Today, April 6, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced it will provide SpaceX Starlink Internet fleetwide. The global cruise company owns the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands. In total, it currently operates a fleet of 29 large cruise ships that have transported millions of guests to around 500 destinations across the globe. It is the fourth-largest cruise line in the world by passengers.
SpaceX’s Starlink satellite constellation will deliver high-speed broadband internet connectivity to improve the capacity, speed and reliability of internet on board the sea-going vessels. NCL started testing the Starlink service aboard the ‘Norwegian Breakaway’ cruise ship a few months ago, as previously reported by TESMANIAN. Someone who went on a cruise trip in November 2022 shared photographs of 11 Starlink antennas on the ship, pictured below.
Photo Source: Reddit u/Asleep_Operation2790
“We are thrilled to offer Starlink on board our ships to improve internet connectivity at sea. This initiative is a testament to our continuous quest to find new and innovative ways to enhance the experience for both guests and crew while sailing on our award-winning brands,” said Harry Sommer, president and CEO-elect of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “Ensuring that this technology meets our high standards of excellence for our guests is incredibly important to us, which is why we are introducing this cutting-edge technology across our fleet in a phased manner. Once deployed, guests and crew will have a faster and more reliable method to stay connected with friends and family including by sharing in real-time the incredible memories they create while at sea,” they stated.
The company says that it plans to equip 7 more cruise ships with Starlink hardware before the end of the year, including to its new ships: Oceania Cruises’ Vista, Norwegian Viva, and Regent’s Seven Seas Grandeur. “A comprehensive rollout plan is under development and details regarding timeline and availability on specific ships will be communicated once finalized. In addition to enhancing the guest and crew experience, the extra bandwidth will also allow for more flexibility for onboard services and improve the ship-to-shore connection for operational needs,” said NCL representatives in a press release today.
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All Featured Images Source: Reddit u/Asleep_Operation2790
About the Author
Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo
Evelyn J. Arevalo joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover news as a Space Journalist and SpaceX Starbase Texas Correspondent. Evelyn is specialized in rocketry and space exploration. The main topics she covers are SpaceX and NASA.
