A Speedtest analysis of cruise passengers’ devices in the first half of 2025 shows that over 60 percent use iPhones, compared to 25 percent using Samsung Galaxy smartphones. This aligns closely with the U.S. smartphone industry and reflects the relatively affluent, mass-market profile of cruise travelers.
The data reveals that many ships rely on older Wi-Fi technology, with 12.6 percent of onboard access points operating on Wi-Fi 4, highlighting a clear opportunity to upgrade networks for better passenger and crew connectivity. Most cruise lines now depend on Starlink for internet access, benefiting from its low-latency, high-speed satellite service.
Among more than 500 device models detected, recent iPhone and Galaxy models dominate usage, with Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max leading at 10.2 percent, followed by the iPhone 15 Pro Max at 9.7 percent and the Galaxy S24 Ultra at 4.7 percent. Older models like the Galaxy S8+ make up only a tiny fraction, showing that most passengers use modern, high-end devices on board.
Most major cruise lines, including Carnival, Costa, Holland America, P&O, and MSC, have transitioned to Starlink satellite internet in recent years. Speedtest data from the first half of 2025 shows that their Wi-Fi performance is consistent across fleets, though slightly below Starlink’s in-flight connectivity results. The likely cause is higher user density on ships compared to airplanes.
Cruise ship Wi-Fi download speeds remain strong, with even the slowest tenth percentile reaching 21.14 Mbps—adequate for most online activities. However, upload speeds show more variation. The slowest tenth percentile, at 1.74 Mbps, can hinder activities like video calls or sharing media, likely due to network congestion during peak hours.
Latency is also higher on cruise ships, with a median of 87 ms versus 44 ms on airplanes, reflecting both greater signal distance and more internal network hops aboard ships. Cruise passengers’ Wi-Fi experience also depends on the package they purchase. Connectivity plans range from basic to premium and can cost more than a typical monthly mobile plan—for instance, $18.70 per day for a basic “Social” plan on a major cruise line. While some cruise operators like Norwegian Cruise Line advertise “free” Wi-Fi, such offers often come with restrictions or are bundled with premium packages.
