VPNs at Sea: Why They’re Your Secret to Streaming (and More) on a P&O Cruise and others

Simple tech talk for everyday cruisers

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1. What on earth is a VPN?

Picture the ship’s corridors as the internet’s shipping lanes.
Normally, every website you visit can spot the cabin number on your envelope—your device’s IP address—and instantly knows where you’re “sailing” from.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) swaps that exposed postcard for a sealed tube-mail system:

1. Step into the tube. Your laptop or phone builds an encrypted “tunnel” to a VPN company’s server.
2. Pop out elsewhere. The server forwards your request, so the website sees the VPN’s address—not yours.
3. Return trip. Replies travel back through the same hidden tunnel.

Because the site only sees the VPN’s location (London, Miami, Sydney—your choice), a VPN handily sidesteps “Sorry, this service isn’t available in your region” pop-ups and many ship-board firewalls.

2. Why do some services get blocked on a cruise ship?

Cruise-line internet rides satellite links—signals travel thousands of miles, making bandwidth precious and pricey. To keep everyone happy (and keep costs down), operators often block or throttle:

• Heavy video and music streaming
• Peer-to-peer file sharing
• VPNs and other “proxy avoidance” tools

P&O fits that pattern: since 2023 it has boosted speeds with Starlink, but a content filter still sits between you and the open web.

3. P&O’s Wi-Fi Packages—Essential vs Ultimate

*Save ~15 % by pre-purchasing through My P&O Cruises before you sail.

4. The Surfshark + IKEv2 “secret sauce” for Essential users

On recent sailings aboard Iona and Arvia, Surfshark worked flawlessly on the cheaper Essential plan once I toggled the protocol to IKEv2. That simple switch let me stream YouTube in 1080p, FaceTime the grandkids, and upload 50 MB GoPro clips—all without upgrading to Ultimate.

Why IKEv2 shines at sea

• Lean handshake: Fewer round-trips than OpenVPN, so it plays nicer with Starlink’s higher latency.
• Lower profile: P&O’s filter seems to target OpenVPN ports first; IKEv2 slides under the radar.
• Fast reconnection: When the ship ducks behind an island and drops signal, IKEv2 springs back almost instantly.

How to enable it (takes 30 seconds):

1. Open Surfshark → Settings › VPN Settings
2. Tap Protocol → choose IKEv2
3. Pick a server (I like “United Kingdom – London”)
4. Enjoy YouTube, BBC iPlayer or Disney+—even on Essential 🎉

5. ⚓ Heads-up: logins, restaurant bookings & the My Holiday site

P&O’s onboard portal—My Holiday—only works when your device is clearly seen as on the ship’s local network. With a VPN active, the system assumes you’re ashore and locks you out.

Quick fix

1. Connect to the ship’s Wi-Fi as usual.
2. Turn OFF your VPN. Open My Holiday (myholiday.pocruises.com) and make your dining, show, or shore-tour bookings.
3. Turn the VPN back ON when you’re done and return to private, unrestricted browsing.

The same “log in first, then VPN” dance applies on many other cruise lines too.

6. Red Bull Maritime eSIM – handy backup or pricey habit?

If you’d rather skip ship Wi-Fi altogether, there’s a growing alternative: the Red Bull MOBILE Maritime eSIM, powered by Telenor Maritime’s onboard 4 G network. Buy and install the eSIM in the Red Bull app before you sail and choose one of two prepaid bundles:

How it’s different

• Cellular, not Wi-Fi. Your phone roams onto “Telenor Maritime” (MCC 901-52) just like an overseas network. No captive portal, no cruise-line login.
• Pay-what-you-use. Once the data’s gone, service stops—no runaway bill shocks.
• Usually unfiltered. Because you’re paying per megabyte, the operator doesn’t bother blocking YouTube or TikTok.

The catch: cost vs consumption

Streaming soaks data fast:

On those maths, a single hour of HD YouTube will vaporise a € 15 / 1 GB pack. For light messaging the eSIM is brilliant; for binge-watching it’s a budget black hole. If you’re a heavy data user, P&O’s “Ultimate” (£ 20/day unlimited) may still work out cheaper per gigabyte.

Quick setup checklist

1. Download the Red Bull MOBILE Data app and install the eSIM while on land (you’ll need connectivity to do it).
2. Buy a Maritime pack but don’t activate it until you’re at sea—validity starts on first use.
3. Enable roaming on your phone; connect to “Telenor Maritime”.
4. Track usage in the app; top-ups require any kind of connection (Wi-Fi in port or remaining eSIM data).

7. Quick-fire checklist

1. Pre-cruise prep: Install Surfshark (test IKEv2) and, if interested, preload a Red Bull eSIM.
2. Log in first: Connect to ship Wi-Fi, open My Holiday, make bookings with the VPN off, then reconnect it.
3. Pick your moment: Off-peak hours (pre-breakfast) = smoother video.
4. Download ahead: Cache Netflix episodes in the app as a fallback.
5. Fallback options: If IKEv2 stalls, Surfshark’s WireGuard protocol often revives the tunnel—or switch to the Red Bull eSIM for a quick data burst.
6. Budget wisely: Compare £ 6/day (Essential → Ultimate upgrade) with € 15 per extra gigabyte on the eSIM.

Final thought

A VPN won’t turn satellite internet into fibre-optic bliss, but pair Surfshark + IKEv2 with the right P&O Wi-Fi plan—and keep a Red Bull Maritime eSIM in your back pocket for emergencies—and you’ve suddenly got all the flexibility you need without nasty surprises.

Happy streaming, happy scrolling, and happy cruising!