Celebrity Cruises, and parent company Royal Caribbean Group, have announced plans to implement Elon Musk’s SpaceX’s Starlink across the group’s entire fleet.
The innovative broadband internet service will be on all Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and Silversea Cruises ships.
It will also be available on all new vessels for each of the brands, and all of this will come at no additional cost to guests.
The service is scheduled to first roll out on Celebrity’s newest ship, Celebrity Beyond, on 5th September, and will be on all of Celebrity’s Edge Series ships by the end of this year.
The installation will continue into 2023 and be complete by May.
Royal Caribbean Group will be the first in the cruise industry to adopt this high-speed, low-latency connectivity for its guests and crew.
Trials have been conducted on Freedom of the Seas, which has received a ‘tremendous amount of positive feedback’ from guests and crew.
The installation is slated to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2023.
Jason Liberty, President and Chief Executive Officer of Royal Caribbean Group, said: “Our purpose as a company is to deliver the best holiday 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.
“This technology will provide game-changing internet connectivity onboard our ships, enhancing the cruise experience for guests and crew alike.
“It will improve and enable more high-bandwidth activities like video streaming as well as activities like video calls.
“Using Starlink is one more example of our continued focus on innovation and excellence for our guests, our crew, the communities we visit and our shareholders.
“Our work with SpaceX is another example of how Royal Caribbean Group continues to lead the cruise industry in innovation and adoption of cutting-edge technology.”
Faster and more reliable internet will also make it easier for guests and crew to remain connected to work, family and friends – no matter where they are in the world.
SpaceX Vice President of Starlink Sales Jonathan Hofeller said: “Royal Caribbean Group selecting Starlink to provide high-speed, low-latency internet across their fleet will make their passengers’ getaways even more luxurious.
“We couldn’t be more excited to work with Royal Caribbean Group to ensure travelers at sea can stay connected with a great internet experience.”
For more information, visit www.royalcaribbeangroup.com.
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