Royal Caribbean Group Partners with SpaceX’s Starlink for High-Speed Internet
by Dori Saltzman /
Cruisers onboard Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises ships will soon no longer need to worry about slow wi-fi. Parent company Royal Caribbean Group has partnered with SpaceX’s Starlink to provide high-speed Internet to its entire fleet across all three brands.
“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 CEO of Royal Caribbean Group. “This technology will provide game-changing Internet connectivity onboard our ships, enhancing the cruise experience for guests and crew alike.”
With Starlink’s high-speed and low latency (no lag time) capabilities, passengers and crew will be able to stream videos and make video calls while at sea.
“Starlink is a game-changer, and we can’t wait to revolutionize the seas with faster and more reliable Internet, making it easier for guests and crew to remain connected to work, family and friends, no matter where they choose to travel,” added Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises.
Deployment of the low-latency broadband service will begin immediately, making use of key learnings picked up during a test of the system onboard Freedom of the Seas. The first ship to receive Starlink will be Celebrity Beyond, rolling out as of its September 5 departure. It will be on all of Celebrity’s Edge Class ships by the end of the year.
All ships across the Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises fleets are expected to have Starlink high-speed Internet by the first quarter of 2023.