Back in June it was announced Royal Caribbean would be launching SpaceX’s Starlink internet aboard its cruise ships and had started testing the service on select vessels.
Now, Royal Caribbean Group has announced on Tuesday it will expand Starlink fleet wide for its guests and crew.
“The innovative broadband internet service will be installed on all Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises ships, along with all new vessels for each of the brands,” explained the company.
Royal Caribbean confirmed it tested Starlink aboard its ship Freedom of the Seas, which saw “tremendous positive feedback from guests and crew.” Installation of Starlink will be finished by the end of Q1 in 2023.
“Our purpose as a company is to deliver the best vacation experiences to our guests responsibly, and this new offering, which is the biggest public deployment of Starlink’s high-speed internet in the travel industry so far, demonstrates our commitment to that purpose,” said Jason Liberty, president and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean Group, in a statement.
“This technology will provide game-changing internet connectivity onboard our ships, enhancing the cruise experience for guests and crew alike. It will improve and enable more high-bandwidth activities like video streaming as well as activities like video calls. Using Starlink is one more example of our continued focus on innovation and excellence for our guests, our crew, the communities we visit and our shareholders,” added Liberty.
“Royal Caribbean Group selecting Starlink to provide high-speed, low-latency internet across their fleet will make their passengers’ getaways even more luxurious,” said SpaceX Vice President of Starlink Sales Jonathan Hofeller, in a statement. “We couldn’t be more excited to work with Royal Caribbean Group to ensure travelers at sea can stay connected with a great internet experience.”
“Our work with SpaceX is another example of how Royal Caribbean Group continues to lead the cruise industry in innovation and adoption of cutting-edge technology,” said Liberty.
Traditional internet offerings on cruises out at sea relied on slower offerings from satellites orbiting much higher away from Earth. But Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellites changes that offering lower latency and higher download speeds.
SpaceX offers Starlink Maritime as one service of its satellite internet, offering “high-speed, low-latency internet with up to 350 Mbps download while at sea.” Another Starlink Maritime customers includes Silent Yachts.
