Carnival Corporation announced on Wednesday it has signed a deal to bring SpaceX’s Starlink internet to its global fleet.
Back in December 2022, Starlink started to roll out on Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruises ships. There are plans to expand Starlink to other cruise brands including Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises (Australia), Costa Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard.
“For many of our guests, it has become more and more important to maintain the type of connectivity at sea that they’ve become accustomed to at home, and of course to share the unforgettable experiences of their cruise with friends and family,” said Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation, in a statement. “We are in the business of delivering happiness, and Starlink makes it as easy as possible for our guests to share all their great moments and memories, giving them even more joy out of their cruise vacation.”
Essentially, Starlink high speed internet when at out sea allows customers and staff to keep in touch with family and loved ones, plus boost real-time communications between ship and shore teams.
“High-speed, low-latency broadband internet is critical in our modern age, and we’re excited to provide Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA’s guests an internet experience that makes their travel even more enjoyable,” said Jonathan Hofeller, vice president of Starlink sales for SpaceX, in a statement. “In even the most remote waters, guests onboard Carnival Corporation ships will be able to share real-time updates with friends and family.”
Last June, SpaceX signed a deal to bring Starlink to Royal Caribbean Cruises, followed by another deal with Silent Yachts in July, after the company launched its Starlink Maritime service for use at sea. Last September, SpaceX unveiled a flat Starlink terminal for its Maritime customers.
Starlink Maritime also recently saw a price cut, with hardware now at 50% lower than before at $5,000 USD upfront, to go with $5,000 USD per month for internet service, as noted by Steven Bink (@sbink).
#Starlink Maritime hardware is now half the price compared when launched a few months ago! pic.twitter.com/9H8a5hqfms
— Steven Bink (@sbink) January 18, 2023
SpaceX continues to expand its Starlink low-Earth orbit satellite constellation, with its next launch slated for Thursday.
