, P&O's ship-only coverage probably works fine. 

Device Compatibility & Setup

GigSky needs an eSIM-compatible phone that's unlocked from your carrier. Most recent phones are. 

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Setup is quick, Download the GigSky App and install the eSIM. It takes 5 minutes.

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But here's something specific to cruise eSIMs that trips people up: don't install it too early. 

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GigSky's cruise plans usually cover multiple countries, which might include wherever you live. 

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If you install the eSIM two weeks before your cruise while you're sitting at home in the US, and your plan covers the Americas, it might auto-activate right then. 

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By the time you actually board your cruise, half your validity period is gone.

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Install it close to when your ship leaves port. Like, the day before or even a couple hours before departure. 

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If you absolutely need to buy it early to catch a sale, turn off mobile data for that eSIM in your phone settings until you're ready to use it.

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One more thing: the eSIM takes about an hour to activate after the ship leaves port. So give it an hour to start posting your boarding photos.

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P&O's WiFi is plug-and-play for anything with WiFi. Phone, tablet, laptop. 

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Connect to the network, log in through their portal, and you're set. If you've got multiple devices or your phone doesn't support eSIM, this universal approach works.

Performance & Use Cases

Let's talk about how people actually use the internet on P&O cruises ships​.

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Most travelers fall into what I'd call light-to-moderate use. You're texting family on WhatsApp, posting some photos to Instagram, checking email a few times a day, pulling up maps when you're exploring a new city. 

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Maybe scrolling Reddit or the news. For this kind of usage, GigSky handles it fine and you won't blow through data.

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Then there are heavy users. You're streaming shows in your cabin. Doing video calls with family. 

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Uploading a bunch of travel videos. Working remotely with bandwidth-heavy stuff. 

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If that's you, honestly, you might want P&O's Ultimate WiFi or even a combo approach, P&O for streaming and calls, GigSky for when you're off the ship.

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Some experienced cruisers actually use both. Ship WiFi for the heavy stuff, eSIM for port days. Gives you backup options too in case one network's being temperamental.

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Here's a quick breakdown:

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GigSky makes more sense if you:

• Mostly use messaging apps
• Post photos to social media but aren't uploading hours of video
• Need maps and navigation when exploring ports
• Want connectivity away from the ship
• Can share a hotspot with whoever you're traveling with

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P&O WiFi makes more sense if you:

• Need to connect your laptop, tablet, and phone all at once
• Watch Netflix or YouTube regularly
• Do video calls a lot
• Don't have a phone that supports eSIM
• Can't be bothered tracking data usage

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Get both if you:

• Work remotely and need reliable everything
• Want a backup plan
• Have heavy needs onboard but also explore ports extensively

Signal Quality & Connection Reality

Okay, real talk: cruise ship internet isn't perfect no matter what you're using.

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Ships are giant floating metal boxes. Metal blocks signals. You might get a great connection up on deck or in the main common areas, but it might be spotty in your interior cabin. 

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This happens with GigSky and P&O WiFi equally. It's not the service, it's the ship construction.

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GigSky works better in outdoor areas where your phone can reach the ship's antennas more easily. 

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When you're in port though, GigSky has the edge because it's connecting to regular cell towers on land. 

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Those tend to be stronger and more reliable than maintaining a connection back to the ship's network from a distance.

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P&O WiFi might be more consistent in specific common areas where they've placed access points strategically. It varies by ship and where you are on it.

Family & Group Travel Considerations

GigSky lets you buy plans for other people from your account now, and they've added gift cards too. 

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Makes it easier if you're setting up connectivity for your whole family, you don't need everyone creating accounts and entering credit card info.

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The hotspot feature is clutch if you're traveling with someone who doesn't have an eSIM-compatible phone. 

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You can share your connection. Couples where only one person has a newer phone use this all the time.

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With P&O, each person needs their own WiFi package if they want connectivity. That adds up for families. 

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Though if you've got tablets or laptops that can't use eSIM anyway, you're buying WiFi packages regardless.

Support & Purchase Process

GigSky is separate from your cruise booking, you buy through their app or website. 

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You can check your data usage there, top up if you need more. Support is through email or chat.

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P&O lets you add WiFi packages right in their booking system. 

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You can grab one up to four days before your P and O cruises​ and save 10%, or buy it once you're onboard through their My Holiday app. They keep everything in one place.

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Both have decent support teams overall.

Making Your Decision

Both options work. That's the bottom line. Which one fits depends on what you actually do with your phone.

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GigSky shines when you're exploring ports extensively, when you're a light-to-moderate user who doesn't need unlimited everything, or when you want to share your connection via hotspot. 

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For people who are really active at each port stop and mainly use their phone for practical stuff rather than entertainment, it covers you completely for less money.

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P&O WiFi is solid if you need multiple devices connected, you're planning to stream, or you just don't want to think about data limits. The daily pricing makes sense if you're mostly staying on the ship anyway.

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A lot of experienced cruisers run both: GigSky for staying connected during shore excursions, P&O WiFi for Netflix and video calls on the ship. Gives you redundancy too if one network's acting up.

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If you're new to cruising and still figuring out your connectivity patterns, grab GigSky's 1GB plan for $34.99. Low risk, and you can always add a P&O package once you're onboard if you realize you need more bandwidth than mobile data provides.

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Want reliable connectivity both at sea and in every port you visit? 

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Check out GigSky's cruise eSIM plans designed for travelers who don't want to lose connection when they step off the ship.

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