New Plan Targets Small Boat Owners
SpaceX has begun inviting select Starlink customers to a new service plan called "Personal Maritime," designed for small boat owners sailing internationally. The plan, priced at $185 per month, comes in response to complaints from the maritime community that recent pricing and roaming restrictions were pricing them out of the service.
According to reports from Notebookcheck and PCMag, the plan restores extended international roaming capabilities that were recently stripped from standard Roam plans. It allows users to stay online along international coastlines without being required to return to their home country every 30 days—a limit that SpaceX began imposing on Roam plans in July, reducing the roaming period from 60 days per trip to 30 days.
The plan includes "unlimited data and use in territorial waters worldwide," defined as within 12 nautical miles from the coastline. However, it is strictly limited to non-commercial boats under 40 feet in length, explicitly excluding yachts, ferries, and commercial fishing vessels. The company stated that the plan is for small personal vessels and is "not intended for use on land."
Rollout and Eligibility
Eligible users are receiving email invitations to apply, a process that requires submitting their vessel's name, flag, length, and official registration documents via a support ticket. PCMag reported that the plan is not mentioned on Starlink.com and is being offered to select users. One Reddit user reportedly shared the email, which included a link to create a Starlink support ticket.
The new plan addresses how some boat owners were previously using the $175-per-month Roam Unlimited plan for coastal travel between countries. In July, SpaceX restricted the international use of Roam Unlimited, reducing the allowable period from 60 days per trip to 30 days, requiring subscribers to return to their home country once the limit was reached. Meanwhile, the cheaper Roam 100GB and Roam 300GB plans were largely stripped of their international roaming capability.
In addition, SpaceX discontinued Global Roam, a $400-per-month plan that boat owners could use for continuous international access on land or along coasts. At the time, the company recommended affected users switch to the Global Priority plan, which offered up to 60 days of international access per trip but cost significantly more—$650 per month for 500GB of data.
The new Personal Maritime plan, at $185 per month, offers a more affordable alternative for small boat owners, though it comes with changes for those venturing further offshore.
Ocean Mode Price Increase
Users sailing beyond 12 nautical miles must opt into "Ocean Mode" for internet access, and SpaceX is increasing the cost of this feature from $2 per GB to $6 per GB. The price increase applies to the new Personal Maritime plan and to Roam Unlimited users, effective September 27, according to PCMag.
This increase has triggered mixed reactions across sailing forums and social media. Some users have questioned the higher price, while one Facebook user reportedly called the new plan "probably as good as it's going to get." Notebookcheck noted that many boaters are grateful for a workable coastal solution but lament the soaring costs of crossing international waters.