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With Maritime Personnel, Starlink more clearly distinguishes between coastal navigation, international cruising, and network use on the high seas. For a recreational boater, the choice of plan therefore depends less on the antenna installed on board than on the planned route, the amount of time spent abroad, and the volume of data used far from the coast.
A package designed for boats that cross international borders
Maritime Personnel is primarily intended for seafarers who leave their country of residence for an extended period. With Roam Unlimited, Starlink now offers up to 30 days of service outside the country of registration for each international trip. However, regional groupings do exist. In Europe, in particular, certain trips between countries belonging to the same group are not treated in the same way as international travel.
Maritime Personnel has eliminated this 30-day restriction on use at sea, subject to local regulations. The service costs $185 per month, excluding tax, and includes unlimited data within territorial waters.
This is aimed quite specifically at long-range cruising sailboats or motorboats that make a series of international stops. For a vessel that sails primarily within its usual waters and regularly returns to its country of registration, the benefits of Roam are much less obvious.
Furthermore, the plan is not intended for use on land. Therefore, you should not think of Maritime Personnel as a universal mobile plan that allows you to maintain the same connection whether you're on a boat, in a RV, or at your vacation home.
At 12 nautical miles, the bill changes
The key concept for understanding Starlink in navigation comes down to one distance: 12 nautical miles.
Within territorial waters, Maritime Personnel offers unlimited data. Beyond 12 nautical miles?or approximately 22 km?the vessel switches to Ocean Mode. Data used offshore is then billed by volume.
This distinction has very practical implications at the chart table. Coastal navigation?even international coastal navigation?and transatlantic voyages entail very different connection costs.
Whether you?re viewing weather files, downloading GRIB files, receiving emails, or using a messaging app, you can keep data usage under control by taking a few precautions. But automatic updates, photo syncing, video streaming, or cloud backups can consume several gigabytes without the crew even noticing.
On board, managing your internet connection is therefore a matter of organization. Turning off automatic updates and saving large downloads for stopovers helps limit data usage in Ocean Mode.
The $6/GB Ocean Mode Changes How You Calculate a Trip
Starlink has announced a significant change effective September 27, 2026: Ocean Mode will be billed at $6 per GB.
This rate should be considered in light of actual onboard usage. Ten GB of data used at sea costs $60. Fifty GB brings the total cost for ocean usage to $300, plus the monthly subscription fee.
A boater who uses Starlink primarily for weather, communications, and some Internet services is therefore not in the same situation as a crew that continues to use its usual land-based digital services on board.
And that?s probably the biggest pitfall of satellite broadband: technically, the connection feels like you?ve brought fiber all the way to the middle of the cockpit. Financially, though, out at sea, it?s best to keep an eye on the meter.
This pricing structure also underscores the value of a properly managed onboard Wi-Fi network. On a family boat with multiple smartphones, tablets, and computers, data usage doesn?t come solely from the navigator checking the weather. Every connected device can consume data in the background.
Which vessels are eligible for Maritime Personnel coverage?
Starlink reserves the Maritime Personnel service for small private vessels and excludes commercially operated vessels, including ferries and commercial fishing boats. The company also requires information that allows for the precise identification of the vessel.
The required documentation includes the vessel's name, its flag, its overall length, an identifier such as the hull number, MMSI, or ITU call sign, as well as a copy of the registration certificate.
Roam, Maritime Personnel, or Global Priority, depending on the sailing schedule
Ultimately, there isn't a single Starlink plan that's ideal for all boaters.
Roam remains consistent for roaming use, particularly when international data usage stays within its geographic and time limits. In France, as of August 30, 2026, the Starlink public rate plan lists Roam 100 GB at ?45/month and Roam Unlimited at ?95/month. However, rates depend on the country where the account is registered.
Maritime Personnel targets a different market segment: private boats that spend long periods at sea and regularly cross international borders. Its main appeal lies in the elimination of the 30-day international limit and the unlimited data coverage offered within territorial waters.
Global Priority occupies yet another niche. It combines global maritime and land-based usage with priority data and is designed to meet larger needs. Its pricing should logically be compared to the actual volume of data required at sea.
To make the right choice, you should therefore start by planning your route before looking at the packages. A coastal sailor who spends their vacation traveling between two European ports, a couple living year-round on their sailboat, and a crew preparing for an ocean crossing do not have the same constraints or the same fuel consumption.
Maritime Personnel primarily provides a solution for sailors who were finding themselves constrained by Roam?s international rules. But with an ?Ocean Mode? priced at $6 per gigabyte set to launch on September 27, 2026, the real question on board is no longer just whether the Internet works in the middle of the ocean. It?s also about how many gigabytes the crew plans to use.
