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Some people brag about putting their phones in the safe as soon as they board a cruise ship. They say they want to separate from the world and leave it behind.
It’s a noble idea, but it’s impractical for most people. Many travelers have family and business reasons for staying connected while at sea.
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In some cases, people consider staying in touch as part of their vacation. That might mean sharing photos on social media, watching TikTok videos about their port terminals, or relaxing with a streaming movie or TV show.
Just a few years ago, these things would have been impossible to do on a cruise ship. On my first cruise in late 2018 on the Carnival Conquest, my high-end internet package was barely capable of sending an email on a day at sea.
To send the work emails I needed every day, I had to wake up early in the morning to access precious Internet bandwidth, and doing any meaningful work was basically impossible. Over the next few years leading up to the Covid pandemic, both Carnival and Royal Caribbean made minor online improvements, but service was slow and unreliable.
As a common sailor during that period, I could work, but I was better off saving anything other than opening a web page or sending an email for port days. I could work on board, but a video conference was impossible, and WiFi phone calls regularly dropped out.
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Image source: Ducasse/World Image Collection via Getty Images
Royal Caribbean and Carnival Now Offer Starlink Service
While Elon Musk may spend most of his time as a right-wing troll who turned his former Twitter handle into a hate-filled cesspool, he also continues to be a technology visionary. His company Starlink brought internet service to places that lacked it, provided a lifeline to Ukraine during Russia’s illegal invasion, and provided a viable and affordable option for cruise ship internet.
Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) It has adopted it across all its brands, as has Royal Caribbean. However, both cruise lines have been very quiet about adding Starlink to their ships.
This may be an attempt to adjust expectations, or it may be part of an effort to keep the system manageable by encouraging more riders to buy internet packages. However, Carnival CEO Josh Weinstein commented on the improved internet service during his company’s tenure Q2 earnings call.
“We completed the rollout of Starlink this quarter, which is another opportunity to increase revenue and truly change the onboard connectivity experience, enabling us to offer the same high-speed WiFi service available on the ground across our fleet. This technology not only provides our services,” he added. “Guests enjoy flexibility.” “Greater to stay connected, it enables our crew to stay in touch with friends and loved ones, and enhances our onboard operating systems, which is a win-win.”
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How effective is Starlllink actually on cruise ships?
Weinstein may be getting ahead of himself when he calls Starlink “the same high-speed WiFi available on Earth.” Royal Caribbean makes an equally boastful, but more competent, statement about its Voom internet service on its website.
“Royal Caribbean Voom, the fastest internet at sea, is now available on every Royal Caribbean ship. With onboard WiFi speeds six times faster than you’ll find on any other cruise ship in the world, internet connectivity is unlike anything you’ve ever had.” Time spent on a cruise ship,” claims the cruise line.
Royal Caribbean’s claims are slightly more valid than those of Carnival’s CEO.
Starlink, which I’ve used on several Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships, but not on a Carnival ship, offers a much improved internet experience on cruise ships. However, it still has its limitations, and its effectiveness varies depending on demand and your location on the ship.
In the broadest sense, I can usually attend a one-on-one video meeting on the plane if I find a place with a strong signal. I can attend video meetings with multiple people, but it works best if I turn off my video.
Starlink doesn’t offer speeds or reliability comparable to land-based speeds, and is worse on sea days when more people use the Internet, but it generally allows you to work on a cruise ship. It is possible to post photos on social media, and calls are usually (but not always) successful.
Carnival and Royal Caribbean have solved a pretty obvious problem. Starlink’s service isn’t the same as sitting at a Starbucks, but overall it’s good, which is a big improvement.
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