CARNIVAL CORPORATION TO EXPAND ULTRAMODERN WI-FI WITH SPACEX’s STARLINK

Carnival Corporation & plc has announced plans to extend its ultramodern internet connectivity across its global fleet, the latest of many strides that have almost tripled ship bandwidth since 2019. Carnival Corporation & plc is partnering up with SpaceX’s Starlink, a giant in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology, to provide even faster service, greater capacity, and even more reliable Wi-Fi across their entire fleet.

In December 2022, the company began a fleet roll-out of Starlink with Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruises ships. Carnival Corporation & plc is also planning to expand Starlink on a global scale, hoping to reach the company’s other cruise brands, like Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises in Australia, and P&O Cruises in the United Kingdom. 

Starlink can be compared to an on-land connectivity experience and advances Carnival Corporation’s goal to provide the best Wi-Fi connectivity for guests to remain connected while on vacation. This includes streaming movies & live sporting events and accessing social media and email with a more reliable and faster connection. 

“For many of our guests, it has become more and more important to maintain the type of connectivity at sea that they’ve become accustomed to at home, and of course to share the unforgettable experiences of their cruise with friends and family,” said Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation. “We are in the business of delivering happiness, and Starlink makes it as easy as possible for our guests to share all their great moments and memories, giving them even more joy out of their cruise vacation.”

Weinstein added, “The added bandwidth will give the brands the capabilities and flexibility to introduce new guest services and features, as well as help boost operational functions like onboard equipment monitoring and real-time communications between ship and shore teams. And importantly, adding Starlink’s innovative technology to the company’s existing connectivity platform will also help our amazing crew stay in touch with friends and loved ones.”

“High-speed, low-latency broadband internet is critical in our modern age, and we’re excited to provide Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA’s guests an internet experience that makes their travel even more enjoyable,” said Jonathan Hofeller, Vice President of Starlink sales for SpaceX. “In even the most remote waters, guests onboard Carnival Corporation ships will be able to share real-time updates with friends and family.”

Starlink adds to Carnival Corporation’s already long list of communication services, satellite, and technology providers that deliver the company’s world-class connectivity ecosystem. Carnival Corporation has almost 100 ships that visit more than 700 ports worldwide, making the company’s innovative connectivity structure critical. The framework of internet connectivity is designed to precisely route internet traffic to advance network speeds across its fleet on a global scale.