Cruise Line Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL) recently announced it will add SpaceX's Starlink internet coverage to its fleet of ships. According to the Royal Caribbean, the Starlink make general internet access quicker and more efficient while out at sea.
Presently, the choices for internet are not optimal, given that they are quite costly and inefficient. That is why this new service, Starlink Maritime, will likely be considered a breakthrough in terms of quality internet services offered. In spite of the fact that it only offers coastal coverage at this time, the speed and efficiency seem to be well worth the investment.
In terms of expenses, the service costs around $5,000 on a monthly basis and $10,000 for hardware expenses. Starlink does not currently have service in the center of the sea, like on container ships, but Royal Caribbean hopes to implement this particular feature by the end of 2022 in the northern hemisphere, and to implement this feature by early 2023 in the southern hemisphere. Places like Central and South America, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the southern half of Africa are all excluded from the potential areas covered, however.
"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 chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean Group, in a statement. "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."
This new feature will likely unite friends and family who go on cruises with Royal Caribbean, regardless of where they are traveling or the places that they go to globally. And, although the precise details of which features will be able to be utilized through Starlink's services, Royal Caribbean has ensured that customers would have access to streaming services and video calls.