Holland America Line has brought SpaceX’s Starlink internet technology to its Pinnacle Class ship, Koningsdam. This huge internet upgrade took place during an April drydock and has been in operation for the past month, and early preliminary results have been positive.
Back in January, parent company Carnival Corporation announced Starlink would be installed on its cruise ships, including those of Holland America.
Starlink aims to provide faster and more reliable global Wi-Fi with its low-Earth orbit satellite constellation. The need for such enhanced connectivity is particularly apparent on ships sailing in Alaska, where harsh weather conditions and obstructive topography often challenge conventional internet provisions.
“Maintaining the level of connectivity our guests and team members are accustomed to at home is crucial to the cruise experience. With increased bandwidth, our guests can now share their Alaskan adventures in real time while our team remains connected with their loved ones back home,” said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line.
Since the new technology’s inauguration, Koningsdam has successfully completed an 18-day roundtrip voyage from Vancouver to Hawaii and has embarked on its 7-day Alaska Inside Passage cruises. These journeys include stops at scenic locations such as Glacier Bay, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway.
Initial feedback from guests and crew members has been overwhelmingly positive, according to Kathleen Erickson, Vice President of Technology for Holland America Line. “Guests report excellent performance with emails and social media, while crew members note significantly improved internet calls home. These connections mean a great deal to us.”
“High-speed, low-latency internet is critical in our modern era. We’re thrilled that Holland America Line is already observing strong results in Alaska, and we look forward to assisting Holland America Line and other Carnival Corporation ships in modernizing their connectivity experience,” said Jonathan Hofeller, Vice President of Commercial Sales for Starlink.
Throughout this summer, Koningsdam will sail on over 20 voyages from Vancouver to Alaskan ports with the enhanced Starlink internet capability. Holland America Line plans to incorporate this technology across its fleet in the coming months, offering modern, top-tier amenities to their guests and crew.
The next Starlink launch is targeting Friday, May 19 at 12:41 a.m. ET (04:41 UTC) for 22 second-generation Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40), at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
