Royal Caribbean installing SpaceX Starlink onto its cruise ships

Royal Caribbean has announced that it is installing SpaceX Starlink internet services to its fleet of ships, where it is the first in the cruise industry to have SpaceX's high-speed, low-latency connections for guests on their ships.

The company will be adding Starlink terminals to its ships immediately, where it will be leveraging the insights the company obtained from its trial on board the Freedom of the Seas which "received tremendous positive feedback from guests and crew". The Royal Caribbean Group expects that the installation of Starlink SpaceX hardware will be completed by the end of Q1 2023: or March 31, 2023.

Anyone who has been on a cruise ship will know that internet access is usually absolutely garbage, and expensive. SpaceX Starlink internet connectivity out at sea, with great low latency and connection speeds... well, that would definitely make the cruise experience better. I've been on a couple of cruises myself and would've loved the access to something like Starlink out at sea.

Jason Liberty, president and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean Group explained: "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".

Liberty added: "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".

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".