Deployment of the Starlink technology on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Silversea ships is expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2023. Photo Credit: Maridav/Shutterstock
Royal Caribbean Group will implement SpaceX’s Starlink internet service on its ships, becoming the first cruise company to adopt the high-speed, low-latency connectivity.
Saying Starlink will provide a better onboard experience for passengers and crew, Royal Caribbean Group will install the broadband internet service on all Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises ships, along with all new vessels for each brand.
Starlink uses what it calls the world’s largest constellation of highly advanced satellites that orbit the planet closer to Earth than most satellites, lowering latency and delivering internet anywhere on the planet at high speed.
Deployment of the Starlink technology across the fleet will begin immediately. Royal Caribbean said it completed a trial on the Freedom of the Seas, where there was “tremendous” positive feedback from guests and crew. The installation is slated to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2023.
Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty said the installation would be the biggest public deployment of Starlink’s high-speed internet in the travel industry.
“This technology will provide game-changing internet connectivity onboard our ships, enhancing the cruise experience for guests and crew alike,” he said. “It will improve and enable more high-bandwidth activities like video streaming as well as activities like video calls.”
Starlink partnered with Hawaiian Airlines to provide free WiFi to transoceanic flyers, including from the Hawaiian Islands to the continental U.S., Asia and the Oceania region. System installations are expected to begin next year.
